Let’s Discuss: Sulli & f(x)’s Future

/in , /by

For some time prior to the actual announcement, fans were wondering where Sulli was. While idols sometimes miss a promotional cycle due to injury or illness, it is extremely rare for an idol to just disappear without any warning.

When Sulli stopped appearing with f(x) to promote Red Light, fans assumed that it was a temporary thing. But then it became apparent that f(x) was in an awkward position when, after winning first place, the members didn’t mention Sulli’s name at all.

After SM Entertainment announced that Sulli would be taking time off from f(x), a lot of rumors were flying: she’s pulling another “Kris,” she’s embarrassed by her rumored relationship with Choiza (her picture was found in his wallet, found by a fan), she was jealous of the success of the other members of f(x), etc.

The list goes on, as do the questions regarding Sulli’s absence. But one question is really at the forefront of everyone’s minds:

Will f(x) disband?

The simple answer?

Probably not.

Even if Sulli doesn’t return as an active member of f(x), f(x) will most likely still thrive. Five members used to be ideal for idol groups (TVXQ, SS501, g.o.d, NRG, Baby V.O.X, Big Bang, The Wonder Girls, SHINee etc.) but SM Entertainment proved with Super Junior and Girls’ Generation that size wasn’t everything. Even though four member groups are uncommon nowadays, it’s not unheard of- especially with four members like Amber, Victoria, Krystal, and Luna.

Related articles across the web

 

Each member of f(x), Sulli included, has their own unique set of traits that they bring to the group. Luna as the singer, Krystal as the actress, Victoria as the dancer, and Amber as the MC provide a well-rounded group of girls that doesn’t really need another. Add to the fact that Krystal, Amber, and Victoria are immensely popular overseas means that the group won’t really lose international popularity if Sulli leaves. (In comparison, if Amber or Krystal left, f(x) would suffer horribly abroad.)

In Korea, Sulli was definitely the most popular member of f(x) for a long time; she was a child actress and model. After deciding to become a singer, Sulli still acted, appearing in dramas like To The Beautiful You, and set to appear in an upcoming movie, The Pirates. But her fame as an actress hasn’t really spread to the rest of f(x)’s members – f(x)’s members tend to promote extremely successfully as individuals.

Which means that Sulli’s identity is more of her own than as a member of f(x). So if she decides to withdraw from the group, Sulli herself will be fine.

And the rest of the group, still filled with a lot of talent and personality, will also be able to function, especially since Sulli’s role in f(x) was never truly clearly defined.

Originally, Sulli was touted as the acting member of f(x), but since then, all of the members, excluding Amber, have appeared in dramas. Krystal’s success in The Heirs may have overshadowed Sulli’s own acting career, making Sulli’s role in the group a little bit less solid.

Sulli wouldn’t be the first SM Entertainment artist to take a break from her group in order to focus on acting – Super Junior’s Kibum took a “break” and never returned to the group. Although he never officially left the group, or even really took off on his acting career, neither Kibum nor Super Junior were extremely harmed by his absence from the group.

Based on the facts, that Sulli is good in f(x) but not entirely necessary, it seems unlikely that f(x) fans really need to worry about Sulli’s departure from the group.

The rest of f(x) was able to promote Red Light  without Sulli, and the only awkwardness was the fact that they didn’t mention Sulli’s absence.

So should f(x) fans really worry? Not really; f(x) can manage with or without Sulli. If she really is just taking a break, which could still be an option, then she’ll hopefully be welcomed back with open arms. And if she leaves, with minimal drama, it’s unlikely that f(x) will suffer.

In fact, it’s even unclear why SM stopped f(x)’s promotional cycle. Perhaps the biggest threat to f(x) right now isn’t Sulli’s absence, but SM’s desire for upcoming girl group, Red Velvet, to be successful…

What do you think? Will Sulli be missed from f(x)? Don’t forget to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Let’s Discuss: INFINITE & The SM-Woollim Merger

/in /by

Let’s go back a little less than a year ago in Seoul: INFINITE gets up on stage at the first night of their world tour, performs a bit, and then starts to talk. With tears on their eyes, they apologize and promise fans that things won’t change, and swear that INFINITE will always be INFINITE.

