Kpop Nowadays Less Room for Versatility

  • Dont get me wrong. It doesnt mean the kpop groups are not versatile, but they have limited room to be versatile while maintaining success (at least in Korea). This is also not a bashing post, as I am casual listener of the following groups, else i wont know their progress.


    Some of the examples:

    1) Twice - all cute and bubbly songs did well, and their darker songs aren't being received as good in korea (saving grace is they get more success internationally)

    2) BTS - their upbeat songs are received better than mellow/slower songs

    3) Blackpink - their hardcore dance tracks are more popular while other types (Ice cream, LSG) are less well received (but still chart decently)

    4) gfriend - charted so good until change concept with Fingertip, after that managed to regain some fame with old concept but continue to fade after that

    5) red velvet - this is a bit tricky cause over time thr GP preference shifted from their red concepts to velvet concepts.


    Compared to the past

    1) SNSD - bubbly songs did well, changed to mature concept - the boys, i got a boy, lion heart all did well

    2) big bang - needless to say. Their mellow and dance tracks have equal success (eg. Bangx3, fantastic baby vs blue, loser etc)

    3) 2ne1 - same, their ballads and dance tracks are well received

    4) sistar - summer songs and darker concepts are performed equally good (but more inclined towards summer)


    These are just some popular examples.

    What has happened to the korean music industry.

    The only one who is able to be versatile is (G)I-dle thus far. Even newer groups like ITZY is sticking to one consistent sound. Why is it like this? Is the industry being oversaturated that people are only looking for certain groups for certain sounds and once they deviate, they lose popularity?

  • you have to start early thats why, if you get ppl too used to one concept they wont even consider listening once u experiment

    "

    " svt + blackpink supremacy

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  • bts's depper songs and bright ones both do well internationally and in korea wtf

    same with bp

    their black tracks and pink tracks both do amazing

    lsg is about to break the record for most days on top 10 lmao

  • It's really a shame but i think it happened in the past. SNSD took some time to get their darker concept to work, 2NE1 worked from the beginning but other groups like SUJU couldn't change concept, and others like 2PM, Beast etc also had struggle switching concept. Right now there is more groups so it is even more obvious. BTS is a bad example though, dynamite is most likely an anomaly and the rest of the songs approx work equally. Twice is taking their time and yes its very hard, they didn't change concept for a very very long time. Blackpink is also an anomaly cz they have so less songs, its hard to give any conclusion. Their darker concepts generally worked better, but other non dark/girlcrush concepts like LSG worked well.

  • It could be part of the strategy of playing to their strengths and what works. That is what popular music is usually about. What works for one group doesn't always work for another. Any groups who are versatile and still distinct would be awesome. Lots of generic songs floating around for guy groups right now that sound like filler for a single group.

  • Well, if you build up your image and fan base with one kind of concept it's not strange if you loose some of the fans if you change concept. I often prefer if me favorite groups sticks to their core concepts with some variations of cource.

  • I'd like to correct you with LSG and Ice Cream.

    LSG is not just charting "decently". It is charting greatly. A #5 Melon charting for a 4 month old song is not charting decently. Its a huge song. It might even break Cheer Up's record as the longest hours in Top 10 Melon.


    Ice Cream might charted lower in Melon but it was expected because it was in English. But it still peaked at #6 in Melon which other girl group songs never reached in 2020. And it is the highest charting BP song in BBH100. It made a history.


    But yeah I agree with BP hardcore dance tracks being more popular compared to their less hardcore ones.

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