How ‘Cravity’ Went From Newcomers To K-Pop Icons (2020–)

K-pop or Korean pop music has been around since the 90’s. We have seen the industry change immensely over the years and still see changes within it today. New boy and girl groups debut every year with some debuts breaking huge records.

Currently, we are in the fifth generation of K-pop. K-pop generations are separated by years.1 For example, the first generation of K-pop was from 1992-2002, the second generation was from 2003-2011, the third generation was from 2012-2017, and the fourth generation was from 2018 to 2022. A majority of the groups that debuted in the fourth generation of K-pop have special cases as they debuted during a pandemic. Some of those groups include Enhypen, P1Harmony, STAYC, aespa, and Cravity.

The fourth-generation boy group, Cravity’s journey as a group is unlike any other. Debuting in 2020, which was during the COVID pandemic was a challenge in itself, having to try and make it in the competitive K-pop industry. Through their resilience, hard work, and unity, the group has managed to become one of the most successful groups in the industry.

“Starship’s Influence” — Cravity’s Industry Backing

Every K-pop group is signed under an entertainment company after they debut. These entertainment companies are behind the success of all of the groups in the industry. Starship Entertainment, Cravity’s company, was founded in 2008 by Kim Shidae, Seo Hyunjoo, and Kim Youngsuk.

Starship Entertainment, a South Korean Pop entertainment company's logo.
Starship Entertainment Logo. 2008.

Starship Entertainment is a medium-sized entertainment company and one of the “five major agencies” alongside SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and HYBE Corporation. It also has a subsidiary label called King Kong by Starship that manages South Korean actors.

Since the company launched in 2008, it has managed and is the current home to several different groups and soloists over the years. Some of those groups and soloists include Sistar (2010-2017), Boyfriend (2011-), Monsta X (2015-), WJSN (2016-), Ive (2021-), KiiKii (2025-), Wonho (2015-), and K.Will (2007-).

Monsta X members pose for their Japanese single, "Wanted".
Starship Entertainment. Monsta X Wanted Concept Images. 2021.

On top of managing several different groups and soloists, Starship is currently producing Debut’s Plan: NewKids, a new South Korean survival show that features twenty-one Starship Entertainment trainees competing to be a part of the final seven-member group.

It has found great success through the management of its groups, such as Monsta x, Ive, and Cravity, which has led it to be known as one of the most well-known entertainment companies to date.

Meet Cravity: Members, Identity, And Origins

Let’s deep dive into who Cravity is and learn more about them and their success as a group.

Starship Entertainment’s third boy group, Cravity, made their debut on April 14, 2020, with the title track “Break All The Rules” and first mini album ‘HIDEOUT: Remember Who We Are — Season 1‘.

CRAVITY 크래비티 ‘BREAK ALL THE RULES’ MV. YouTube. STARSHIP. 14 April 2020.

The group’s name, Cravity, has two meanings behind it. The first one being the combination of both “Creativity” and “Gravity.”2 The combination of both words is meant to capture the attention of their audiences and lure them into their creative universe. Cravity also stands for “Center of Gravity.” 3

Most K-pop groups have a special greeting when they are introducing themselves. For Cravity, their greeting is “Get Closer! Hello, We are Cravity!” The group also makes a letter “C” with their hand while saying their initial greeting. They also have an official slogan, “Remember Our Time,” that they say during special moments in their career.

The group consists of nine members: Park Serim, the oldest and the leader, Allen Ma, Koo Jungmo, Seo Woobin, Ham Wonjin, Kang Minhee, Song Hyeongjun, Kim Taeyoung, and Ahn Seongmin, the maknae, which translates to the group’s youngest member. Eight out of the nine members are Korean, while the second oldest member, Allen, is Taiwanese-American. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan, but moved to Los Angeles, California when he was young.

Cravity pose for their Afterglow version of their album "Evershine" that was released on February 26, 2024.
“@CRAVITYStarship.” CRAVITY The 7th Mini Album EVERSHINE CONCEPT PHOTO AFTERGLOW ver. 2024.