No, a member didn’t leave, but news broke that day anouncing that INFINITE’s company, Woollim Entertainment, would be merging with SM C&C. And yet, in that moment, sitting in the audience, and only picking up every few words with my limited knowledge of Korean, I thought that INFINITE was disbanding. Or, at the very least, a member was heading to the army. The way that INFINITE acted towards Inspirit (the group’s fanclub), seemed like the members had to apologize for practically killing someone. Why?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In South Korea, SM Entertainment is both respected and feared. The first few days after the announcement of the merger, fans wrote articles saying things like, Did SM buy INFINITE’s company so that the group wouldn’t compete with SHINee and EXO? (Both groups are some of SM’s most popular).

Fans feared that INFINITE would be relegated to some backburner by SM and not be able to be competition. What many fans missed (but others pointed out) was that Woollim Label (no longer an entertainment company in its own right) would still have control over INFINITE and other Woollim artists, like Nell and Tasty. This meant that INFINITE would, hopefully, still have the artistic guidance that it had had since debut.

In Retrospect, Why The Merger?

First thing’s first: Money. INFINITE, almost singlehandedly, took care of Woollim. Yes, Nell is extremely popular in Korea, but it doesn’t rake in the income from various appearances on television, concerts, CFs, and more, that INFINITE does. The two Tasty twins also aren’t even close to being big enough to take care of an entertainment company. Woollim has always been amazing at what it does, but has been too small to really support several artists because only one group was bringing in constant funds.

Second: SM is bigger, which opens more doors in Korea.

Third: INFINITE really was competition for SHINee and EXO. The group filmed a $1 million blockbuster music video in the U.S., even though it was never released. The original video included a plane wreck scene, and due to the Asiana Airlines crash of 2013, Woollim decided it would be insensitive to release. Moreover,  they had embarked on a world tour, and had members debuting as solo artists (Sungkyu) and becoming incredibly popular actors (L and Hoya), to name a few.

Check out these cool articles around the web

INFINITE was, and is, big. So when a big company sees a little company being successful, the typical response is, “let’s buy it out.” A merge helped both Woollim and SM –Woollim got the financial backing it may have been lacking, and SM got rid of competition by incorporating it.

A Year Later, What Happened? 

Pretty much, just that—INFINITE came back with Back, and it’s been well-received so far. Last Romeo also topped the charts, although fans’ generally thought that it wasn’t INFINITE’s best song. But, it meant that the group would still be active —which it had been doing since the merger occurred.

Since the merger occurred, other than releasing the album Last Romeo and its repackage Be Back, the group also released The Origin, a completely instrumental album of all of INFINITE’s best songs.

Moreover, INFINITE has held several concerts, introduced an upcoming subgroup INFINITE F (Sungyeol, Sungjong, and L), and appeared on the variety show This Is INFINITE.

Separately, the members have also been busy –Woohyun, Sungyeol, and L have all acted in dramas, while the other members have frequented variety shows.

What Did INFINITE Gain By The Merger? 

Well, for one thing, there was this little thing called ToHeart—INFINITE’s Woohyun and SHINee’s Key, who have long been known to be best friends, were able to have a project group now that they were both under the SM umbrella. And people really liked it!

Then, there’s the support from SM; while idols at different entertainment companies generally are civil, they rarely promote one another. But when Sungyeol appeared on Law of The Jungle – Caribbean & Maya, members of Girls’ Generation cheered him on. There have been several other cases now where SM artists and INFINITE have been seen together in a way that they never had appeared before.

[As a side note: Since the merger, SM artists and Woollim artists have been collaborating more in general – on We Got Married Global Edition, f(x)’s Amber and Tasty’s Soryong have worked together as MCs.]

Oh, and, of course, INFINITE (and other Woollim acts) now appear at SMTown concerts.

So… What Was The Freak Out About?

Pretty much? Nothing really.

So is SM still a threat to INFINITE’s integrity? Probably not.

There was definitely room to worry,  but then it turned out that INFINITE would still be INFINITE. The group pretty much has kept doing what it’s done in the past- make really good, retro-inspired music with perfect synchronization.

And continued to be the derps they started out as.

tumblr_mgki6fmAlg1qdk98do8_r2_250

What do you think? Has INFINITE changed since the merger? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Let’s Discuss: YG’s Luck With Damage Control

/in , /by

Park Bom of 2NE1‘s recent drug scandal, and YG Entertainment‘s handling of it, shows yet another time when YG Entertainment thought it was doing the right thing with its artists, but really only time will be able to heal the wound. Time and time again, YG Entertainment’s damage control is just hiding from the spotlight for a bit.

