I’ve been a K-pop fan for at least seven years (and I’ve been a casual listener for even longer), but it’s only in the last few years when I’ve started spending money on official and unofficial K-pop merch. Here are just some of the things I realized (aside from happiness) when I started growing my collection.
An expensive hobby, especially as a multi-stan.
It started with one…or four. The first official K-pop merch I actually bought weren’t even albums by idols. I bought four—yes, four—CDs of a ballad singer I liked, Sung Si-kyung, on a trip to Seoul in 2016. The following year, I asked a friend to buy Bigbang’s MADE concert tour DVD for me. And then, I stopped. I thought that as a fan of more than one artist, if I continued doing this, I might end up bankrupt. Plus, I didn’t even have a CD player—not that I would risk scratching the CDs by actually playing them. Besides, the music was readily available on Spotify and YouTube.
A super junior light stick. Photo credit: Paula AbiogVIXX light stick. Credit: Paula AbiogFast-forward to six years later, that initial collection of four CDs and one concert DVD slowly grew to include albums from several more of my favorite groups—Super Junior, EXO, VIXX, and Epik High (my playlist is a mixed bag of music genres lol). I’ve also since added several light sticks, unofficial merch, and magazines to my small collection. As a multi-stan, I knew I couldn’t possibly buy everything that my favorites released. So to keep myself from going into debt, I had to be very strategic with the items I wanted to buy—official light sticks, as well as full group albums and solo work by my biases are on top of my priority list.
Joy in the waiting and unboxing your purchases.
I didn’t understand what the fuss was about albums, magazines, and light sticks—I got my fill of K-pop by listening to my faves’ music and watching their variety show/drama appearances. That is, until I started ordering merch myself.
I’ve always found myself looking forward to new releases (music or other content), but the anticipation and eventual happiness in receiving the actual albums and merch gives off a completely different kind of thrill. After unboxing, I find myself flipping through the photobook pages multiple times as I listen to the songs off the album. And the high doesn’t fade even after a few days; I regularly still take out the albums and look at them to cheer myself up.
Kyuhyun’s Love Story mini-album. Credit: Paula AbiogWaiting for my purchases to be delivered at my doorstep is also part of the experience. The fear of not making the pre-order cut off, the anxiety over shipping delays—they only add to the joy upon finally seeing and holding the merch.
Effort into creating albums is admirable
Albums nowadays are more than just CDs in plastic cases; they now come with beautiful photo books, posters, stickers, and the much-sought-after photo cards. The quality isn’t something to joke about, either. I’ve come to appreciate how albums have different concepts, which show beautifully in the music and the album inclusions.
One of my recent favorites is Super JuniorKyuhyun’s latest album, Love Story. This mini-album is a compilation of the singer’s ballad releases under his Project: Season series in 2021-2022. The album I purchased was in a story/photo book format, with tons of pretty pictures of Super Junior’s maknae. Even the dust jacket is nice. I’m pretty sure this slim volume won’t look out of place on my bookshelf.
Inside the album, one can see that the story has a couple of chapters. In between the pages of text are photos of Kyuhyun and illustrations of the two characters in the Project: Season MVs. I assume that the narrations tell the story of the two characters, and I’m looking forward to reading that once my Korean language skills improve.
Fan-made merch, a connection to the fan community
As an introvert, I’m not really one to participate in fan events. Nor was I much interested in chiming in on conversations in stan Twitter. So to make myself feel like I’m part of the fan community, I buy (and use) fan-made merch! There are tons of talented fans who have created beautiful pieces that allow other fans to show their love for their favorite groups. When I started buying merch, I found myself browsing for fan-made stuff—and even bought a few pieces that I use on the daily!
EXO fan merch (feat. my EXO bias SUHO) Credit: instagram.com/eleventwosevenpm
Collecting merch brings genuine joy
In my early days as a K-pop fan, I’d been happy with streaming my favorite soloists and groups’ MVs on YouTube and playing the songs on loop in Spotify. I don’t think having a collection of albums or other merch has anything to do with being a true fan—and I don’t judge those who click on the checkout button as soon as their ults drop their latest release—but I personally used to think collecting merch isn’t for me.
That is, until the lockdowns hit and I found myself ordering albums on Ktown4u. And when I received my purchases, I realized just how much looking at the photo books and light sticks brightened up my days.
Today, I have a very modest collection of albums, light sticks, and merch. What I have might not fill up an entire room (it won’t even fill a whole shelf), but the ones I have right now spark joy—and that’s what makes my tiny haul special for me.
Featured Image: Official K-pop merch bought by the writer. Credit: Paula Abiog
The case of DIA is very curious because they seem to have what it takes to become the breakout group of 2016, especially since they had a member from I.O.I: Chaeyeon. She was one of the visual centers of I.O.I who was anticipated to become the next Bae Suzy. These factors certainly beg the question, why had DIA languished seven years into their careers? Why can’t the group seem to catch a break?
The History of DIA
It was February 2015 and the entire industry of Korean pop music was reeling from a rather eventful 2014. Ladies’ Code met an accident where two of its members passed away; 25 people died after a ventilation grate collapses during a 4minute concert; members quit their groups – Kris and Luhan from EXO, Jessica from SNSD, Thunder and Lee Joon from MBLAQ, and Jiyoung and Nicole from Kara, among others; B.A.P files lawsuit against their agency for maltreatment; the father of Super Junior‘s Leeteuk murders his parents before ending his own life; and alas, Park Bom gets embroiled in a drug scandal. All of these happened amidst the national tragedy of the MV Sewol sinking. By this time, it seemed that the entire country deserved a break from all these unfortunate events.
So, it was rather auspicious for MBK to announce plans of debuting a new girl group. MBK, the company of T-ara, a group that was still very much detested by the public in 2015 after the “bullying scandal” between Hwayoung and the other members, said that they are planning to stage a reality show entitled T-ara’s Little Sister Girl Group and form a new group. Months after, the company decided to cancel the plan and decided to choose from among their current trainees who the members of the new group will be. MBK announced a line-up with six members: Eunice, Huihyeon (aka Cathy), Jenny, Yebin, Eunjin, and Chaeyeon, with Seunghee added to the line-up before the group’s debut in September. The group released their self-titled debut studio album, Do It Amazing with the single Somehow, whose music video was filmed in Hong Kong.
The album peaked at number 11 on the Gaon Album Chart and the song charted at #152. The performance was promising for a debut group, which means it wasn’t really considered a flop, but definitely far from the group making a splash. Also, considering that DIA was marketed as the new T-ara, Make It Amazing and Somehow definitely paled in comparison to their sunbaenim’s debut Absolute First Album, which peaked at number 2, and their debut single Lie, which charted in Billboard’s K-pop Hot 100, all amidst of early line-up changes in the highly competitive year of 2009. But then, many commented on the group members’ freshness and Chaeyeon’s beauty, so people were reasonably optimistic about the group’s future.
But then, as what their senior group experienced, DIA also became subject to line-up changes as soon as their debut activities ended. Eunchae (introduced as Chaewon) joined as a new member in March 2016, virtually replacing Seunghee, who was confirmed to have left the group a month later. Before that, Cathay and Chaeyeong took a hiatus from group activities to participate in Produce 101, which was quite successful for the girls as both gained a following from the show (although Cathy was a victim of the Mnet evil edit) and Chaeyeon finished 7th. DIA‘s first mini-album Happy Ending was released on June 14, along with the music video for the lead single On the Road on the same day. Chaeyeon did return to her group for this comeback while a sub-init of I.O.I promoted Whatta Man, making the DIA line-up complete for this release. Both EP and single outperformed their debut efforts, with Happy Ending selling close to 10,000 copies by the end of 2016 (compared to only close to 2,5000 Do It Amazing sold) and On the Road downloaded more than 81,000 times at peaking at the charts at #48, which remains the group’s highest-charting song up to date.
In September 2016, the group released a Harry Potter-themed album titled Spell, with Mr. Potter as the lead single. Although the album fared better than its predecessor, the song brought the group back to outside the top 100 in the charts, as Mr. Potter only managed close to 23,000 downloads and peaked at #103.
2017 saw new members, Jueun and Somyi, who participated in the group’s second studio album YOLO, which was released in April. The album contained fourteen tracks, with the lead single titled Will You Go Out with Me?
YOLO peaked at number 3 in the album charts with more than 18,000 units sold, while Will You Go Out With Mebrought back the group to the top 100, as it peaked at #78 with close to 28,000 digital downloads. Four months later, the group released their third mini-album titled Love Generation, with a repackaged version released two months later. Although the album performed better than most of their releases, the singles Can’t Stop and Good Night was nowhere in Gaon’s digital sales charts.
In May the following year, Eunjin announced her departure from the group, citing health problems. With six members remaining, MBK announced a DIA comeback in July, which was already postponed as the comeback was previously announced to happen in April. DIA ultimately released their fourth EP Summer Ade on August 9, 2018, with the title track Woo Woo. Although the release didn’t do much in terms of the group’s standing, they did receive their first music show win on SBS MTV’s The Show, so at the end of the day, the group still benefited from it.
The group did not return until March 2019 with their fifth EP titled Newtro alongside its title track Woowa. Four months later, Jenny left the group due to health problems with her knee.
5 years ago today, DIA released their 2nd Mini Album ‘Spell’ with the title track 'Mr Potter' pic.twitter.com/a1fGML21tw
On May 25, 2020, it was revealed that DIA would make a comeback with their sixth EP Flower 4 Seasons on June 10, marked their first release under PocketDol Studio, which is just MBK rebranded. It was also confirmed that the group will promote with five members as a unit without Chaeyeon and Somyi. Thre was also a bit of intrigue for this comeback as apparently, one of DIA’s former members, Seunghee (as the last member to be included in the original 2015 line-up and also the first one to leave the group in 2016) has returned to PocketDol. However, she has become a producer of the company and only deals with the agency’s boy groups, so she shut down any speculation that she would work with her former group in any capacity.
Since June 2020, the group has not staged any activities. Moreover, PocketDol confirmed that Somyi, the member who didn’t participate in the group’s last comeback, had already terminated her contract with the company and left DIA. On the other hand, Chaeyeon is still under the company, although she has been very active in her acting career, particularly after experiencing a rise in her popularity after appearing as the female lead in the KBS drama The King’s Affection with SF9‘s Rowoon and Park Eunbin (Hot Stove League, Do You Like Brahms?). She is set to star opposite BtoB‘s Sungjae in the MBC drama Golden Spoon.
What went wrong?
With the company finally announcing that the group will release a final album before officially disbanding, we are now left with the question, what went wrong with DIA? Here are some theories that fans themselves have presented as to why the group ultimately flopped.
No opportunity to display their charms
This can all be attributed to MBK’s general incompetence. They were just zero creativity in terms of the concepts DIA showcased during the years they were active. All their music videos showed a lack of storyline, so it felt like the group’s videos only had the camera operator tail the girls on their day off or in whatever activity they could think of. The only music video the group had that was obviously heavy on concept was the one for Mr. Potter. But even that one had people scratching their heads as there was this person with a rabbit’s head, then the girls doing a dance using their suspenders, then some scenes on a train (still with the human rabbit) that finally make people remember the Hogwarts Express, before finally having some of the members ride broomsticks, which can be a reference to Quidditch. The video ends up being disjointed, as people end up not being sure of what the song is all about.
The lineup changes are not justified.
We get it, the group, just like most groups with IOI members, end up being (insert IOI member name) and friends. This is why it was a huge injustice to the group when they added new members to compensate for the departure of a member, only for these new members to not be given the platform to really showcase their talents through a subunit and instead just continue on as Chaeyeon’s back-up girls. Alas, nobody really knew them.
