Brat Summer: Out; Hag Autumn: IN

Something about the reunion of G-Dragon, Daesung, and Taeyang on stage together for the first time since BigBang went on hiatus in 2017, as well as the triumphant return of OT7 Block B and the announcement of a Junsu x Jaejoong 20th anniversary concert, had me all in my feelings this week. 

Brat Summer is out and Hag Autumn is IN! 

There’s something striking about seeing these idol veterans on stage together again. The poignance of the passage of time, sure, but also the absolute bangers they brought us back in the day. Genuinely popular songs that still go hard.

In the heady days of the first flush of global K-Pop success in the late 2000s and early 2010s, there was still a lot of overlap of “K-Pop” and mainstream Korean entertainment. Hit K-Pop songs were genuine hit songs but even at that time this idea of “The Big Three” was always more of a media creation than anything else. It was effective as a shorthand label for the three largest K-Pop agencies as the third generation began (SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment). 

But the K-Pop industry was always bigger than “The Big Three.”

Here are the K-Pop songs in the Top ten of the Circle (née Gaon) chart since 2010, including IU.

 2010: 

1. “Bad Girl Good Girl” by miss A (JYP)

[2. “Nagging” by IU (Kakao)]

4. “Go Away” by 2NE1 (YG)

5. “Oh!” by Girls Generation (SM)

6. “2 Different Tears” by Wonder Girls (JYP)

[7. “I was able to eat well” by Changmin (2am) and Lee Hyun (BigHit)]

10. “Hoot” by Girls Generation (SM)

2011:

[1. “Roly Poly” by T-Ara (MBK)]

[2. “Having an Affair” by GG (G-Dragon (BigBang) and Park Myeong-su)]

4. “Lonely” by 2NE1 (YG)

5. “Don’t Cry” by Park Bom (2NE1) (YG)

6. “Danger” by f(x) (SM)

7. “I Am The Best” by 2NE1 (YG)

8. “Tonight” by BigBang (YG)

[9. “On Rainy Days” by Beast (Cube)]

[10. “Only I Didn’t Know” by IU (Kakao)]

2012: 

1. “Gangnam Style” by PSY (YG)

[3. “Alone” by Sistar (Starship)] 

[4. “Loving U” by Sistar (Starship)]

5. “Fantastic Baby” by BigBang (YG)

6. “I Love You” by 2NE1 (YG)

[7. “Lovey-Dovey” by T-ara (MBK)]

10. “Blue” by BigBang (YG)

2013: 

1. “Gentleman” by PSY (YG)

[3. “Gone Not Around Any Longer” by Sistar19 (Starship)]

[6. “What’s Your Name” by 4Minute (Cube)]

[9. “Give It To Me” by Sistar (Starship)]

2014: 

[1. “Some” by Soyou (Sistar) and Junggigo) (Starship)]

2. “Eyes Nose Lips” by Taeyang (BigBang) (YG)

[5. “The Meaning of You” by IU (Kakao)]

[7. “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms” by High4 and IU (N.A.P.)]

[8. “Mr. Chu” by Apink (Cube)]

9. “200%” by AKMU (YG)

[10. “Friday” by IU (Kakao)]

2015:

1. “Bang Bang Bang” by BigBang (YG)

2. “Loser” by BigBang (YG)

4. “Bae Bae” by BigBang (YG)

6. “Shouldn’t Have” by Baek A-Yeon (JYP)

7. “Call Me Baby” by EXO (SM)

 2016: 

1. “Cheer Up” by Twice (JYP)

[3. “Rough” by Gfriend (Source)]

[7. “I Am You, You Are Me” by Zico (Block B) (Seven Seasons/KQ)

2017: 

[2. “Through the Night” by IU (Kakao)]

[7. “Palette” by IU (feat. G-Dragon) (Kakao)]

8. “Knock Knock” by Twice (JYP)

9. “Last Goodbye” by AKMU (YG)

10. “Really Really” by Winner (YG)

2018: 

1. “Love Scenario” by iKon (YG)

[4. “BBoom Bboom” by momoland (MLD)]

5. “Du Du Du Du” by BlackPink (YG)

2019: 

[5. “Boy With Luv” by BTS (BigHit)]

[8. “Gotta Go” by Chungha (I.O.I.)]

