According to Edaily, the negative effects of K-pop’s rapid industrialization are becoming evident everywhere. While the scale of the K-pop industry has expanded significantly in recent years, there are growing concerns about its declining competitiveness due to the lack of distinction among its idols.
Experts point out that the recently revealed internal conflict between HYBE Corporation and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin is the result of a long-standing issue. The conflict began when Min Hee-jin accused ILLIT, a group under HYBE subsidiary Belift Lab, of copying ideas from NewJeans (run by ADOR). Edaily noted that this is in stark contrast to HYBE’s previous claims of creating synergies through different art styles.
Since the case of HYBE, many experts are concerned that K-pop is prioritizing fame and profit over individuality and musical identity. In such a scenario, K-pop could suffer an immediate decline.
Shim Hee-cheol, professor of entertainment management at Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, said: “The term “pop” in “K-pop” implies that this genre of music is very popular. However, if K-pop focuses exclusively on mainstream appeal, it could repeat the same fate as J-pop, which has lost its competitiveness due to standardized music.“
Mass-produced K-pop idols
HYBE is the leading entertainment company in South Korea. It has quadrupled its revenue from USD 441 million in 2019 to USD 1.6 billion in 2023. HYBE has grown so rapidly that it is considered a “force” in K-pop. This achievement was made possible through its “multi-label system,” which consists of various subsidiaries.
HYBE’s multi-label system is designed to reduce the company’s dependence on specific artists or record labels. Additionally, each subsidiary operates independently, increasing competition between them and, in turn, increasing profits. HYBE has six subsidiaries in South Korea alone, including Big Hit Music (which operates BTS, TXT), Pledis (Seventeen, TWS, fromis_9), ADOR (NewJeans), Source Music (LE SSERAFIM), Belift Lab (ENHYPEN, ILLIT), and KOZ Entertainment (Zico, BOYNEXTDOOR).
Through this multi-label system, HYBE has promoted the next generation of K-pop stars after BTS. NewJeans, for example, has dominated the Billboard singles and album charts. They are now considered a top K-pop group and were recently ranked third on Korea’s 40 Most Powerful Celebrities list, behind only BlackPink and soccer player Son Heung-min.
Other HYBE groups such as TXT, ENHYPEN, and LE SSERAFIM have also achieved success not only in South Korea, but also in the United States and Japan. This is a result of each subsidiary competing to create unique content.
However, the recent conflict between HYBE and Min Hee-jin has raised concerns about the individuality and uniqueness of K-pop. HYBE accused Min Hee-jin of attempting to take control of ADOR, despite HYBE owning 80% of the company. Min Hee-jin responded by accusing HYBE of allowing ILLIT to intentionally copy NewJeans.
In a previous press conference, Min Hee-jin stated, “If you copy NewJeans, that group will become a second NewJeans and this, in the long run, will have negative consequences for the company.Min expressed frustration with HYBE’s focus on short-term profits at the expense of the artistic individuality and creative freedom of its subsidiaries.
Experts believe that the controversy over ILLIT’s copying of NewJeans is significant, as it involves a leading company in the entertainment industry.
Min Hee-jin criticized HYBE for “allowing” Belift Lab to copy NewJeans and condemned the industrialization of K-pop. He pointed out that K-pop often capitalizes on popular trends to make quick profits. As a result, experts fear that K-pop is becoming a “factory” for the mass production of idols. In recent years, catchy music has been the secret to making groups popular, and many have also released songs in English as part of their strategy to target the US market.
Survival shows have also accelerated K-pop’s transformation into a “factory.” Judges and trainers often select contestants based on how well they meet audience expectations rather than recognizing new faces with unique talents.
Pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyun said: “This seems to be the downside of the evolving K-pop market. The music industry needs to rethink the multi-label system.“
The Future of K-Pop
In contrast, in the United States, every year, major stars are born, including pop stars like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Victoria Monét. They are all singer-songwriters who write their own music and tell their own stories. As a result, their music continues to grow in distinction and competitiveness.
Experts suggest that K-pop should take a cue from the United States and cultivate diversity. Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik said, “We need to create a system that allows for a variety of musical genres and artists to emerge.“
The practice of selling idol group albums with random photo cards of the members is also one of the “chronic problems” in the K-pop music market, according to experts interviewed by Edaily. In fact, Korean entertainment companies are producing albums with multiple versions and randomly include photo cards or posters of the group members in each album.
This means that each version of the album can have a different production quality and design, and even within the same version, albums contain completely different photo cards. This is a tactic to increase album sales, as fans purchase multiple albums in hopes of getting photo cards or posters of their favorite members. This has led to situations where fans only keep the photo cards and discard the rest of the album, including the CDs.
Famous music critic Lim Jin-mo said: “K-pop is known for its visuals and performances. However, in a situation where it lacks artistic persuasion, I fear that this will have a negative impact on the golden age of K-pop. We need to present an exemplary image that aligns with the current global status of K-pop.“
Source: ZNews
