Does longevity in KPop matter? No

    Longevity sometimes matters in some places, but not in KPop.


    I have argued a few times that it would have been much, much more beneficial for BTS to abandon K-O-R-E-A, set up a new base in another country, give a big middle finger to K-O-R-E-A-N incels who will whine until eternity and rake at least $5 billion or more. I have demonstrated that even if they operated for 20 more years since 2025 they will probably not see even half of that.


    Not only BTS, but most idol groups have a 'shelf life'.


    Fans of veteran groups may not like this idea but , I have to say, idol groups do get older. And, unlike Hong Kong where the Four Heavenly Kings still dominate when they are in their 60s, in Korea companies do debut newer acts, from which they can get more money since newer acts have to give more to the companies than older acts whose members to get to keep a lot of the earnings for themselves, and older acts are shelved and are asked to pend for itself like Super Junior, which is now run by Shindong with very little interference from SM itself.


    Unlike Japan, where older acts do have followings which last for life, Korea doesn't have that kind of culture. There are revivals time to time but they are short lived. Already some members from less successful groups have turned into trot for their next stage of career.


    The better known act will still retain some following. How much, who knows. But the fact that veteran groups will continue to retain a sizable following to sustain their post-peak careers does not fit KPop. There will be 'some' fans, but eventually the venues become smaller and smaller until it is not worth having events and that's when such acts finally breathe the last.


    The practice of companies who begin to 'retire' acts in their 5th and 6th air to promote their newer acts is mistaken; that is when such acts do peak and can make the most amount. However, after that, newer fans stop coming in and maintaining established fans becomes superfluous.


    (The singer who traveled to Japan with Lee Jongsuk is an exception, although her recent scandal might stop new fans from coming in. She is the one singer in the entire history of Korean Pop who managed that. Her example cannot be used for other acts who have multiple members and multiple interests.)

    Quote from redcurtain

    totally agree about stopping artists in their 5th/6th year being stupid, SM messed up so hard with both SNSD and EXO when they did that; at least in terms of earning potential.

    It is almost like the companies have an ulterior motive to let down its more successful acts, to bully them into contracts which are unfavorable for their acts

    Quote from nana18

    I agree with you i hate how kpop group life expectancy is only of 4 to 6 years and then you're forced to move to something else by the company

    Yes. After all these time spent to build a solid fanbase and a worldwide following, they are shelved just because they don't fit the company's plan and are bullied.

    I agree that longevity is sometimes unnaturally cut short by companies, but when I see the hype young groups get just from first teasers compared to senior groups, I totally understand why companies do that.


    But ideally, it would be nice if all groups under a company had the top notch treatment to fulfill their potential, old or new without a difference.

    A masterpiece.

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    It should. Especially when, based on other places in the world, longevity usually is an indicator of having that special "something". I don't think the "7-year cycle" is doing the music culture any favors. Too short sighted.

    Quote from DMV2DMZ

    It should. Especially when, based on other places in the world, longevity usually is an indicator of having that special "something". I don't think the "7-year cycle" is doing the music culture any favors. Too short sighted.

    The cold truth is the companies would rather pay the artist nothing.


    A new contract will probably put the artists in the driver's seat. In some way, the artists have become partners with the owner, which hurts the owner's feelings.


    But that leads to the companies not being able to exploit the 5th and 6th year fully because they hate the artists asking for more given their successes in such years.


    In general, the whole Korean industry does need a big overhaul, especially when there are fewer younger people and the proliferation of trot leads some talents to there , and weakens the basis for newer acts.

    Oh, I know!

    Quote from redcurtain

    totally agree about stopping artists in their 5th/6th year being stupid, SM messed up so hard with both SNSD and EXO when they did that; at least in terms of earning potential.

    Personally, I think it was more due to SNSD themselves wishing to be less busy and dive into other projects and their own activities (like Jessica, but also the others) than that this was SM's own choice.


    And in the case of EXO, I'm guessing that if the Chinese members hadn't left leading to all the drama around it, that things might've been different too for EXO.

    Quote from redcurtain

    totally agree about stopping artists in their 5th/6th year being stupid, SM messed up so hard with both SNSD and EXO when they did that; at least in terms of earning potential.

    I still don't understand why SM had to mess up Snsd and Exo. Whoever made the final decision about their careers is definitely crazy.

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    Quote from FoReveries

    Personally, I think it was more due to SNSD themselves wishing to be less busy and dive into other projects and their own activities (like Jessica, but also the others) than that this was SM's own choice.


    And in the case of EXO, I'm guessing that if the Chinese members hadn't left leading to all the drama around it, that things might've been different too for EXO.

    Mismanaging Snsd started with kicking out Jessica. That divided the fandom into 3 or 4 groups of fans and ex-fans, then Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun left. SM just had to give them better contract offers by agreeing to support Sooyoung and Seohyun acting careers like they do Yoona and helping Tiffany promote in the US and get into acting.


    They totally failed to do that yet they are capable of doing it all.


    For Exo, the Chinese members leaving hurt the group but it still grew a bit until SM stopped promoting them, they only got an album and a winter album and no other promotions except member Cfs.


    SM just didn't do enough.

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    I think it's hard to keep a group going when members keep leaving or focusing on other things. Fans get tired and move on.


    I don't know how Suju does it. They are exceptional.


    I think SM is trying to increase the lifespan of idol careers with NCT. Maybe that's what it requires to do it.

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    Why did BigBang stop so early? They are men ffs with lots of fans.

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    Yeah, SM's management is flaky and erratic at best.

    But I think SM's mismanagement started before Jessica left, and that it's not just the sole reason for SNSD's decrease in activities: even after 2011, when they were at their top, you could notice a gradual decrease in activities and perhaps individual motivation among the members, and not just in Jessica's stance.

    The time between Korean comebacks grew longer and longer, the focus on activities outside of Korea and watching their variety appearances, it felt like the energy and maybe eagerness and group cohesion became less strong compared with their early years. I think that members moving outside of the dorm accelerated this process, but even this was a sign, of members starting to look beyond the group and wanting to develop their own individual careers and (personal) interests.


    SM could have managed that transitional process and period better, even before Jessica's departure. Aside from that, the fact that Seohyun lost 2 career defining roles, for the movies Architecture 101 and Train to Busan where she had been first choice, and SM didn't even notify her or give her the choice because they didn't want to interfere with the group's activities, is very likely 1 of the main reasons Seohyun left, and with reason. SM messed that one up big time.

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