Each member of the group has a different surname, which makes the group very unique, as this is quite uncommon in the K-pop industry. Also, each member of the group has their own official color and their own official character from their plushie line, CCREW4, that the members designed themselves.

Ccrew characters, which were designed by the Cravity members themselves were released on January 7, 2022.
Kprofiles. CCREW Profile & Facts. 2022.

The group also has their own official lightstick, called “Remembong,” which is a combination of their official slogan, “Remember Our Time,” and “bong,” which translates to stick in English. The “Remembong” was released on September 14, 2020.

Cravity's official lightstick which was released on September 14, 2020.
Starship Entertainment. CRAVITY Official Lightstick. 2020.

Every member of the group is very well-rounded, which adds to the group’s overall popularity. Even with some members having specific positions in the group, such as the main rapper, dancer, and vocalist, all nine members could take on any role within the group.

From Produce X 101 To Pre-Debut Lore

Prior to Cravity’s debut in 2020, four out of the nine members of Cravity participated in MNET’s survival show, Produce x 101 (2019-)5. Members Minhee, Hyeongjun, Wonjin, and Jungmo, and former Starship Entertainment trainee Moon Hyunbin, took part in the show as Starship’s trainees.

Starship trainees, left to right: Kang Minhee, Ham Wonjin, Koo Jungmo, Moon Hyunbin, and Song Hyeongjun posing for the camera after Minhee and Hyeongjun won the show.
r/Broducex101. The Future of Starship. Reddit. 2019.

Produce x 101 (2019-) was the fourth installment of the Produce television series. The one hundred and one contestants from various companies participated in the show, with the public playing the “producer” role of creating an eleven-member temporary boy group. Contestants went through several different elimination performance rounds, trying to stay all the way until the end in hopes of debuting in the final group.

All four members of Cravity made it to the finale of the show. Moon Hyunbin was eliminated in the eighth episode, placing thirty-second. Ham Wonjin and Koo Jungmo were eliminated in the final episode, placing thirteenth and sixteenth. Hyeongjun and Minhee placed fourth and tenth, securing their spot in the final debut lineup.

Hyeongjun and Minhee made their official debut with X1 on August 27, 2019, alongside nine other members: Han Seungwoo, Cho Seungyoun, Kim Wooseok, Kim Yohan, Lee Hangyul, Son Dongpyo, Cha Junho, Lee Eunsang, and Nam Dohyon. The group debuted with the title track “Flash” and the mini album “Emergency: Quantum Leap.”

X1 member posing for their teaser images for their debut, Emergency: Quantum Leap.
R/Kpop. X1 – Official Debut Profile Teaser Images & Logo Film. Reddit. 2019.

The group sold over 500,000 physical copies of their album in the first week, breaking the record for the highest first-week sales for a debut album in South Korea. On September 3, 2019, X1 won their first music show trophy on SBS ‘The Show!’ (2011-) for their title track “Flash.” They became the fastest boy group to ever win a music show, within five days of their debut.

Despite the group’s success and five-year contract, they had to go on an indefinite hiatus due to voting manipulation on Produce x 101 (2019-). Two of the show’s producers were arrested on November 5th, 2019, after admitting to manipulating votes on not only Produce x 101 (2019-), but on previous seasons of the Produce series.

Unfortunately, X1 disbanded on January 6, 2020, only five months after their debut due to unsuccessful negotiations with the members’ individual companies. After the disbandment, Minhee and Hyeongjun returned to Starship Entertainment and joined “STARSHIPZ,” the company’s pre-debut team, before Cravity’s official debut in 2020.

“Debut In The Dark” — Cravity’s Pandemic Launch

Debuting during the pandemic was not ideal for many K-pop groups. After members Minhee and Hyeongjun returned to Starship Entertainment in 2019, Starship announced they were going to debut a new boy group in early 2020. Unfortunately, Cravity debuted in 2020, which was the peak of the COVID pandemic.

