I think Hits is subjective. Idle have been very successful for a non big-3/4 company, with no produce hype or previous produce group members.
The only other group I think that's analogous in the current landscape is StayC.
Your big 3 group expecting hundreds of thousands of sales may think Top 20 isn't that great, but for a group from Cube (who's previous female group was CLC) and write all their own music? Yeah those are Hits.
I very highly doubt Idle will go as good as Tomboy next comeback.
It's just not their jam to be hyper-focused on solely GP "bangers". There was a period where Soyeon said they wanted to switch between Artistic Winter and "Poppier" summer CBs, and we saw that pattern emerge with Oh My God, Dumdi (which was until Tomboy their best song in Korea, UL Wise), then Hwaa. Obviously that pattern was disrupted a bit, but I fully expect an "I Burn" like mini album next time, or at the minimum at least something very different from Tomboy, and it won't be clear how Idle go digital wise.
What is less likely is another "Oh My God" - Idle had prepped that before their first cancelled World Tour, and it's one of their most popular international songs, but digitally in Korea, it tanked, and it's very unlikely they'll drink from that well again.
I would say Idle would be pretty happy with top 10-20 next comeback and that's very likely their target, depending on what they want to pursue next comeback (Marilyn Monroe inspired comeback appears on the cards, and the phrase "I'd rather be hated for who I am then loved for who I am not" was the motif for the next album).
I'm not sure if I agree to the conclusion just yet about buying the followers, however the people just dismissing a rather observable anomaly as "just popular" don't understand how trends and data work. There has to be a specific external factor for a change such as that.
Nayeon is possible because of solo teasers, but 2 others also following the same pattern at the same time with the same shift in trends?
@ OP - Viral YT shorts and Tik Toks can often drive sudden engagement, I would examine if there's been a sudden viral tik tok or YT short that has shot up massively and driven engagement, before concluding it's purchased.
Tomboy has a real shot at taking back the #1 Daily Melon. Probably wont' get the #1 Hot 100 however.
Secondly there is a solid chance I Never Die could have a 3rd song staying stable in the top 100. Never Stop me, off the back of viral (in korea) Youtube Shorts, has been rising, so much so that Idle replaced Oh My God with Never Stop me on their last university festival performance. It's gone from 500+ to 130, and could break through to top 100 in the coming days.
Viral YT shorts in general tend to be impacting the Korean digital charting market quite a fair bit.
Tomboy is a massive hit
My bag is a mid tier hit, pretty good actually
World tour
Solid album sales
Fake Idle fans, always setting them up.
Idle will be Idle, and go their own path. Stop using them for silly "best of x, y,x" games.
So you're admitting Koreans were taking out their anger of greater geopolitical Chinese concerns on an idol who simply chose not to kneel to fans at a fansigning. If the fans there weren't upset, why were Korean netizens? The hate was unfair and unwarranted, and it's not a surprise Yuehua called Yiren back to China.
I feel you may need to re-read what I said again. I didn't suggest anything of the sort, but if you want to make up more nonsense about this, well to be honest I don't really care. It's pretty clear people aren't ready for a discussion, just want an outlet to vent and rant.
It's a touch of irony perhaps (but not unsurprising) that a forum such as this has such a condescending attitude toward Korean customs, attitudes, society.
I don't get why you are justifying their hate towards her. Its not like she has disrespected Koreans in any other ways before. A complete knee bow is considered insulting towards self in some culture. To say that just bcoz she came to Korea to fulfill her dreams she should give up her beliefs that she grew up with like that is wrong. And this was never brought up before until her controversy so how would have she known that they're going to make an issue over it later on?
First of all, criticism. I'm not justifying any hate, but Koreans being disrespected because of what she did is valid. You talk about justifying hate - why don't the Koreans get any valid justification for being disrespected. Why does every white bread response here only look at her side of the story?
It appears people have no idea the type of broader societal sensitivities Koreans have to China, particularly given Chinese government's belligerent actions to the Korean cultural community (indeed Kpop). Now I'm not suggesting that Yiren is responsible for that, but I think you need to understand the point of view that your own country has been greatly restricted in it's ability to market and sell in China, and then a Chinese idol in Korea turns around and does this.
Secondly, Idols undergo extensive training before debut. They are taught not only to sing, dance etc, but public speaking, etiquette - all these things are widely taught by any of the respectable labels.