9. “Four Seasons” by Taeyon (Girls Generation) (SM)

2020: 

[1. “Any Song” by Zico (Block B) (Koz)]

[5. “Blueming” by IU (Kakao)]

[6. “eight” by IU (Feat. Suga (BTS)) (Kakao)]

8. “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You're the One I Love” by AKMU (YG)

9. “Psycho” by Red Velvet” (SM)

2021: 

[1. “Celebrity” by IU (Kakao)]

[2. “Rollin’” by Brave Girls (Brave Entertainment)]

[3. “Dynamite” by BTS (BigHit)]

[4. “Lilac” by IU (Kakao)]

5. “Next Level” by aespa (SM)

[7. “Butter” by BTS (BigHit)]

2022: 

[1. “Love Dive” by IVE (Starship)]

[2. “Tomboy” by (G)I-DLE (Cube)]

[6. “Eleven” by IVE (Starship)]

7. “Still Life” by BigBang (YG)

[8. “That That” by PSY (feat. SUGA (BTS)) (P-Nation)]

2023: 

[1. “Ditto” by NewJeans (Ador)]

[2. “Hype boy” by NewJeans (Ador)]

[3. “I AM” by IVE (Starship)]

[4. “OMG” by NewJeans (Ador)]

[6. “Kitsch” by IVE (Starship)]

[7. “Queencard” by (G)I-DLE (Cube)]

[9. “Attention” by NewJeans (Ador)]

[10. “After LIKE” by IVE (Starship)]

After the major Big Three year of 2015, there are only a few hits here and there from general public favorites like Winner, iKon, and Twice (and GP favorites AKMU) until the Brave Girls (now BB Girls) lit up the bleak pandemic landscape with surprise hit “Rollin’”. In their wake followed a mini-boom of girl group songs by IVE (Starship) and NewJeans (Ador/Hybe). 

Metrics can, of course, be goosed by fans and companies but the digital numbers compiled by Circle (née Gaon) are still a better metric than sales, which are completely fan/company driven. Fan streaming/buying tends to run in short bursts, sending a song flying to the top during zombie hours before crashing after a few days. To hit the top ten for the year has to involve a not insignificant level of public consumption, even if it was passively through pushed playlists--one reason the inclusion of BigBang’s “Still Life” as the last boy group song to hit the top ten is so striking. Not only was it a somber ballad put out years into a hiatus but there was one MV, no live performances, and no promotion. 

“Still Life” was also the last “Big Three” song to hit the top ten. 

One of the most effective parts of the Hybe (née BigHit) media strategy was seeding the idea in non-Korean, non-K-pop focused media outlets that the company (and its flagship group) were underdogs—true hip-hop artists fighting against a calcified and phony “K-Pop Industry” represented by “The Big Three.” Normies and new fans unfamiliar with K-Pop and with the flagship group wouldn’t know that the narrative was in large part cribbed from groups like BigBang and BlockB (you can hear more on that in Episode 50). Nor would they know that by the time Hybe (née BigHit) was pushing this narrative, the “Big Three” were no longer anywhere near dominant.

I think part of the reason why the narrative worked in English is that the last cultural memory of K-Pop was from around 2015, the triumphant era of BigBang’s M.A.D.E., the high water mark of cultural impact and artistic innovation in K-Pop. That year was dominated by acts from “The Big Three” like BigBang and 2NE1 (YG) and SHINee and EXO (SM), and with JYP also launching the soon-to-be mega-popular girl group Twice.

The K-Pop Awards that year were like a coronation ceremony for K-Pop’s Kings.

 The industry was triumphant and flush with success and the three biggest agencies with their stable of very popular acts could and did behave like a cartel with an outsized amount of power over their talents—and former talents. 

You may want to refresh your memory of the infamous TVXQ lawsuit in which three of the five members sued to leave SM Entertainment and while they were eventually set free, they were also not-officially-but-in-practice blacklisted from mainstream Korean entertainment for over a decade. Witnessing ex-TVXQers Junsu and Jaejoong, along with BigBang’s Taeyang and Daesung return to mainstream Korean entertainment feels like that moment in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Santa Claus returns to Narnia, signaling the thawing of the White Witch’s frozen realm.