And that’s a problem.

Bom got caught trying to smuggle amphetamine in from the US to Korea in 2010, by trying to send the drugs through mail. YG’s ceo, Yang Hyun Suk, released a statement explaining Bom’s actions, and made sense of the situation- Bom had gone to school in the US and needed the medicine to help her cope with a traumatic event from her past. She didn’t know that the drug was illegal in Korea, just thought that it was unavailable and had it sent to her grandmother’s home because she would be doing her 2NE1 activities.

Then it came to light that the medicine was smuggled to look like diet aid. Obviously, someone from Park Bom’s family knew that what she was receiving was wrong, but sent it in care of Bom’s grandmother anyway–trying to keep the possible illegality being traced to Bom herself.

Since that news became public, YG and Yang Hyun Suk has stayed silent despite his previous lengthy response to Bom’s situation. In fact, pretty much everyone’s stayed silent. Bom has continued her 2NE1 activities, but recently stopped filming for the variety show Roommates. She will probably disappear for a bit, then come back with 2NE1 in a few months.

Check out these cool articles around the web

This is almost the exact same thing that happened with G-Dragon when he was caught smoking marijuana. If you’re reading this from America, where consuming marijuana containing high amounts of THC is legal in many states, you might be quite confused. But marijuana is a drug that’s illegal in South Korea. He got in trouble publicly, then came back amazingly with Blue and then, possibly Big Bang’s most iconic song, Fantastic Baby. And all was forgotten because, well, it was a minor issue. Just like this one. Just because smoking marijuana is illegal where YG is from, that doesn’t mean he can’t invest in it with neue Cannabis Aktien available for him to look into, he may be able to at least have some part in the industry and make more money on top of the amount he already has!

Smoking marijuana may be a minor issue, but it is a big public image mess. YG seems to try to handle things, and then let them go away, hoping (and knowing) that the public will forget. The same thing happened when Seungri had a sex scandal.

Even Daesung’s scandal, a car accident when somebody died, went away with some time.

But many scandals, something as simple as plastic surgery, causes the end of an idol’s career. Even SM Entertainment’s Kangin of Super Junior had a hard time rebounding from a large scandal involving a DUI, and had to go to the army.

Yet, YG has realized that if its idols go away, to reflect, it helps. It doesn’t actually matter what the idol does– as long as Bom doesn’t get caught, she could probably go to Hawaii and surf the waves for three months, then come back and act a little bit remorseful, and all will be well.

YG doesn’t need to control its artists that well because their fandoms are so intense that even murder could be forgiven. (Just clarifying, Daesung did not murder anybody–it was an accident. I’m just saying, they could be vampires and nobody would be annoyed because 2NE1 and Big Bang’s fans are so passionate.)

But, even though YG doesn’t need to control its artists, since they’ll be all right, does it mean that YG doesn’t need to? YG Entertainment is the only company right now that has idols actively promoting who have had numerous sex and drug scandals. Smaller companies can’t deal with the bad press, so members leave, but companies like SM and JYP get rid of idols when something happens (think about Jay Park and 2PM.)

YG Entertainment gives its artists free reign, and they kind of are out of control. The company is merely lucky that fans still adore the idols after they make their comebacks. Things could get pretty nasty otherwise.

Is it problematic that YG Entertainment isn’t very good at damage control and just lets fans forgive and forget? Or is that the way things should be in K-Pop? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Let’s Discuss: Is Henry The Most Successful Chinese K-Pop Idol?

/in /by

Yes. The answer, despite the fact that he may not be as popular as EXO-M or Han Geng, is a “yes.” Success and fame are completely different things. With Henry‘s upcoming comeback with Fantastic, it’s worth taking a moment to realize how successful he has become.

Canadian-born Henry Lau, who debuted in 2008 as a member of Super Junior-M, has become more and more popular throughout Korea throughout the past few years. Despite some rough times, when Super Junior fans resisted Henry and fellow SuJu-M member Zhou Mi (regardless of how Super Junior’s other members felt), Henry ended up coming out on top of just about every other artist of Chinese descent to pass through SM Entertainment’s doors.

