Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
With the K-pop business thriving and companies inevitably looking to capitalize on its popularity, new groups are being churned out at greater and greater rates. As a result, I’ve noticed that the initial reactions to every announcement of a new group, even those from major companies, are met with increasing amounts of skepticism and disdain, probably because there seems to literally be a couple groups debuting every week.
As such, I didn’t really see it as a surprise when the media reported that a rash of group departures have been happening, nor was it shocking when quotes from insiders speculated that more are set to follow.
Music industry insiders took a closer look at the recent trend of idol members’ taking leave of their respective groups.
On May 24th, Dal Shabet‘s Viki confirmed her withdrawal from her group, while Dalmatian‘s Day Day also left the group, and back in April, EXID‘s Yuzi, Dami, and Haeryung also announced their withdrawal from their group. TAKEN (now renamed A-PRINCE) also announced the withdrawal of their members Seungyeol, Gunwoo, and Yoojun, earlier this week.
An anonymous music industry insider predicted that this trend is most likely to continue. ”There are currently a few idol group members who are considering leaving their groups,” the rep revealed.
Reasons for withdrawal include factors such as schooling, career changes, and solo careers. But, internal conflict with their agencies is said to be the deciding factor for the withdrawal of idol group members.
On the issue of conflicts with agencies, another music industry insider stated, “Members blame their agency if their debut isn’t a success, and eventually decide to withdraw the group. Even if their debut is a success, members leave if they think their agency isn’t supporting them enough.”
So you know how people are always complaining about the sheer volume of groups debuting, how they can’t keep track of them all, and that it’s getting tiresome? Well, people are seemingly already tired of it and so are the idols. Basically, the consequences of market flooding are starting to show, if they aren’t in effect already.
While many fans are already familiar with the big names that are making their comebacks this summer, they’ll still be surprised to hear that a whopping 100 teams are scheduled to promote at the same time this summer.
This puts a big strain on the music programs, as there are only so many slots that are free for the taking. Unfortunately, this also means that songs will be heavily cut down to accommodate as many artists on one show as possible.
One industry official expressed, “There are a lot more managers than usual at broadcast halls these days. They are all working for artists with considerable names so it’s a bloody field out there right now. There have been people saying that there will be over 100 teams promoting this summer.”
Despite the expanded market, the fact is that most of these groups will or already have flopped. While our modern attention culture, with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, is undoubtedly flush with ways to draw attention, there are limits to how much the audience has to give. How many things can we possibly be devoted to? After all, there’s a limitation on time for even the most hardcore K-pop stans.
As such, the promises of fame and fortune aren’t going to come true for a majority of the new groups, and while that was always true to an extent, it’s clearly being exacerbated now due to the sheer amount of groups being debuted in recent years.
*Click To Enlarge*
From 1996 to 2008, 98 groups debuted in K-pop. From 2009 to 2011, 116 K-pop groups stepped to the plate. Right now? Halfway through 2012, 62 more groups have already debuted, besting the yearly high for debuts that was set in 2011, which was 61. Needless to say, the pace is maddening and it’s hard to blame fans for being overwhelmed.
The reality is that oversaturation isn’t coming, it’s been here for a while now and it’s starting to rear its ugly head. Until a market correction comes, odds are that it’ll only get worse, and if the industry sources are to be believed, it’s already underway.
What would be a market correction? Stop producing new idols and dismantling the worthless ones already out? Sorry if I sound stupid in advance.
The profitability would dry up first, then the shitty groups would die, and then the only incentive for companies to produce new groups would be to debut ones they actually have confidence in instead of just debuting these fucks at random.
IMO.
Something like what NanaFTW said, except I actually think the rushing of groups leads to a drop in quality and flooding of the market which will lead to a drop in profitability, not the other way around.
Well yeah.. I’m always saying there’s a new group debuting every month. And if those from the smaller agencies aren’t possessing something entiiiirely different (which is practically impossible since every group claims they’re different from the next) then they’re just gonna flop. Some fans saying “oh too bad xx group doesn’t get any attention! They’re so good!” But they probably sound just the same as any other, look just the same and yeah… If they’re not from the big 3 then yeah, definitely not much chance of survival (and SM can release the same crap all the time and fans will still eat it up ^^;) I can see why Chocolat and Cross Gene did the whole interracial gimmick because it’s a different gimmick to catch attention.. but (at least with Chocolat) will/didn’t last long.