Therefore, this would have been known. To suggest otherwise is to suggest incompetence. Neither incompetence nor deliberate disregard is a good look.
I'm not justifying any hatred or cruel remarks to Yiren or her label, but the complete and utter disregard for any sort of Korean feelings on a matter such is this is laughable.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is about adapting to other cultures and behave in an appropriate manner
This is the point I feel, because you have a different view on the matter, you miss.
For the Koreans, her doing that was NOT appropriate. That is their criticism.
She's in Korea, with Korean groupmates, with a mostly Korean audience at a fansign in a Korean event. It's not the appropriate time or place to put your Chinese custom over the expected Korean custom.
If she was in person, or a private matter, or anything in a personal capacity, no-one would have cared. She chose to do so in a Korean event infront of Koreans. It's tone-deaf.
Every country is allowed to be proud of it's heritage and customs. For Koreans, there's an innate sensitivity to their Asian Neighbours about some of these customs. Choosing to kind of ride roughshod over them is a mistake.
Again, part of the underlying factor is she's chosen to move to Korea, to make her career. Koreans don't take kindly to the perception that their systems in some of these matters (which is very much government supported and helped) are used to build up idols who then move back to their own countries once they have found fame. And quite frankly I can't blame them.
That's extremely wrong, she shouldn't bow if in her culture isn't allowed, she'd not korean just because she works in Korea doesn't mean she should follow their culture. Yes she should follow the law and general point of views but that's the end.
I would never bow on my knees, I never did and I would not start now because I moved to another country for work, yes, I would make a small head bow to try to fit in but that's the end .
To force somebody to change their own culture just because she works in another country is extremely wrong.
Except what about the flipside of that argument. She's not forced to be in Korea. Nor are you forced to be in country.
Simple phrase - "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
All this talk is absent of the faculty that there's no reason for her to be in Korea. If you or anyone consciously make a choice to move to another Country, choose to make that country your place of occupation and living, and don't follow the customs of that country, then I think the citizens of that country are quite right to criticize such a self interested move.
If you went to Iran, would you go "oh I'm sorry, I won't hear a head covering, it's not my custom"? Course you wouldn't.
Such a solipsistic view to travel to a country, any country, and go "nah I'm more important than your culture". IF you are going to have problems with certain cultural practices with a country.. then don't move or work in that country. Breathtaking arrogance from any Chinese diaspora who think otherwise.
What a spectacularly insular view.
I like how it blatantly ignores the Korean side of the equation, the discussion above.
I don't go to your house and completely ignore your rules and customs, yet it appears to be acceptable for Chinese idols to a) Ignore customs, and b) use the country as their personal stepping stone?
I have a fair amount of sympathy for the Koreans who point out this and criticize this sort of behaviour. There's plenty of non-korean idols who have followed proper customs and/or avoided the situation entirely. They should expect groups that want to come and live in Korea, with the opportunities that it affords, to treat the country and civil society they've built with a bit of respect.
Kind of, but also kind of not. The original text had the hangul for "Aiduel" which is (G)I-DLE. Idle's korean name translates to "children" or "kids".
maybe the videos i saw were taken out of context then
It was, actually
If you are referring to the fan signing statements. They WERE deliberately taken out of context and missed the earlier part.
Really wish people would leave IDLE out of these discussions, for a number of reasons.
They are nothing like the other groups - they're doing something different, utterly different, every single comeback. They make their own music and concepts. There will naturally be ups and downs in this approach.
I can see it right now all these bullshit topics will go "IDLE flopped" when they only get like top 5 or top 10 next comeback with a completely different sound to Tomboy.
I really want for LS to succeed. They're incredibly talented, having honestly the best dancer and two of the best vocalists around.
But... just don't think this is enough to push them into any sort of public awareness. It's Itzy without the chants (which is a big plus to me personally, I can't stand talks/chants), but they've sacrificed their vocal potential to highlight their dance potential, as the song continues the recent trend (Love Dive, I'm Fearless) of not being very ambitious or dynamic vocally
Surely there's a way Cube can get them a song that does both.
I'm also waaay against the vocal processing shit they're thrown around on this mini, particularly on Bye Bye Love. Please don't be HYBE, Cube.