Let’s look at where Henry is now:

Last year, he debuted as a solo artist, making him SM Entertainment’s first male solo artist in thirteen years. Since then, he promoted his first album Trap successfully, and ended up becoming a variety favorite by appearing on the military-variety show, Real Men. Even though he’s not Korean and doesn’t have to serve in the military, Henry’s shown Korean audiences that not only does he value their country’s military service, but he can learn from it. And do it with a smile on his face.

Check out these cool articles around the web

When Henry joined Super Junior to promote as a Super Junior-M member with fellow Chinese singer Zhou Mi, Korean Super Junior fans protested. Super Junior was thirteen members, they claimed. Since then, Super Junior’s had a whole slew of changes to its line up, but fans still won’t accept Henry and Zhou Mi. Which, personally, I think is ridiculous. Not only is Henry talented, but the other Super Junior members have begged fans to accept Zhou Mi and Henry just like fans have accepted every other member.

But Super Junior’s fanclub, ELF (Everlasting Friends) claims that Henry and Zhou Mi are Super Junior, but only if they have M to their name. One would think that this would be an end of a career for the two of the idols, and for a long time, it seemed like both Zhou Mi and Henry would merely promote as members of Super Junior-M.

But Henry’s plunge into becoming a solo singer showed the K-Pop world that being a member of a subgroup isn’t a death sentence. While Zhou Mi’s pursued an acting career in China and is one of Super Junior’s resident composers, Henry’s done everything he can to make Korean and international fans recognize him as what he is, an extremely talented musician—he’s, in fact, an excellent musician, regardless of his training from SM Entertainment.

So he’s done well. Zhou Mi has also. Why do I say that Henry is the most successful of SM’s Chinese artists?

First, let’s look at other Chinese artists at SM. There are the three remaining Chinese members of EXO (EXO-M): Luhan, Lay, and Tao. They’re popular, because EXO is popular, and are each getting recognition, but as members of EXO rather than individuals. Kris, who has since left EXO, is trying to make a name for himself in China, but many fans think of him as a traitor and no longer favor him.

Then, in f(x), there’s Victoria and Amber. Again, popular, and they each have many, many fans, but because they’re members of f(x) and have done promotions representing not only themselves, but also the group. But Henry is generally just Henry, except when he’s Super Junior-M’s Henry.

Okay, so Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi is popular. But he hasn’t been able to gain the solo fame to compete with Henry, who is able to appear on Korean television and be recognized immediately.

Zhang Liyin was extremely popular in the late 2000’s, but her popularity waned due to a large period of inactivity- her last single was released in 2009, and her last album was released in 2008. She is a member of SM The Ballad and is rumored to be making a comeback soon, but it’s almost impossible for her to compete with younger idols like Henry.

And then there’s Han Geng. He is probably the most famous Chinese person to ever walk through the doors of SM Entertainment. He’s an icon in China, having been picked out of hundreds of other Chinese auditions to be the first Chinese trainee at SM Entertainment, and then when he left Super Junior, he became a star in China, both as a singer and as an actor.

Unlike Kris, who has evoked fans’ fury by immediately starting a career in China, Han Geng obviously was unable to work due to his contract with SM Entertainment. He’s now considered to be a world star, and recently appeared in the latest Transformers movie.

Okay, so he’s famous. And popular. But is that successful? Many would say yes. But is he as successful as Henry who, despite the hardships he faced for being an unwanted member of Super Junior, still waited patiently for his day to shine? Personally, as someone who values patience and loyalty, I don’t really think so.

Just to make this clear: I don’t think Han Geng should have stayed at SM. The company had no idea what they were doing with a Chinese idol. But, as awful as it sounds, Han Geng cleared the way for Henry, Zhou Mi, and all other of SM’s Chinese trainees.

Henry was a hated member of one of the most popular K-Pop groups ever. To this day, fans of Super Junior don’t accept Henry as a “true” member of the group, whatever that means. But rather than accept his place, Henry has overcome the rejection and started slowly. He accepted his own personal fans, known as Strings thanks to his violin skills, and never really spoke up about how much it must have hurt for ELF to reject him and Zhou Mi.

He worked hard, appeared on variety shows, promoted as a Super Junior-M member, and practically forced the world to recognize him as a hardworking, talented performer. Only then was he able to promote alone as a solo artist, Henry.