DIA remained a nugu group
Chaeyeon is one of the more popular idols in K-pop and that became a problem for DIA. That is because the majority of Korean public only knows about Chaeyeon as an individual rather than DIA as a whole. Alas, her popularity did not contribute to the group’s popularity, as it seems Chaeyeon’s identity was not tightly knitted with the group’s, unlike for example, how Eunji’s and Naeun’s acting careers further raised Apink’s profile or how Jisoo is recognized as Blackpink’s Jisoo even in (or despite) her debut acting appearance in Snowdrop. So, the question of whether you should already be famous before joining a group or get more recognition as a member of a group first before getting additional popularity for your group is more like a chicken or egg conundrum. Unfortunately, in DIA’s case, Chayeon’s fame did not rub off on her group.
Alas, with the announcement of DIA’s disbandment, we can only wish all the girls good luck in their future endeavors.
Featured Image: Screenshot from DIA’s “Mr Potter” Official Music video.
What do generally accepted Kings of K-pop Big Bang and BTS have in common aside from their reign? One, their debut wasn’t really the type that would make the public conclude that they would be the top acts of their generation. Two, their success was translated into both domestic and international markets. Curious to know what the third similarity is? Pretend you didn’t read the title and read on.
BIGBANG: The Kings of Second Generation K-Pop
You would think that the biggest k-pop act pre-BTS would have had a huge debut, with the rest being history. But then, you would be wrong for a number of reasons. One, YG Entertainment at that time was not as big of a company as it is today. True, it had brand credibility as it was founded by Yang Hyunsuk of the iconic Korean music group Seo Taeji and the Boys, but in terms of financial standing, the company was far from its current status and reputation. The same is true with the company’s breakthrough group. The formation of the group, which was all showcased in the documentary Big Bang Documentary, had the nation recognize the group even before it debuted. Before their debut, not only did they all have to share a tiny room together (that had mice visiting them), but they barely had enough to eat after each day of hard practice and had little to no money to buy food. Even their practice room (if you would call it that as it was just the space where they practiced) where they prepared for their debut was poorly lit and dirty.
But then, great and well-received music can come from poor conditions, right? Not the case for BIGBANG, as even though the company did take a huge gamble with their debut, the public reception of their first release was lukewarm by any standard. 30,000 copies sold for an EP is definitely characteristic of groups in nugu territory, much more a group that was to be the banner act of one of the Big 3 companies.
The single albums that followed the debut release Bigbang Vol.1, Big Bang First Single and Big Bang Is V.I.P did not fare any better. It wasn’t until August 2007 when the fortunes of the group finally got reversed, when their first EP, Always was released, led by the single Lies. The song went on to sell 5,000,000 (that’s five million) copies and EP sales went over 101,000. Still not that stellar for the album’s sales figures, but the song’s hit status finally gave the group both the reputation as K-pop superstars and the financial success to back it up. With sold-out concert tours both at home and in Japan and a couple more chart-topping hits (Last Farewell and Haru Haru), it became undeniable that Big Bang had indeed, arrived. As YGE’s founder Yang Hyunsuk accurately pointed out in an interview, it wasn’t YG that made Big Bang. It was Big Bang that made YG.
Wait, so Big Bang became the representatives of K-pop to the world, and when people (especially international fans) who followed the second generation of k-pop are asked for an example of a k-pop song, they would most likely answer Fantastic Baby or Bang Bang Bang. Which begs the reaction, “Wasn’t hallyu all about Sorry, Sorry and Mr. Simple?” Why has Big Bang overshadowed Super Junior’s legacy overseas? Why hasn’t Super Junior, despite having debuted earlier and having more members made a bigger impact than Big Bang?
To this issue, things can be very well subjective. By all accounts, considering how many international ELFs are up to now still very active in following and promoting Super Junior and how SJ is still the more visible group after all these years, we can say that SJ is actually bigger than Big Bang. Even when we consider only objective factors like album sales and tickets sold/concert attendance, we can also conclude that SJ is more successful than BB and that BB only edges out SoJu in digital sales. But then, we can also argue that Super Junior just releases more albums and has done more concert tours than BB. After all, let’s not forget that Big Bang is a YG group, which proudly claims to “prioritize quality over quantity” (with the prime example being Lee Hi, who only released two full-length albums and one EP in her 7-year stay with YGE). But, we also have to remember that prior to debuting SJ, SM already had massive successes going as far as H.O.T, Shinhwa, and TVXQ. As mentioned earlier, YG hasn’t had a really successful track record prior to Big Bang,
VIPs can also argue that perhaps the “bigger impact” of Big Bang on the Korean music landscape, especially when it comes to an international following has to do with image. Being the poster kids of YG Entertainment, Big Bang has always been seen as the cool ones, the ones who do everything with the trademark “YG swag”. Everybody wants to be dripping in sophistication, charisma, and elegance, dressed only in designer clothes and attending by-invitation-only events just like Big Bang. Even their fandom name alludes to that high-class exclusivity – VIPs. On the other hand, SuJu is very accessible, and fun, and doesn’t have even a considerable percentage of swag as BB has. I mean, can you even imagine GD chasing Daesung or TOP crying over a cracked-open watermelon like what Siwon, Leeteuk, and Kangin did in the Mamacita MV? Heck, can you even imagine Big Bang performing Mamacita, complete with palm-hitting-the-temple choreography?
To sum it up, Big Bang’s reign in k-pop can be perfectly summarized as the YG machinery in perfect operation. As mentioned above, even during the early years of YG and Big Bang, image and perception are #1. So, in a way, both Big Bang and Super Junior were very effective in securing their rightful places in the k-pop world: As Super Junior is the more accessible group, they are the “Kings of Hallyu” responsible for introducing millions to the eccentric world of k-pop and once you’ve gotten immersed in the world, you’ll be caught breathless at the neverending supply of swag by Big Bang, whose aspirational image easily made them the “Kings of K-pop” of the second generation.
We’re calling this a draw.
BTS: The Global (K-)Pop Phenomenon
Just like Big Bang, the world’s biggest pop act these days didn’t have a particularly rosy debut. BTS was never in nugu territory from the start, but their first releases from 2 Cool 4 Skool to the next ones, Dark & Wild did not give the Bangtan Boys that breakthrough. Thus, even though songs like No More Dream, Boy in Luv, N.O, Just One Day, and Danger were noticed by both casual fans and music critics as songs with a lot of substance as they reflect the issues of the youth today, they weren’t exactly radio chart-friendly material that could have propelled the boys to the level of being household names.
Alas, in 2015, a good number of factors combined to give the boys both domestic and international success. BTS started releasing “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” album series that contained songs I Need You and Run, which finally allowed the boys to penetrate the top 10 of Korean music charts. Also included in the first TMBMIL EP was Dope, a song that only peaked at #44 in Korea, but started the international breakthrough for the band. To be clear, Dope performed as well as I Need You in the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, peaking at number 3, but it sure was the song that made the international audience take notice of the group.
Not the song per se, but the MV, where the group presented that dance in the chorus with razor-sharp precision, wearing the same white shirts, black pants, and ties. That just blew the mind of hundreds of YouTube reactors who got silenced every time it was time for that chorus. I mean, with the rich history of “boy bands” from New Kids on the Block to 5 Seconds of Summer, nobody, and I mean nobody has given the world a choreographed performance so clean and so tight! As much as you can argue these American reactors haven’t seen an Infinite performance, that Dope MV was so powerful that it propelled content creators on YouTube to not just react to the video, but also learn the choreography and actually do dance covers.
Now, if you’re being strict that group “breakthroughs” can only happen with chart-topping songs, Bangtan’s international breakthrough finally came in 2016, when Fire took the top spot on the World Digital Song Sales chart. But by this time, YouTube content creators (this was pre-Tiktok, so at that time YouTube power was supreme) had lapped up everything and anything BTS releases, securing the group’s international fanbase. Which begs the question: Although BTS already broke through the Korean market in 2015, was it 2016 when they actually dominated? And by dominate, I mean dominate the Korean market.
Let us remember that by the end of 2016, the Korean public was already thinking of which group will be taking Big Bang’s place as the reigning kings as the members take their leave from the entertainment industry to fulfill their military duties. And by that time, it was almost as if BTS with their sudden national and international success was already on an express route to assume the throne Big Bang was to vacate soon.
But then, there was EXO.
EXO had everything going for them – the backing of the industry’s biggest entertainment company, a fanbase that is bordering on fanatic, charismatic personalities, Chinese members that quit the group that all the more swayed public sympathy to their favor, and something that their SME sunbaes Super Junior did not (arguably) – a stronger and more “aspirational” discography that made fans take them more seriously compared to Leeteuk and co, With songs like Growl, Call Me Baby, and Love Me Right, girls swooned at them, while boys wanted to be like them. Definitely a huge difference compared to songs like Cooking? Cooking, Rokuko, SPY, and Mamacita of Super Junior, which although were also huge hits, are not particularly songs people would regularly want on their playlists.
Thus, when BTS started the year on and with Fire and EXO replied with one hit after another – Lucky One, Monster, Lotto, and Dancing King, it was a full-on battle for supremacy reminiscent of the iconic rivalries k-pop such as H.O.T and Sechkies, Fin.KL and S.E.S, and Girls’ Generation versus 2NE1 (notice that one side is always an SME group?). ARMY and EXO-L (at least domestic during this period) were claiming victory, with EXO-Ls seeing the finish line in sight.
Then, in October, BTS released Blood, Sweat, and Tears and moved straight to numero uno. As expected, EXO retaliated with… a ballad. Alas, this is to be expected since EXO has made it somewhat a tradition to release ballads before the year’s end, starting from Miracles in December and has continued with December 2014, and Sing for You. So, for 2016, it was For Life. Still, a very strong release that showcases the group’s superior vocal line. But to pit it against Blood, Sweat and Tears? 2016 was a “monster” year (pun intended) for EXO, but as a popular perception goes, it’s the stronger finish gets remembered more. In this case, Blood, Sweat, and Tears definitely trumped For Life.
But it’s okay, since 2017 was fast approaching and EXO released Ko Ko Bop to counter BTS’ super strong start with a somewhat Uno reverse move – releasing a ballad entitled Spring Day. True, they coupled it days later with the darker Not Today to balance the very soft, heartbreaking tone of Spring Day, but it just so happened that Spring Day just resonated so much with the Korean public, as what Miracles in December did in 2013, when EXO-Ls somehow had the feeling they would need a miracle a year later, when the Chinese members started quitting from the group. But somehow, Ko Ko Bop was released in July, which gave BTS more room to extend their dominance they started in October 2016 with BS&T, Moreover, SM coupled Ko Ko Bop with the rather cartoon-ish Power, which revived the EXO debut concept of every member having his own superpower. Just when they needed successive releases of strong material to counter BTS, EXO went the Super Junior “not taking everything so seriously” road.
And then, the annual December release. While Universe by the end of the year still
Charted high, it seemed that the public didn’t really see this as a special event, as they have already expected the annual ballad release on December, so there was nothing that exciting about it. On the other hand, BTS capped the year with the bright and overly radio-friendly DNA and an international collaboration with DJ Steve Aoki remixing their song Mic Drop. By this time, it became apparent that EXO was slowly starting to fade away from being SM’s center of attention (To NCT? To Red Velvet? We will never know), as it took almost a whole year for the group to come back with Tempo. We’ll never know why that comeback took so long, but by that time it was obvious that SM already saw EXO as a “legacy” group that can survive with one or two comebacks in a year. And with that, it was also as if the red carpet was laid ahead for BTS.
And now, many argue that the current domination of another K-pop group starting with the letter B, Blackpink, was also once threatened by another SM group, Red Velvet. But then, others argue that it was more of a BP versus Twice battle if only JYP didn’t cause their group to self-sabotage and give way to ITZY. And then, there are those who speculate that it is actually another SM group that has been slowly but surely threatening Blackpink dominance internationally with successive #1 singles and even having similar activities like endorsements of international high-end fashion brands, performing in Coachella, and having the same number of members.
