Idols that Bounced Back from “Disappointing Debuts”

STAYC

twice? Technically Like Ooh Ah was hit but they reached a next level with Cheer up

IU flopped for her first 2 years

U-KISS. Not Young was a disastrous debut song in basically every way, but they still managed to have a decade-long career with a string of modest successes in songs like Neverland, Man Man Ha Ni, 0330, etc., and even more so in Japan.

MAMAMOO only hit big after 1 year

bts

Girl's Day

Quote from omnimorphism

MAMAMOO only hit big after 2 years

There's a difference between a disappointing debut and a group that steadily climbed after debut. In my U-KISS example, that's a group that if I'd told you they had a bad debut and disbanded, that'd be in line with tons of other nugu groups.

Mamamoo's debut song had nearly 500K downloads, broke the top 20, and the album it's from broke the top ten. They were nominated in SMA's for Bonsang for Mr. Ambiguous. That's hardly a bad debut from a then-unknown company's first girl group (and second group ever).

Quote from icyruios

blingyblinger bish our brains

snip

Great minds think alike

But man them going from Tilt My Head to songs like the iconic

One of the most impressive glow ups

Stellar

Quote from omnimorphism

IU flopped for her first 2 years

And then she destroy the entire Korean Music industry

Quote from omnimorphism

IU flopped for her first 2 years

I used to think that. But only her debut can be considered a flop.

Boo and Marshmallow did well, Nagging was a hit. And feature with Na Yoon Kwon also was a hit.

She charted in the top 100 of Gaon digital right from Jan 2010.

Just that Good day was so viral and massive, her success since so stellar, that her career before it becomes insignificant.

But comparing against songs released at the same time, it can't be called flopped.

What’s a disappointing debut?

And what made the groups mention turn things around?

New concept, different songs, different aestetics?

Quote from tetetete

most non big 3 groups take time to rise

The fact that I just came to mention how much EXO was considered a "flop group" (by Big3 groups standards) here on AKP back in their debut days.

Before Growl was released, they were considered a failure and received tons of hate.

T-ara and Girl's Day

Kara. They had to change their R'n'B style for a dance pop sound to make it. I love their two styles though.

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