While SM Entertainment has struggled with Chinese members, Henry is the most successful one because he’s done the impossible- he’s practically convinced the Korean audience that he’s a Korean idol. Everyone knows that he’s not, and in fact that’s part of his charm. It’s because of this, the fact that Henry has been able to endure until he reached acceptance from the very audience that originally rejected him, why I think that Henry’s the most successful.

His name is 헨리 (Henry), and he appears on a show that emulates Korean army service and people accept it, he speaks Korean fluently. He is a Korean idol not only as a member of a group but in his own right.

He may not be the most popular, and he may not be the wealthiest, but he is the most accepted Chinese K-Pop idol. And because of that, Henry Lau is the most successful Chinese person in K-Pop today.

What do you think? Are other Chinese idols more successful? Share your opinion with us! Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Let’s Discuss: f(x), Liked But Not Loved?

/in , /by

With f(x) about to release Red Light, I couldn’t help but think about the group. Just about every fan of K-Pop fan knows at least one of their songs, or at least knows the names of Krystal or Amber.

But, are you actually in love with f(x)?

Many K-Pop fans are devoted in their fan worship, often directing their love at the hottest idol group. More often than not, this means that male idol groups get a lot of love. But Girls’ Generation, 2NE1, Miss A, A Pink, After School… They all have a lot of fans, and yet f(x) seems to have people who enjoy its songs, and people who like individual members, but nobody really seems to be a fan of the group as a whole. f(x) doesn’t even have an official fanclub name. Although, to be fair, neither does EXO.

But let’s be honest. Did you pay attention to f(x) other than the fact that Amber is cool because of her tomboyish attitude, and the fact that she speaks both Mandarin and English? Were you a fan of Krystal before she was in The Heirs? How about f(x)’s debut song? (It’s LA chA Ta, by the way).

Many fans will answer, “Yes, I do know those things.” But many, many people don’t.

Check out these cool articles around the web

They don’t know that Victoria is a classical Chinese dancer, or the fact that Luna not only is a singer but also acts. Sulli, once considered the most popular member, is hardly making headlines other the fact that she is probably dating Dynamic Duo’s Choiza.

Does that mean that f(x) isn’t popular? Not really. Many fans are looking forward to Red Light, because SM Entertainment has built up an exciting set of teaser images preceding the release of the album and music video.

Because f(x) is a good group, but it’s not ever really endeared itself to the fans in a long-lasting way. The group gains popularity with each comeback, with each variety show, etc. Compared to other idols, especially SM Entertainment idol groups, f(x) is a bit lacking.

Internationally, f(x) made headlines for performing at SXSW in 2013, and filming a Funny or Die video with Anna Kendrick. But then the international interest died down a bit.

The group’s songs Electric Shock and Rum Pum Pum Pum became hits in Korea, and Krystal became a huge fan favorite thanks to her role in The Heirs. But in between promoting those things and beginning to promote Red Light, it’s not as if fans have looked out for news of their favorite idol, and been waiting impatiently for a variety show. (Except about Krystal and her sister, Girls’ Generation’s Jessica.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sulli’s dating scandal hardly compares to those involving the members of Girls’ Generation; fans barely even reacted to the news. Most Korean netizens seemed to respond more to the fact that SM Entertainment seems to be relaxing dating rules for its idols, rather than the fact that Sulli, in specific, was dating someone.

People think a lot of f(x), its members, its songs, etc., but nobody really passionately, fervently loves f(x). It is obviously a popular idol group, but it’s the music and concepts that are popular rather than the members themselves. People know f(x), and people like f(x), but the group doesn’t have the appeal that groups like Girls’ Generation, Miss A, Wonder Girls, 2NE1, KARA, etc. have had before them.

CJ E & M Poll

Of course, this is just my perception. In fact, f(x) beat out all other idol groups for global popularity in a CJ E&M survey in 2013, raking in 16.4% overall throughout the world. Shinhwa, Kim Hyun Joong, EXO, and SHINee followed after.

What do you think? Is f(x) more popular and beloved by many as a whole? Or are f(x)’s members and songs individually more endearing than the group as a whole? Be sure to share your thoughts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

Let’s Discuss: Why Does ZE:A Get So Little Love?