So now, the burning question is, are the current queens of K-pop ready to play with fire and take things to the next level? One thing’s for sure: SM never takes things sitting down, so we are definitely on to exciting times ahead in the world of Korean pop music!
Featured image: BIGBANG – 뱅뱅뱅 (BANG BANG BANG) M/V. Source: BIGBANG, YouTube.
K-pop idol groups fading from the limelight through disbandment shortly after their debut is a sad but common reality. However, there are a few groups that had things to their advantage at the start but still struggled in terms of popularity and eventually lost their battle against irrelevance. Here are four groups that, unfortunately, we may not see much of anymore.
HOTSHOT
This one is gonna hurt a lot of K-pop observers because HOTSHOT was definitely one of the most talented groups in K-pop. If you need more evidence to prove this, look no further than Produce 101 Season 2, where you can watch Ha Sungwon finishing in the top 11 of the program, and therefore securing a spot in the project group WANNA ONE, while Noh Taehyun being in charge of the choreography of his group’s staging of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. Oh, and don’t forget that first evaluation performance of the two to Block B’s Very Good. Based on that, you can’t really help but wonder why HOTSHOT, with overly talented members and all, became lukewarm and eventually faded into disbandment.
But Produce 101 Season 2 was not the only program where HOTSHOT’s members were able to display their talents. While Sungwon and Taehyun participated in Produce 101, another two joined another idol survival show, The Unit. Timoteo, who happened to be an SM trainee and was slotted to join EXO, ended up 10th in the show. It was a spot short of the final nine members who made up the show’s project group UNB. On the other hand, Hojung ranked 3rd and therefore promoted with UNB from April 2018 to January 2019. The thing about UNB was that initial plans were for the group to promote for seven months initially and if they proved successful, the project group’s activities would be extended for 25 months. The two EPs sold more than 46,000 copies each, which made people scratch their heads as to why they ceased their activities after only more than nine months.
As for HOTSHOT, they weren’t really popular to begin with, despite having outrageously talented members. They eventually got the boost they need with Taehyun and Sungwon’s exposure in PD101 S2 that their last release in 2018 fared better than their previous releases. However, it should be noted that this EP, Early Flowering, did not include Sungwon, as he was still with WANNA ONE until December of 2018. The EP was released a month before. Which begs the question, “why?’ Didn’t the company want to milk Sungwon’s newfound fame to the group’s benefit?
The group’s last song I Hate You (which was included in Early Flowering) would have greatly benefited from the push that Sungwon could have provided, had he been included. But then, Star Crew might have already envisioned a solo career for him post-WANNA ONE and may have already given up on HOTSHOT. What is more curious is that they included Hojung despite him still promoting with UNB. Moreover, Star Crew gave Taehyun his first solo project, an EP in January 2019 after promoting with JBJ from October 2017 to April 2018.
Finally, in March 2021, Star Crew formally announced the group’s disbandment, after more than two years of the group’s inactivity. Just like that.
Essential song: Real talk: Not one song in the group’s six-year-old discography really gave justice to Sungwon’s vocals, Taehyun’s dance moves, and Yoonsan’s rap skills, all of which are top-notch. Take a look at Step by Stepand I’m a Hotshot for their better songs.
Where are they now: Military enlistment was last heard of three members: Junhyuk enlisted in the military in January 2020, Hojung in May 2020, and Yoonsan also enlisted in 2021. Timoteo contributed a song to the Mr. Boss OST in 2021 and has been a guest in a couple of TV shows. Meanwhile, Taehyun and Sungwoon have launched solo careers. Sungwoon has also signed with BPM Entertainment (agency to Soyou, Huh Gak, three former members of GFriend, and Sungwoon’s PD101 castmate Samuel) and is set to release his latest EP with his new agency in February.
SNUPER
This is one group that did not really count on a lot of factors save for the songs that were meant to bring the group to the top. The six-member group was the first talents created by Windmay Entertainment, a company established by former JYP employees who had previously worked with Miss A and 2PM. The name of the group is actually short for “Higher than Super” which according to the group means that the goal is to come together as a group to enhance their strengths as individual supermen. The group also alluded to the similarity of their name to the cartoon character Snoopy who has a cute side, with their intense nature reflected in the word Super. So, Snoopy + Super = Snuper!
The six members of Snuper are quite interesting as well, which may have assured the group of at least a bit of public interest. Taewoong, the leader and rapper, was born in Japan to a Japanese dad and Korean mom and was a child actor before training as a singer-idol for a full seven years. Suhyun, the group’s main vocalist, named himself after his favorite actor Kim Soohyun and trained under Jellyfish Entertainment before shifting to Windmay. Sangil, the group’s other main vocalist, was working in a cafe when he was scouted for Snuper. Since his debut in Snuper, he has joined various singing and reality competitions such as The Unit, King of the Masked Singer, and Mr. Trot.
There’s also Woosung, who is the tallest in the group and has earned a reputation for his athletic prowess by winning the 60-meter dash in the ISACs three times. Sangho, the main dancer, was Sangil’s co-worker in the cafe and was also discovered there. Finally, there’s Sebin, the main rapper who is also the maknae and like Taewoong, was also a child actor before training to become an idol. He joined The Unit with Sangil.
Snuper’s last Japanese comeback was on August 8th, 2019 with Come Over, while their Korean comeback was even earlier, on October 8th, 2018 with You In My Eyes, which is is actually a re-release of a B-side from their Blossom EP. Perhaps their most popular songs are Platonic Love, Back:Hug, and You=Heaven, which are all produced by Sweetune, and thus have that retro-disco sound that should have assured the group of a cult following.
And that they did, but unfortunately, the group didn’t really garner traction in the Korean market. Their fandom, Swing, did not expand much in Korea, while the group became more popular in Korea. The group didn’t really face controversy, save for this one outfit guffaw when Starlights, VIXX’s fandom, pointed out that the outfits for their “It’s Raining” promotions resembled VIXX stage outfits too much. Other than that, Snuper pretty much had consistent comebacks and has actually toured overseas, performing in countries like Canada, the UAE, Russia, and Mexico.
So with members who sort of guaranteed international success (those Japanese members are moneymakers, for sure) and songs produced by Sweetune, architects of a number of career-defining songs for Infinite and Secret, why has Snuper not experienced breakthrough success even after six years? It may all be attributed to the inexperience of the company when it comes to promoting an idol group. With so much competition going on with the third generation of idol groups, there must be something for a group to specialize in so that they can be set apart from others. Otherwise, they will just blend in with other groups, which may have exactly happened to Snuper.
Essential songs: According to fans, the group’s three best songs include Platonic Love, Back: Hug, and The Star of Stars.
Where are they now: There has been no official disbandment announcement from the group’s agency and most members are supposed to be focusing on their military service. Member Sebin has been promoting with the group Omega X since its debut in June 2021.
CROSS GENE
Cross Gene is another group that somehow found success in Japan but not in Korea. This boy group started off very promising in 2012 with six members. The multiple ethnicities of the six members also may have made followers of k-pop music very curious, making their first release peak at a very respectable number 8 on the Gaon album charts. So, what exactly went wrong? It can be argued that the things that the group had to their advantage were also precisely what caused their popularity to not quite take off, at least in Korea. Thus, sad to say that to the newer fans of K-pop, the mention of this group’s name will elicit a few “nugu?” reactions.
As mentioned earlier, Cross Gene was a highly anticipated group to debut. The group’s agency, Amuse Korea, is originally a Japanese company that had Cross Gene as its first project in the Korean market. The company announced in 2012 that it will debut a group with members from Korea, China, and Japan. Among the members is Shin Wonho, who has already made TV appearances and ads, and Terada Takuya, who has been with the company as an actor and model. Thus, when the group debuted, there were three South Koreans (Shin, Sangmin, and Yongseok), two Chinese (Casper and J. G.), and one Japanese (Takuya). The difference in nationalities of the members also became the reason for the group’s name, as they are supposed to be a cross of various genes that will form one perfect group.
Six months after debuting, J.G. departed from the group to start a career as a solo artist, and Amuse immediately replaced him with Seyoung. Takuya was also relieved of his position as a leader and was replaced by Shin. After the member and position changes, the group debuted and promoted in Japan throughout 2013 with a debut single in February, a digital single in March, a concert in May, another digital single in August, a special photobook CD weeks later, two more concerts also in August, a Japanese website in September, three more Japanese digital singles, and three more live shows before 2013 ended. This meant that after debuting in Korea in June 2012, the group has not had any activity in the country since then.
The first half of 2014 was not packed with activity for the group’s Korean fandom either, as the group spent the first months of the year in the US to film a movie. Finally, Korean-based Cross Gene followers saw some activity when a visual teaser for their Korean comeback was released on April 6. Finally, a few days short of a two-year absence in the Korean music scene, the digital single Amazing (Bad Lady) was released on June 9. Casper had to beg off from promotions though, as he had an injury during preparations.
The song was passable, albeit going a bit under the radar as it doesn’t sound as flashy as their other previous songs. However, the group got a lot of buzz because of the song’s choreography, which involves a number of movements that were deemed by some TV stations as too racy for public exhibition. One such move involves the members motioning their golden-gloved hands in front of their crotch area in a circular motion. Another move involved the members raising their hips from a lying position. Now, if that’s not a sure-fire way to get the Korean TV censors’ tongues a-wagging, nothing will!
Another thing Cross Gene did that was the opposite of the common practice was that they translated their Japanese singles into Korean. In 2014, groups like Girl’s Day, Apink, and INFINITE, among others, debuted in the Japanese market by releasing Japanese versions of their Korean hits, and after charting with these songs, they finally came up with original Japanese songs. The opposite happened to Cross Gene, who released a Korean version of their Japanese hit Shooting Staras a follow-up to the controversial Amazing.
But while this era produced three singles – Amazing, Shooting Star, and Billion Dollar for Korea, the boys did not forget about their Japanese fanbase as they continued to conduct live Japanese performances and participate in music festivals in Japan. This continued in 2015, with the group starting the year with a Japanese single, Future. The single charted high in the country’s Oricon Charts, cementing the group’s popularity in Japan. The group did stage a comeback for Korea, the highly addictive and catchy Play With Me, which peaked at number 7 in the Gaon Album Charts. Then the group returned to Japan to release a new single.
Despite the obvious preference the group (or the company?) showed for conducting Japanese activities, the group still enjoyed relative success in Korea, where after three and half years since debuting, they successfully sold out their first Korean concert on December 23, 2015.
In 2016, it was revealed that Casper has left the group. Two years later, Takuya also left the group to focus on his modeling and acting careers. Before the pandemic hit in early 2020, it was revealed that Yongseok and Sangmin have not renewed their contracts with Amuse. But nothing has been formally announced in relation to Cross Gene’s disbandment, as the three have since then enlisted in the military.
Hi this is your annual reminder that Cross Gene is the most underrated group in the history of kpop pic.twitter.com/271Nqmjo1b
So, suffice to say that Cross Gene did not really live up to their potential in Korea because of their company’s decision to be more active in the Japanese market at the start of their careers. By the time they chose to increase their promotional activities more in Korea at the same level as their Japanese promotions in 2017 to 2019, they had to share the spotlight with new groups.
Essential songs: The group’s debut single, La-Di Da-Diwas catchy and is among a few K-pop debut singles that actually charted in Gaon. You cannot hear Amazingwithout remembering the iconic controversial circular crotch choreography. Finally, that “ppa ppa ppira ppa ppa ppira ppa” hook of Play With Me’s chorus is the stuff of legends.