Cravity doing their "C" pose at their debut showcase on April 14, 2020.
“@CRAVITYStarship.” [사진] 200414 DEBUT SHOWCASE 크래비티의 첫 여정! 우리 앞으로 쭉~ 함께 걸어요. 2020.

When the group started their promotions on music shows with their title track, “Break All The Rules,” they had to perform to empty rooms as COVID restrictions banned people from watching live performances. For the members, it was very hard because they were not given the ideal debut situation, as none of their fans were there to show their support in person.

The group found success with their debut music video, reaching almost 3.2 million views in the first twenty-four hours, which made them the first rookie boy group to do so in 2020. Members Minhee and Hyeongjun, being previous members of X1 and also popular trainees on Produce x 101, brought more fans to the group.

Despite overall conditions during their debut, Cravity was still able to create a big name for themselves and become one of the biggest fourth-generation K-pop boy groups to date.

Cravity’s Sound — Growth, Controversy, & Standouts

Cravity’s overall sound as a group has changed over their career. They have mixed several genres within their music including pop rock, EDM, and hip-hop. From their debut, they have changed sounds and concepts that have sparked several conversations amongst fans and non-fans.

CRAVITY 크래비티 ‘My Turn’ MV. YouTube. Starship. 19 Jan. 2021.

Some of their intense and powerful songs include “My Turn” and “Gas Pedal.” These songs in particular sparked conversations, as many people had different opinions regarding the songs, as they were quite different from songs like “Cloud 9” in their discography.

When the group released their first studio album’s second part, ‘Liberty: In Our Cosmos” on March 22, 2022, with the title track “Adrenaline,” the group found themselves to be recognized more positively for their change in sound as “Adrenaline” was more upbeat and brighter compared to their previous comebacks.

The group continued to release songs that were more upbeat and groovy, which helped them really solidify their overall sound. Their title track “Love or Die,” which was released on February 26, 2024, alongside mini album ‘Evershine,’ was recognized for having a nostalgic, yearning feeling that was missed in the industry.

Cravity posing for their "Love or die" mood photo.
@CRAVITYStarship. CRAVITY The 7th Mini Album EVERSHINE ‘Love or Die’ MOOD PHOTO. 2024.

Several members of the group have also taken part in the writing and composition of some of their songs. Since their debut, members Woobin, Allen, Serim, Jungmo, and Wonjin have participated in song and lyric writing in their respective songs. Allen and Serim have also written most of their raps in the group’s discography.

CRAVITY 크래비티 ‘Colorful’ Special Clip. YouTube. CRAVITY. 25 Dec. 2022

Member Woobin has taken part in of the song and lyric writing for the group’s most sentimental songs, “Colorful”, “Light the Way,” and “Horizon.” These songs are very special, not only to the group but to the fandom as well.

The group’s experiment with sound and willingness to contribute to their own song and lyric writing will only add to their success and longevity.

“Making A Mark” — Cravity’s Rise Among 4th Gen Titans

Throughout the group’s entire career, they have been recognized for their various dance and vocal covers at their own concerts and award show performances, which has helped them solidify their spot in the K-pop industry.

Some of their covers have also been posted to the group’s YouTube channel. The group’s most notable cover was their cover of EXO‘s “The Eve” at the 2022 Dream Concert.

Cravity performing in Macau for their first world tour Master:Piece.
Wanxing Entertainment. Cravity The 1st World Tour: masterpiece Macau. 2023.

They have been recognized for their perfected synchronization, especially as a nine-member boy group. Additionally, the group is known for their stage presence, combined with their complex choreography and amazing vocals. This is one of the major aspects that has helped the group become very well-known in the industry. The group has also been recognized by non-Kpop fans for their talents and personalities.

CRAVITY 크래비티 Cover 엑소(EXO) 전야 (前夜) (The Eve) 4K 직캠. YouTube. Rock Music. 18 Jun. 2022.

On top of being recognized for their talents, which has added to the group’s popularity, several members of the group have been given MC opportunities throughout their career. Five out of the nine members of Cravity have MCed for various shows.

