Brand deals ruins Kpop? Let's vote!

There, I said it! I feel this way for many years.

So, my problem isn't really that agencies making deals with fashion and other brands. The real problem is that in the past couple of years, it's more important (at least in the mainstream part of Kpop) than the music itself. Groups right after or even before their debut making deals with big brands, and most importantly, fans arguing about which group is the best, because of that. They're literally saying, if a group don't have many (or any) deals, they're flops, and the biggest ones are obviously the ones with the most deals, so they're the best group and the most influential as well.

Like I said, I don't care about brands, companies have to make money, and let's be real, Tiktok songs won't generate them enough cash, but what's happening in Kpop fandom field is MADNESS! For many fans, brand deals are more important than the quality of the songs. I honestly think, SOME "FANS" pick groups based on how many brand deals they have.

My honest opinion, or more like a wish, is that I hope these brand deals will evaporate one day, because mainstream Kpop looks more like "Korea's Next Top Model" rather than a Music Industry, and it's affecting the whole industry.

What do you think?

Quote from someone00

Disagree about it being more important than music in fans's perspective, agree with the useless fanwars.

I'll never consider sns kpop fans as something real in the real world, they fight for anything and everything including fashion deals.

Btw fanwars about whose music is better, who will chart higher, who sings better, who dances better, who invented what, who started whatever trend, etc etc etc are on the same level of brand deals fanwars. I don't think brand deals is something super bad for kpop. Kpop fans terrible behavior in sns didn't start with brand deals and won't stop if the brand deals stop.

It's actually funny thinking kpop fans care more about brand deals when we have so many kpop songs becoming kinda viral on TikTok, insta, etc. In the end music matters the most for 90% of kpop fans imo. The touring power got way bigger and with way more groups than in previous gens, yes, obviously with kpop getting bigger ww, but fans are going to concerts bc they love their faves music.

So my point is: brand deal is just another fanwar topic. And about your "if they have brand deals it means they are more successful".. this is also kinda true, brands reach who will help them sell more so if your idol is chosen it means they do bring some value to the brand and have a fan base big enough to help in the viral aspect of some products.

If it's done right, I don't have a problem with it, but I think it's time to say they crossed the line years ago. I see BIG4 Idols more at fashions shows than at their concerts, basically.

The "FANS" never gonna change, they can argue about anything, even hair colors.

Many fans care more about what their faves wearing than what music they put out. I mean, just look at what they do when they see them at the airport, for example. If they're wearing something people don't like, they will attack them like vultures. These things happen mostly because of these fashion brand deals. People expect Idols to look fabulous all day.

What you said about brands hiring the most successful groups/artists, because they sell more, is true, but it's also the problem. Idols promoting their brand deals more than their comebacks. BIG4 companies making Tiktok/Insta music so they can be more mainstream and get more deals. That's why I said these brand deals ruins the music industry.

Also, I don't think it's good to give massive deals for rookie Idols, not to mention if they're minors.

To be fair, this isn't just Kpop, it's the whole entertainment industry all around the world.

Quote from thelightoftruth

No, stop crying.

The behaviour of fandoms and individuals is the problem, not the fact that idols get the same opportunities as other celebs and entertainers. Good on them.

The quality of music and talent, vocals, whatever you're upset about is mutually exclusive to having brand deals. Don't get it twisted.

I'm not crying, but show me at least a couple of BIG4 groups with above-average albums in the last 5-6 years. I'm not talking about vocals, talent, I'm talking about the quality of their music.

In the MAINSTREAM media, finding quality songs is hard nowadays, because they focus more on the visuals and brand deals. Just look at their MV's, promotions. Most of them look like models every time, promoting brands, even in their MV's or in the lyrics.

This is why I think it's too much now.

Quote from Varenka

I don't feel that they ruin K-pop itself, but I did vote that they do because of possible negative effects on the consumers.

Brand deals are pretty irrelevant. No one really should care about who is the newest global ambassador for the newest sweatshop handbag. However, it can have a negative effect on Korean youth (and possibly global youth among K-pop fans). I watched this aini video, and it gave me a new perspective on the issue:

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And it reminded me of when I was younger and couldn't afford the name brand items because I grew up in poverty. While it wasn't so bad because it was in America, it still felt very bad when I was mocked for it. I couldn't imagine doing that in an environment like east Asia where they seem to be much more open to mocking you for the brands that you wear.

I don't feel like it'll ever go away since celebrities will always be in demand to advertise something, but I feel like brand deals and ambassadorships shouldn't be celebrated so much among fans, especially among younger fans. I'm not trying to watch the pocket of idols since they need to earn income, and this is one of the best ways to do it since it can continue on after their initial contract. But if some K-pop idol gets some huge brand deal, we shouldn't celebrate it as if they released the greatest song in history or something.

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Now, THIS is what I'm talking about, this is why I don't like what agencies are doing. I wanted to show some video evidence, but I don't watch videos like these, but I know that Koreans love to buy expensive things, even if they're not rich.

This isn't gonna go away, for sure. I mean, it's already bad enough when Idols starting their own brands. Sure, nobody forcing anyone to buy these brands, but technically they do. For the same reason you just said. The sheep mentality is stronger than ever. If a young kid doesn't buy something, other kids will mock them, and in a country like Korea, it can go wrong pretty fast.

Quote from Aeicy

i have never bought anything cause an idols sponsored it.

so i don't feel like i contribute to these brand deals they get.

maybe if it allowed artists to release the music they liked it could be a good thing.

Sadly that's not the case, because I'm pretty sure, the agencies getting more money out of these deals than the Idols themselves. Especially if they have an active contracts.

Exceptions can be like BP members, IU or G-Dragon and some others maybe.

Quote from someone00

Who is doing it more than promoting their song? I think all kpop idols with the exception of BP and GD for obvious reasons are the ones that are way more active fashion wise than music wise, but the others are all busy promoting their albums and brand deals.

About TikTok music, this has nothing to do with brand deals, this is just catchy songs being used to the maximum in a platform that is even changing so many singers lives from all around the world. Are they all bad and no quality? I don't think so. I see it as a good thing for whatever blow up there and can get some money with the opportunities open from it and I can also see some being lazy and dropping whatever to try their momentum, BUT brand deals and TikTok music aren't related imo.

And I agree with not giving brand deals to rookies unless they prove their influence and success, but this won't happen, bc this is already an ego fight between the companies from what I'm seeing..

Usually, Idols promoting their comebacks for 1 month, but the brand promotions are "non-stop"! I'm pretty sure there are more Idols or groups, not just GD or BP. I don't follow every group, obviously, but I could name a few, like: Stray Kids, BTS, NJ and some others. Maybe I'm biased because I work on social media platforms, so I see a LOT, and I mean, a LOT of videos and articles about this.

I wouldn't say Tiktok/Insta Music has nothing to do with brand deals, because I'm sure you know that the more followers you have the more brands gonna be interested in you, so technically it matters. I'm not saying, all catchy short songs are bad, I always said that quality has nothing to do with the length of a song or even a movie/show, it's all about how they make it, but most of these trendy songs are forgettable. Maybe not for the younger generation, but for me, it is.

It's not really a guess, more like I'm sure these things are gonna be even worse in the next couple of years. Companies fighting for better brand deals more than they're fighting for charts, awards or streaming numbers. I think brand deals gonna be the next big thing and not streaming.

But maybe I'm just too pessimistic and dark.