It sucks too because it seems like fans demand more (yet b*tch when idols are overworked), and those individuals can only do so much.. so thus, more groups debuting but people can only like so much. So it’s also a bad cycle between the supply/demand.. fans & corps, etc.
I worry about how many of these smaller agencies are gonna go under.
It’s disheartening to hear. However it makes sense, plus I doubt any of them were talented.
I’d rather wait for a talented group than be flooded with nonsense, who probably are not mentally, physically and psychologically ready.
I see WHY entertainment companies want to debut young idols – longer shelf life = more money.
But I agree with you. Doesn’t it make better sense to debut someone who is both mature (to handle the pressure of being a celebrity = also a better spokesperson) and actually talented? Why not get a bigger bang for your buck by investing in an older group who makes millions in the first few years? Would definitely beat the income that a lot of lesser tier idol groups make in the course of their whole idol life.
This is probably why SPICA exists. None of them are prepubescent teenagers and ALL have talent. Unfortunately, they’re getting pushed aside for the younger, cuter Hello Venus.
Hopefully SPICA will be able to turn the tide later in on in their career but it seems South Korea has a knack for young girls with aegyo but “fresh” concepts =.=
SPICA is amazing.
@IATFB SPICA is flawless. It’s a shame that they got pushed aside as best female rookie group this year once Hello Venus debuted.
Spica is absolutely, positively AMAZING.
Best rookies of the year by far.
Their music is absolutely GORGEOUS and everything about them is wonderful.
I adore them so much. So, so much. The only other female korean artists/idols I like better than Spica are Gummy and Tasha.
It’s sort of encouraging that a result of this flooding has been that groups with talent are the ones who end up standing out.
KOREAN CEOs THE HALLYU WAVEU IS NOT REAL STOP THINKING YOU ARE FUCKING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE NOBODY CARES ABOUT UR ASIAN ASS
Is this why people think we’re racist?
wat
THANK
People keep saying that “it’s going to be too much”, but it is already.
How many rookie groups do you remember over the past year?
I know about a half dozen and I actually follow the shit.
Meh.
That was basically my thought.
I have a site dedicated to it and I only care about maybe a handful of 2012 debuts. Hell, even 2011.
Everyone want their shtick of the hallyu wave. It’s not like the companies didn’t know this was bound to happen; I’m sure they just wanted to get hold of some success before the market was completely saturated, and take a shot in having a long-lasting group.
More than the fans, I think the idols are the ones hurt in the process, putting their hopes into some shitty companies and working hard as hell, only to disband a few months later.
It seems like every kid in Korea wants to be a K-Pop star and then they get taken advantage of by their companies, especially if they’re girls.
People should give them a very hard look at reality. If you’re not good enough to get into the Big 3 or any agency with at least one established and successful group, then don’t waste your time trying to make it because, chances are, you’re going to get washed away like every other irrelevant group.
The problem is is that small, irrelevant companies with little to no connections or anything to identify themselves with are the main ones filling up the market with idol groups, all in an effort to make a quick buck.
Now I’m a Block B stan and Stardom is a small company but at least it has Cho PD’s name for hype and Block B can set themselves apart from other boy groups with its hip hop roots and Zico’s underground experience. But a lot of these groups are debuting with NOTHING at all. Take Swing Girls, for example. They had nothing going for them other than the fact that all the members’ boob sizes were greater than A. Coin Jackson debuted for being a hip hop acapella group that wasn’t even acapella in the long run.
Every group needs to have a certain appeal that sets them apart but most of these groups are just there for the company to make some quick cash.
I’m still waiting on Swing Girls comeback
I’m really feeling Crayon Pop – Bing Bing. I had that song on heavy rotation since it’s release and I hope they perform on music shows
Same here *_* It’s surprising since their company didn’t announce jack shit about them til they released their debut music video, and usually that’s a recipe for failure.
…I think it’s just the lack of autotune (for once) that makes me love the song XD
All the kpop groups that are debuting should just combine and form a giant 48 group lol~ That’s much more easier.
Lol awesome idea. Then we get to fap to everyone all in one group. So convenient.
No matter how it may sound, this is exactly why I enjoy Kpop but love the ways of America entertainment. If you’re talented, a label signs you, they don’t waste money trying to get you out there after training you for years. Yeah, you may find a person every now and then who has been working with and label for years and then debuting officially, but it’s only when that performer shows promise. I’m not for playing favorites, but it works so much better.
Instead of manufacturing your pretty idol to shit how about you find actually talent. It’s fucked up because kids kill themselves trying to be good enough and then fail after years of wasting their time. I feel bad for them.
