Overflowing with New Kpop Rookie Groups: 3-4 Groups per Month
From last year, despite the looming crisis in K-pop, it seems like new K-pop idols are emerging as if they've been eagerly awaited even this year
Starting from January, about 3 to 4 teams have been debuting per month, and already around 10 rookie idol groups have joined the scene.
In the midst of this, the popularity gap between idols from major and small-scale entertainment companies is becoming more evident.
Newcomers pouring into the K-pop scene amidst crisis… Expectations for the global market remain high
According to the music industry on the 9th, last month, four rookie girl groups held showcases over three days and leaped into the K-pop scene.
Among them are ILLIT from BELIFT LAB under HYBE, UNI.T from the audition program “UNIVERSE TICKET,” Candy Shop produced by BRAVE Entertainment, and RESCENE from THE MUZE.
On the 1st of this month, YG Entertainment’s rookie girl group BabyMonster officially debuted, and girl groups such as VIVIUP and SPIA also threw their hats into the ring.
Even rookie boy groups have been making their moves, with 2 to 3 teams debuting every month this year.
TWS from PLEDIS under HYBE, All(H)Ours from EDEN Entertainment, and DXMON, the first boy group from SSQ Entertainment, all debuted in January.
In February, NCT WISH from SM Entertainment and NOMAD, whose debut album was overseen by famous producer DK, began their activities.
Additionally, at least two girl groups including UNICODE are preparing for their debut this month, and labels led by Teddy like THE BLACK LABEL and BIG PLANET MADE have also announced plans to debut girl groups in the first half of the year.
The intense competition among agencies to release rookie idols ultimately stems from expectations for the global K-pop market.
Despite the spreading crisis in K-pop since last year, agencies are jumping into the competition based on figures that still show growth trends.
According to the Korea Customs Service, the export value of physical K-pop albums last year reached approximately 380 billion won, marking a 25.5% increase from the previous year and setting a record high.
Particularly, last year, small and medium-sized agencies aiming for the so-called “jackpot” increased as rookie groups like Fifty Fifty and Circus gained worldwide popularity.
A representative from a major agency mentioned, “When K-pop songs are released, they attract attention as a global genre. The atmosphere is such that a debut in Korea is considered a global debut.”
However, another industry insider expressed concern, saying, “It seems that agencies are releasing rookies based only on successful cases amid serious situations in the idol market. Everyone seems to be caught up in an illusion.”
The group NOWADAYS performing their title track on stage at the showcase for their first single album ‘NOWADAYS’ held at Blue Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd of April, 2024.
The phenomenon of attention being focused on rookies from major agencies is becoming more pronounced amid the fierce competition among agencies.
Both ILLIT from HYBE and TWS from PLEDIS achieved first place on terrestrial music shows with their debut songs, and as of the 8th, ILLIT’s “Magnetic” ranked first on Melon’s Top 100 chart, while TWS’ “The First Meeting Didn’t Go as Planned” ranked third.
In particular, ILLIT set a record by reaching 80th place on the UK Official Singles Chart with “Magnetic,” making it the first debut song by a K-pop group to do so.
BabyMonster also made their mark by entering Spotify’s Daily Top Songs chart with their new song “SHEESH,” securing global fandom.
Their mini-album containing “SHEESH” surpassed 400,000 copies in sales in the first week, setting a record for the highest first-week sales of an album released by a K-pop girl group.
NCT WISH surpassed 280,000 copies in first-week sales of their new release, achieving first place on Japan’s Oricon Daily Singles Chart and first place in seven regions on iTunes’ Top Album Chart.
On the other hand, the debut album sales of rookie idols from small and medium-sized agencies are only one-tenth to one-fifth of those from major agencies, and they are hard to find on major domestic music charts.
The music industry believes that large agencies inevitably dominate the rookie idol market in terms of established fandom, system, and financial resources.
For example, it is known that a significant portion of Baby Monster’s overseas fandom consists of fans who transitioned from existing BLACKPINK fandom.
TWS also gained recognition as the “SEVENTEEN’s brother group” and NCT WISH effectively attracted the interest of the existing NCT fandom by debuting as the final unit of the NCT group.
A representative from a major agency explained, “Those from large agencies gain attention from their trainee days, and they debut under high expectations from the K-pop fandom. The ‘ripple effect’ generated by the main artists of the agency cannot be ignored.”
In addition to broadcasting, large agencies with ample financial resources have an advantage in using various promotional methods, from short-form viral marketing to overseas broadcasting appearances, thanks to diverse promotion channels such as social media networks.
Some in the music industry are concerned that the phenomenon of attention being focused overseas may become more severe in the future.
A music industry insider stated, “After COVID-19, as idols increase their overseas performances all at once, K-pop consumers with limited spending power are making selective choices,” and added, “Most idols are experiencing sluggish ticket sales overseas.”