Minhee, was one of three MCS for SBS’ The Show, from January 2022 to March 2023, alongside Ateez’s Yeosang and Kep1er’s Chaehyun. Hyeongjun, was the MC for SBS’ The Show from March 2024 to December 2024, alongside WayV’s Xiaojun and UNIS’ Nana. He returned to The Show in March of this year and is the current MC alongside Xiaojun and izna’s Saebi.

Member Hyeongjun posing with his MC partners, Xiaojun and Nana on his birthday, November 30, 2024 on SBS The Show.
@SBSMTVTHESHOW. 쏭딩 생일은 더쇼가 제일 축하하딩. 3. Dec. 2024.

Members Taeyoung and Allen were the MCs on Arirang TV’s After School Club (2013-)6, alongside former NU’EST member Aron. The show, which is mostly spoken in English as it is geared toward an international audience, features several different K-pop groups and soloists participating in Q&As and games, and given the chance to promote their newest albums. Allen and Taeyoung both became MCs in 2022.

Member Taeyoung was also an MC for the YouTube show, “KOREAZ Get Closer,” alongside member Wonjin, where they would explore Korean culture. The show consisted of eight episodes and aired from June 2024 until January 2025.

Alongside their extraordinary stage presence and MC opportunities, which has given them the chance to gain popularity, Cravity has become a titan in the industry because of their bond as a group, which is a huge thing in the industry.

“Cravity Park” — Building Bonds Through Variety

One thing Cravity is known for is their personalities and variety as a group. Most K-pop groups have their own variety shows that air on YouTube, as a way to show their personalities and group dynamics outside of performing. Some other notable K-pop variety shows include BTS’ Run BTS and Seventeen’s Going Seventeen.

CRAVITY PARK (크래비티 파크) EP.01 온라인 개학 l SEASON 1 (시즌 1). YouTube. CRAVITY. 4. Dec. 2020.

The first episode of Cravity Park aired on YouTube on December 4, 2020. Since the release of the first episode, the show has aired over five seasons and one hundred total episodes, with the most recent and one hundredth episode being released on January 6, 2025.

Every episode of Cravity Park is a little bit different, with each episode having a unique concept. Some of the episode concepts include games, dramatizations, traveling, and more. The most popular episode was season three, episode forty, with over 1.9 million views on YouTube.

CRAVITY PARK (크래비티 파크) EP.40 한여름날의 비티학교 특집 2 l SEASON 3 (시즌 3). YouTube. CRAVITY. 19 July. 2021.

In this episode, the members were playing a ghost game in a school where they had to walk through an eerie hallway in order to obtain a snack for the ghost. As they would walk through the hallway, they would be scared by some of the members’ reactions going viral on various social media platforms.

This episode is one of the many popular episodes of the variety show, and its popularity comes from the members’ funny personalities, which is another aspect of why “Cravity Park” is a very well-known K-pop variety show.

“Luvity Love” — The Power Of Fandom Connection

Every K-pop group has its own fandom name. When a fandom name for a group is announced, a special bond between the group and fandom is created.

On May 11, 2020, on the platform “VLIVE,” Cravity went live7 to announce their fandom name, “Luvity.” “Luvity” stands for people who love Cravity.

The official logo for Cravity's fandom name: Luvity that was released on May 11, 2020.
r/Kpop. CRAVITY reveals logo for official fanclub “LUVITY”. Reddit. 2020.

Luvity has been there for every single moment of Cravity’s career. They are the true backbone of the group’s success through their hard work, streaming their music and music videos, voting in award shows, making fan accounts on social media, and showing up to their concerts to show their support.

Through the group’s private messaging app, “Bubble,” the members have shown their love back to Luvity and have mentioned how grateful they are for all the love and support the fandom shows them. K-pop groups would not be able to maintain their success and longevity if it weren’t for their fandom, which in this case, for Cravity, would be Luvity.

“Crowned Early” — Rookie Wins/Road To Kingdom

Throughout Cravity’s entire career, they have obtained several awards, including several music show trophies and award show trophies.