Where are they now: With Seyoung’s formal announcement in December 2020 that he has left the group and not just the company, Cross Gene is down to three members – Shin, Sangmin, and Yongseok. And with the latter two not signed to Amuse anymore, expecting them to successfully conduct reunion projects with Shin once they all finish military service may be unrealistic.
DAL SHABET
The story of Dal Shabet is a rather sad tale of finding direction a tad too late and not striking while the iron is hot. Moreover, it is a bit unjust that the group had to endure bullying and harassment from a fandom of another group. All in all, this underrated group had tons of missed opportunities and was a victim of a series of unfortunate events that they don’t really deserve.
Dal Shabet debuted in 2011. It was a year that also debuted Brave Girls, Rania, and Apink and had groups like SISTAR and Girl’s Day started cementing their popularity. While Apink had cornered the public that longs for the cutesy and innocent concepts the 1st girl groups popularized, Dal Shabet had a shaky situation from the start. The thing about the group’s debut single, Supa Dupa Diva is that it was a “love it or hate it” kind of song. While its supporters propelled it to rank decently on music shows like Music Bank, where it went on to peak at 5th place, its haters declared it as not just the worst debut song, but the “worst song ever.”
But then, music industry people later voted for it as 2011’s second most addicting song with the second most popular choreography. Even unforgiving k-netz announced their change of hearts.
In August 2011, the group announced that their first comeback would be “funky” and the hate they received for releasing an incomprehensible debut single was added as their concept photos for the comeback. They were deemed “too sexual” for live television, which prompted the company to overhaul the concept to a more quirky and cutesy one with just a touch of naughtiness. Dal Shabet scored its first top 10 single in the Gaon Charts with Bling Bling.
The group had a run-on with fans of another group before the year ended, which left a somewhat bad taste to everything. It all started at the end of December 2011 at the SBS Gayo Daejun, when Dal Shabet and B1A4 had a collab stage. There was a lot of touching between the groups, which caused Bana, B1A4’s fandom to spread rumors about Darlings (Dal Shabet’s fandom) harassing Banas. The rumors heightened during the Idol Star Athletics Championships when rumors circulated that Darlings assaulted, kidnapped, and raped Banas. Police interfered and revealed that no such incidents took place. Happyface Entertainment released a statement about the rumors, imploring people to stop. And B1A4 fans took things a step further by hacking Dal Shabet’s website. Visitors to the website were met with pop-ups asking why Banas were being harassed by Darlings.
Serri responded to the rumors by posting requests on Twitter for people to stop spreading lies and rumors. More harassment incidences happened before Serri and the company threatened legal action. Then things died a natural death (or maybe people got scared?).
2012 had the group return with the powerful Hit U, which became Dal Shabet’s first album to reach number one in the Gaon Charts. But two months after ending activities for the comeback, the group’s leader Viki left the group to pursue a solo career. She was quickly replaced with a new member, Woohee. Serri then assumed leadership of the group as they staged their comeback in July with the single Mr. BangBang. By November, Dal Shabet staged another comeback with the EP Have, Don’t Have, and up to this point, the group had relatively been quite successful.
It was in their summer 2013 comeback that Dal Shabet had their first brush of controversy as TV stations announced that the lyrics to their single Be Ambitious were unfit for public broadcast due to sexual content, and therefore they would not allow the song to be played in their shows or allow the group to promote it in their music programs. Happy Face Entertainment did comply by changing the lyrics in questions. However, weeks after, a men’s rights group ‘Man of Korea’ filed an injunction to completely ban the further distribution of the song claiming it deprecates Korean men who are subject to the country’s mandatory enlistment. Days later, Man of Korea and Happy Face came to an agreement with the former dropping their injunction request.
In 2014, the group went full-fledged sexy with their comeback B.B.B, which they first performed in the celebrity military reality show Real Men. By this time, the girls were quite popular throughout the country, but a couple of medical incidents affected some members. Subin got into a car accident in May 2014, where she had to undergo surgery for injuries. In September, Woohee was also hospitalized for a collapsed lung.
2015 saw the group embroiled in another controversy as the title track of their comeback Joker was banned by KBS because of its explicit choreography, with the song’s lyrics pointed out as being suggestive. You see, the English word “joker” sounds similar to the Korean expletive “jot kuh” which refers to the enormity of the male anatomy. Considering the group’s previous single B. B. B., which stands for “Big Baby Baby”, people were quick to point out the sexual innuendo “Joker” implied.
The end of 2015 revealed that Jiyul and Kaeun would be leaving the group, which would reduce the member count of the group to four. The group staged their comeback on January 5 with the retro-sounding Someone Like U, which actually charted in Japan and China. Nine months later, they released FRI. SAT. SUN. This would be the last comeback of the group.
In 2017, Happy Face Entertainment announced that Subin will be joining the reality television series The Unit, but because of schedule conflicts, she was replaced by Serri and Woohee.
However, before the year ended, the company announced that members Serri, Subin, and Ahyoung decided to leave the company after their contracts expired. Ahyoung transferred to SidusHQ, Serri was eliminated from The Unit and placed 23rd, while Woohee placed seventh and secured herself a place in the show’s female team.
Since then, the group has held a photo exhibition and a mini-concert in October 2019, with six members, including Jiyul and Kaeun. But then the company has already become more focused on promoting its new girl group, Dreamcatcher. Due to this, a lot of supposed Happy Face support for Dal Shabet has been diverted.
Essential songs:Dal Shabet definitely has a great discography Mr. BangBang, B. B. B., Pink Rocket, Have Don’t Have, Joker, and Someone Like U are all catchy AF.
Where are they now? All members are pursuing acting careers, with Subin and Serrri the only ones also doing a lot of music work.
With a good number of programs featuring the “golden age of K-pop” such as Jaejae’s MMTG, Ms. Back, and Mamadol, it is a fervent wish for these groups to experience a return to popularity because they truly deserve it.
Feeling nostalgic? Wondering where your favorite idols of disbanded second gen Kpop girl groups are right now? We’ve got you covered. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see what these idols have been up to since their groups stopped being active.
SISTAR
The (eternal) summer queens of k-pop, Sistar was (and is still) known for two things: Having summer releases that consistently ranked at the top of the charts and having all their title tracks peak at number 1 in the said charts. Sistar disbanded in 2017, much to the heartbreak of the fans, and they are one of the very few groups that had proper disbandment, complete with the company’s (Starship Entertainment) official statement, a proper final send-off single, and a tour of music shows for their final stages. As there was nothing onerous or hateful about the group’s disbandment, either among the members or between the company and the members, fans still hold out some hope that a reunion will happen in the near future. In fact, Hyolyn and Dasom released a collaboration single in the summer of 2021, aptly titled Summer or Summer.
So, what are the four queens of summer up to now?
Hyolyn – SISTAR’s main vocal has not had a day of rest since the group’s disbandment, releasing solar material every year, including the controversial hit Dally (which she performed in the 2018 KBS Drama Awards, and audiences claimed she was “butt naked), Say My Name, and her latest No Thanks. She has also entered reality competitions one after another, in 2021’s Double Trouble, which she won, and the second season of Queendom, where she also started out strong but eventually ended up in fourth place. She manages her own career under her one-woman agency Bridz.
Bora – Ever the relatable personality, SISTAR’s main rapper had an eventful career after the group’s disbandment. She has continued to appear in variety shows such as Produce 48, where she appeared as a Special MC, Unnie’s Beauty Carpool which she co-hosted with SNSD’s Hyoyeon, Happy Beauty Day, and this year’s Sisters Run – Witch Fitness Basketball Club. She debuted in film in 2019’s Sunkist Family and also continued to act on the small screen, notably in Doctor Romantic 2, Only One Person, and Hit Up! Hit Up! Bora has been under two agencies since leaving Starship – Hook immediately after Sistar’s disbandment and KeyEast since 2020.
Soyou – Sistar’s other main vocal has also managed to remain in the spotlight since her group’s disbandment. She was the last member to stay in Starship, debuting as a solo artist under the label in 2017. She has since then released three EPs: Re:Born, Re:Fresh, and Day & Night, the latter released under her new label BPM (home to Viviz, Huh Gak, Ha Sungwon, and Lee Mujin, among others), where she transferred after opting not to renew her Starship contract in September 2021. Her TV career has also been active, having appeared as a mentor in the last two Produce 101 seasons and hosted various variety shows.
Dasom – Sistar’s maknae has always been the actress of the group and her acting career has continued after Sistar’s disbandment. She has appeared in the dramas Band of Sisters, he is Psychometric, an episode in KBS Drama Special, and Was It Love? Since Sistar’s disbandment, her career has been managed by King Kong, which is still a Starship subsidiary. In June 2021, she decided not to renew with the agency and signed with a new agency, Story J Company (the agency of Seo Inguk, Go Jun, and Kim Taehee, aka Rain’s wife) a couple of months later.
Jewelry
Jewelry is one of those groups that gradually disintegrated as the members left the company (in this case, the notorious Star Empire) one by one. In 2014, it was revealed that Eunjung’s contract had expired and she would be leaving the group. Before the year ended, Baby J also revealed that she will be leaving Jewelry as her contract expired last August. It was also revealed that Semi would not renew her contract after it expired in November. Finally, on January 7, 2015, the group was officially confirmed as disbanded by Star Empire Entertainment.
Jungah – Jungah has continued with her career in acting after leaving Star Empire in 2013. She has appeared in dramas such as Leverage and The Secret of My Love after signing with Jellyfish Entertainment. She also got married in 2016 and gave birth to her first child after two years.
Minah – Minah has been living the life of a “normal” private citizen for quite some time now. While she used to appear in television dramas in the mid-2010s, her public appearances have been confined to a few guest appearances on talk shows and variety programs since then. She married her boyfriend, a CEO of a fitness center, who is 6 years older than her in 2020. She was also pregnant at that time and finally gave birth in 2021. Her SNS post about suffering from hyperventilation and falling to the ground in their house a few months ago had people speculating whether she is suffering from abuse.
Inyoung – Otherwise known as Elly, Inyoung continued her career in music even after leaving Star Empire. In fact, she returned to the agency four years after leaving it and released more music with them. These days, she is more active in variety shows, where she has made appearances in programs such as Call Center of Love, Mama the Idol, and We are a Family.
Eunjung – Early this year, Eunjung got married to music producer Kei Lim. Jungah, Inyoung, and Baby G were witnesses to the event.
Baby G – After leaving Star Empire in 2014, Baby G continued activities in various projects, such as Mnet‘s Show Me The Money 5 and Unpretty Rapstar 3. However, she confessed that she hasn’t been able to obtain any jobs in entertainment since then, so she’s been working at a café for minimum wage. She has been regularly updating her Instagram account (@__juyunhaaaa) but there haven’t been a lot of singing activities documented.
Semi – After her contract expired with Star Emire Semi reverted to her birth name Yoon Jinsol and appeared in numerous TV dramas such as Radio Romance, Welcome to Waikiki, and Witch’s Love. She was also reported to have signed with Kings Entertainment in 2019, but there hasn’t been much news about her activities until this year when she participated in the youth-oriented drama Dear.M.
Yewon – Yewon signed to Jellyfish Entertainment since leaving Stra Empire in 2016. Since then, she has appeared in TV dramas like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Feel Good to Die, Class of Lies, and She Knows Everything. She transferred to a new agency, Andmarq (agency of Park Jinjoo and Lee Joobeen, among others) in May of 2022.
Kara
Here is one group that was ubiquitous during its peak and had a tinge of tragedy after its disbandment. The cracks in the group started showing in 2014 when Nicole and Jiyoung decided not to renew their contracts with DSP Media thus leaving the group to pursue their own endeavors. Following their departures, a reality show titled Kara Project was aired on TV to select members to join the group. Seven trainees from DSP Media took part in the program. The winner of the competition was Heo Youngji who became the latest and eventually the last member to join the group.
