By 2024.2.12
The KPOP album bubble mentioned in the previous #4 is nearing its end or not.
In short, based on the numbers of groups that made their comebacks as of February, it is hard to say that it has ended.
This year, three well-known girl groups made their comebacks in January: ITZY, NMIXX, and (G)-IDLE.
Among these, only (G)-IDLE has managed to update its personal record for album sales.
ITZY’s sales fell significantly from 820,000 copies for their last release to about 320,000 copies this time, while NMIXX’s sales dropped from 1,030,000 copies to about 620,000 copies.
This may give the impression that the KPOP album bubble has burst, but (G)-IDLE’s sales increased significantly from 670,000 copies for their previous release to 1,160,000 copies for this one, achieving their first million-selling debut.
In other words, 2024 is likely to see an even more pronounced difference between top groups and others compared to 2023.
Currently, the top five KPOP girl groups are considered to be NewJeans, IVE, aespa, LESSERAFIM, and (G)-IDLE.
These groups not only achieved first-week million sales but also have very strong performance on music charts.
In KPOP, album sales indicate niche popularity, while streaming charts represent mainstream popularity.
In today’s age, only hardcore fans buy CDs; the general public tends to listen via subscriptions or downloads.
Thus, just because a CD sells well doesn’t necessarily mean that the song is widely recognized by the public.
If we think about it in the context of Japan, it’s easy to see that while AKB48 is still selling a massive number of CDs,
they are not producing hits with the same level of notoriety as their peak songs “Heavy Rotation” and “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” anymore.
On the other hand, artists like Ado and YOASOBI may not sell as many CDs as AKB48, but their recognition among the general public is remarkable.
Describing the top five KPOP girl groups earlier as having AKB-like CD sales and Ado and YOASOBI-like song recognition makes it easy to visualize just how impressive that is.
In conclusion, while the top five groups are likely to continue their album bubble and produce numerous million sellers in 2024, the author believes other groups will return to more normal figures.
Boys’ groups are expected to follow a similar trend, with top groups also likely to produce million sellers.
As mentioned previously, fans are undoubtedly feeling exhausted.
Nonetheless, fandoms capable of buying large quantities of CDs for their favorite idols will definitely persist this year.
In the past month, I’ve come to realize that.
The author’s call for a “break” was met with ridicule from fans of top groups.
(G)-IDLE’s fans stepped up and showed me that “We will go as far as we can!”
With that said, I have nothing left to say and will simply watch their movements.
“It’s going to be a fierce battle this year, fighting!”
So, I want to send my small cheers to them.
Lastly, I want to introduce three groups that might break into the top five girl groups in 2024.
First, there is the girl group BABYMONSTER, which is a seven-member group including two Japanese members, making its debut after seven years since BLACKPINK by YG Entertainment.
While they haven’t made their CD debut yet, their digital single “BATTER UP,” released last November, has already surpassed 200 million views on its MV, and given that the girl group scene was thought to be over since the rise of NewJeans, their emergence could spark a resurgence.
They are set to release their 1st album on April 1, and I’m excited to see how their performance will grow.
The second group is another one that might trigger a resurgence in girl groups.
Produced by TEDDY, the producer of BLACKPINK, The Black Label has announced plans to debut a girl group in the first half of this year.
THE BLACK LABEL、新人ガールズグループが今年上半期にデビューへ！練習生の写真が話題に – Kstyle
Although BABYMONSTER is under YG, TEDDY is not involved in their production.
This suggests that the new group produced by TEDDY at The Black Label might truly be the rightful successor to BLACKPINK.
Lastly, the third group will debut from the audition show “I-LAND2,” which will air on Mnet starting in April.
This is the female version of “I-LAND,” which produced ENHYPEN, and the participation of TEDDY as a master producer has been announced.
THE BLACK LABEL代表TEDDY、「I-LAND 2」マスタープロデューサーに
In other words, in 2024, a year after BLACKPINK’s activity has settled down, three girl groups that could be potential successors to BLACKPINK are set to debut in rapid succession.
Will it be BABYMONSTER from YG, or the two unknown groups produced by TEDDY?
2024 is poised to be the year of the resurgence of girl groups.
Whether this prediction comes true or not,
Only the KPOP gods know the answer.
The end
Written by: Nekomachiko
Team Leader of SKOOTA KPOP Division
Originally a fan of Western rock music, I even considered working for Rockin’ On at one point due to my deep interest in music. I began listening to KPOP because of BTS, later became hooked on BLACKPINK, and found myself immersed in the KPOP scene. After becoming a serious fan of Kep1er, who debuted from the survival audition show “Girls Planet 999” (commonly known as GaruPura), I fully plunged into the KPOP world.
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