Cravity became the first rookie K-pop group to win a music show trophy with their second title track, “Flame,” on September 1, 2020, only five months after their debut. The win was very emotional for the members, as they hadn’t been able to perform in front of their fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Cravity posing with their trophy on SBS The Show after winning 1st place for their song "Flame" on September 1, 2020.
@CRAVITYChart. [Cravity Music Show Wins.] 2024.

Since their win with “Flame,” the group has gone on to win four more music show trophies with their songs “Party Rock,” “Groovy,” and “Love or Die.” “Love or Die” received two wins on SBS The Show (2011-) and Music Bank (1998-)8. Their win on Music Bank (1998-) was very special to them, as it was their first public music broadcast win.

(Interview) Winner’s Ceremony – CRAVITY🏆 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 240308. YouTube. KBS WORLD TV. 8 Mar. 2024.

The group has also taken home several awards from the Asia Artist Awards, Melon Music Awards, The Fact Music Awards, Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), and Soribada Best K-Music.

Cravity also competed on MNET’s Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace, a reality competition survival show. Cravity was one of seven groups who participated in the show. The other groups included 8turn, TNX, Younite, Tempest, Oneus, and The Crew One, a project group comprised of Just B and ATBO members. Soloist and SHINee member Taemin was the show’s MC.

All of the groups competed against each other to become the final winner, who received prize money of over 100 million won and the chance to perform at KCON, a yearly convention celebrating K-pop and Korean culture held worldwide.

Cravity pose with the number 5 hand signal for fans to vote for them on Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace.
“@CRAVITYStarship.” [] Mnet 로드 투 킹덤 : ACE OF ACE <FINAL> 생방송 투표 안내. 2024.

Despite going through so much during the airing of the show, Cravity never gave up and relied on each other to ultimately become the final winner in the end.

What’s Next For Cravity?

As Cravity is about to celebrate their five-year anniversary, they are only continuing to move up in their career. After their recent release of the Japanese title track, “Jelly Bean,” last month, the group did various promotions while visiting Japan.

Cravity members pose for their 2nd Japanese single. "Show off" concept photos.
@CRAVITY_JP. #CRAVITY Japan 2nd Single “SHOW OFF” 2024.06.05 Release. 2024.

Cravity will be attending KCON Japan on May 11, 2025, and will be performing on the main MCountdown stage. They will also be attending the meet and greet stage on Friday, May 9. The group was given the chance to perform after winning first place on the reality survival show, Road To Kingdom: Ace of Ace (2024), back in November 2024.

All members have expressed their wishes to embark on a world tour in the future. Their last tour, “Masterpiece,” which was their first tour as a group, was back in 2023. The success they gained on the Road to Kingdom has also helped solidify great recognition in the industry.

By continuing what they are doing, with the fusion of different genres of music, their varying personalities, and their overall talent, Cravity will continue to soar in the industry as one of the biggest fourth-generation boy groups.

Footnotes

  1. “4 Generations of K-pop Explained.” Kpop Exchange, 2025. ↩︎
  2. Lo, Bonnie. “POP TOKKI 101: A Guide to Cravity.” Pop Tokki, 24 May 2024. ↩︎
  3. Lo, Bonnie. “POP TOKKI 101: A Guide to Cravity.” Pop Tokki, 24 May 2024. ↩︎
  4. “CCREW.” NamuWiki, 29 Mar. 2025.
    ↩︎
  5. “Produce X 101 (TV Series 2019– ) ⭐ 7.2 | Music, Reality-TV.” IMDb, 3 May 2019. ↩︎
  6. “After School Club (TV Series 2013– ) ⭐ 7.9 | Talk-Show.” IMDb, 17 Apr. 2013. ↩︎
  7. “New Starship Boy Group CRAVITY Announces Fandom Name.” Soompi, 11 May 2020 ↩︎
  8. “Music Bank (TV Series 1998– ) ⭐ 7.9 | Music, Reality-TV.” IMDb, 12 June 1998. ↩︎

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