What’s happened in the intervening years since BigBang last stood on stage together is that the triumphant, thriving K-Pop industry sputtered and fell apart. The three big companies had all been started by former musicians and performers, all of whom had a good eye for talent and an ear for a hit song. Now JYP is the only agency head still clinging on. YG Entertainment has completely fallen apart. With BlackPink divesting from music, the biggest thing they have going for them currently is the return of 2NE1. SM Entertainment is also in shambles, with lawsuits and corporate shenanigans making more noise than their current talents. JYP is holding on in the new generation with popular-in-Japan girl group NiziU.

In my observation, the most broadly popular and well known K-Pop idols not from that last era of mainstream crossover are the members of BlackPink (Rose, Jennie, Lisa, and Jisoo) and Cha Eun-Woo of Astro. While I personally enjoy BlackPink and Astro’s songs (seriously, listen to Astro!), these idols are better known for their good looks, acting roles, and advertisements--not for their musical skill. K-Pop songs may be mass streamed globally and albums may be bulk purchased in order to hit sales targets but with a very few exceptions the current acts aren’t really listened to outside of their fandoms. 

At their height, however, what the “Big Three” represented was a guarantee of quality product. That no longer the case. And, worse, the level of quality has dropped across the industry—something reflected in the lack of interest towards these idols and songs by the general public. At least until a scandal hits.

The K-Pop rot had already begun by the time Hybe (née BigHit) started on their Rise to Power but Hybe (née BigHit) spared no expense in helping it along. Unable to grow their roster of acts organically, the company gobbled up smaller companies Pledis and Source, disbanding potential rival groups, tanking the music quality across the board, and absorbing the remaining groups (and trainees) under the Hybe umbrella. Hugely popular rapper Zico (of Block B) and his label KOZ were brought in just before Hybe launched their IPO (what a coincidence!)—and Zico enlisted. They also acquired the controversial but effective ex-SM Entertainment creative Min Hee-Jin, who was given free reign with sublabel Ador and its flagship act, NewJeans. (You can read up on Hybe’s sabotaging of Ador.)

Hybe (née BigHit) rebuilt the K-Pop model in the image of its flagship group. The result is a bunch of acts with dedicated fandoms willing to mass stream and buy but who have absolutely no appeal outside of those fandoms because the product isn’t the song or the performance, which are things normies can understand. These acts are primarily selling the parasocial interactions, the shipping, the fanfic, and fan engagement on apps like Hybe’s Weverse, as well as in social media fan battles. While idol acts have always relied on these things to a certain extent, the general interest musical piece that goes with them has faded to the background. In a way, it’s something of an AKB48-ificiation of K-Pop where the story is the sales and the fans—not the music.

NewJeans tried to escape the K-Pop sphere but seem to have stalled in litigation. Starship’s IVE may still have a shot, especially if they can establish a foothold in Japan.

Or the era of broadly popular idols may simply be over and done. Never to return. 

But it’s just that lack of broad popular appeal of so many of today’s groups that makes the reunion of the 2nd and 3rd generation superstars so exciting. 

Block B performing “Her” is closing in on a million views in just a couple of days and as much as I love BBCs, there aren’t nearly enough of them to generate those kinds of mass streams. There’s a genuine excitement around the reunion.

Taeyang (BigBang, ex-YG) and Daesung (BigBang, ex-YG) have been busy with solo activities (and we love them for it!) but the return of G-Dragon (BigBang, ex-YG) after seven years is something truly special. A shaky fancam of his guest appearance already has over a million views on YouTube: 

The excitement in the room when he takes the stage is undeniable. 

And then there are the soloists who fought their way out of their SM Entertainment purgatory. Jaejoong and Junsu (ex-TVXQ) returned from the depths of the blacklist. 

Taemin (SHINee, ex-SM) fighting for his life with “Sexy in the Air” (his new company’s SNS were hacked!):

Baekhyun (EXO, ex-SM) fighting for my life with “Pineapple Slice”: 

Onew (SHINee, ex-SM) living his best life with “Beat Drum”: 

All veterans of a time when K-Pop idols were expected to be able to perform for general audiences or at least entertain them. Will that era return? We can hope.