At what point should a company pull the plug and disband a mediocre, underperforming idol group?

    Inspired by a reddit post, when should a company just announce the disbandment of a failing group?


    When you look at Weki Meki, Kim Doyeon clearly has always been an it girl held back by members who are not upto her levels, visually and popularity-wise. The only other popular member is Yoojung who's also an IOI member and a variety favourite.


    When Gugudan stopped activity, a lot of people and also non-fans were throwing a pity party and saying stuff like "oh they were so talented, when are they coming back, the company failed them". But nowaways, it's clear that they made the correct move in letting the group go, and seeing how Mina and Sejeong are always busy and shining in their respective path really makes my heart warm.


    So when should the company just decide, it's time and call it a day? When Weki Meki has been a middling group for a while now, they weren't even able to secure a spot in Queendom 2. If they pull the plug, Doyeon can slowly secure big supporting roles in dramas, and maybe eventually to a leading role. She already got a number of drama supporting roles last year in Honey Lee's and Jun Ji-hyun's dramas. Yoojung has always been active in the variety scene.


    Is it better for groups to disband if they're not working out, and allow their members to explore their solo careers?

  • Moderator

    Approved the thread.

    yes they did

    on a group called got7


    it didnt yield much

    but yeah pristin was flopping and was only going downwards which is not normal for a rookie group and still there's people claiming they flopped because pledis failed them when it was obviously never going to work out anyway. All talk but no bite. those who were complaining still let them flop. they probably didn't even make money. It was honestly for the best they disbanded.

    Since nobody knows at which point a group will take off, there is no fixed point a company can be advised to disband a group.

    It is simply a matter of how deep the company's pockets are, and how badly the group is performing.

    Like any other commercial product.


    Individual members doing well in other channels is just one of the factors.


    BGs get a longer rope because they build solid fandoms, even if the sales is small, it is steady.

    GGs have to get the GP interested, else they are in trouble, so are sunk sooner.


    Maybe WekiMeki even if not a major success, are still getting enough revenue to keep going.

    Or don't cost the company much in terms of expenses.


    Yes from an individual members perspective, if they are otherwise popular, then doing both individual promotions as well as group promotions would be immensely stressful.


    Sejeong in 2016 was in IOI, gugudan, bunch of variety, solo songs, advertisements, - no wonder she looked dazed and forgot dance moves etc. And said the thing she wants to do if she gets a vacation is "sleep".

    Otherwise whether the group hampers the individual depends on the management.


    Afterall IU as a soloist was no less squeezed in 2010-11, still in school, solo promotions, drama, variety, advertisements .. She wasn't in any group.


    Have to give to the idols, the time of their breakout, is workwise probably the most stressed out period of their careers, and they do such things while so young, no wonder many don't last or want to quit, downshift after done with their contracts.

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