Revolutionary girl group tripleS are pushing the boundaries of K-pop

Every era has its pop culture auteur of girlhood. The ’90s got the Spice Girls, who were bold and unapologetic in their derision of the patriarchy. The 2000s had Sofia Coppola, who softened adolescent anxiety with cotton and lace. The 2010s gave us Greta Gerwig, who posited the female experience as an ever-evolving journey of discovery. Now, tripleS, the behemoth K-pop girl group, want to soundtrack girlhood for this decade.

Since making their official debut in 2023, the 24-member group formed by Jaden Jeong’s Modhaus label have made a strong case for occupying that role. Over one EP and two albums, they’ve cemented themselves as mouthpieces for the modern girl. Their songs pinpoint the amorphous reality of coming of age, meshing the unbridled hope and arrogance of youth with the pressure and ease of the great unknown.

The stories and emotions in their tracks are as variable as the genres that carry them. ‘Rising’, from debut EP ‘ASSEMBLE’, depicts chasing your dreams over breezy electronic pop and hip-hop grooves; the low-slung Afrobeats rhythms of ‘White Soul Sneakers’ finds the members forging their own path; latest single ‘깨어 (Are You Alive)’ softly bounces on an alternative dance beat as the group offer support to those losing faith in our bleak world.

“When the public thinks of tripleS, I hope that they remember us as the voice that represented this generation,” main vocalist DaHyun tells NME over a video call from Seoul. She shares the screen with fellow members SeoYeon, YooYeon and SoHyun, who complete the cohort chosen to represent the wider group today. The girls are relaxed and easy during the call, dressed down in comfy casuals like jeans and puffer jackets. But when one speaks, the others lock in intently, as if they’re catching up during a girls’ night in.

“I think that within this number of people, you’ll be able to see all the different types of humans,” says vocalist and songwriter SoHyun, gesturing to her teammates. “In life, there are moments when you think you’re the only one who’s out of place, or you wonder, ‘Will I really be OK?’ So, if you see various people your age living life their way, you might feel comforted thinking, ‘I’ll be OK too.’”

tripleS are unique, not only for their bursting ranks – though, at 24 members, they are the largest girl group in K-pop history – but for the way the group are set up to morph and mould with each release. They primarily operate in sub-units, smaller groups made up of a handful of members. Their fans use an app created by their label to vote on everything – from lead singles to who is going to perform them. Fans aren’t just at the heart of everything that tripleS do – they’re at the steering wheel, too.

“We believe that our fans are the ones who create the direction for tripleS as a group,” says SeoYeon, who was the first member of tripleS to be revealed, all the way back in 2022. “From the perspective of our members, we are not simply an idol group that has everything created by the company just for the fans. Instead, the fans are part of our creation process.”

“We are not simply an idol group that has everything created by the company just for the fans”

Not everyone would relish having that constant feedback, let alone give it so much power over their career. But SoHyun, who has written and composed tracks not just for tripleS but also for labelmates ARTMS, says it’s actually been a welcome addition to her creative process. “I’m the kind of person who doubts things even without any feedback. So, on the contrary, this type of direct communication has been really helpful,” she says with well-versed assurance.

“I was quite worried,” admits the soft-spoken DaHyun about letting in that much noise, as the others nod in agreement. “But going through it all now, I think it’s really great. Personally, fans were able to discover my charm[s], ones that even I was unaware [of].”

Occasionally, tripleS will also come together as one all-encompassing unit, as they did last year on their debut studio album ‘<ASSEMBLE24>’. The record, which NME named as one of the best albums of 2024, was fronted by ‘Girls Never Die’, a future bass-bumping, rallying cry of sisterhood and solidarity urging girls to get up and fight even when it feels like the world is against them.

“Though it’s my own song, I felt comforted by the lyrics that felt so relatable,” says SeoYeon. “A lot of people liked the line: ‘Gonna go all the way / not gonna give up this time’.” They’ve carried that message of empowerment and the drive to be a powerful voice for young women into ‘깨어 (Are You Alive)’, the lead single of their second album ‘<ASSEMBLE25>’, where the 24 members reunite once again.

Being a voice for your generation is a lot to shoulder when you yourself are traversing the same hurdles as the people you’re hoping to inspire. tripleS are young women all sitting at different points on the spectrum of adolescence. The members, who all live together across multiple dorms, are in a constant state of finding a comfortable resting place between being representatives for their fans while also growing up alongside them.