Ugh, Korean annoys me sometimes.
I just feel bad for the ones who don’t even make it, much less the ones who make it and then get worked to the bone.
Nature of the beast, I guess.
dal shabet will continue for evarrrrrrr!
For me, the only relevant group that has debuted this year, is B.A.P
But it’s not that I actually follow it in detail. They just caught my eye.
I can’t focus on anyone when there’s Taemin waiting to be corrupted by my orgasm fingers.
If more groups and artists debut, won’t there be less money being made? Why don’t companies just capitalize on the popular groups they already have?
I’m sure there are some obsessed kpop fans who’d wish all of the groups would debut. They’d have a bias in each group, know every song, and buy all the shit they put out.
I barely give a fuck about any of these new groups. I’m only here for 3 groups. Anyone who has time for more than 10 groups most likely doesn’t have a life.
Because I think older groups/people will start to lose their appeal. It’s like models (at least in the high-end ones), the industry like young fresh looking people. Once your face starts aging then they’re like “Hm…. you may be out.” Only the lasting, real impressionable ones stays (and even some of those alter their careers into a different route of modeling like commercial or something) But yeah, young hot and good-looking seem to sell best. But again, fans are demanding so much so it’s impossible to have them everywhere. Debuting in like 2-3 other countries and learning language and then some still going to school and crap…
Those fans/companies demand way too much they need to stop before someone dies or a fan goes crazy, and kills their precious oppar.
Well hypothetically, they want the market scope to increase, thus increasing the pool of money to be spent on their product.
Also, it’s hard to be an idol in Korea when you’re like 30-something. Shinhwa seems to be learning that now, unfortunately.
Domestic music sales in SK grew by more than 40% during 2010 and 2011. (source: Billboard Korea. But that site is impossible to search.) That’s not counting international editions: If you add those, it’s probably over 50%. The project growth number for this year is only 8.x%, still very nice number.
Then there’s all those “events” and music festivals. I don’t have numbers but Chocolat seems to be doing ok just on those.
Still 100+ group/year is still too many, and even slight contraction will pop the bubble. I just hope people with actual talent, such as SPICA, don’t get blown out in the process.
Right, but debuts have increased about 500% (probably more) in that same time period.
Where do they go?
It sucks that k-pop fans are so much like cult members that just worship everything their “idols” put out while dissing everything else, regardless of quality.
The best stuff so far this year has been from rookie performers (or newer groups that debuted in the last year).
While this market over-saturation hurts everybody (including the established groups), these newer, lesser-known ones will most likely be the victims of the coming “crash”.
This reminds me of the time where (in some asian country) they had to sew up women’s vaginas to stop the over population.
We need to sew up music companies vaginas. Or at least have a limit on how many group a company can debut over the years, and how many groups /can/ debut a year.
Like having a set time for everybody to debut, it’s perfect for building up hype and pre-growing fandoms.
62 groups have already debuted this year?!?!?!?!?! Holy shit, that’s way to much. They completely took advantage of the market, and the poor idols are paying the price.
MY GINA HURTS BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MENTION THAT- WAIIIIII!!?!?!????
http://blog.americanfeast.com/images/pain.gif
But yes, there should be some sort of a rule for groups allowed to debut in a year. It’s just unfortunate for the people trying to debut….
It’s okay, they ripped the stitches after a while because they had a major decline in population.
That is sick.
A limit is just not happening. :o
Hey it just shows you how much asia cares about it’s women
I like some of the new groups from 2011 and 2012, mainly Dal Shabet and Hello Venus. It looks like I’m only able to give a fuck about one new girl group per yer, so it looks like 30 too many have debuted this year.
Dal Shabet is on the edge of relevancy for me. Don’t care about Hello Penis.
I believe IATFB also mentioned in a previous article that with oversaturation, if your group isnt involved with the big money spending companies, you might as well give up.
But even with a group belonging in one of the big companies, that is not guaranteed success. Take Co-Ed for example.
I’d say the biggest problem is that most of the market growth goes to the most popular companies/groups.
So where does that leave the rookies?
If that problem continues, then rookies would only be able to successfully debut once the popular idols (say, Big Bang/SNSD/Super Junior/whatever whatever) retire or hit their 30s-40s. It’s kinda like how SM is probably gearing up EXO to replace SJ. So unfortunately for a lot of rookies, it would have to be all about timing. So if you’re aiming to debut before these huge groups patter out, you’re just looking for failure I guess.