Why has it become a trend for KPOP BG bsides to top or be equal to the title track in terms of popularity?

I agree with the title but then you listed rando B sides nobody knows .

Here are some actual SOTY contending B sides recently:

Pretty Boys by Yena

Same Same by Stayc

Young Luv by Stayc

And a special non promoted single by Eunbi called Mirror, which could be the greatest of them all.

I always prefer the softer sound in boy groups and wouldn't mind the switch.

Quote from itiswhatitisss

all of these were flops though tbh

and my title specifically states "kpop boy groups" and "popularity"

lol i totally missed the BG in the title, i was so psyched to have someone else point out what i was noticing.

Because sometimes they are better than the title track and should've been chosen as such imo.

Because people grew tired of machine noises and unimaginably hard choreography

Sometimes good melody and vocal is what it takes. Polaroid Love is one of the best 4th gen Kpop song tbh and they don't even need to try hard

I have said few times before that BGs have to be different. In an industry where 89% of the boy groups uses the same sounds,aesthatics and song progression: having a different sound really helps

I don't really understand when people say kpop boy groups should go for softer sound to gain bigger success. Astro is such kind of group with softer concept and no one is batting them an eye.

Enhypen's tamed-dashed wasn't dark, it had a bright concept and many people bashed it for being too "soft" for them. Meanwhile same people love Polaroid love which is the actual soft and sweet song. I guess it's not really about concept or something, it's about what people seek at the moment and what sound they find beautiful in that ocean of noise music

Since this is happening with bgs exclusively, I think it's a clear indication that people are tired of the dark edgy loud music 4th gen bgs are known for and want something much softer.

I've never liked those bg tts and they all started to blend in together at some point. I hope companies start taking this into account for their next releases.

It reminds me of people preferring side characters over the main ones in TV shows. While there is a pattern of softer sounding music for those songs, I wonder if pushing this type of song as a tt would grant them the success they had as b-sides? also not forgetting the tiktok factor, which can be super random at times

As it is in the post, I'll promote anti romantic AND as well Lovesong because yes you can have both tts and b-sides being amazing and memorable

everyone listen to this amazing bside

Well softer sound doesn't make any noise and in the end it doesn't help with the group's growth. My Treasure was an amazing song and Treasure's attempt on a softer comeback. Everyone said they loved it but it was probably their most underwhelming comeback as far as numbers go.

Groups need something on your face type of shit. Especially 4th gen bgs. Because which song they pick to promote, Korea refuses to check them out. It's not like the previous generations. In the past, groups like Bigbang, Winner, BTS, EXO etc could easily release a ballad and destroy Korean charts with it. They still can because they are popular enough to do. But when a 4th gen bg attempts to do the same, Korea ignores them hard.

And when it comes to international fanbase, they care about more upbead, edgy, noisy songs a lot more. It is better this way. They are picking this type of songs for their title tracks and more softer ones for their bsides. In the short run their title tracks help them gain more attention but in the long run their softer songs have more potential to become viral.

It's a win win situation for them.

Honestly I feel like title tracks are usually tailored for the GP, or at least a broader audience. They are usually poppy sounds, that are okay, but fans will usually prefer b sides, which are more personnal, more profound, and sometimes even more experimental in their sounds.

BG being currently completely ignored by the GP, and fans gravitating more toward bsides, since these are the songs that are more made 'for' the fanbase, this is the reason why ironically, these b-sides are going to get more traction. That's my opinion on it

I think 4th gen BG are being marketed differently . After the global success of 3rd gen, kpop market becomes bigger esp for BG. Their sound needs to be more globally appealing hence that edgy/darker concept or more western sound to some extent. It becomes their identity while B-sides are their comfort song. I personally think it’s a good strategy since both songs can potentially be bigger in terms of streams. TBH, i was never a fan of 3rd gen, I respect their success but i like the sound of 4th gen more. I am not really a fan of KR GP taste so for me their opinion doesnt matter. As a global fan, i think spotify streams & ML are the best way to check global success. It represents more people and variations of music taste.

I have to admit I prefer anti romantic and Polaroid way better than their respective tts (not even sure which ones are their tts). Some songs just have it. Not sure if it’s intentional

Just saying that Enhypen can hit big in Korea if their next title is a song like Polaroid Love.

Not every boygroup can release a soft song and do well considering 4th gen issues, but I can totally see Enhypen doing well if they try it. They have the perfect condition for doing so (international support, scary growth, 2 trending songs in the past year, people anticipating for their next song).

Belift just needs to be brave.

I don't think it's about the concept,but rather ''perspective'' if that makes sense

I bet your ass if Polaroid Love was Enhypen's title track for this era everyone would drag it for being boring and forgettable.

It's a cute song that's easy to vibe to,but would it result in Enhypen getting a stronger following in the long-run?I can hardly see that.

I think BG fans or stans still like the TT to be strong/edgy but want a softer b-side. It represents their dreamboy , u want them strong but u want to see their softer side too . 😂