From GMMTV BL to T-Pop: Meet LYKN, JASP.ER & CLO'VER
If you've already read our No Skips: Why T-Pop Is the Music of Now blog, you'll know we're pretty excited about Thailand's growing music scene.
But there's another side to T-Pop that's particularly interesting if, like us, you've also fallen down the GMMTV and Thai BL rabbit hole: the increasingly blurred line between music, acting and fandom.
You might start out watching your favourite pairing in a series, only to discover one of them also sings, dances, releases music and is actually a member of a T-Pop boy group.
Welcome to another rabbit hole.
This time we're looking at three of our favourite groups: LYKN, JASP.ER and CLO'VER.
All three are signed to RISER MUSIC, and all three have connections to the dramas, actors and fandoms many BL fans already know.
New to T-Pop? Check out our No Skips: Why T-Pop Is the Music of Now guide for a wider introduction to Thailand's music scene.
Meet LYKN
Let's start with LYKN.
Consisting of William, Lego, Nut, Hong and Tui, LYKN were formed through GMMTV's survival programme Project Alpha and debuted under RISER MUSIC in 2023.
If you're coming to T-Pop from K-Pop, LYKN are a pretty easy group to fall into. There's strong choreography, memorable performances and plenty of content to keep you busy.
The group's name is a play on "lycan", referencing werewolves, while also tying into their "We'll Let You Know" identity.
The crossover into acting has become a major part of LYKN's story too. In ThamePo: Heart That Skips a Beat, all five members starred as the fictional idol group MARS, introducing the group to an entirely new audience of drama fans.
For many viewers, ThamePo was their first introduction to LYKN.
Meet JASP.ER
If LYKN are your gateway into T-Pop, JASP.ER might be your gateway from BL fandom into music.
The group brings together Aou, Pond, Joong and Santa, four names many GMMTV fans already know very well.
If you've ever watched a JASP.ER music video and thought, "Hang on, I know these people...", you're probably right.
The group's name comes from "Jasper", the gemstone associated with perseverance and strength, while J-A-S-P represents the initials of Joong, Aou, Santa and Pond.
Before JASP.ER even debuted, Pond and Joong had already crossed into LYKN's world through the collaboration track Charm, showing just how interconnected the RISER Music family can be.
Meet CLO'VER
The newest of our three groups is CLO'VER.
Made up of Barcode, Ashi, Keen and Aungpao, the group debuted under RISER MUSIC in 2025 with Next To You.
Despite being newcomers as a group, some of the members will already be familiar faces to drama fans.
Barcode is well known for his role as Porchay in KinnPorsche, while Keen may already be familiar to viewers through Only Boo! and the popular SeaKeen pairing.
Interestingly, three members of CLO'VER, Ashi, Keen and Aungpao, previously competed on Project Alpha, the same programme that originally created LYKN.
So... Where Should You Start?
If you're completely new to these groups, these are our Idol Fusion starter picks.
LYKN
🎧 Start here: SUGOI
🎧 Then try: FIRST SIGHT
🎧 One more: NO WAY
JASP.ER
🎧 Start here: WISH
🎧 Then try: TOUCH
🎧 One more: LOVE SCENE
CLO'VER
🎧 Start here: Bad Boy No 'Do'
🎧 Then try: Next To You
🎧 One more: Lonely Girl
These aren't necessarily each group's most popular songs, but they're the tracks we'd recommend to anyone taking their first steps into the T-Pop rabbit hole.
Why BL Fans Keep Discovering These Groups
One of the most interesting things about RISER MUSIC's artists is how closely connected they are to the GMMTV world.
JASP.ER alone includes members from some of GMMTV's biggest and most recognisable pairings including; Pond (PondPhuwin) and Santa (PerthSanta).
Meanwhile, LYKN's William found a whole new audience through ThamePo and the WilliamEst pairing.
CLO'VER's Keen is already familiar to many fans through SeaKeen, while Barcode has been well known amongst BL fans since KinnPorsche.
That's what makes the crossover so interesting.
BL fans discover a drama actor and end up listening to T-Pop.
T-Pop fans discover an artist and suddenly find themselves adding a new series to their watchlist.
It's a very slippery slope.
And Then There Are the Mascots...
Just when you think you've learned the groups and pairings, you discover the mascots.
Many GMMTV pairings have their own fan characters, including; Permpoon (PondPhuwin), Domiia (PerthSanta) and Wesley (WilliamEst).
The groups have joined in too.
LYKN have LYKYOU, while JASP.ER have FLAREY, meaning fans can find themselves collecting artist merchandise, pairing merchandise and mascot merchandise all at the same time.
We never said this hobby would be cheap.
From Listening to Collecting...
And eventually, of course, listening to the music turns into wanting the merchandise.
Funny how that happens…
One of the reasons we've been expanding the T-Pop and GMMTV side of Idol Fusion is because these artists sit perfectly between several fandoms we already love.
You might be looking for JASP.ER because you enjoy their music.
You could be searching for Pond because you're a PondPhuwin fan.
Perhaps ThamePo introduced you to William and then led you to LYKN.
Or maybe an adorable mascot simply caught your eye.
Either way, all roads seem to lead to collecting.
Depending on the release, T-Pop and GMMTV fans can find themselves collecting:
- Official photocards
- Random cards
- Photo sets
- Concert merchandise
- Fan meeting merchandise
- Plushies
- Character merchandise
- GMMTV pairing merchandise
- RISER MUSIC releases
And that's where the lines between fandoms become wonderfully blurry.
SHOP GMMTV OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE
From BL Fan to T-Pop Fan?
Perhaps that's the most interesting thing about Thailand's entertainment scene right now.
There isn't just one route into T-Pop.
You might discover LYKN through Project Alpha.
You might find JASP.ER through PondPhuwin or PerthSanta.
You might know Keen from SeaKeen or Barcode from KinnPorsche.
Or perhaps you simply wanted to know why everyone keeps talking about FLAREY, LYKYOU and a collection of very lovable mascots.
However you arrived here, LYKN, JASP.ER and CLO'VER are three groups we'd definitely recommend adding to your playlist.
And if you've just discovered that your favourite BL actor has an entirely different life on stage?
Welcome. We've been expecting you. ❤️