Izone: what went right post-disbandment compared to IOI(and Wanna One, X1)?

if my time on here has taught me something it's that fandom buy albums and GP creates hits (I'm assuming by hits you mean Koren charting) and thus izone has always had high numbers for a GG because of their impressive fandoms and they have decent charting from i rememebr

Izone was the longest active Produce group. People were able to get know and love the girls more than they were able to in the other groups. This got people more interested with what the members so post disbandment. Fans have a better relationship or connection with the Izone members and will want to keep up to date with the members to continue this close relationship or connection that they have developed over the 2 and a half years Izone was active for. That's why the Izone members do so well in comparison to the other Produce groups.

they debuted when kpop thriving, also they are girls, girlgroups and female soloists have more interest among kpop fans and sk gp. Also more charismatic and visual members, also personally i think their izone music vibe/concept contributed to make them stand out a lot

The most easily observed difference between the ggs:

Post ioi groups:

Pristin: 10 members

Gugudan: 9 members

Dia: 9 members

Weki meki: 8 members

Wjsn: 13 members!!

Post izone groups:

Ive: 6 members

Hybe group: most likely 6 members too

See how many more idols with whom people had to acquaint themselves just to remember all the post-ioi ggs? Since twice was just hitting it big in 2016, companies started to copy their trend to debut all these huge groups, in the process drowning the popular ioi members in the sea of so many more members and diminishing the hype they got from ioi, killing these groups slowly. Now that the trend is swinging back to small groups and companies have learnt from their mistake, we’ll most likely only get 2 new ggs post-izone and 8 new idols to learn at most, which will allow enough spotlight to shine on the izone members while introducing the new members at a digestible pace, ensuring the entire groups will win people over and capitalising on the izone hype. The members that went solo from both ioi and izone have done well so this further supports that keeping it small after produce is the way to go

Then you have to take in the fact that ioi was a group for only 7 months, while izone had 29 months in comparison to build a fandom. Of course the izone members will sell more once they start to go solo or in a group. About why somi only got a hit recently, well one could argue that she waited too long after ioi (3 years) so obviously the hype would’ve diminished by the time she debuted. Yena debuted only a year after izone’s disbandment, and with the right song she understandably bagged herself a hit. Chungha also got her first hit right with her 2nd release while sejeong got a semi hit with her first solo song, so the right song to resonate with the public was the key for the female soloists’ success.

Then there’s the more subjective factor: pristin’s songs were quite a mess and weki meki’s and gugudan’s debut songs also weren’t well received, so obviously that didn’t help them in taking off. Their concepts also weren’t able to attract people, while ive hit just the right spot with their concept to appeal themselves to both fans and the public alike, and so their song blew up. I imagine hybe’s gg will also be meticulously polished, and with sakura and chaewon, who were both popular izone members, in it, it’s not hard to see why they get a lot of hype now.

I don’t follow the bgs closely so I can’t go in depth for them, but x1 got literally 1 song then disbanded so it’s understandable they couldn’t capitalise on produce much. Also popular bgs with the public are a dying breed in korea now and bg hit songs happen once every blue moon, so it’s hard for even post-wanna one groups to bag themselves hits i’d reckon. Idk what’s the situation for their fandoms tho, so someone else can fill you up on that

1. kpop is more popular now

2. izone lasted longer so bigger/more loyal fandom

3. to early most post ioi groups started off well early than fizzled out might happen with izone as well

Izone had the time to build a decent fandom, others did not, either by short contract (IOI) or by voting allegations affecting them immediately (X1),

Nevertheless it is too premature to claim ex-Izone is doing well, the wizone is still coherent fandom and will push the members for sometime, but that won't last long and the members have to rebuild their new brands.

So far only Ive seems to show that promise, proved by the digital success.

Yuri and Eunbi, have done well in physicals, but that is the Wizone base.

That is comparable to Wanna One, Nuest benefitted most as the group (though unlike Ive, they were pre-existing) and Kang Daniel is very successful as a soloist, rest aren't so much, AB6IX/CIX neither.

So it premature to call ex-Izones as doing better.

Individually IOI still might be the most successful. Somi, Chungha, Sejeong constantly have kept their popularity one way or the other.

WJSN is actually profitable and stable, even if they don't make ways, DIA/WekiMeki less so.

Others have gone into acting mostly.

All that is yet to be seen of the Izone girls, only Ive 2, Soloist 2 have established a good presence.

We'll see where they are 5 years after disbandment. Staying relevant for 5 years after your survival group disbanded is impressive. That's almost 7 times longer than IOI was active.