On January 15, 2016, Kara disbanded after DSP Media announced that the contracts with Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara expired and they decided not to renew their contracts. Although members Gyuri and Youngji have mentioned the possibility of a reunion, no further updates have been released. Also, Hara’s demise in 2019 has quashed any possibility of a reunion with all members. Although, on June 11, 2022, former Kara members Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung and Youngji reunited for a group photoshoot which was shared on each of their Instagram accounts. This sparked rumors of a comeback, however, no announcement was made. They may lack one member forever, but then we should be okay with anything we can get, eh?
Nicole – The erstwhile main rival of Tiffany when it comes to the title Korea’s American Girlfriend, Nicole was Kara’s maknae who opted not to renew her contract with DSP Entertainment at the start of 2014. She eventually debuted as a solo artist in both Korea and Japan in 2014 and 2016, respectively. She is set to have a comeback in Korea via a single entitled You.F.O under her new entertainment label JWK Entertainment. She was signed under B2M after deciding not to renew with DSP until the company’s closure in 2017.
Gyuri – Since Kara’s disbandment in 2016, Gyuri has mostly focused on an acting career. She has also been in the news for other reasons such as her high-profile romance with an heir to a construction industry company, which ended in 2021.
Seungyeon – On the music front, Seungyeon has been more active in Japan, releasing EPs there since 2017. She has also sung in k-drama OSTs, though, which is the extent of her activities in the Korean music industry. She has been more active on television, as she signed to Inyeon Entertainment in 2018 and was cast in the fantasy romance drama About Time. She then took on the leading role in travel romance drama Twelve Nights the same year. A couple of years later, she switched to a new agency, YGX Entertainment. In 2021, Han appeared in comedy horror film Show Me the Ghost as Yeji. She won Fantastic Actor Jury’s Special Mention Award for her performance at 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Jiyoung – After leaving Kara, Jiyoung focused on expanding both her music and acting careers in Japan with the agency Sweet Power. She made her first appearance in the 19th Tokyo Girls Collection fashion show in the Saitama Super Arena. Her first acting job was the live-action of Hell Teacher Nube, where she played the heroine, Yukime. She has also released a number of EPs in Nihongo. Her activities in Korea were mostly acting projects as she participated in movies and TV dramas. She has also switched agencies from KeyEast to ELRIS Entertainment only this year.
Youngji – Youngji is the only Kara member who has stayed with DSP even after all other members have signed on to other agencies. In fact, she renewed her contract with the company again in April. Since her group’s “hiatus”, Youngji has released solo material, acted in a couple of TV dramas, and hosted a number of variety programs and web shows as well.
Has our roundup of idol updates satisfied you or are you pining for more updates on other idols? Stay tuned for more updates in the future!
Featured image: Queens of K-pop summer, SISTAR, performs their iconic song “Touch My Body.” Source: @STARSHIP_official; YouTube.
So, after months of speculation, the moment Pink Pandas have long feared finally happened – Naeun has officially bid farewell to her group for more than 10 years, Apink. After deciding to not renew her contract with Play M Entertainment (now IST) in April last year and signing to YG Entertainment as an actress, many opined that it wouldn’t be long before the group’s visual center would also leave her group. Naeun silenced the naysayers, saying she would still be promoting with her groupmates in Apink even if she started focusing more on her career as an actress. However, the schedules clashed, and Apink had to, unfortunately, take a pause in their 10th-anniversary activities following the involvement of the group’s leader, Chorong, in a bullying scandal.
When the air was finally cleared and the group was about to promote their much-delayed special anniversary album, Horn, Naeun had to sit it out. She was allegedly busy with a new drama program, although she was part of recording the album and the music video. When this sequence of events unfolded, the Pandas braced themselves as they felt Naeun’s departure was inevitable. On April 8, eleven days before the group’s 11th anniversary, Naeun and IST made her departure official.
But this departure is not actually the first time the group experienced losing a member. In 2013, two years after their debut and before releasing what was to be their breakout success, Apink lost Yookyung, who wanted to pursue a university education. Yookyung’s departure was quite amicable and was not considered a major loss. This was due to the fact the group had then yet to score mainstream success and the lineup was still not fixed in the public consciousness.
On the other hand, Naeun’s departure became controversial because of the surrounding circumstances that may have contributed to her decision, including the delayed comeback, her change of management agency, and her personality in general. Naeun, with her more reserved personality, may not have been a perfect match with the outgoing and extroverted personalities of the group. Be that as it may, they did work on their relationship throughout their decade, and while it was obvious that there are times that Naeun can suddenly go quiet on their backstage behind-the-scene videos and their reality shows, Pandas and even casual viewers never saw the girls ostracizing or “bullying” Naeun.
Could this be the same for other groups, though? Here’s a list of some idols who departed from their groups with a lot of noise and intrigue.
Left or Kicked Out? Jessica from SNSD
September 30, 2014, is a day that will live in infamy, at least in the world of SONEs and pretty much the entire Korean pop music community. It was on this day that Jessica, on her Weibo account, told the world that she had been “forced out” of her group, Girls’ Generation. According to insiders, what happened was, after the release of Catch Me If You Can and their Tokyo Dome concert, Jessica was supposed to put her singing career on hiatus so that she can focus on her other endeavors, particularly as the owner of her fashion company, Blanc Group. With Catch Me If You Can and its music video recorded and the send-off for Sica already planned and ready for execution, the Ice Princess allegedly changed her mind and told the group and SM that she wants to continue to be an SNSD member while running her business. It was reported that the company asked the eight girls to take a vote on whether Jessica will stay or not, and in the end, the NOs won.
Whether this is true or not still remains to be seen, as both parties have been skirting around the issue even after eight years. It is also important to note that as of today, Seohyun, Tiffany, and Sooyoung have also left SM, but are still pretty much chummy with the members who opted to stay with the company. When the entire group was interviewed last year on Yoo Quiz on the Block, all eight are still very much open to a reunion project, which shows that there seems to be no bad blood among them and the company. While it has been reported that some members still keep in touch with Sica, it is quite a foregone conclusion that there will never be an SNSD reunion project that will include her. Well, never say never, eh?
Bullying and Continuous Harassment: Jimin from AOA
Here is a story of a group that turned very ugly. To set the records straight, before the Jimin-Mina issue exploded, AOA already lost two members – Youkyung of the subunit AOA Black in October 2016 and their main vocalist ChoA in June 2017. There was not a lot of talk about Youkyung’s departure as she wasn’t really considered a member of the core group that has hits such as Like a Cat, Miniskirt, Short Hair,and Heart Attack, but ChoA’s departure due to “health issues” became the subject of much speculation. But then, since ChoA didn’t allude to any bad feelings towards her group, people didn’t really consider her departure as a red flag.
Then, Mina decided not to renew her contract with FNC Entertainment in May 2019 to focus on her acting career. This left the group with five members – Jimin, Seolhyun, Yuna, Hyejeong, and Chanmi. But the group’s career got a second wind after Queendom, as it renewed public interest for the group as they proved that they have hidden aces even as they already lost their main vocalist ChoA. You can say that thanks to Queendom, the public fell in love with the group again, despite their depleted line-up and other incidents that have put them in an unfavorable light (e.g., Seolhyun and Jimin getting a lot of flak after failing to identify a famous Korean historical figure in one of the episodes of their reality show). To be fair to the girls, they killed most of their performances on Queendom, and their EP and song they released after the show, New Moon and Come See Me, respectively, still managed to chart.
The COVID-19 came and Mina for some reason had a very public meltdown on Instagram. We cannot really chronicle the number of times Mina has opened, closed, deactivated, and reactivated her Instagram account, because that sequence of events merits its own article. But what is related to AOA were her first “revelations” where she pointed out that even since their days as a trainee, Jimin (who eventually went on to be the leader of AOA) already bullied her by picking on her and other trainees and eventually members. She went on to enumerate the incidents when Jimin bullied her, including the time when she was not allowed to mourn the death of her father (who later she revealed to be abusive towards her and her mom), and the various times she was verbally and physically abused (punching and slapping) by their leader. She also involved the group’s center Seolhyun, claiming that she was Jimin’s henchwoman and in most instances would just sit back and witness the abuse instead of stopping Jimin.
Eventually, Mina posted a picture of her bloodied wrist that has a slash wound and captioned it with a revelation that she attempted suicide during her time with AOA because of the bullying she got from Jimin and Seolhyun. But then, days later it was revealed that she was embroiled in a cheating scandal, and his ex’s affairs, while they were still a couple, were what pushed her to end her life. She also stated that Jimin and she actually reconciled when it was the rapper’s dad who died and it was her turn to comfort her. But as soon as the first Instagram posts were released, Jimin was quick to act, resigning from her position in the group and retiring from the entertainment industry altogether while issuing an apology to Mina.
But as mentioned earlier, this did not stop Mina from conducting various dramatic revelations on Instagram, after which she decides to announce that she will be quitting SNS, but only to return a few weeks later. She has revealed everything from the first time she was sexually abused to posting a picture of her smoking in a non-smoking hotel room having everybody seriously advising her to stay away from social media altogether and seek help for her unstable mental condition. Also, much of the online chatroom conversations among AOA members have been revealed, with Jimin apologizing as early as 2019, before the pandemic which Mina took as an opportunity for her various expose. Even after Jimin already left the group and thus, the chatroom, it was revealed that Mina continually harassed her and her family. It has also been revealed that Mina uses FNC’s resources for her personal errands, such as setting up appointments for her mom.
On the other hand, it seems that Jimin couldn’t stay away from the limelight that long because as of January 2022, she released a new song with a music video on her birthday. While she has also returned to Instagram, still has not returned to AOA yet.
High-Profile Mass Exodus: Yeonwoo, Taeha, and Daisy from Momoland
When it comes to groups losing so many members at one time, this may be a common occurrence when it is time to the members to renew their contracts with the companies that created the groups. Such was the case with After School, where all except one, Nana, has opted to stay with the company, while eleven (yes, 11) have opted to not continue their careers under Pledis Entertainment. The agency claimed this is actually in sync with the group’s original “graduation” concept, where the members would have to leave the group after some time. That same is true with Lovelyz, where only leader Baby Soul decided to renew her contract with Woolim while the other seven chose to join other companies; although there was no word on whether the group has permanently disbanded.
However, things are a bit different with the group Momoland, which only debuted in 2016 and experienced massive success with their 2018 release Bboom Bboom. The follow-up singles Baamand I’m So Hot were still successful, but unfortunately did not rise to the level of Bboom Bbom’s popularity. But then, trouble erupted when in November 2019, MLD Entertainment (then Duble Kick Company but was renamed after the group’s phenomenal success) announced the departure of Yeonwoo and Taeha from the group, and stated that they were in discussions with Daisy about her future in the group. Thus, when 2019 ended with the group’s release Thumbs Up, they were officially three members down, although it is important to note that Daisy and Taeha were already not part of the previous MMLD comeback I’m So Hot in March 2019.
In January 2020, Daisy stated that the show Finding Momoland was fraudulent and had deceived viewers by manipulating the votes. She claimed that after her elimination, she was contacted by the agency with an offer to join the group. MLD Entertainment denied the claims, and stated they would be taking legal action against Daisy. But it wasn’t until May 13, 2020 when it was announced that Daisy had left the group.
So, what caused these fallouts with the company years before their contract renewal and pretty much only recently after their success? First, let’s start with Yeonwoo. When she quit, MLD Entertainment released a statement on Momoland’s fancafe saying, “While Yeonwoo has had deep affection for her Momoland activities, she has decided that continuing together with her actress activities would be too much strain for both her team and herself so to leave the team and concentrate on her career as our actress [under MLD Entertainment].“
Then, months later, Yeon-woo in her SNS posts, “Everyone. How many people are brave enough to give up their youth for a new start? I don’t have that kind of boldness. I don’t even have the will to do that.” “I endured it, I endured it, I endured it, but there was no use. I didn’t betray you because I wanted to do something else.”