“The job of an idol literally is being an ‘idol’ for others, so there’s a constant sense of responsibility to be the most ideal self,” says YooYeon. As she speaks, SoHyun, next to her, smiles in encouragement. “It feels like a big burden, but it’s a good burden to have. And with that responsibility, I feel like I’m able to lead my own life in a better manner.”

Harnessing unconditional, mass devotion has become something of a calling card for K-pop, and the industry has tested every innovative way to do that. Rarely, though, are common building blocks – like having fixed units that exist for more than a release and official roles or positions for members – stripped down to their foundations. tripleS are revolutionary in that way because everything about their existence challenges that notion.

They have no ordained leader, opting instead to be ‘decentralised’ as a group. A sub-unit voted for by fans might never be seen again, a linear trajectory is impossible, thanks to the way their songs and units are chosen, and the desires of their fanbase often have dominion over autonomy when it comes to music. None of it should work, and yet tripleS are thriving.

“I hope that people will remember us as the voice that represented this generation”

The key to that seems to be perception. Though the guardrails of their concept could feel caging, the members say it’s those exact confines that breed the most creativity, as they’re implored to be more inventive with their freedom. “Our title song gets selected through [an in-app voting event called Gravity], and based on that selection, our company confirms the rest of the track list and we start working on the songs,” explains SoHyun.

“They usually give a theme [and] based on the theme, I write lyrics,” she continues, speaking with a passion for songwriting that’s infectious through the screen. “I have to always be mindful about including tripleS and the girlhood concept in the lyrics as well. When I’m involved in song arrangement, I always make a moodboard to convey [the theme]. And for song and vocal direction, since I know all the characteristics of each member, I can feel us all growing together.”

Girlhood isn’t a subject that’s been dictated to the members by management, SoHyun confirms. Rather, it’s a topic that has fallen into place organically as it’s where they’re at in life currently. “Albums will keep maturing and we too will continue to grow,” she adds, gesturing to her teammates, “When we try to portray that in the song, we [feel] the fans [will] be able to experience the process [of growth] better.”

“SoHyun is always working so hard day and night to write songs for us and write lyrics,” says DaHyun, looking over at her teammate in awe. “If I have the chance sometime in the future, I would like to learn [songwriting] directly from SoHyun.”

The call erupts in chatter as the members play hot potato with kind words, throwing them back as soon as they receive them. Having spent so much time as 24 members, you get the sense the girls have learned they need to say what they want when they want, lest the conversation be carried somewhere else. It’s bred an open and honest relationship between them, one stripped of anything left unsaid.

“We support each other to fill in for what the other is lacking,” says DaHyun about the benefits of working together as such a big team. “The members are able to bring out the charms of each other better. It’s like a win-win situation for everyone.”

By design, there is no easy-to-determine roadmap ahead for tripleS. With so much of their existence in the hands of their fans, the members can relieve themselves of too many worries about the near future. Rather than focusing on set goals in the months and years ahead, they instead zoom out further.

“When you look back in time, what stays with you is how you were at that time, how you felt at that time – those kinds of things stay in your memories, right?” says SoHyun. “So when [people] listen to our songs again, [I hope they’ll think] ‘I was like this’ and ‘This is how I felt’, or ‘I wonder what I’m like now, compared to then.’ I hope we are remembered as a team that grew together with our fans.”

tripleS’ second album ‘<ASSEMBLE25>’ is out now via Modhaus.

Listen to tripleS’ exclusive playlist to accompany The Cover below on Spotify or on Apple Music here.

Words: Lucy Ford
Additional translation: Neha Cariappa
Photographer: Sewon Jun
Photography Assistant: Seongho Lee, Sungyoon Lim
Visual Director: Roy Back
Visual Director Assistant: Mihye Lee
Gaffer: Gray Lee
Styling: Park Jihye
Assistant Stylist: Shin Daeun, Yang Heewon, Back Jangmi
Hair & Make-up: JOY187
Hair Stylist:, Kim Yumi, Joy, Jo Youngin, Lee Haeun
Assistant Hair Stylist:Choi Minjun, Kim Yesol
Make-up Artist: Han Sunyoung, Kim Minji, Kim Heejin, Sung Ayoung
Assistant Make-up Artist: Kim Jiwoo, Kim Hyejin
PR and Local Production: SKY720 (Jin Choung, Anastasia Kuvaldina, Niken Koesoemo, Zuza Frymark)
Label: Modhaus

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