Generational change among K-pop stars

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Mon, December 4, 2023 | 14:41

Generational change among K-pop stars

Posted : 2017-06-09 16:12

Updated : 2017-06-10 20:11

Boy band BTS won at the Billboard music awards in May this year. / Korea Times file

BTS, TWICE take firm hold of limelight

By Kim Ji-soo

When BTS won the Top Social Artist award at Billboard music awards beating out Justin Bieber and others in May, it was good news not only for the K-pop boy and girl bands.

What may be under way is a slow generational change among K-pop bands.

After debuting in 2013, this seven-member band comprising Rap Monster, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook and V, is carving out new landscape for K-pop bands.

Open their management agency, Big Hit Entertainment's website, and the dates for their concerts to early July are all sold off. With top K-boy band Big Bang members scheduled for their military service, BTS may rein for "some" time.

In addition to Big Bang, many K-pop boy bands have members such as Tacyeon of 2PM and formerly Beast and now Highlight members such as Yoon Doo-joon and Yong Joon-hyung that are scheduled to enter the military.

Under the law governing military service, all able bodied males must enlist by 28 if not for specifically pardoned reasons.

As members of these top popular boy bands are within that age range, new groups such as Seventeen and Astro are rapidly growing.

A series of other news that affirm the generational shift abound.

Now disbanded K-pop girl band SISTAR / Yonhap

A highly popular girl band SISTAR has announced that they will disband after seven years of activity. The four members of Hyolin, Bora, Soyou and Dasom released their last single album "Lonely" on May 31. The eponymous song swept the chart immediately after release on all major seven music sites including Melon, Genie and Olleh Music.

While Dasom is currently starring in a SBS weekend drama, the others have yet to carve out a solo act in either music or other features.

To fill in their void, SISTAR's agency, Starship Entertainment, is promoting "Cosmic Girls"(WJSN). The band features 13 members from Korea and China. The WJSN released their first EP "Happy Moment" on June 7, which is faring well on the charts.

But even prior to SISTAR's disbandment, the once popular 2NE1 broke up last year. The 4minute and Rainbow went their separate ways as well.

Industry insiders have referred to this as a seven-year jinx, where K-pop groups get together, rule the music world for seven years and then break up.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) governs that K-pop trainees can sign a contract for up to seven years with their agencies, and many groups break up when the deal expires.

"The so-called ‘jinx' will differ case by case, meaning those who have planned the future well-ahead will likely survive, but those who may have seen their competitiveness decline or have heart set on other activities then music, the breakup may come," said one industry insider who requested anonymity.

"The answer may lie in having some concrete post-seven year picture as the bands start out," the insider said.

As these high-profile girl band members go their separate ways, there is no denying that TWICE of JYP Entertainment is at the top. TWICE released its fourth mini-album "SIGNAL" in May a catchy dance-beat song written by Park Jin-young, and is doing well on the charts.

TWICE / Yonhap

The members comprising Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu hit the ground running when they debuted in 2015.

The song "Like Ooh-Ahh" fared at the top of the charts, while it was their "Cheer Up" and "TT," that made an imprint on music fans of all ages in the country.

The latest hit song "SIGNAL" also received fan love from overseas where it upon release topped the iTunes' Album Chart in 12 countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Relatively a new girl group BLACKPINK of YG Entertainment announced that the members will soon return to the music scene this month.

Multiple reports said Thursday that the four-member girl band is expected to release a new song around June 15 through 20, and are considering participation on reality shows.

It would be the band's return in about seven months since it released an album last November carrying such songs as "Playing With Fire" and "Stay."

janee@ktimes.com