So, does that sound like the company heavily suggested (aka eased her out) for her to leave Momoland? I guess what happened after was indicative of what Yeonwoo really wanted for her career, because on January 19, it was confirmed that Yeonwoo signed an exclusive contract with 9ato Entertainment, which also happens to be the agency of star of the moment Han Sohee.
Taeha left the group together with Yeonwoo in 2019. However, it wasn’t until October 2020 when Taeha posted a video on her YouTube channel, revealing her reasons for leaving Momoland: So that she could express herself in her own voice. She also shared that she doesn’t keep in touch with the Momoland members as much as she would like to, as their busy schedules make it difficult. However, she did reveal that she hangs out with Daisy from time to time.
No matter what comeback MOMOLAND did after 2018 or how hard they work now as a 6 member girl group everyone in the industry will never let them forget about their past success and how they could’ve been worldwide superstars if they didn’t let go of Daisy, Taeha and Yeonwoo. https://t.co/SD7aaCGqC9
Finally, we have Daisy who already had a lot of beef with her company even before she official parted ways with them in 2020. As mentioned earlier, she spilled a lot of tea even when she was still technically with the company, claiming that the reality competition that created Momoland is rigged. Since then, lawsuits from both parties have been filed, which Daisy actually won, though the company has filed an appeal. Daisy has continued her university education and keeps in touch ith fans through her SNS and YouTube videos.
Now, if you think the case of female idols getting kicked out of or leaving their groups is common, wait until we refresh your memory of male idols and their groups! Stay tuned for this list.
Tired of the constant barrage of girl groups executing gun gestures or boy groups exposing abs? Longing for more wholesome and mindless K-pop? Let me tell you, there was an era of K-pop where the boys sang about overnight sleepovers and girls sang about… jumping. Here are three acts that prove that will bring you back to a time when K-pop was wholesome, carefree, and silly, and people loved it.
1. Crayon Pop
Now, this is one K-pop group that totally and already had the quirky, novelty concept down to a tee from the start. The Crayon Pop story really begins as early as 2011 when a photographer saw T-ara’s music video for their retro hit Roly-Poly and thought he should create a K-pop group. And just like that, the photographer Huang Hyungchang established Chrome Entertainment and created the company’s first group, Crayon Pop. While CEO Huang was forming his first girl group, he explicitly included in the qualifications that the girls who will compose his group cannot be taller than 165cm and must not have a girl crush or sexy image.
Crayon Pop did not really create a splash in both their Korean and Japanese debuts. While this was a bit expected since the group was virtually unknown and the company did not have any public name recall, what was concerning was that the first release allegedly cost the company almost all of its financial resources. But armed with big balls, CEO Huang gave the girls another go with a second release, which still didn’t send fans abuzz, though three things happened during this: One, the group caught the attention of Super Junior‘s Shindong, who said if he was going to make a girl group, he would copy the Crayon Pop Model and two, the group sold out not one, not two, but three shows in Japan. Finally, the third event that gave a bit more attention to the group was their guerilla style of promoting their single Dancing Queen, which saw them conduct busking performances in the streets of Seoul in the winter months. Yep, the girls in school uniforms with tracksuits performed in the cold to promote their song and the group in general.
After the unexpected discovery of the group’s popularity in Japan, the group would finally experience success in their home country as they would release the song that was to be the highlight of their career – Bar Bar Bar. Everything sort of conspired to help Crayon Pop finally achieve their breakthrough – a great song, simple but catchy choreography, the quirky costume of the helmet that everybody, particularly the pajussis — the old uncles that would compose the core of Crayon Pop‘s fandom, would wear. There was also the recognition from the industry and international fans, plus the local fans noting the girls’ hard work in promoting their second single in the biting cold. Plus the fact that Chrome spent less than US$400 for the music video of Bar Bar Bar, which was shot in an abandoned theme park and a music studio while the girls returned with millions in sales guaranteed the company a huge raking of profits.
The group continued its success with equally catchy releases of Uh-ee and FM that brought back the girls in what was going to be their signature — very memorable costumes and headgear. The success of the group was so massive that it caught the attention of international star Lady Gaga who recruited them to be her front act in a US concert. Alas, like most groups, the group’s popularity waned for the two usual reasons: One, a member has gotten her fill of the idol life and wants a change in lifestyle, career direction, or a fresh start like getting married or starting a family. In Crayon Pop‘s case, it was Soyul who eventually got married to Moon Heejun of the pioneering K-pop group H.O.T and had her baby months later. Two, there was a change of image in 2016 as Doo Doom Chit was still a lively and catchy track, but the girls went with a more modern K-pop look, ditching their gimmicky but effective helmets and hoods.
So, while the group has not officially disbanded, it is highly unlikely that they will ever stage a comeback as the members had branched out into other careers and public interest has waned for a group reunion. Besides, it has become public knowledge that the girls didn’t earn that much even at the peak of their popularity. Apparently, the company told them that they are indebted to the company as they still got “supported” them even as they went to other countries to perform. So, for example, the company cited their Lady Gaga project that did not allow them to do activities in Korea as they were in the US, which the company considered as a lost opportunity to earn income and profit. Now that most of the girls are earning way better with their own YouTube and SNS channels, people are advising them to stick to these more lucrative sources of income.
2. Orange Caramel
It would be impossible to talk about novelty K-pop without mentioning that group that started out as a sub-unit but ended up being a cultural reset – Orange Caramel. Just like its name, Orange Caramel is practically like someone had too much sugar and thought of a group of three girls that are not afraid of unique and quirky concepts (from the drumline in BANG!to pole dancing in First Love), who would play dress-up and perform songs that are just out of this world. Not to mention, quite far from the songs After School (or any girl group for that matter) is known for.
To be fair to the girls — Reina, Lizzy, and Nana; although they were already known for being game on for any concept as members of After School, they also readily adapted to this concept that could vibe best described as… quirky and goofy. This is definitely a far cry from the mature and sexy vibes their group exuded in their heyday in the early 2010s.
Orange Caramel’s debut single Magic Girl may not be as “out there” as their latter tracks that would define their career, but the Sailor Moon vibes the song gave through its music video and Orange Caramel‘s live performances was indicative of the direction the group’s concept would popularize. The trendy concept, added to the built-in popularity the trio had as members of After School, caught on with the public as comedians were quick to make their parodies of the Magic Girl‘s music video. The public also liked the entire release very much, from the song to the music videos, propelling it to number 2 in the song charts.
The following year, Orange Caramel created a project called One Asia where they sampled various Asian cultures into new singles Shanghai Love and Bangkok City, which not only brought the group immense popularity outside of Korea but also cemented their position in the domestic market. Finally, the next year, OC debuted in Japan to success, although it can be considered inevitable because just one listen to the group’s songs (limited as they were even during that time) and you would be transported to the opening credits of an anime. Anyway, Lipstick, the group’s Korean comeback was released after, and although the song can be considered as more mature and slower, the single still succeeded to chart as it was still catchy AF, with the music video featuring bright pastel colors and the girls flirting with a guy, all in the name of table tennis. A Japanese comeback was released, featuring all of their singles translated in Nihongo (talk about large profit margins on that one) and then, the one of the biggest WTF moments of K-pop.
Even casual K-pop fans would know what I’m talking about – that song where three girls start off with martial arts “ha” screaming and the music video featuring them as sushi rolls in some scenes and mermaids in others. Yes, I’m talking about Catallena, one of the most, if not the most, bizarre song and music video in Korean music history. First, let’s talk about the song. It’s basically about the singer saying that she has become intrigued, then irritated, then slowly falling in love with this girl that goes by the name of Catallena. Yep, it’s basically a girl telling everyone of the evolution of her feelings for this Catallena in three minutes. And we are 100% it’s a girl singing because there’s a line that goes “Even as a girl, I can see how great she is”.
Which brings us to the question, how is a song about a girl crushing hard on another woman connected to sushi rolls and three mermaids being sold in discounted prices? I have absolutely no idea, although there are hundreds of hours of video content on YouTube and thousands of words in K-pop websites and blogs paying tribute to the song. Suffice to say that Catallena in the music video seems to have been portrayed by this octopus dish girl that consistently went for top price unlike our three mermaid sushi rolls that ended up being priced 3 for 1. Not to mention that the song contains a sample of Jutti Merri, a Punjabi folk song. Seriously, by the time the video ends, you end up scratching your head and thinking, “This is definitely a notch above even the peak of K-pop randomness that is Gangnam Style.”
After the cultural reset that was Catallena, the group released a few more songs such as My Copycat and Abing Abing. Then, Pledis Entertainment – being Pledis Entertainment – became clueless of what to do with a successful group, started encouraging solo activities. Then, Lizzy and Raina left the company and After School, which inadvertently spelled the end of the sub-unit.
So, what made Orange Caramel a hit throughout their active years? The recognizability of the three members even before their debut was a huge factor. The novelty of the songs also had the public relate so much to them. Finally, it’s the girls themselves that really made the group. I mean, to have these girls who are known for being drop-dead gorgeous (particularly Nana) play sushi rolls is just weird. But then, that these girls just had so much fun with their songs and really sold their silly and funny concepts like their lives depended on it. You’d think that someone like Nana would dread the day she would have to shout “ha” every time she performs Catallena, but then when she does it with all seriousness, you’d also be sold on the song.
3. Super Junior T and Super Junior H
Finally, we have two sub-units of the well-loved kings of hallyu Super Junior. Back then, when SJ was still pretty much a group that had “serious” songs like Sorry, Sorry, It’s You (Nortago), and Bonamana(which is years ahead of their first legit “novelty” song Mamacita), they already had two sub-groups that were in charge of releasing quirkier and goofier songs in behalf of the entire group – Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H.
Mind you, not all Super Junior subunits go as quirky as T (for trot) and H (for happy). There’s Super Junior KRY, which had the three main vocalists of the group – Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung that as expected, have released heart-crushing ballads. There’s also Super Junior M, which released Mandarin songs and had Zhoumi and Henry aside from Ryeowood, Siwon, Donghae, Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk. Finally, there’s Super Junior D&E with Donghae and Eunhyun that may have released quirky songs (e.g., Oppa, Oppa), but balanced their concept by also releasing more “serious” tracks like Growing Pains and ‘Bout You.
So back to these two sub-units. As their name suggests, Super Junior-T, composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Shindong, Sungmin, Kangin and Eunhyuk, focused on releasing trotmusic, which although is a form of pop music, is usually considered a novelty and goofy by newer generations of listeners.
The group released their debut single and what would be arguably their only official release, Rokuko in February 2007. Public response to the single was highly favorable as Rokuko topped the music charts three days after release. By the end of 2007, the single sold almost 46,000 copies and was Korea’s best-selling single of the year. Not bad for a trendy group releasing a song that most would already consider as cheesy and old-fashioned.
More than a year later, Super Junior-T was announced to make a comeback later in the year with their second single, but although the announcement turned out to be false as a fourth Super Junior sub-unit, Super Junior-Happy, was debuted instead, putting Super Junior-T in partial hiatus. Nonetheless, Super Junior-T remained partially active throughout the year as they still appear as a group in Super Junior‘s concert tour, Super Show, and other similar functions.
Later that year, the group re-released “Rokuko“, now titled “ROCK&GO“, in Japan. The single debuted at #19 on the Oricon Daily Charts, which was kind of low considering it was still a Super Junior song, but then jumped to #2 three days later. The release had Super Junior-T work with Japanese female comedy duo Moeyan in the hopes that the Japanese public can easily relate to this song, which is pretty much very Korean due to its trot origins. As the single charted high, the inclusion of Moeyan proved to be successful. Unfortunately, after the group’s Japanese promotion, it had gone into a prolonged hiatus. Their last recording was the track Love at First Sight, which was included in Super Junior‘s special 10th-anniversary album Devil.
