Edited by Yoon
Translated by Hana Lee
If you like K-pop, you’ve probably heard the term ‘seven-year curse,’ which always comes up when a K-pop group disbands or goes on an indefinite hiatus after several years in the music industry. Lovelyz, GFRIEND and DIA are good examples of those who could not survive the seven-year curse and went their separate ways. The reason behind those unfortunate partings lies in a simple fact: the recommended period of the standard exclusive contract for entertainment companies is seven years. Being popular is one thing, but having a goal and constant communication with members is another. Likewise, becoming a survivor in the K-pop industry takes a lot of luck and hard work.
Here, we rounded up the K-pop groups that made it past their 7th year.
Highlight – DAYDREAM
Highlight is one of the groups that took an unprecedented path in the K-pop scene. The group initially went by the name Beast under Cube Entertainment but later changed their name due to the termination of their contract with the label. With two members leaving the group, the rest of the members transferred to a new agency and re-debuted as a group called Highlight. Recently, three GFRIEND members followed the footsteps of Highlight and re-debuted as VIVIZ. Highlight is currently promoting as a four-member group after Jang Hyun Seung and Yong Jun Hyung left the team. The group clearly showed their passion for continuing as a group by releasing their first full-length album, DAYDREAM, in March. K-pop fans think highly of the group for overcoming countless difficult situations and keeping their promise to fans to release new albums as a group.
MAMAMOO – ILLELLA
Mamamoo is an excellent example of a long-living girl group with members promoting as solo, sub-units and entertainers on variety shows. Debuted in 2014, Mamamoo is currently surviving the market as a full group, even after Wheein left RBW to join THE L1VE last year. This would not have been possible if there hadn’t been smooth communication and understanding between members. The group recently released an upbeat mini-album named MIC ON and appeared on various TV shows to promote their title song, “ILLELLA.” Wheein will be working as a member of Mamamoo until December 2023, and her current agency will be in charge of her group activities.
TWICE – Talk that Talk
Debuted in 2015, TWICE released their new mini album BETWEEN 1&2 this year, congratulating all members on renewing their contracts with the label. Composed by Lee Woo Min of “Knock Knock” and “The Feels,” the title song “Talk That Talk” is a 90s-style song with an upbeat and refreshing melody that gives off a serene, modern vibe. The female act also successfully completed their fourth world tour, which they kicked off at the end of last year and ended this summer. Entering their eighth year together, they still have a loyal fan base. Although some members took a break due to health issues during their promotional activities, they have shown a strong friendship and fantastic teamwork.
SEVENTEEN – HOT
All thirteen SEVENTEEN members have successfully renewed their contracts with PLEDIS Entertainment. It is extremely rare for such a huge group to have their contracts renewed without a single member falling apart. The group released new songs — “Rock With Yo” and “HOT” — after their renewal, and “HOT” from their fourth studio album broke their own record by selling more than 2 million copies in their first week of release. This outstanding record demonstrated that they still have more to show as an artist and idol group. Plus, their popularity is growing phenomenally overseas and the current world tour proves it. SEVENTEEN will perform at the Tokyo Dome on November 26th and 27th.
Monsta X – Late Night Feels (with Sam Faldt)
MONSTA X is one of the boy bands that became exponentially huge compared to their beginning. The band has been having constant tours overseas and released their second full-length album, The Dreaming, in the U.S. last year. This April, they dropped mini album SHAPE of LOVE, and all five members, except I.M, successfully renewed their contract with the label. Although I.M left Starship Entertainment, he announced that he would be continuously promoting as a member of MONSTA X. MONSTA X recently collaborated with producer Sam Feldt on their new digital single “Late Night Feels.” Some members are also pursuing individual activities, Kihyun released a solo album and Minhyuk has been seen on various variety shows.
Editor Yoon: I love music, especially K-POP, and I dream of becoming an A&R person, lyricist, artist, etc. I will cover various articles, including song reviews, artist reviews, and K-pop market analysis.
