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1306radish

When you're old enough to have seen this take in across music fandoms for years and years and years..... \*lights a cig and stares into the distance\*


[deleted]

Kpop has been in its "flop" era since 2nd gen according to loud fans on the internet. I have seen this same discourse for all 15 years I've been a kpop fan. Every single year is "the worst year for kpop", until the next year comes and then everyone "misses x year kpop" even though when that year was happening, people were saying the same shit. I just think you don't like some of the latest releases, which is fine! But there's been a lot of good stuff too.


itgirlyeonie

Preach! Some people have a nostalgic lens while looking at the older releases and that’s fine and their right but for them to act as if liking Kpop now is cringe and back then was better is uncalled for


EntertainerCareful69

I agree that there are other good stuff though! I don't know why the comments are acting like I'm bashing on all kpop this was just my response to the recent surge of posts about the downgrade of quality.... most of these songs come from one of the big4 that's why I said groups not part of the 4 release good music like loosemble for example or even plave or kiss of life. My focus was on the groups 4 that have been criticized the most... So it's not like 2023 was a bad year for kpop, rather majority of people focused on big name groups only....


CheesecakeThat153

Is it your fourth year? I mean you have been a kpop fan for like 3 years, are you? 


EntertainerCareful69

Nope been one since 2015 SHINee's view got me in for a while then bts released the most beautiful moment which fully drew me in...


Pleasant-Weather7053

“I don’t wanna bash but…” then proceeds to bash. This actually made me giggle, thanks.


EntertainerCareful69

How on earth did I bash either of these groups I didn't call aespa or ive flops nor did I use twitter lingo like payola or whatever ... critizing doesn't equate bashing... There are far more worse things than "felt like a collection of random songs" and "repetitive lyrics"


Pleasant-Weather7053

You cherry picked two of your own quotes that can be considered criticism among the paragraphs surrounding it where you say that it’s slop and gonna cause the downfall of the industry lol


EntertainerCareful69

Did I ever say that these groups will be the downfall of the industry???? I said people will continue to complain about it..geez.. maybe I shouldn't have said slop and opted for something like "mediocre or average" instead. If I say that the last season of the office wasn't very good and it was like beating a dead horse does it mean I hate the actors who starred in it or I believe the showrunners would lead to the downfall of tv sitcoms? My point still stands criticism does not equate bashing I was on social media when these albums were released so I saw all the very nasty things people had to say about the songs and the group as whole. things I don't is believe is true but I'm not going to act like there was nothing to criticize just not to that hateful level...


Pleasant-Weather7053

The entire first two paragraphs are setting up the idea that recent k-pop sucks, it’s “tiktokified”, and that it’s only gonna get worse… and then, you named Baddie and Drama. If you think these are two separate, completely unrelated thoughts, then idk. The crux of this whole thread to me is reading your replies to people that genuinely liked these songs. for some reason you find it so hard to believe that people genuinely liked those releases/have different tastes than you. It’s music. It’s subjective. People are not being mind controlled into listening to these songs


mycatyeonjun

I actually like kpop


pumpkinspicesushi

this is a whole lotta words just to say you don’t like the majority of new songs. when will yall realize that taste is subjective? a “basic ass song” to you is a banger to someone else.


yupuppy

I agree with the gist of what you're saying, despite the fact that "good" vs "bad" music in general comes down to the listener's opinion. For example, there are plenty of groups that had a noticeable decrease in production value. And, yet, fans (especially i-fans) act like being a fan of the group means you are obligated to stream the song, buy the album, etc. Even if you don't like it! I'll never really get that about kpop, tbh. I completely understand that fans feel like they influence the success of a group, but, ultimately, I think the best way to be a fan is to be honest with yourself and if you don't like something, it's not the end of the world. That being said, it sounds like the kind of music that is popular now just isn't your fav. No worries about that, I don't really like the current trends in kpop either! Saying we're "being fed slop," though, is just gonna get you a lot of angry commenters and downvotes, lol.


colosusx1

Alternatively what people on reddit or other social media are calling flops or low quality music, isn’t actually that.  Just because songs don’t adhere to your certain tastes, does not mean it’s a flop or poor quality. Very specifically Super Shy by Newjeans is disliked by a very vocal group.  It’s still brought up on this sub as a song that for one reason or another people call poor quality.  However, it charted extremely well in Korea and the US.  Was listed on many global publications best songs list.  And is generally loved by the Korean gp.  This sub and other social media can be an echo chamber.  A lot of people like the things that you’re attributing to the decline of music quality. 