Now, let’s go back to Super Junior-H that was already mentioned earlier. Super Junior-H has practically the same line-up as Super Junior, the only difference being Yesung replacing Heechu. The subgroup’s first EP, Cooking? Cooking!, was released on June 5, 2008, with their first single and the accompanying music video of the same name being released on that same day. According to the Music Industry Association of Korea, the EP sold 27,122 by the end of August and was ranked fifth in the monthly charts. Both the song and music video for Cooking? Cooking! featured Girl’s Generation’s Sunny, who proved her natural talent in aegyo by starting off as a bad cook who traumatizes the boys with her food but studied cooking to make the boys fall in love with her as the video ends.
Their second single, Pajama Party was released two months later. This time, the music video features a scary comic book in which a group of girls having a sleepover is attacked by a gorilla. Yes, a gorilla in Seoul. Anyway, the girls flee and the next panel becomes alive with the SJ-H boys also having a party, and the fleeing girls ran into their room to escape the attacking gorilla. The boys and girls started playing games and having pillow fights with the gorilla just outside their door, wondering why everyone was having fun. Eventually, they realized the gorilla just wanted bananas, which the boys gave him lots of. And everyone lived happy ever after. 100 out of 10 on the silliness scale, but that’s novelty K-pop for you.
Wonder how some idols not only survived, but thrived amidst competition from their own groupmates? Here are four trajectories to take notes from.
1. Shinee’s Key: The Pioneer All-Rounder
I have said it before and I’ll say it again – SHINee is the perfect boy group. Jonghyun (may he rest in peace) and Onew are some of the industry’s best vocalists, Minho is a striking center and visual who also happens to be good at rapping, and before the world met what it now considers the Golden Maknae Jungkook of BTS, there was Taemin who danced like a dream and sung like a main vocalist.
So, in a group that’s deep with talent, what does a member like Key do? Be the best in all three areas – dancing, rapping, and slinging, plus include a good “variety show” sense and comedic timing. Count on Key to also contribute to the group’s singing prowess, especially after Jonghyun’s demise. Key has also done some rap parts to add variety so that Minho doesn’t do all the rapping. And we can certainly applaud anyone who can hold his own without getting overshadowed all the time by THE Taemin. With Key’s extroverted nature, he is a natural in variety shows. If you’re not convinced, watch any Amazing Saturday episode and get ready for a ton of laughs.
In SHINee’s heyday, members of groups that didn’t specialize in anything don’t really get viewed favorably. For example in Shinhwa, Dongwan had to give way to Eric, Minwoo, and Hyesung, who were the main members in rapping, dancing, and singing, respectively. Sunny kept on getting dismissed as the ‘relative of the CEO” as to her inclusion in Girls’ Generation, though her vocal skills have always been comparable to the group’s four other main vocalists, TaTiSeo and Jessica. Lucky for us, Key didn’t allow himself to get lost in the hype for the other SHINee members and instead gave us practically the first idol who was just good in anything.
2. Apink’s Namjoo: The Unbothered Queen of Reinvention
As with a lot of idols in groups, Apink’s Namjoo found herself in the middle of a really tight spot – how to set herself apart from a group with members so talented that leaves not much room for members who can be best described as… middling. Jung Eunji is generally accepted as one of k-pop’s most talented vocalists, former member Son Naeun’s visuals are often described as goddess-level, Bomi is just a breath of fresh air with top-notch dancing skills, and Chorong and Hayoung are recognized for being in positions that defy first impressions, with baby-faced and voiced Chorong actually being the eldest and the group’s leader, while tall and sophisticated-looking Hayoung actually being the maknae of the group, with her appearance betraying her ever since Apink debuted in 2011.
Thus, Namjoo was left in a very precarious position as frankly speaking, she had really no distinguishing characteristic that allowed her to stand out. Unfortunately, this has caused a bit of distress on Apink’s fake maknae, who was the subject of numerous not-so-favorable comments throughout their career. As she was often regarded as the “dispensable member” with no outstanding features, she went drastic by having cosmetic surgery done in 2018, right in between promoting their annual fan song and their I’m So Sick comeback. People quickly presented their disparaging comments on how Namjoo’s face didn’t look right, dismissing the obvious procedure as a “disaster”. It seemed that the group’s agency IST Entertainment (then called Plan A) and particularly Namjoo went for the unbothered reaction, which for most observers was justified, as people getting plastic surgery was common already and that Namjoo went on to rank second in the monthly girl group member brand ranking for May 2018 goes to show that any form of publicity, as long as it is not about unlawful behavior, ends up benefiting the artist.
Anyway, Namjoo coincidentally had the fewest exposure in the I’m So Sick comeback, having the least number of lines and appearances on the MV. But on the next comeback, Dhumdhurum, Namjoo sang a lot of lines, killing parts, and had a lot of music video exposure. You can think of it as a case of perfect timing as by that time, her features had settled already and the public eventually got used to her “reinvention”, which coincided with Apink’s evolution into a group that has become more sophisticated both in sound and image. TV personality Hwang Hyun Hee said it best when he commented on the issue on a TV show, “Noise is the best for marketing indeed.”
3. SEVENTEEN’s Dino: The Triple Threat Maknae
In any large group, it is inevitable that some members will get the shorter end of the attention stick. I mean, what are the chances of thirteen different people having the same degree of popularity when they are ideally put together in similar circumstances, recording the same songs and performing in the same stages? As mentioned in the two featured members we had earlier, it is already a challenge having to share the spotlight with four or five other people and still stand out, how much more with twelve other members, each gifted with his own set of unique charms and talents? This is what actually Seventeen maknae Dino has to deal with. With twelve super talented hyungs that also happen to have larger-than-life personalities as well, Dino was set to get lost in the crowd.
But then, he hasn’t. From the start, Dino wasn’t the typical boy group member. One, he ended up Seventeen’s maknae when he wasn’t at the start. During the formation of the group, Dino was part of the maknae line, but one of the four trainees who eventually quit the group, aka the reason why 17 became 13, was the actual maknae Kim Samuel (aka Samuel of Produce 101 Season 2). So, Dino isn’t your typical maknae who is the fount of aegyo and innocent charms. In fact, Dino’s sharp looks and talents have allowed him to be a valuable all-rounder in Seventeen.
While Dino` is technically part of the Performance Team with Hoshi, Jun, and The8, he has also exhibited his skills in rapping in some of Seventeen songs (e.g., Boom Boom, Left and Right, among others). And nobody in Seventeen cannot sing – even the rappers have had to sing in almost every other SVT release. So take it from Dino: The only way to survive in a thirteen-member group is to do everything in top-notch quality. He may be referred to in jest and in teasing (although we can see that he likes this) in a number of Going Seventeen episodes as the “furture of k-pop”, but really, in a market with too much talent, you can only thrive if you can be a multi-hyphenate triple threat!
4. EXO’s D.O: Acting His Way to Public Recognition
Just like Dino, D.O also had to deal with being just one of the members of a very big group. Actually, Exo was more or less just like Seventeen in terms of the number of members, but SM marketed them in such a way that the group appeared big. From the start, the group is supposed to come from an EXO-planet. Also, remember that Tree of Life concept in Mama where the tree got divided into 2 and 12 and 2 worlds again and 12 forces, which most probably may have referred to Exo-K and Exo-M. Anyway, all those twelve forces inhabiting those two worlds are hella talented and deserve the spotlight individually. And one of those forces was D.O, whose main strength is his vocals. But then, Chen, Baekhyun, and Luhan are also very skilled vocalists, which means that unless D.O could find a niche that would allow him to stand out, he could very well be lost in the midst of the other members who may be more charismatic, and thus more appealing to the public.
What D.O did was a bit similar to what Siwon of Super Junior did, although much later in his idol career – turn to acting. While most of his members furthered the mastery of their “idol-related” talents with Chen and Baekhyun making their own subunit with Xiumin called Exo-CBX before finally releasing solo material, D.O debuted as an actor both on TV and in the movies only two years after launching his idol career via Exo. The main difference between D.O and most idols who have also turned into acting as a sideline is that our Exo main vocal turned out to be actually good in acting. As with other idols turned actors, people were quick to dismiss D.O’s initial appearances in the drama It’s Okay, That’s Love and his first film Cart, which was also released in 2014. While acknowledging the promise of D.O’s acting skills, they also brought up some factors like beginner’s luck and the possibility of his performances being fulkes.
Six films and two dramas later, all of which he played main roles, Kyungsoo’s talents have become undeniable. Moreover, as there is no one else in Exo who acts, it may seem that D.O has created a niche for himself that allowed him to distinguish himself from his bandmates. Alas, SM has also allowed him to keep the fans of singer D.O happy by finally launching him as a solo artist in 2019, before he started his military service through an SM Station single. When he came back as a regular citizen in 2021, he released his first EP Empathy, which had him sing in Korean, English, and Spanish! How’s that for talent and standing out?
See? There’s definitely more than one way of standing out as a member of a group. Take it from these four all-rounders: A mix of talent, hard work, and the right course of action can make people notice while you thrive on your own.
Featured image: D.O. and everyone at EXO celebrating their 10th debut anniversary. Source: @weareoneEXO/Twitter
These days, with “monster rookies” making their debut songs top the charts like it was the easiest thing, we look back at a number of groups whose debut songs ushered their “arrival” in the K-pop scene. Take note that these songs were released at a time when groups are not commonly a product of reality shows that package idols to instant popularity even before their debut – so having “monster rookies” wasn’t yet an expected occurrence as they are nowadays. But then, despite the challenges, these debut songs caught the public’s attention and went on to make legends out of the groups that sang them.
1. Girls’ Generation — “Into The New World”
Girls’ Generation’s legendary debut song is still holding strong and is a favorite more than a decade after its release. The song is basically the standard all other debut songs are compared to- for girl and boy groups.
The song itself was quite memorable as it showcased the girls’ impressive vocals and dancing skills in the music video, as girl groups then were not really known to have elaborate dance moves and choreography, unlike their male counterparts. Moreover, during the time of GG aka the second generation, it wasn’t that common for groups during that time to gain a lot of recognition to the point of winning music shows with only their debut song. But Into the New World did exactly just that to SNSD, as the group won their first music show trophy on M Countdown more than two months after debuting.
The song, a testament to sweet and young love, and the accompanying music video, which featured the girls pursuing various interests, were devoured by the Korean public. They instantly fell in love with the nine-girl lineup. Years later, somehow, the song was adapted by protestors rallying for various social causes in Korea, including the eventual impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in 2017.
2. 2NE1 – “Fire“
A couple of years after Girls’ Generation made their impressive debut and encountered credible competition from only Kara and Wonder Girls, YG Entertainment took it upon themselves to join the SM Entertainment-dominated niche by introducing the girl version of their highly successful boy group BIG BANG – 2NE1. While the group was initially introduced to the public via a collaboration single with their brother group entitled Lollipop (which became all the more popular because it was used as a promotional jingle for the LG Cyon phone), it was not until a couple of months later that CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy officially debuted via Fire.
Fire’s release was highly anticipated – it was filled with fanfare and hype as only YG Entertainment can muster. Two music videos to support the song’s release were premiered on the same day – a “space” and “street” version, which exceeded a million views on YouTube within a day of its release. And then, the girls performed their song for the first time live in Inkigayo. Who can forget that staging with the girls getting introduced one by one as an elevator stops on each floor of a building? Of course, when the lift finally arrived on the 21st floor, all hell broke loose, and the girls performed their debut song like they have been doing it for years. Both the music videos and their debut stage were featured in American blogger Perez Hilton’s blog, which earned the group an instant international following. Finally, Korean pop music had its first group that embodied the “girl crush” concept. And in an industry where girl groups would usually be either cute and innocent or downright provocative and sexy, the fierce image that 2NE1 exuded was still uncommon and fresh. No wonder the girls won their first music show trophy only a month after Fire was released, which slashed SNSD’s previous record by half.
