A group called BADVILLAIN releasing a track called “THRILLER.” The naming is not accidental — the villain has become one of K-pop’s standard costumes.

Why so many groups want to be the antagonist

For most of K-pop’s history a girl group was sold as either sweet or, later, as “girl crush” — confident, sharp, aspirational. The villain concept is the next step out: not likeable, not asking to be. It gives a rookie group an immediately legible identity in a market launching dozens of groups a year, and it licenses harder production and choreography than a cute concept would allow. Whether it is genuine attitude or simply the current fashion in positioning is a fair question, and one the audience asks every time.

About this release

“THRILLER” was published on 15 September 2025 through BPM Entertainment (Big Planet Made) and runs 2 minutes 57.

Watching from outside Korea

Concepts move in waves here. Track what a year’s worth of rookie groups are called and you have a fairly good read on what the industry currently believes will sell.

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