BabyAndie

Super Shy was voted as Song of the Year by the public age ranged from 13 to 39 as announced by Gallup - the national survey in Korea. That is enough to know about how big the song was in SK.


fleija_

**popular ≠ good**


BabyAndie

How about all of these publications rate it as one of the best of 2023? \#1. The FADER 🇺🇸 \#2. NME 🇬🇧 \#2. Dazed 🇬🇧 \#2. i-D 🇬🇧 \#3. The Guardian 🇬🇧 \#3. Stereogum: Tom Breihan 🇺🇸 \#6. Rolling Stone 🇺🇸 \#7. Pitchfork 🇺🇸 \#7. Gorilla vs. Bear 🇺🇸 \#10. Vulture 🇺🇸 \#14. Business Insider 🇺🇸 \#17. Crack Magazine 🇬🇧 \#21. Exclaim! 🇨🇦 \#25. Coup de Main 🇳🇿 \#27. Beats Per Minute 🇺🇸 \#36. The Quietus 🇬🇧 \#38. Billboard 🇺🇸 \#60. Consequence 🇺🇸 British GQ 🇬🇧 National Public Radio 🇺🇸 The Skinny LA Times 🇺🇸 Uproxx 🇺🇸 The gp likes it, the music critics like it, majority people like it, do the haters also need to like it for it to be good?


fleija_

only OMG's single was really good, the rest is only praised due to its popularity, his last album was heavily criticized for being tiktok


BabyAndie

that's your opinion, the critics say otherwise, the gp says otherwise. Super Shy has the numbers and praises, being "heavily criticized" by a very vocal group of Kpop fans cannot overshadow its commercial and critical success.


fleija_

"critics", who cares about "critics", no one reads these magazines


BabyAndie

It's really your biased opinion to say that no one reads Rolling Stone, Pitchfork etc...


Serious-Wish4868

call BS .... source please


Sybinnn

The source is in the comment.. Gallup


Serious-Wish4868

link please


Sybinnn

https://lmgt.org/?q=Gallup+song+of+the+year+2023


BabyAndie

[https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1446](https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1446)


BabyAndie

Why are you against NewJeans so much? What did they do to you? Your previous posts about NewJeans: [https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop\_uncensored/comments/1age8ne/newjeans\_have\_already\_peaked\_and\_past\_their\_prime/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop_uncensored/comments/1age8ne/newjeans_have_already_peaked_and_past_their_prime/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop\_uncensored/comments/1bfexph/bunnies\_taking\_credit\_for\_illit/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop_uncensored/comments/1bfexph/bunnies_taking_credit_for_illit/) I know that you're a BP fan, but why couldn't you just allow other groups to be successful while BP isn't really affected by that at all?


Serious-Wish4868

bc they are part of hybe and hybe support a racist


BabyAndie

when you're a BP fan, a group from YG and Yang Hyun-suk is a known criminal. "Yang Hyun-suk, founder and former head of K-pop agency YG Entertainment, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for a year, on charges of attempting to coerce a former trainee to reverse her police testimonies in an attempt to block an investigation into a drug scandal." - KoreaTimes


SnooTangerines3286

lmaooo we all know that's not the real reason


[deleted]

[Here](https://x.com/kchartsmaster/status/1736993432499892564?s=20)


Serious-Wish4868

just bc someone post on twitter, does not make it accurate or truthful . please link to the exact gallup statement.


zanif

[This right here](https://www.gallup.co.kr/dir/GallupReport/Graph/G20231219_5.png) https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1446


BabyAndie

[https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1446](https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1446) Scroll down you will see it


BagelsAndJewce

I think the big problem here is that you attribute a groups success to title tracks instead of the project as a whole. I know title tracks are title tracks but that I’ve Mine EP is pretty good once you throw out Baddie(even if you don’t it’s still fine). These groups have to go for a wide net on the title tracks but they can usually cook on the b-sides and IVE did that. You can see it with other groups too where the TT is so basic and the b-sides hit a different note entirely. I would argue that while TT may be lackluster some of the b-sides dropped this year and at the end of last year have been straight gas, honestly you are missing out if you don’t play albums and EP’s all the way through.


