"Gen Z美" group KiiiKiii (KiiiKiii: Jiyu, I-sol, Sui, Ha-eum, Kiya) is drawing attention as it repeatedly proves its global influence.
According to British music magazine NME released 'The 25 best K-pop songs of 2025', KiiiKiii's 'DANCING ALONE' was ranked in the 2025 best K-pop and showcased the group's musical prominence in the global market.
'DANCING ALONE' is the title track of KiiiKiii's first digital single album released on Aug., and its melody, which blends city pop and retro synth-pop moods, evokes nostalgia for the past and received praise from many listeners. In addition, humorous and candid lyrics once again impressed KiiiKiii's unique charm.
NME said, "If you could bottle bittersweet nostalgia, it would be KiiiKiii's 'DANCING ALONE.' The glittering hook inspired by the '80s and the relentless synth sound break down boundaries and reframe loneliness as 'togetherness.' The decisive element is the playful, feel-good choreography. It perfectly captures the 'shy but lovable' feeling that's just right for dancing alone in front of a bedroom mirror." This passage well shows KiiiKiii's characteristically free-spirited and witty team color.
With their debut track 'I DO ME,' which delivered the assertive message "I will be myself," KiiiKiii expanded the focus from 'I' to 'we' through 'DANCING ALONE' and depicted radiant moments of friendship. After its release, 'DANCING ALONE' rose to No. 3 on the Melon Hot 100 chart (as of 30 days after release) and entered the iTunes top songs charts in six countries and regions including Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, France and Japan. It also appeared on the iTunes top K-pop songs charts in six countries and regions including Japan, the U.K., Brazil, Turkey, Taiwan and Hong Kong, enjoying global popularity, and its music video, with its sensitive and delicate visuals and a story that stimulates nostalgia for the past, evoked brilliant memories of friendship that anyone might have experienced once, drawing attention by appearing on YouTube's rising music video chart.
This momentum continued on domestic and overseas stages. Through performances of 'DANCING ALONE,' KiiiKiii showcased deeper emotional lines and diverse performances that concentrated the attention of the global fandom, and solidified their stage presence based on strong skills and their distinctive 'Gen Z美.'
In addition, KiiiKiii participated in 'Kansai Collection 2025 A/W' held at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan in Aug., and then appeared as the only K-pop girl group at 'Music Expo Live 2025' held at Tokyo Dome in Nov., proving their global influence by gracing popular Japanese music shows and major local newspapers.
KiiiKiii's global achievements can be seen in various indicators. Earlier, U.S. magazine Stardust selected KiiiKiii among the '10 new acts to watch in 2026,' saying "they are flexibly crossing eras and concepts and consistently creating music you want to keep following," and Google announced through its year-end data analysis project Year in Search that KiiiKiii was among the top six acts in the 'KPop Debuts' category of 2025 global 'breakout' search terms, drawing attention.
Thus, as KiiiKiii continues to expand its global influence day by day, they won two awards at the recently held '10th AAA 2025,' taking home the rookie award 'AAA Rookie of the Year' and the 'AAA Best Performance' award, and are building a solid record of seven rookie awards this year.
Meanwhile, KiiiKiii will take the stage at the '2025 MUSIC BANK Global Festival in Japan' to be held at the Tokyo National Stadium on the 14th.
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