For over two decades, K-pop operated as a hyper-engineered marvel of the global music industry. It promised—and delivered—the ultimate pop package: flawless, synced choreography, powerhouse vocals, and cinematic concepts executed by individuals who trained for years just to earn a spot on a stage. But something strange has been happening since the 2020s, and it’s what I’d like to call the decline in standards of K-pop, both in idols as well as the creative output of idols. Whether it’s the death of live vocals and the “Live AR” illusion, or the trend chasing that leaves us with groups that have no identity anymore, I’d like to share my two cents on this topic.

Long gone seem the days where you could only debut because you were a great singer or performer, or music had its experimental, distinctly Korean edge. Agencies have realized they do not need to produce flawless musical art to turn a massive profit. Instead, they rely on hyper-intense consumer exploitation. Now it’s enough if you come from a rich or famous background to make a splash, nepotism is not only a problem in Hollywood.
K-pop has always been about visuals, I don’t deny that, but at this point it’s a requirement to get plastic surgery to be allowed to debut. You’re pretty, but you could be just a little bit prettier if we fix the bump on the nose, straighten those slightly crooked teeth, maybe make the eyes just a little bigger and that jaw a little slimmer. Oh, and don’t get me started on the bone skinny figures 99% of the idols are now sporting (male and female), because God forbid you have muscles. Looksmaxxing has never been more boring. Who needs individuality anyway? Does it sell? No? Then don’t bother.

But my biggest problem is and will always be the music. The K-pop genre has many concepts to offer, with groups that go for hip-hop/urban sounds, or more bubblegum pop, could go heavy on the indie-rock aesthetic, maybe full on electronic dance music, or maybe all of the above depending on the season. But since TikTok has become a deciding factor whether a song becomes a hit, every company is trend chasing and releasing 2 minute ~~long~~ short songs to fit in someone’s algorithm, and we’re paying the price for it by losing innovative music. If you curate an idol group to appeal to everyone, they will appeal to no one.

I don’t expect 16 year old idols to make music for someone in their 30s, but the pop genre can’t afford to lose listeners in their 30s either - the age demographic is rapidly changing, meaning we have less and less young people. So who should these companies be making music for, 1 million teenagers or 50 million adults who are into pop? We need a good mix that caters to everyone, while the West manages to do that, the Korean pop scene can’t be bothered anymore, and it’s never been more obvious than now. They will debut only young kids who can’t hold a note, because no one taught them how, just to make them release another NewJeans or BlackPink reject song and expect the public to be into it, since the music videos look pretty and the machine behind these groups does the heavy lifting in terms of promotion. But it’s just not enough to be a good copy and chase after trends that change every week. Where are the songwriters who make iconic hits that people listen to 10 years from now, and why are they not getting hired by even big companies who can afford them?

Why is SM not capable of giving RIIZE and H2H a distinct sound like they did with their older groups? Why is JYP debuting groups with some of the laziest concepts and boring music out there? Why is YG so incredibly outdated? Why is HYBE releasing a million groups who all end up sounding the same because they always use the same formula, and no one stands out (maybe being exchangeable is the whole point)? Because they definitely could if they tried. It’s because of the decline in standards of K-pop fans.

Yes, fans are as much to blame for this decline as companies and idols themselves. Why are you all gagging on the bare minimum? Why do you tolerate idols lipsyncing in their own concerts? Why are you forcing yourself to like and hype up absolute garbage music? I know parasocial freaks will worship idols no matter what (even when they commit crimes) but why do I have to censor my own opinions because you can’t handle me saying, BTS released their worst albums yet?

I remember when everyone blasted BTS, BlackPink and TWICE for their bad vocals, and yet, they became the top groups of 3rd gen and companies took notice. It all went downhill from there, because you showed these agencies that you don’t give a shit about talent as long as the packaging is good enough, and that’s all we’re getting now. Pretty packaging of the same candy, over and over again, until the flavor changes and we rinse and repeat the process. I’m not saying those groups didn’t also release some amazing songs though, I especially enjoyed most of TWICE’s discography, but I can’t deny that they only have two capable singers out of nine people. And those groups have outgrown their idol personas, they want to branch out of the rigid idol music system, but sometimes the money is too good to say fuck it. And even worse, if they do decide to switch things up or leave, companies just release a new group to replace them (sometimes more successful than other times).

No, that’s not new, once Fin.K.L became popular everyone wanted a Fin.K.L, once BigBang and SNSD became big, everyone copied their style and concept, the hundreds of BlackPink copycats, who were basically 2NE1 2.0 to begin with. Same thing happened in the West, everyone wanted their own Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys, until no one wanted the slop anymore. But K-pop doesn’t seem to have learned that lesson yet.
Then ADOR’s NewJeans, who was a breath of fresh air, did irreparable damage thanks to debuting barely talented underage kids with funky Y2K music, and they blew up thanks to the insane marketing of HYBE. Four years later HYBE, much like YG, still tries to recreate that magic from 2022, but thunder doesn’t strike twice. So they switched it up to brainrot music for Katseye and Cortis, and fans gobble that shit up. It has gotten to the point where I say, K-pop fans deserve the bare minimum because y'all have no taste in music anyway. What’s the point of releasing incredible songs, training boys and girls for five years so they don’t have to rely on lipsyncing, and spending a lot of time and money on A&R when all you need is a good packaging of some sweet candy with the flavor of the month. But then I remember that I’m a K-pop fan too and damn it, I deserve better, and so do the kids who now grow up with no standards.

To end this on a somewhat positive note I would need to be convinced that things will get better, but I have no hope for that. The only way companies will change their ways is when you hit them where it hurts, their pockets. Stop spending so much money on the bare minimum (maybe that’s already happening with the overall decline of K-pop). But even lazy AI music videos don’t stop you guys from glazing. And company stans are a real thing, you don’t even care what kind of group debuts, as long as it’s from your favorite company you eat it up, just like Le Sserafim told you to.
If the industry continues to cut corners—treating talent as an afterthought while prioritizing rapid corporate expansion—it risks losing the very competitive edge that made it a global phenomenon. So what I’m really craving are groups bursting with talent, songwriters who are not limited to chasing TT trends, and companies doing their job and giving their groups distinct concepts. I know they can do it, aespa, NMIXX, NewJeans before the chaos, and other 1st, 2nd, 3rd gen groups prove it.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

The K-POP Gossip

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