How low is the "kpop standard" for success?

    Inspired by the comments in a recent thread by one of akp's more desperate trolls, I am genuinely curious to learn what stans consider the standard to be in order for a song/album to be considered successful in kpop. With BTS, kpop stans seem to have an astronomically higher threshold in mind for them with every subsequent release but do not seem to feel the same for their own faves strangely enough. Comparatively, what are the standards of success for other groups that aren't BTS? Are these standards determined in reference to who is #1 in kpop at present or is relative to the growth of kpop over time?


    Stan19 feel free to chime in ;-)

    Lmao u hit the nail with that one .

    other kpop acts songs are labeled good even when they are literal noise or with repetitive tired beats with incredibly cringy lyrics .

    If they do somewhat okay saleswise for a bg and manage to be in melon top 10 (no paks are necessary) for gg , or miraculously managed to chart in bubbling under, then they are an absolute success and are dethroning BTS.

    The standard for KPOP is mediocrity it's depressing.

    Quote from magicwand18

    Inspired by the comments in a recent thread by one of akp's more desperate trolls, I am genuinely curious to learn what stans consider the standard to be in order for a song/album to be considered successful in kpop. With BTS, kpop stans seem to have an astronomically higher threshold in mind for them with every subsequent release but do not seem to feel the same for their own faves strangely enough. Comparatively, what are the standards of success for other groups that aren't BTS? Are these standards determined in reference to who is #1 in kpop at present or is relative to the growth of kpop over time?


    Stan19 feel free to chime in ;-)

    Lol, the troll talked about how some Kang Daniel song didn't reach Dynamite Level. For me, a successful album is 100k-200k sold. A successful song is a song that manages to enter the korean charts/ very succesfull especially if it is a boy group). I feel like people set the standard for BTS way to high, and the troll said On was a flop lol. On promotion created a lot of fans and it peaked #4 on the Hot 100 (definitely a flop).

    Quote from a_song_calling_f

    Lmao u hit the nail with that one .

    other kpop acts songs are labeled good even when they are literal noise or with repetitive tired beats with incredibly cringy lyrics .

    If they do somewhat okay saleswise for a bg and manage to be in melon top 10 (no paks are necessary) for gg , or miraculously managed to chart in bubbling under, then they are an absolute success and are dethroning BTS.

    The standard for KPOP is mediocrity it's depressing.

    Wow, you are really right about charting the bubbling under and dethroning BTS one. I have seen people saying SuperM was going to talk over BTS after they got into charts.

    Well they hold BTS to different standards always, but then they also cry when some Armys say that BTS is much bigger than Kpop and far beyond it.

    The standard is definitely set higher for BTS.

    I mean people were saying Dynamite flopped just cause it didn't reach Number 1 on Melon on its first day (even though it was against SSAK3 & reached it like 2-3 days after release).


    Also for BTS.

    What is a national hit for them is set higher than for others.

    When other idol groups get songs on DNA/Fake Love/IDOL level it is called a national hit but as many notice, Those 3 songs of BTSs are never called national hits while only their songs like BWL/Dynamite/Spring Day are, even though for other groups, they get around DNA/FL/IDOL level or slightly lower and its suddenly a national hit.


    People will likely call Butter a flop if it doesn't outdo Dynamite (which is stupid because Dynamite is a whole ass global hit that made IFPI's Top 10 Singles chart with only 4 months of tracking, like of course that will be hard to beat).

  • AllKill VIP

    For me so long my faves are doing better than their previous comeback, it is success.


    I don't need them to be top tier or chart topping, success is when they are making songs that they love and are passionate about, and that there are loyal fans supporting them. Success is when you taste happiness from people appreciating your music because of the hard work you put into them.


    :pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1:

  • AllKill VIP
    Quote from worldlove27

    People will likely call Butter a flop if it doesn't outdo Dynamite (which is stupid because Dynamite is a whole ass global hit that made IFPI's Top 10 Singles chart with only 4 months of tracking, like of course that will be hard to beat).

    Prepare for the incoming meltdown of

    • Why is this song so generic are they losing their musical touch?
    • Why so much autotune BTS members can't sing?
    • I thought BTS said they don't want to make English songs are they losing their Korean roots
    • Their MV had like 10k less than Dynamite in the first 24h BTS is declining for sure
    • The lyrics are so cringey did they even write their own song?
    • The song only got semi popular because of Scooter

    :teeheek::teeheek::teeheek::teeheek:

    Another interesting narrative that is now being spun is refusing to call Dynamite a national hit cause it is in English and erasing all of its association with Korea saying it is an American song as if no other Kpop groups ever sang songs in English in which they had no songwriting or composing involvement.