/in , /by

ZE:A is one of the best, most consistent idol groups out there today. The group has several amazing songs, and some duds, but since their debut in 2010, ZE:A has struggled to place in charts to reach the fans.

Even its recent song, Breathe, has gained little attention.

The group has filmed over 20 music videos since debuting, featured in countless songs. Four of the nine members: Kwanghee, Hyungsik, Siwan, and Dongjun, are pretty well known for their acting and variety skills. They’ve appeared in popular shows and movies like The Heirs, Star King, The Moon That Embraces The Sun, Real Men, We Got Married, To The Beautiful You, and A Company Man.

With individual members so popular and the group so prolific and talented, it’s always bothered me why ZE:A isn’t more well received. This past April, the group was ranked as having the 33rd largest fanclub in South Korea; that’s no small feat when there are so many idol groups. YG’s upcoming boy group, WINNER, ranked #26.

This could be a simple matter of larger companies filling up the idol scene and promoting their members better than a smaller company like ZE:A’s, but that’s not the case. Star Empire Entertainment was founded in 2000 and produced not only ZE:A and Nine Muses, but also popular groups Jewelry and V.O.S.

The group is popular enough to rank on the idol fanclub chart (it’s harder than it seems – JYJ, Secret, and SISTAR were at the bottom of the list, despite their popularity). People know the names of some of the members. Several of their albums ranked within the top ten charts, but the group has never won an award on one of the music shows like Inkigayo. They’ve debuted in Japan pretty successfully and have unit groups, but ZE:A still struggles.

So what’s going on?

 

Related articles across the web

I’ve also thought about it as the group doing too much, without being exceptional in any single way.

The group’s debut song, Mazeltov, was okay. That’s me being extremely nice — I rewatched it and thought that it was a bit of a mess. But the group made up for it with the follow up track, All Day Long. Songs like Here I Am, Heart For 2, Aftereffect, Phoenix, Step By Step, and my personal favorite, The Ghost of the Wind, have proved that the group can create great, catchy songs.

But not charttoppers.

Popular, but never popular enough. That seems to be ZE:A’s “claim to fame.”

The popular members are popular, but not popular enough to bring ZE:A into the spotlight as a group. The songs are good, but never can compete to be number one. The company is a good one, but doesn’t have the ability to promote ZE:A as much as a bigger company would be able to.

The group tries extremely hard, but it’s like ZE:A is climbing a never-ending staircase. ZE:A’s almost reached the top, but when it pauses for a moment or two to catch it’s breath, another idol group comes out with something that slips ZE:A up.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be changing. Every time a new ZE:A song comes out, I, and other ZE:A fans, get excited. Ghost of the Wind really should have been “the” song for ZE:A. But it wasn’t, primarily thanks to too much competition – EXO, B.A.P, f(X), and BEAST were all promoting at the time of Ghost Of The Wind’s release.

Based on the fact that it hasn’t happened in four years, it’s unlikely that ZE:A will produce a song that gains enough attention. The songs are catchy, the vocals are good, but they seem to be missing that special thing that makes certain releases from less popular idol groups shoot to popularity.

Considering this, it’s sad that ZE:A’s debut song wasn’t all that great – some groups debut with such a great concept that fans can’t help but pay attention, like B.A.P. Groups like VIXX and INFINITE debuted with strong songs, and then gained momentum to propel them to become current front-runners of K-POP.

But ZE:A’s first song was, as I said, less than exciting, and the group has been around for so long that people know that they’re there, but just don’t really care.

It must be incredibly hard for ZE:A to work so hard day after day, knowing that there will always be more groups to compete with. ZE:A lost it’s chance for a solid debut back in 2010, and it seems that no matter how hard the group tries, it all seems futile.

Rather than saying the flooded idol market or something like lack of talent or a small company is to blame for ZE:A’s failure to gain attention, I think that apathy is ZE:A’s biggest enemy.

We know it, but we don’t love ZE:A. We listen to the songs, watch them entertain us, but there’s no real connection. Something’s missing in the relationship between ZE:A and fans, and until the group does something to change that, it will always lag behind other, newer, K-Pop acts.

Hopefully something will happen that will propel ZE:A into the spotlight that they deserve, or at least allow people to acknowledge the talented, hard-working  group.

What are your thoughts on ZE:A’s lack of popularity? Subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.