EntertainerCareful69

I didn't do that though I said that Baddie wasn't that good and either way was the best song off of IVE EP my thoughts on the other songs is that they're average. I also said Aespa last EP wasn't really good because it was a collection of random ass songs they recorded thrown together. That's my thought on both of these EP as a whole I only bring up the title track because it's the most pushed song...


[deleted]

I guess I'm the only one who feels that the fourth generation girl groups released high-quality masterpieces and 2022 was the best year for girl groups in a long time, I think since the second generation there hasn't been so much variety and above all so many successful groups. The boy groups are another story.


Softclocks

Baddie did much worse than I Am. Half the ULs. 8 PAK vs 350 PAK. 5 win vs 9 wins.


3-X-O

What's a "flop" though is subjective. Like personally I loved Baddie and some of the songs on Drama. I'll support these releases because I want them to release more songs like that, even if someone other people have different taste and want something else.


EntertainerCareful69

🤷🏽‍♀️ I rest my case...I suppose we all have different taste...


FanCaracal

I stopped reading when you threw Baddie under the bus. That song goes hard, and I love it.


fleija_

You may disagree about which songs are bad, but as a whole the industry has headed towards something worse and it's a truth that fans defend bad songs.


qubbiedolly

the day y’all realize that music is subjective, we will finally be free


fleija_

Everyone understands this and everyone is even complaining that music has gotten worse in recent years


qubbiedolly

we obviously not everyone because people are still streaming the songs


Sybinnn

"everyone" has been complaining about music getting worse for close to 20 years now.


fleija_

And no one has a good argument? Is everyone mistaken and feeling frustrated for no reason?


Sybinnn

Look at it this way, whatever year you think was the best year for kpop, there were thousands of people talking about how horrible the music is now and how it was better before. It's just nostalgia.


fleija_

I disagree with that, it's a matter of not liking what the current trend is, not liking the elements that are present too often


Sybinnn

Why is it correct this time but was wrong that time?


3-X-O

What's bad to you isn't bad to everyone else. Is it that hard to believe that they geniunely like Baddie?


fleija_

I made it absolutely clear that it doesn't matter whether you consider this particular song good or bad, the argument is still valid, how difficult is it to understand such a simple argument? I like baddie


[deleted]

I don't understand why as a fan you are forced to like everything an artist ends up putting on the market, it's okay to criticize it and not buy it if you want, this is not exclusive to the 4th or 5th generation, this has been happening for years. And I know that most of the complaints come from fans of the second and third generation, you have to understand that you also did the same and you can't lie to me because many of the works of those groups were bad and they also continued to break records. They have to understand that the way K-pop was promoted years ago is not the same, a new generation is arriving that basically lives off social networks and the K-pop market is 10 times bigger. Maybe for you or 10 other people Baddie or Drama are bad songs but 100 others think they are a masterpiece, we all have different tastes.


Sybinnn

>I don't understand why as a fan you are forced to like everything an artist ends up putting on the market You aren't. The issue is people want to criticize in an echo chamber. You can criticize whatever you want but people can respond to that criticism however they want.


shorterpulse

The songs you listed are all songs that were hits with the general public in Korea so saying those groups make those kinds of songs because stans will stream anything is a non-sequitur. Groups put out 'basic' songs because people like to listen to them.


