Mass appeal is not necessary

    Frankly speaking, most companies and groups most probably aim for mass appeal but I don't think it's essential for a group's success. It's especially not essential for fans unless they need validation for their music taste.


    If a group has a certain music sound but fail to get mass appeal, I find it more respectable if they stick to that sound and harvest a niche for themselves that likes their unconventional sound than if they ditch their original sound and chase behind mass appeal and appeasing the public, even if they actually achieve it.


    But I guess not all companies can afford being consistent and stubborn.


    I just wish kpop fans would stop acting like mass appeal necessarily means better. There's no better or worse in this, a certain music style is not bad just because it's an acquired taste and has a niche following (sales) instead of mass appeal (streams)

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    songs that lack mass appeal does not equal good and quality either. :eyes:


    there is just more indication that a song is good because it is largely consumed by masses.

    Generally speaking and not just in music, I don't think something is necessarily better just because more people like it.

    Quote from Dried Orange & Olive Lamb (242)

    songs that lack mass appeal does not equal good and quality either. :eyes:


    there is just more indication that a song is good because it is largely consumed by masses.

    One, I didn't say having a niche following equals to quality. And second, no, being liked by more people doesn't necessarily mean better. It just means it confirms to the shared subjective tastes of more people that's all.

    Quote from Dried Orange & Olive Lamb (242)

    songs that lack mass appeal does not equal good and quality either. :eyes:


    there is just more indication that a song is good because it is largely consumed by masses.

    No, mass appeal usually means appealing to the lowest common denominator and thus lacking strong characteristics.

    Quote from Basted Rice & Mammoth (571)

    Yup! Aespa and NCT can stay in the niche market

    I don't know if this is supposed to be shade or a covert drag but it's precisely that. Particularly NCT, their music is an acquired taste and they obviously don't have mass appeal but they have a strong enough fandom to buy millions of albums and propels them into top tier level. And I have no doubt that once off line touring starts again, they'll do very well there too. Their rise happened in the middle of the pandemic so it will be interesting to see their touring power in regular conditions.


    If anything NCT is a living proof that mass appeal isn't essential for an artist's success and the continuity of their career.

    i don't think that's true.

    What's a lowest denominator?

    Mass appeal songs are either catchy or bright and poppy or a combination of both.

    These songs seem to appeal to all generations

    young children, adults and very old people.


    So are you saying that the taste of a few people mostly belonging to age ranges of 15-25 listening to a very niche sound reins supreme over a greater audience?

    Does not make sense to me.

    Quote from Creamy Corn Covered DooDoo (727)

    No, mass appeal usually means appealing to the lowest common denominator and thus lacking strong characteristics.

    I think what they meant is those songs are often easy to digest and undemanding. Which is of course not a bad thing at all.

    Music with an acquired taste is usually more unique and unconventional, which is precisely why not many people warm up to it.


    Neither of the two is bad as long as it satisfies the tastes of an audience, no matter how small that audience is.


    My point is people should stop using mass appeal as a sign of quality. Quality in music is such a vague flimsy concept, it's like telling someone that their favorite cuisine is bad because it is not popular enough. Who cares about how popular something is as long as you personally enjoy it?

    I respectfully but strongly disagree.

    Not changing the sound of a group is actually the safest way to not flop, as the fans become loyal for the sound of the group they like (NCT, dreamcatcher).

    These groups title tracks are the only track not being gp friendly, their besides are just like any other group (not saying that it's bad).

    They doesn't deserve more respect than other groups as their concepts are really similar one to another, so easy for them to pull off.

    Success or failure of a song has nothing to do with music quality.

    Appealing to multiple types of public is the most risky and challenging thing to do.

    Quote from Pressure-Cooked Salted Pigeon (139)

    i don't think that's true.

    What's a lowest denominator?

    Mass appeal songs are either catchy or bright and poppy or a combination of both.

    These songs seem to appeal to all generations

    young children, adults and very old people.

    You just answered your own question. Simple, easily digestible songs that don't require too much attention from the listener, nor emotional investment.


    Also, to be fair, "mass appeal" doesn't apply to the entire population of Earth but the audience a certain medium can reach. Picture a radio channel listened to by people in their thirties, then a song that has "mass appeal" would be easily digestible by people in their thirties, but wouldn't necessarily appeal to children and old people.

    No. NCT didn't become this big upon debut, it took them years. They had several underwhelming years where they neither had the public or a big enough fandom. Did they change their sound to appeal more to people? No they persisted until more and more people noticed them and liked their original sound.


    You're talking as if they have been selling millions since debut and all they have to do now is keep their old fans happy. Well, 127 sold 70k in their debut year. Even their first full album sold less than 300k in its year of release, 2018 aka after 2 years of existence. and they sold 3.8M in 2021 alone without having to change their sound to a more public friendly or conventional one, in the contrary, Sticker was their riskiest and most polarising song yet.


    Many groups and companies can't afford or don't want to persist for that long and they'd gladly change their sound entirely if it means a better chance at landing a hit and pleasing the masses. I don't care if anyone does that, what I'm trying to say is not everyone has to. There's nothing wrong with not being a public friendly act.

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