10 K-Pop Groups That Are A Cappella Pros

We all love hearing our favorite idols show off their vocals without music, but there’s something particularly special about listening to a group perform in full a cappella style, with members harmonizing by singing multiple voice parts together. While many K-pop groups have released acoustic versions of their tracks or sung without music, surprisingly few have forayed into this kind of true, multi-part a cappella singing. We can’t help but admire the musicality and pitch-perfect talent of groups that have and hope that more will start to bless us with a cappella covers — or even work some a cappella into their title tracks (who doesn’t love the bridge from EXO’s “Tempo“?). But for now, the following 10 groups have shown us that they’re true a cappella pros!

1. MAMAMOO

There’s no better way to start than with the act whose literal group greeting is in a cappella! The MAMAMOO members are famous for being vocal powerhouses with impressive harmonizing skills. They even released an a cappella cover of their 2015 hit “Um Oh Ah Yeh,” proving that their vocals are delightful even without accompaniment.

2. BTOB

Another group known for its vocals, BTOB’s members harmonize wherever they go! The group’s vocal line features some of the most velvety smooth voices in K-pop, and they blend together gorgeously (special shoutout to Hyunsik’s ultra-low bass in their Christmas medley below). Even the rappers can hold their own!

3. Lovelyz

Lovelyz is a vocal gem that remains hugely underrated, especially for how incredibly talented the group is. Your heart is guaranteed to be warmed by their a cappella rendition of Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” below, or of their own single “That Day.” The members’ voices are clear, sweet, and mesh together beautifully!

4. PENTAGON

PENTAGON is also no stranger to a cappella covers! Their a cappella take on the famed “Frozen” track “Into the Unknown” highlights just how much vocal talent is in this group, and a remix of their 2018 hit “Shine” starts off a cappella before adding instrumental and descending into chaotic fun.

5. GFRIEND

GFRIEND has multiple strong vocalists, yet they all manage to sound great in harmony — plus, the ladies have a surprisingly impressive vocal range! Their a cappella cover of Lenka’s “Everything At Once” is an especially fun listen, and we can only hope they’ll release a cappella versions of their own music some day!

6. ONF

ONF is making waves with their latest single “Beautiful Beautiful,” which features a unique a cappella bridge! But this group has dabbled in a cappella from its beginnings: they do a gorgeous rendition of NSYNC’s “This I Promise You” (despite MK’s coughing fit!), and you can hear their live a cappella from “Beautiful Beautiful” at 2:21 here:

7. TVXQ

Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the group that literally debuted as an a cappella/dance act. When TVXQ consisted of five members, the group released numerous a cappella covers and could easily show off their harmonizing abilities in live performances as well. Now that’s talent!

8. gugudan

Sadly, gugudan officially disbanded at the end of 2020, but at least we can still appreciate these ladies’ music! They proved to be a cappella queens, whether their harmonizing was impromptu, like this video of them singing “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid,” or for an official cover, like the remix of their 2018 single “The Boots.”

9. SPICA

Another girl group that disbanded too soon, SPICA was known for being filled with strong vocalists — so it’s no surprise that this five-member group’s a cappella was impeccable. Enjoy some of their creative “cup” performances, and let’s pray we get a SPICA reunion sometime!

10. 2AM

Speaking of reunions, who wouldn’t love to see 2AM get together sometime soon? Known for their ballads, this second-generation K-pop group has the vocal chops to croon a cappella any time, any place. Check out some of their unaccompanied singing below:

Hey Soompiers, which of these groups’ a cappella covers did you like best? Which other groups would you love to hear a cappella? Let us know in the comments!

hgordon stays up way too late on weeknights marathoning K-dramas and trying to keep up with the latest K-pop releases.