All HYBE Girl Groups Cannot Sing? Disastrous Encores Draw Criticism

On the afternoon of April 2, ILLIT – the latest girl group from HYBE, won their first music show trophy for their debut song “Magnetic.” On music program “The Show”, ILLIT performed an encore to celebrate their new achievement, and ended up receiving heavy criticisms.

In fact, it’s not unfamiliar to see new-generation idols scrutinized by the public for their live singing skills. Especially after LE SSERAFIM‘s disastrous encore, many other groups have also been put under the spotlight, including ILLIT. 

Despite being having great songs and concepts, all 3 of HYBE’s currently active girl group have 

a common issue with their live singing skills. From LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans to the current ILLIT, all these girls have received mixed reactions from the public regarding their vocal performances. While LE SSERAFIM received the most criticism for their unimproved singing, NewJeans was criticized for lip-syncing at an award ceremony. ILLIT faced similar issues.

ILLIT’s first encore performance immediately sparked debates among the public. Some praised the group for doing well with a song like “Magnetic”, but others pointed out the clear vocal flaws of ILLIT after their first live performance. The three Korean members, Minju, Yunah, and Wonhee, sang quite well, with clear and rounded tones, hitting the allocated lines accurately.

The two Japanese members’ singing skills are more controversial. Among them, Moka – who is the current fan favorite thanks to a viral fancam, received the most negative evaluations. Despite last only a few simple lines, Moka’s performance did not convince many people. The rookie was criticized for having a shaky voice to the point of being unable to sing.

Moka is also compared to her senior, LE SSERAFIM’s Sakura. Netizens believe that the weakness of Japanese idols lies in their vocals, with clear evidence from the Japanese lines of the two HYBE groups LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT.

However, fans maintained that the reason why Moka’s performance during the encore was lacking was because she had cried before receiving the trophy. Unstable emotions led to some off-pitch moments. These fans also insisted that ILLIT was selected from the survival show “R U Next?”, and the talents of the members have been “assessed” throughout the process. Therefore, they believe it would be unfair to criticize the group’s live singing skills based only on their first encore stage.

ILLIT’s encore is sparking lively debates on social media. Netizens believe that HYBE should focus more on training the vocal skills of their idols. The emerging agency is doing well in terms of setting music trends, choreography, and concept, but it seems to be focusing on anything but vocals, leading to continuous criticism of HYBE idols’ performing skills. If not resolved, this will have a significant impact on the company’s reputation and the long-term careers of the artists.

Below are some comments from netizens:

• None of the members can sing except for one. Among the big companies, HYBE’s vocal training is the worst.
• Moka is like Sakura, her shaky voice makes it impossible to sing. Wonhee is still new to training, so she doesn’t sound great, but if she puts in effort, she will improve.
• The group debuted a week ago. HYBE doesn’t seem to focus much on vocals, and if that’s the company’s goal, it’s okay, as long as the music is easy to listen to and the songs are good.
• Moka and Iroha… the Japanese girl sings so poorly. Minju sings well. Yunah is also good. Wonhee seems a bit off-key. Moka is my pick, so… keep practicing.
• LE SSERAFIM is the same, does HYBE even have in-house vocal training?
• HYBE should seriously train their idols to sing.
• All HYBE girl group cannot sing at all. Seriously…

Source: K14