“I Want to Last Longer Than I Want to Win No. 1”…K-POP Idols’ Goals Have Changed [HT Focus]

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] There is a question that never fails to come up at K-POP artists’ comeback showcases. “What is your goal for this comeback?” That question is often followed by another asking about numerical achievements in particular. During this spring comeback battle, the answers to that question stood out for sharing a noticeably similar tone.

DAY6’s WONPIL said in an interview commemorating the release of his 1st mini album, “I hope this album can hold on to listeners, even just a little, when they feel like giving up in life after listening to it.” TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s TAEHYUN said at the showcase for the release of the group’s 8th mini album, “Numerical things are very, very important, but what I thought while talking with the members this time was that doing this healthily and happily, and having a happy process rather than just results, is so important.” aespa’s KARINA said at the press conference for the release of the group’s 2nd full-length album, “It would be great if it does as well as, or even better than, our 1st full-length album, but I hope many people gain energy from our songs. That is our ultimate goal.” MONSTA X’s HYUNGWON said, “Rather than chasing results and money, I think that if those two chase me, I will be swallowed by them, so I think I should not be too attached and should walk my own path,” while SHOWNU said, “The standards for what counts as good results and bad results have become vague. I think what matters more is being able to promote for a long time and having opportunities to stay together with fans even as time passes.” EPEX’s BAEKSENG also said, “Of course, it would be good to set big goals in terms of results, and we would like to do that, but we think moving forward at our own pace is the best result.”

These answers should not be read simply as humble rhetoric. There is a background that has made it possible for such remarks to emerge. K-POP’s history has grown longer. TVXQ marks its 23rd debut anniversary this year, Super Junior its 21st, BIGBANG its 20th, and SHINee its 18th. Actual precedents have accumulated of artists continuing active careers even more than 20 years after debut. The nature of fandoms has also changed. Rather than briefly liking idols during their young and vibrant years and then leaving, relationships have formed in which fans grow older together with artists and deepen their bond. Phrases like “let’s see each other for a long time” and “let’s last long” are no longer vague hopes, but paths that are realistically possible. Idols of the current generation are living in an era where they can sincerely say, “I want to be together even 10 years from now.”

That does not mean numbers have lost their meaning. Initial chodong sales, meaning album sales during the first week immediately after release, remain a valid indicator, and chart performance shows an artist’s current position. What has changed is not that the standard for success has disappeared, but that it has diversified. There are now cases where songs receive belated attention through reverse runs, or B-side tracks go viral on short-form platforms and lead to music show performances. As the possibility of long runs that could break through at any moment has become visible, forms of success beyond short-term numbers have also come into view. CRAVITY’s HYEONGJUN saying, “Rather than saying we will win No. 1, I think we should work hard to become singers who deserve that,” and NCT WISH’s YUSHI saying, “Meeting many Czennies, the nickname for our fandom, and showing more good sides of ourselves are on our wish list,” should also be read within this context.

Idols who do not answer with numbers when asked about numbers. Within that is not a strategy, but a new blueprint created as the industry called K-POP has matured.

grace@hanteo.com