    Quote from worldlove27

    What is a national hit for them is set higher than for others.

    When other idol groups get songs on DNA/Fake Love/IDOL level it is called a national hit but as many notice, Those 3 songs of BTSs are never called national hits while only their songs like BWL/Dynamite/Spring Day are, even though for other groups, they get around DNA/FL/IDOL level or slightly lower and its suddenly a national hit.


    People will likely call Butter a flop if it doesn't outdo Dynamite (which is stupid because Dynamite is a whole ass global hit that made IFPI's Top 10 Singles chart with only 4 months of tracking, like of course that will be hard to beat).

    This. Why is the criteria for such things suddenly changed when it comes to BTS? Why are metrics and parameters suddenly different when BTS is involved? Has this happened with other top groups over the years? This is what i would like to know.

    Success in charts & awards has and will most likely be the only thing that many k-pop fans will use to label a song 'successful or the opposite 'a flop'. I mean I can't really blame them, as that is what shows how much hype & recognition that song is getting.

    I also agree that k-pop fans will obviously set some type of higher expectation on bigger/well-known groups, and that needs to stop. But honestly, those are not even "expectations" most of the time, instead they are standards that fans will use, and if the artist does not follow through with those standards, it is used against them.


    Many k-pop stans also need to understand that success comes from something bigger than just numbers

    and fellow user icyruios perfectly stated this

    Quote from icyruios

    For me so long my faves are doing better than their previous comeback, it is success.


    I don't need them to be top tier or chart topping, success is when they are making songs that they love and are passionate about, and that there are loyal fans supporting them. Success is when you taste happiness from people appreciating your music because of the hard work you put into them.


    :pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1:

    Standard is different for every group. It is something you compare, what have you previously done. If you are Jobless, getting a job is success, but if you already have the job, you aim for better salary for success. If you have to halve your salary, even if that salary would be good for normal person, it is considered as flopping, because you are used to living on a higher standard.

  • AllKill VIP
    Quote from kirishiki

    Standard is different for every group. It is something you compare, what have you previously done. If you are Jobless, getting a job is success, but if you already have the job, you aim for better salary for success. If you have to halve your salary, even if that salary would be good of normal person, it is considered as flopping, because you are used to living on a higher standard.

    Right? Like there isn't a "standard" for success in general.


    If I'm just a normal person working an office job, my standard for success would be to promote and rise up in the ranks.


    But if I'm a self-employed for example maybe setting up my own business, my standard would be to do better for my business and expand my business to make more profit.


    Or if I'm a musician my standard for success would be to be better at my craft.


    Different people, different artists, different jobs have different standards, and there isn't a certain "fixed standard" that we can hold every single person to. If people think that my "standard for success" is higher than others, or different than others, it isn't even necessarily be a bad thing because people expect more out from me. In fact I should be glad that people hold me to a higher standard because of what people think I can potentially achieve


    :pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1::pepelove1:

    Quote from kirishiki

    Standard is different for every group. It is something you compare, what have you previously done. If you are Jobless, getting a job is success, but if you already have the job, you aim for better salary for success. If you have to halve your salary, even if that salary would be good for normal person, it is considered as flopping, because you are used to living on a higher standard.

    your speaking on individual markers on success, im talking more on the comparative markers ie. groups compared to each other or criteria for certain things like national hits

    Quote from magicwand18

    your speaking on individual markers on success, im talking more on the comparative markers ie. groups compared to each other or criteria for certain things like national hits

    Well national hits are extremely rare since only few mainstream groups can reach top 10 melon. kpop is extremely saturated these days and imo group is already successful, if they can earn enough money and sustain consistently their comebacks.

  • AllKill VIP
    Quote from kirishiki

    Well national hits are extremely rare since only few mainstream groups can reach top 10 melon. kpop is extremely saturated these days and imo group is already successful, if they can earn enough money and sustain consistently their comebacks.

    It's like let's look at the western world. If there is a 'criteria for success' then even the likes of Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are flops.


    That is if my criteria is to have 19 No.1 Billboard Hot 100 hits which only The Beatles and Mariah Carey have. But we wouldn't call artists who didn't reach that benchmark to be flops right?


    Same like how if the average kpop group does not get like No. 1 on Melon or Gaon you wouldn't call them a total flop just because they never meet the criteria.


    Basically there is no definite criteria or standard to measure success, and everyone success is different


    :danceb::danceb::danceb:

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