By 2024/11/07
This autumn has been intense. This isn’t a comment on temperature.
Of course, the temperatures were unusually hot for autumn, but what was even hotter was the KPOP phenomenon that everyone is aware of.
Especially during October’s comeback fest—no, let’s call it the comeback wars—it’s easy to imagine that every KPOP fan’s blood was boiling and their hearts racing.
Here’s a summary of the major comebacks in October.
October 4
LISA (BLACKPINK)
October 9
KARINA, NING NING, WINTER, GISELLE (aespa solo songs)
October 11
JENNIE (BLACKPINK)
October 14
SEVENTEEN
October 15
KISS OF LIFE
ITZY
October 18
ROSE (BLACKPINK) & Bruno Mars
October 21
aespa
ILLIT
October 23
tripiesS Visionary Vision
October 28
THE BOYZ
October 30
STAYC
October 31
G-DRAGON (BIGBANG)
As you can see, a number of popular groups and solo songs from group members came back in October.
The author has three points of interest regarding this.
First, it’s noteworthy that three out of the four BLACKPINK members made their comebacks around the same time.
Does this usually happen?
Even though BLACKPINK has a large fandom, it creates a situation where they compete for sales, which likely results in more disadvantages than advantages.
Typically, staggering the timing of their comebacks a little would work out positively for sales.
So why did this happen?
This is because while BLACKPINK as a group has extended their contract with YG Entertainment, all four members have left YG and are now with different agencies.
So it’s likely that Jennie, Lisa, and Rose were just as surprised as we, the fans, were, and their respective agency representatives thought, “You could have at least given us a heads up.”
Second, there was the simultaneous comeback of aespa and ILLIT on October 21.
This direct showdown garnered intense attention from fans of both groups as well as the general public, regarded as a peak battle among current KPOP girl groups.
ILLIT’s debut song “Magnetic,” released last March, became a massive hit worldwide.
It achieved a “Perfect All Kill” by ranking number one simultaneously on all major music charts in Korea, and became the first KPOP debut song to enter the Billboard Main Chart “HOT 100,” remaining charted for an impressive 22 consecutive weeks.
Aespa also saw great success with their May release “Supernova.”
Aespa achieved a “Perfect All Kill,” and even set a new record for the longest consecutive weeks at number one on major Korean music platform Melon, surpassing NewJeans’ previous record of 14 weeks with “Ditto.” Their album featuring “Supernova,” titled “Armageddon,” sold 1.15 million copies in its first week, marking their fourth consecutive million-seller.
Given these impressive factors, the battle between aespa, the queens of the fourth-generation girl groups, and ILLIT, the queens of the fifth-generation girl groups, was anticipated to be a defining moment.
Fans were eagerly watching to see which of aespa’s new song “Whiplash” or ILLIT’s new song “Cherish (My Love)” would take the top spot on the charts.
Finally, the last focal point is: who would emerge as the victor of this autumn comeback battle?
When the dust settled, it turned out to be neither aespa nor ILLIT.
So, who was it?
It was none other than… Rose.
Rose from BLACKPINK, who is still only 27, collaborated with Bruno Mars on the song “APT.” and is currently taking the global music scene by storm.
The song has become such a phenomenon that it transcends the boundaries of KPOP, captivating audiences worldwide.
The music video surpassed 260 million views just two weeks after its release, achieving a “Perfect All Kill” in South Korea.
On Spotify, it topped both the global and US charts.
In the UK singles chart, it recorded the highest position for a KPOP female artist at number two.
Furthermore, it dominated iTunes charts in 40 countries and regions.
While the collaboration with global artist Bruno Mars has likely influenced this immense success, it’s clear that the addictive nature of the song “APT.” is a key factor behind its overwhelming reception.
This track, inspired by the popular Korean drinking game “apartment game,” features the catchy phrase “Apaat, apaat,” which once heard, lingers in your ears, making you want to listen again—truly, it’s drug-like music.
Proof of its addictive nature is evident in South Korea, where it has been designated as a banned song for students taking entrance exams due to its potential to distract them.
In Malaysia, the public health bureau even issued a statement expressing concern over parts of the lyrics, stating they depict “the normalization of actions that contradict Eastern cultural values,” warning about the impact on younger audiences.
In any case, Rose has undoubtedly emerged as the ruler of KPOP this autumn of 2024, creating a whirlwind with “APT.” globally.
Indeed, it might not be an exaggeration to say she’s the reigning champion of the autumn music scene, not just in KPOP but worldwide.
While writing this, the author also found themselves wanting to listen to “APT.”
So now, I’m off to indulge in “APT.” and will wrap up here.
The end.
Nekomo Peco
SKOOTA KPOP Department Leader
Originally a rock music enthusiast, the author once considered working at Rockin’On. They started listening to KPOP after being introduced to BTS, then became a fan of BLACKPINK, gradually immersing themselves in the KPOP world. They became deeply invested in the survival audition program ‘Girls Planet 999,’ leading to their commitment as a fan of Kep1er, ultimately diving fully into KPOP.
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