Celebrity

GFRIEND causes most regret for Korean netizens out of three 3rd generation’s girl groups that sadly disbanded

The following 3 girl groups disbanded while there was still potential for growth. However, GFRIEND, who used to be on the same level as BLACKPINK and TWICE, causes most regret. 

The “7-year curse” still exists in the Kpop industry. When idol groups reach their 7th year, it’s often the time when their contracts expire, but not every member decides to renew. Notably, many girl groups did not pass this milestone, including 3 groups featured in a trending topic among Korean netizens recently because they all belong to the 3rd generation of Kpop. They used to release many hit songs, were competing with other famous groups, having both visuals and talents but perhaps luck was not on their side. 

The first girl group whose disbandment broke the hearts of many fans is gugudan. With a lineup consisting of 2 former I.O.I members, Sejeong and Mina, gugudan’s debut on June 28, 2016 received much anticipation of the public. However, gugudan’s music was not catchy enough to do well on the charts, causing the group to gradually be forgotten.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
Having 2 former I.O.I members, Mina (left) and Sejeong…
Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
…but gugudan could not rise to fame as expected

After the last comeback with the track “Not That Type“, gugudan’s activities were suspended for 2 years before Jellyfish Entertainment officially announced the group’s disbandment on December 30, 2020. gugudan was only active for a total of 4 years. The members went their separate paths before the group could even reach the 7 year mark in the “curse”.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
Gugudan disbanded after 4 years of debut

Another girl group of the 3rd generation that recently disbanded this year is GFRIEND. GFRIEND debuted on January 16th, 2015, under a small company but then became one of the most successful KPOP “non-BIG 3” girl groups with many hit songs, such as “Glass Bead”, “Rough”, “Me Gusta Tu”, etc. In 2019, GFRIEND’s agency – Source Music became a subsidiary of Big Hit, and this made many people expect the girls’ future activities with better promotional plans.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
GFRIEND is known to be the group that brings the most profit to their company

Coming back with album “Song Of The Siren” in 2020, GFRIEND surprised many people and received lots of compliments for their impressive change of images. Though the girls would continue to be active after the success of this album, they decided not to renew their contract with Source Music and disbanded after 5 years and 6 months of debut.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
Many people felt regret for the sudden disbandment of GFRIEND on May 22nd, 2021

Lovelyz, the girl group from Woollim Entertainment, is the 3rd generation girl group that disbanded most recently. Lovelyz debuted as an 8-member group on November 12th, 2014 with a sweet and refreshing concept. Since then, the girls have received so much love for their hits, such as “Ah-Choo”, “Candy Jelly Love”, etc.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
Lovelyz is the 3rd generation girl group that disbanded most recently

In 2019, Lovelyz joined the survival show “Queendom” then released a mini-album called “Unforgettable” in September 2020. However, the heat after “Queendom” was not enough to help the girls earn more remarkable achievements in their career.

After the release of “Unforgettable“, Lovelyz went on a hiatus for over a year. Until recently, when the expiry date of their contract was coming closer, rumors arose saying the girls would go on separate paths. This speculation turned into reality when Woollim Entertainment announced Lovely’s disbandment on November 16th, 2021. Since only one member re-signed with the company and the other 7 girls decided not to renew their contracts, Lovelyz ended their group activities after 7 years.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
7 out of 8 Lovelyz members left the agency, putting an end to the group’s 7 years of activity

Every disbandment leaves regrets, but GFRIEND’s disbandment remains the most shocking in the eyes of Korean netizens. Many people believe that Source Music’s girl group can actually compete with TWICE, BLACKPINK, MAMAMOO, and others since they have a pretty good foothold and are also at their pinnacle.

Everyone believed GFRIEND would continue to work for a long time, especially after they joined BTS‘ agency, Hybe. GFRIEND, however, abruptly disbanded, although the members were still active before that. As a result, there are several conspiracy theories surrounding their departure, and internet users are even more regretful for such a talented female group.

Disbanded Kpop Girlgroup
GFRIEND makes Knet very sad when they disband
  • Knet commented:
  • I’m still shocked by what happened to GFRIEND and Lovelyz…
  • The story of GFRIEND was a shock to me. I really thought the group would last a long time but suddenly… Among girl groups’ music, their songs are still my favorite, songs are so good… I listened to Memoria over and over again while reading the thread.
  • We are slowly transitioning to a new generation.
  • Can’t believe GFRIEND has disbanded… I can’t let them go.
  • I can accept gugudan’s case but not for GFRIEND… GFRIEND used to be with TWICE, BLACKPINK and MAMAMOO as the top 4 groups.
  • Not a fan of Lovelyz but I still listen to their music. Why did the group disband…
  • So sad
Source
K14
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