r/kpopthoughts

I was just looking through some old threads of K-pop songs from years ago and came across NMIXX's debut. This reaction post to O.O from r/kpop is basically a microcosm of what their reception was like at the time. Just look at the upvote to comment ratio. It has 1k upvotes and more than 2.1k whopping comments, with like 99% of them being negative 😭😭Literally not even BTS comebacks were pulling as many engagement with the comments at the time lol

And as harsh as that post may seem, it's actually pretty tame compared to what was being said elsewhere. They were getting absolutely DRAGGED without any filter on platforms like Twitter and Youtube. To make matters worse, the reception was basically the same in Korea as it was internationally.

I don't think newer K-pop fans realize just how badly NMIXX were received at debut. It may seem like everything is all fine and dandy for them now, but the hate train was REAL. They had to fight tooth and nail and basically crawl through the trenches to recover from that disastrous debut reception.

Thinking about all this made me realize just how important a strong debut really is. Like everything else in life, if a group makes a poor first impression, there will always be a lot of people who write them off and never give them another chance. In that sense, I gotta give NMIXX credit where it's due for recovering because I genuinely can't think of another group in history that had such a universally brutal reaction from K-pop fans right out of the gate.

edit:
u/alexturnerftw also reminded me that they lost arguably their most popular member in Jinni during their rookie year as well. Truly one of the worst starts a group could possibly have...

Just recently, Bigbang had released their single Biiig (2026) to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary. The song had already climbed into the top five of the domestic charts just within hours after it was released I have heard discussions amongst fans surrounding the group’s grip on the Korean general public with their music compared to other boy groups in K-pop. How did the group manage to do this? Are there any other boy group that can catch the attention of the Korean public like Bigbang?

So the vmas for the best kpop came out, and the nominations were jump, swim, redred, spaghetti, pinky up, and dream. Someone quoted the post saying “music is dead  where’s lemonade, love attack, 404 (new era) and rude? this isn’t the hybe awards- hello?!” and someone qrt “That’s the VMAs, not Korean Inkigayo shows where unknown ai slop chop songs can get nominated. Know your place”

1. The western superiority complex that VMAs are more prestigious than Inkigayo is insane

2. Inkigayo is the hardest Korean show to win, in which you have to be REALLY popular to win. Also, voting makes up 10% of the wins. (I feel they drag it because it has the most foreign name)

(PS: The counter argument that it’s only for songs popular in America is insane. If the VMAs can nominate people like Magnus Ferrell and Bella Kay for best new artist, then they can nominate 404 and Rude for best Kpop)

20 years into their career and have been charting like this since the start too, what a ride and everything they have gone through and still having this success feels unreal

This level of longevity too is so amazing for an industry that is so obssesed with youth and moving onto the next group quickly, these men will be 40 in 2/3 years. There will never be another bigbang✨️

KPOP is supposed to be fun! Music is supposed to be fun! It’s an interest or maybe even a hobby, not a job or crusade. If it causes emotional distress, or is a detriment in your life, or simply stops bringing you joy and making you happy- you should step back! Maybe not necessarily forever but until it starts bringing you happiness again. Don’t force yourself to stream music you don’t like. Dont avoid listening to other music because it feels disloyal to your fave groups. Don’t buy merch you can’t afford. Don’t fight or bully strangers on the internet about it. Don’t sacrifice real life relationships over it. It is ok to take a break! I promise you.

so i’ve been a kpop fan for nearly 9 years now and have still only really listened to the main popular groups and trending songs, and i’ve recently started to listen to whole discographies which has been so fun (so far done red velvet, ariana grande, kehlani, in the middle of yves)

i’m curating a playlist of all the songs i think are perfection; kpop, pop, rnb, rap, etc. and thought i’d ask for nugu reccs and other groups i haven’t listed that you love, songs and albums specifically would be great

i’m a big fan of rnb and house type music atm but also kiss n tell is on repeat rn so wtv genre that is

favourite groups rn are:
- red velvet
- aespa
- twice
- f5ve (healing)
- xg (ik it’s not kpop)

not a fan of: (don’t dox me)
- illit
- itzy
- blackpink
- meovv

The title is simple, for the girl crush concept fans; how do you prefer the concept sound wise? Do you prefer it to be smooth and sultry R&B:

Examples:

• Bad Boy by Red Velvet
• Get It by PRISTIN V

or

Dance-pop with some rap:

• Any BLACKPINK or 2NE1 song

Throughout their career, the members of Blackpink had been repeatedly dunked on for not writing they're on songs in their music. This has caused a lot of nonfans to refer to the members as idols and not artists. When the members had left YG Entertainment, they had begun to dive in more into the songwriting process of the songs on their albums. As of 2026, Jisoo has seven songwriting credits, Jennie has twelve songwriting credits, Rose has thirteen songwriting credits, and Lisa has twelve songwriting credits in which in each album all the members appear first on the credits of their albums. Not only that but some 3/4 members have producer/executive producer credits in some of their songs on their recent albums that they had released in between 2024-2025. However, nonfans still call the members idols and not real artists despite preaching that one of the most important aspects of becoming an artist is writing your own songs. If the members of Blackpink are still not seen as artists, then what is considered an artist for you?

Most questions of "Why my favorite group X is facing hatred?" or doomposting of hate posts of a certain group over its controversy/comeback/performance has become quite regular atp.

If your fav is especially from the Big 4, or has bigger fandoms, they would receive hate for sure. Because they are seen in different dimensions by different people.

Bigger the group, more the toxic stans, more traction, hence more hatred.

Some actively consume hate contents as well. So if you see posts that are absolutely hating on anyone, it is useless to argue, and just scroll past them.

Kpop experience is to enjoy the music, the MVs, their shows and the fancams. Let that joy be there, and not get washed by random opinions on subs like this. Most kpop idols who are super popular, are also super busy. Or they have guts to answer back, like Giselle of Aespa.

Even if you interact with the post, don't get irritated by opinions here. You can enjoy whatever you like. A nothing burger post, but still I wanted to post it because I felt it was necessary!

Concept Photos - massive check, something to be highly expected

Teaser for BiiiG - ...eh...? I'll wait for the official release

BiiiG release - ...is that it...?

BiiiG MV - insane, powerful, and colorful visuals that showcase their presence

...but the song itself feels lacking :/

I'm aware that this is their restart as Daesung pointed out in Coachella, I know that this is their celebratory song for their 20th Anniversary, it's not hollow because T.O.P's not in it, but I feel like G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung could've done something better for this song.

It's not as alive and lively as their previous songs, not even as full as Home Sweet Home (which was originally meant for BigBang as GD mentioned), where at first listen (while sitting on the toilet at work when I actually first heard it) this is how K-Pop should feel like.

When I first saw the song length, I was like: "damn, is this really the music scene right now?"

Daesung could've had a very iconic bridge followed by an anthemic outro for BiiiG, but nah, it's too cut short and lacking.

I hope they have something better for their upcoming album though, or maybe look forward into how the trio will perform BiiiG live, since I love their live performances/band rearrangements.

...or maybe this may grow into me as time pass by, but as of now, I'd still take Home Sweet Home as the better release over BiiiG.

Recently, I had seen a TikTok discussing friendships in K-pop and how the lack of friendship can ruin the way a group operates. She had also discussed the way K-pop groups had operated during the 2nd and 3rd generation compared to now. While the creator did mention that not every K-pop group doesn’t need to be friends, she still thinks that friendship is important when things go sideways. The problem I had with her videos is the examples she had used regarding K-pop groups that give off genuine friendship compared to others that give off co-worker energy. For her friendship examples, she had cited Super Junior, Seventeen, and GOT7 while on the co-workers side she had cited Blackpink, AOA, and T-ARA. The problem, I have with these examples is that it showcases the stereotype of women not getting along due to being jealous and competitive. I am not familiar with AOA or T-ARA but I am a fan of Blackpink as she had mentioned that she doesn’t know if the members are best friends and while their 10th anniversary was indeed controversial, the members had expressed time and time again that they are a family and have supported each other in their solo eras. Not only Blackpink, but groups like 2NE1 had also showcased a strong sisterhood bond while showcasing their support of each other. The way members of girl groups are accused of not getting along when they have a disagreement while members of boy groups like Super Junior, GOT7, and Shinee have admitted to having fights and disagreements with each other gets pushed off as developing brotherhood is rooted in double standards and misogyny.

