K-pop had been at its peak for ten years, but there had also been many tumultuous scandals along the way. Many fans wonder: how great would K-pop be now if these serious scandals did not happen?
It’s hard to discuss the entertainment industry without mentioning the startling controversies. This is sometimes a topic that sometimes piques the public’s attention more than music. As a result, many unknown artists nowadays aspire to become famous overnight by causing scandals. However, in K-pop, where stars are pressured to keep a clean and beautiful image at all costs, scandals are more serious than they are elsewhere.
So if there were no scandals that shocked the public, what would K-pop be like now?
DBSK would still be the 5 Rising Gods of the East
The story of DBSK and JYJ forever remains the most glorious and regrettable memory of SM Entertainment in particular and K-pop in general.
Before the 3 members Jaejoong, Yoochun, Junsu filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment, the 5 members of DBSK used to be the living legends in the hearts of K-pop fans. From their aura, choreography, vocals to a series of impressive achievements, DBSK was the legendary idol group that made others look up to.
As the group’s name means “Rising Gods of the East”, every stage of DBSK was explosive like a burning fire that could hype up anyone. The members are real artists who always did their best to give the audience the most astounding performances. Although Kpop has seen the debut of many junior boy groups since then, no group has managed to give off the same vibes as DBSK.
More than 10 years ago, SM Entertainment was very tough on their artists, and leaving the group was the best solution for JYJ. However, if only things didn’t take a negative turn that year, the 5 members would probably still be together and give fans top-notch performances on stage together.
The SNSD – T-ARA – 2NE1 trio would still be the “bermuda triangle” of K-pop
No one can forget the golden age of 2010-2012 when the SNSD – T-ARA – 2NE1 trio were extremely huge in K-pop with legendary hits. SNSD, the national girl group that is well-loved for many years with perfect visuals, catchy songs, and great variety skills.
T-ARA back in the day used to constantly gain massive attention in K-pop with a series of hit songs such as “Roly Poly”, “Cry Cry”, “Lovey Dovey”, “Sexy Love”, etc. within just a short time.
The girl group also has many cinematic MVs with unique scripts and the members’ impressive acting. Up to now, there has not been a group with as many MVs with well-established storylines as T-ARA.
2NE1 used to be equally popular with the group’s unique style and high-quality music. Every time a new song was released, it became a huge hit.
If it weren’t for T-ARA’s internal conflict scandal and Park Bom’s drug scandal, perhaps T-ARA and 2NE1 would still be top girl groups on stage next to SNSD. There would be many new hits with beautiful choreography and creative concepts coming out. Unfortunately, all of that remains a glory of the past.
EXO with 12 members, Baekhyun and Taeyeon would still remain as close friends
Many EXO-L since the very first days still missed the moments when EXO still had 12 members. Especially, one of the most memorable scenes in EXO SHOWTIME is when EXO played the game “007”, the Chinese members didn’t understand the rules, so they received punishments constantly. Moreover, “Growl” was the best era when 12 of them shined the most, becoming a phenomenon in the entertainment industry.
At that time, EXO had not yet become a top boy group; however, they were still a trending group that outshined the other groups who debuted within the same time.
Nowadays, EXO has reached the climax of their career, but their members have already reduced to 9. Many fans still regret the good old days, and they sometimes wonder if EXO still has 12 members; the group would be much more successful than they are now.
Among the controversies related to EXO, the dating scandal of Taeyeon and Baekhyun revealed by Dispatch was the most popular one. Although it was said that this scandal was just a plan of SM in order to cover Kris’s withdrawal from EXO, the 2 artists received much criticism to the point that since then, they couldn’t appear together in public. If this scandal had never existed, Baekhyun and Taeyeon would have remained close friends, and they could have released many duet songs together.
At the moment, their friendship has been ruined, and both of them were hurt. Even when they meet each other, they could only smile forcibly and avoid standing next to each other.
After a series of scandals that happened in showbiz lately, KPOP fans have got together to discuss the good old memories. While telling the stories, they could say “I wish…” or “If only…”. Everything from the past happened for a reason, and we couldn’t change anything. The only thing we can do is to forget about the sad stories and keep the most beautiful memories of the idols in our hearts.