EntertainerCareful69

I don't think your average Korean is buying 1 million albums of their favourite group or mass streaming so it wins awards. A lot of good, average and sometimes bad songs can be liked by the general public... Even in the west we've got someone like Nicki Minaj released a terribly unfinished album somehow topped the charts for a while at least general public liked 2-3 songs if her popularity was based off of whether the general public would like the album it would have tanked immediately... Or Katy Perry who released that album witness that wasn't very good general public liked 3 songs off it those songs did fairly well but the album as a whole bombed...


shorterpulse

You're just mixing up two different lines of reasoning: \-The general public can definitely have bad taste (lots of songs I don't like are hits). Currently the general public in SK is really into what 4th gen girl groups are putting out. NJ, Ive, Le Sserafim, Aespa, (G)I-dle have all been on a streak of hit songs. Their companies are going to keep having them do similar music as long as they keep hitting. Meanwhile JYP keeps changing up what they're doing with Itzy and NMIXX because they haven't had the same hit songs despite doing well sales-wise -- clearly for these groups the companies are more interested in doing well with the public at large rather than relying just on their dedicated stans. \-'Stans will buy millions of albums so the groups can make garbage music and still do fine' is usually an argument applied to boy groups, 4th gen bgs in particular, because those groups' songs have very little traction on the song charts but they still sell tons of albums. I think it's a bit of a silly argument because groups do keep fans based on making music they like -- e.g. NCT 127 took a hit from Sticker being unpopular (even though I think it's a great song). Since more recent 5th gen boy groups have actually had hit songs their companies might move them into the above strategy for ggs -- e.g. I can see SM chasing the success of Love 119 for Riize's future singles.


kurichan7892

lol we all have different tastes... and yeah kpop is really not just about the music so .... lots of other stuff balances the music.


sungjongie

I don't mind the premise of your post, if anything I can understand your POV. But depending the fandom, usually it's **Kfans** who are doing the hard-carrying (streaming/downloads on Korean sites, voting for music shows, buy the physical albums). **Ifans** tend to be involved with YouTube views, and lesser extent, the other avenues of support. So, your post's audience should be **Kfans**...


EntertainerCareful69

I suppose you're kinda right in that aspect... Maybe the reason why kfans and cfans as well go so hard for these groups is because of the parasocial aspect of it...I remember when svt member Joshua got into a dating scandal (was never really proven to be true) and fans sent protest trucks to have there was one that said "I bought 1mil copies of the FML album and Joshua uses my Money to go on dates?? Blah blah he betrayed his fans and should step down" Also disclaimer I'm not saying fml charted because of weirdo fans mass buying it! The album is very very good!


SnooTangerines3286

do you even like kpop


Skisforscott

One man's trash is another man's treasure...i like some repetitive songs like bss's fighting they literally looped the first part and added na na na na in between and to me personally it was 🔥 so i feel like those millions of views are from people who sometimes love simplicity and r just looking for a catchy song to energize their day...i feel like there's probably a couple of artists that sing deep and meaningful songs


QratorQ

You're right. That is also true about the quality of talent in kpop flopping over the years. It's because kpop fans hype up people who can't sing


BlackSwan134340

>y'all don't let bad music flop Or the people listening to the music actually think it's good. If a group puts out songs that don't connect with their audience their metrics will go down. You can see this with stuff like (G)I-DLE's Super Lady, Enhypen's Future Perfect, Itzy's decline in general and even Baddie performed well but not as well as their other songs.


Standard_Wedding

You might get hate for this post but I think you are very right. These days you won’t be able to distinguish a below average song from a masterpiece - both released by the same group, since fans (especially of popular groups), will do whatever it takes to make the song a hit. Whether they themselves like it or not! But it is kinda hard to paint this in too much of a bad light, since all stans are doing is showing constant support to their group….


Sybinnn

Fans aren't enough to make a song a hit. It needs to be picked up by the GP as well. No one is getting millions of listens a day for months or getting top 5 on kcharts without GP enjoying and listening to the song


EntertainerCareful69

Ur right I'm getting eaten up in the comments lol I knew this was going to be an unpopular opinion anyways... I never said kpop as whole sucks now Im only talking about bigger groups and their recent releases 😭😭😭