And we haven’t even talked about Dara’s palm tree hair.
3. miss A – “Bad Girl, Good Girl“
After SM and YG’s explosive girl group revelations (with SM doing it the second time in 2009 with the introduction of the highly experimental f(x)), the ball was back to JYP’s court. Although JYP had a fierce rivalry with SM via the Wonder Girls – SNSD match-up, they kinda lost steam with their push for WG to make a splash internationally. And with Girls’ Generation, f(x), Kara, 2NE1, and then-monster rookies Sistar dominating the charts while Wonder Girls were still somehow pushed in the US, JYP had no choice but to debut a new group with miss A. And what a solid move it was!
miss A met immediate success with their debut single Bad Girl, Good Girl, which featured a novel concept for girl groups in K-pop – sexy but not overt as Sistar, fierce but not as in-your-face as 2NE1, which ultimately worked for JYP’s new girl group then. The song was and still is hella catchy. After all, this was produced during the time when JYP still had that magic (come to think of it, he still does, but it comes and goes these days, which may explain how he has been inconsistent with ITZY and NMIXX). Alas, that choreography to match the rather haughty lyrics of the song has been what has made it memorable after all these years. All those pointing and kicking when the girls are down to the ground, lying on their stomachs are still pretty much remembered up to this day when idols dance to the song on variety shows. Along with the choreography of Hush, which has Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy holding on to a horizontal curtain rod, Bad Girl Good Girl tops miss A’s list of memorable songs mainly because of the iconic choreography. BGGG also broke 2NE1’s record by winning for miss A their first music show trophy 21 days after their debut. Too bad the girls had to succumb to the 7-year K-pop curse.
4 & 5. Blackpink – “Boombayah” and “Whistle“
Remember the move YG made when they debuted 2NE1 with not just one, but two music videos for their first release Fire? YG revived this tactic with their second girl group, Blackpink, when they debuted the group in 2016. Only this time, YGE did not just release one song with two music videos but actually released two different songs – Boombayah and Whistleon the same day, August 8, 2016. By that time, the anticipation for the new YG girl group was at its fever pitch since the company’s banner girl group, 2NE1, was on a hiatus following the involvement of Park Bom in a scandal. Thus, by the time August 8, 2016 came, people were just all too ready to gobble up anything Blackpink released.
Alas, fans were blessed with this selection which was a bit different from one another. For those who prefer a steadier, more mellow beat, Whistle was for them, while for those who wanted a high energy track from the first note up to the last, Boombayah was perfect. Whistle is haunting with its minimal beat which remains steady throughout the song, so there’s really no beat drop or any explosive parts of the song. In contrast, Boombayah has all the ingredients of a “typical” YG song, with earworm portions that will stick in your head for weeks, unique choreography for the live performances, and catchy lyrics that fans will sing in the years to come. While Whistle had the repetitive “Make’ em whistle like a missile bomb, bomb”, Boombayah has the iconic line that has become a trademark of Blackpink up to this day – that line about them being in your area. Boombayah also has that line that has made a legend out of Girls’ Planet 101 participant and later Kep1er member Hikaru – the line that goes “I’m gonna go brrrr… Rambo.”
And of course, that Rosé was sliding on the floor on her back below the three girls while singing is the stuff of legends. While they didn’t do this every time they performed the song live, you can just imagine how difficult it was for our main vocal to shoot that scene on the music video, considering that she has to do it without making it look difficult. Rosé has admitted that it was tough for her to film that section of the music video, since her leather attire also caused friction between her and the floor, so it was not easy for her to “slide through” the girls’ legs at all as her own legs had to do a lot of work so it would look like she is “sliding” across the floor. That has also got to result in a lot of skin chaffing, which she did confirm in interviews. Truly iconic.
Legendary Debut Songs Versus Monster Rookies: A Postscript
A lot of new groups these days may achieve instant (or in some points of view, automatic) fame because of the popularity of some of their members. For example, aespa was already popular when it debuted because of the massive SM campaign machinery behind the group. G-Idle, Everglow, IVE, Kep1er, and Le Sserrafim have instant public recognition because they have members that are reality idol contest alumnae – Soyeon, Yiren, Wonyoung, Yujin, and Sakura, Chaewon, and Yunjin, respectively. Even STAYC, which people argue does not have former idol contestants, has Sieun and Saeun, who had already established acting careers prior to debuting as idols.
But then, we can argue that even if these groups have achieved enormous popularity since debuting, their debut songs may not have really served them well. Next Level was what brought aespa to, (pun intended) the next level and not really Black Mamba, which only peaked at #49 in the national charts. Bon Bon Chocolat did a good job in introducing Everglow to the world, but Adios was the group’s breakthrough hit. Eleven was good, but Love Dive is arguably the iconic IVE song. Thus, with the monster rookies we’ve mentioned, only G-Idle (with Latata), Le Sserafim (with Fearless), and Kep1er (with Wadada) are the ones with debut songs that have so far served them really well. And by the looks of it, it seems that Attention is on its way to making New Jeans not just a monster rookie, but a rookie legend.
Featured Image: Youtube Screenshot from Blackpink’s “Boombayah“
Credit: Screenshot from Youtube video - Day6 (Even of Day)
K-pop videos are always an amazing visual and aural experience. But are you looking for music videos that are a step beyond the usual? Why not give animated music videos a try? Animation can just be as compelling and powerful storytelling tools, and the resulting music videos can be equally memorable.
Here are 11 fully- and partially-animated K-pop music videos to brighten up your day, suck you into another universe, or let you think about life. Who knows, by watching these animated music videos, you might even discover a new favorite group or soloist to follow!
That’s Okay – D.O (EXO)
In 2019, EXO’s main vocalist D.O gifted fans with his solo single That’s Okay just before enlisting for his mandatory service. The song is released with a heartwarming animated music video.
In the video, a man sees a wilting cactus while moving into his apartment and decides to take care of it. He nurtures the plant until it’s revived. Later on, it’s revealed that the man became a homebody due to grief over losing his dog. Eventually, the cactus sprouted some flowers, which seemed to bring the man out of his depression.
Through the song—and the animated music video—D.O reassured EXO-Ls that no matter what they’re going through, everything will eventually turn out okay.
Watch the music video below:
Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) – BTS
Shortly after BTS released their official video for Yet to Come from their anthology album Proof, they came out with a special animated music videos for the same single. The animated video evoked the same sentimental feeling as the official music video, but in a more fun and cute way. In the video, the members trek across a desert, just like in the original. They stumble and slide down, and meet a purple humpback whale that takes them to an island paradise.
The video also doubled as a teaser for BTS Island: In the SEOM, a video game and a virtual space for “healing and relaxation.” The game was launched on June 28, 2022.
Rapper/singer Heize released her second full-length album, Undo, on June 30, 2022, and one of her B-sides, Supercar, comes with a colorful, yet melancholy music video. In this track, Heize sings about a magical supercar that runs so fast, so that could take her back to a relationship that has ended. The bittersweet lyrics complement the music video, where a woman in a bright yellow sports car races through her memories—both happy and sad.
Sing along and feel the emotions while watching the music videos below:
Hate You – 2NE1
Hate You showed K-pop fans that 2NE1 is just as badass in cartoon form. In this 2011 music video, the girls are the heroines chasing after a villain who blew up a town. They follow the villain, disguised as a man, into a pub, and engage in a brief fight before he escapes. The chase continues, and when they finally caught up with their enemy, it’s revealed that the being is actually some kind of monster. They successfully fight off the monster and emerge victorious, and they drive away into the pink sunset.
Watch the action-packed video below:
Tomboy – Hyukoh
Korean indie pop-rock band Hyukoh collaborated with illustrator Park Gwang-soo for the music video of their 2017 track Tomboy.
The song, according to lead singer Oh Hyuk, depicts the confusing and depressing side of youth, where everything is unfamiliar and uncertain. The black-and-white animated music video brilliantly translates the lyrics in a video packed with symbolism. The human-like figures are ablaze with the conflicting feelings of passion and bright hopefulness mixed with confusion, insecurity and desperation.
Watch the thought-provoking music video below:
Eight – IU feat. Suga (BTS)
In Eight, IU and Suga expressed the loneliness and fleeting nature of life, and the longing for a place with no sadness and where everyone could live happy and free. It also talks about the yearning to revisit precious memories, and to live life without taking anything or anyone for granted.
The music video flits between live action and animation, beginning when IU goes to a lab to presumably download her forgotten memories. IU then sees flashes of memories, as well as fantastical adventures throughout the song, before she wakes up again as the song draws to a close.
See IU’s ethereal visuals—both live action and animation—in the music video below:
Super Duper – Super Junior
If you’re looking for music that will surely lift your mood, look no further—because Super Junior is coming to your rescue! Their 2018 SM Station single, Super Duper, will get you moving to the funky beat in no time.
The accompanying music video is just as much of a happy pill, as the music videos reflects much of the group’s lively and chaotic personality. Plus, the animation’s bright, solid colors add to the overall cheerful vibe you’ll get from the song.
This is not the only animated music videos that the group has released. They came out with the Latin pop-infused Animals in 2018. The music video featured the animated versions of the members matched with their zodiac signs. In 2020, they released the sweet, Christmas-themed animated music videos for Tell Me Baby, a B-side from the group’s Renaissance album.
Dance to the beat while watching the kooky music video below:
Where the Sea Sleeps – Day6 (Even of Day)
Where the Sea Sleeps is a ballad from Day6’s sub-unit Even of Day, released in 2020.
The track has a comforting vibe; the lyrics sing about promising to stay together even through hardship. It’s also as if the band members are also reassuring their fans that no matter what happens, they will always be by their side.
The song’s music video complements the lyrics surprisingly well. In the music videos, three animal friends build a rocket ship and journey to space. However, they fly into several asteroids, which destroys the rocket ship and eject the friends onto a nearby planet. All three initially lose consciousness, and for a while, everything seems lost. But, the animal friends wake up, and using a compass they were able to swim to shore and safety—showing that they will always stick together.
Watch the music video below:
Savage – aespa
K-pop crosses over to the metaverse with aespa’s Savage. This music video from the fourth-gen super rookies blends live action, computer graphics, and animation. In the music videos, the girls continue their quest to reunite with their avatars in the SM Culture Universe (SMCU). The lyrics might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially as it contains plenty of references to elements in the group’s SMCU storyline that some might find a little jarring to listen to. But the vibrant, sassy energy of the song pairs well with the aggressive, yet sophisticated vibe of the music videos.
Step into the metaverse with aespa today:
Dream – Eric Nam ft. Park Jimin
This video is quite different from the other music videoss on this list, because the “animation” is actually sand art! Eric Nam, together with Park Jimin, sing about longing for a lost love in Dream. The song and the music video tells the story of a couple who have gone their separate ways, but still look back on their relationship with nostalgia and a bit of yearning.
The sand art transitions throughout the music videos makes watching it feel like being in an actual dream sequence. Check out the music video below:
Hold My Hand – Lee Hi
Singer and songwriter Lee Hi’s refreshing vocals and adorable visuals take center stage in her music video for Hold My Hand. But despite the song’s cheery tone and the music videos’ cute 8-bit graphics, the lyrics tell the story of a heartbroken individual longing for their ex-lover to come back and love them again.
Jump into this cute video game simulation-like video below:
While music videos featuring drama plotlines and slick choreography will always be fascinating both to fans and non-fans, animated music videos offer a different, yet refreshing charm that only adds to the rich K-pop scene. Which one in our list is your favorite?
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