It is perfectly fine if you prefer to be a fan of a group that shares a close bond with each other. The problem lies within the way girl groups are often viewed as jealous co-workers while boy groups are seen as true friends showcasing brotherhood.

Disclaimer: I am not accusing the creator of misogyny as I had thought her examples (not her entire video nor her topic) had showcased a damaging stereotype of women. Please be civil and do not send any hate towards her.

I have been thinking about the most popular songs that were released this year, in my opinion it could be

It is just my opinion

*RUDE BY H2H*

*PRETTY GIRL BY RESCENE*

*CATCH CATCH BY YENA*

*NEW ERA BY KIIIKIII*

When going through some of my older playlists I came across a couple ‘older’ songs from KARD and for some reason it has got me thinking about other co ed groups in the industry including All Day Project.

Because of the announcement KARD did recently, did it make you think any differently about co ed groups/artists and wanting to check out more in the future?

For those who listen to ADP or are fans, did listening and coming across ADP make you dig into other groups like KARD? Or make you more open to the idea of co ed artists in the kpop or music scene in general?

I’ve always been a boy group fan so I’m just genuinely curious~

Song of the Year-BTS (Swim) and Huntr/x (Golden)

Best K-pop- BTS (Swim), Blackpink (Jump), Lisa (Dream), Cortis (REDRED), Katseye (Pinky Up), Le Sserafim (Spaghetti), and J-hope (Spaghetti)

Best New Artist- Cortis

Best Visual Effects- Jisoo (Eyes Closed Ft. Zayn)

Best Pop- Lisa (Dream)

Best Cinematography-Lisa (Dream)

Best Editing -Lisa (Dream)

Best Choreography- Katseye (Pinky Up)

Congratulations to all the nominees of this year’s awards. More nominations may be released soon so I will update the list after the announcement of those nominations.

I wanted to share what San from ATEEZ said during a recent live stream. Fans had mentioned that they were worried about the recent surge of hateful comments he's been facing online since his dance move went viral. So he addressed it in the most honest, empathetic and San way possible.

His perspective was so grounded, wise, and deeply comforting that I wanted to share it here, because I think it will resonate with many of us who keep seeing so much negativity online.

>Having done this for over 8 years, there isn't actually anything that hurtful (nowadays). If I were asked to intentionally think of something deeply hurtful, I might feel bad but usually I just think, "Well, yeah, those kinds of things happen." Because it (hate) is an emotion that everyone lives with and experiences...so I'm not that affected by it. So if you're worried or feeling down because you think I'm struggling, it's okay to set those worries aside.

>Because from the moment I entered this entertainment industry, the fact that "if there are people who like you, there will also be people who hate or dislike you" is completely natural. I never thought even for a second that all 100 out of 100 people will like me. That’s impossible to begin with. Not only can't I force it, but there are people in the world who just dislike others for no reason, and everyone has probably encountered someone like that.

He accepts that he can’t control what people type behind screen names, and that is part of his job in the industry but he chooses where he focuses his energy, and accepting that reality probably brings immense freedom and peace.

>But more than that, I choose to think positively. There are precious people around me, and people who love me, and I feel that is more than enough.
Also, there is something in this world called 'karma.' Karma exists, and it always comes around. Honestly, I don't want to say bad things or wish ill on those folks because of it. Because (I understand that) hate too, is one of the emotions humans have. So what I mean is, it's (understandable) for them to stay faithful to that emotion as it is.

San also pointed out the absurdity of people wasting their limited lives spreading toxicity online. But it takes a truly rare kind of emotional maturity to look at a wall of online hate, strip away the noise, and address it with zero hostility or bitterness.

>You shouldn't do it [slander]. Anonymity makes it easy, and maybe it entertains them. Everyone is an adult here, they know you shouldn't do it, yet they do it anyway.

>I mean, they are using their precious time, even using their time typing just to say malicious things about someone else. How much of a waste/unfortunate is that?

>I hope society gradually becomes a bit more mature. I'm not thinking about anything overly grand, I just hope the world becomes a bit more better. Of course, I am not a completely mature person yet either, but still, compared to them, isn't that the case?

He remarked during that live that he hoped the world would be a bit more generous to Spider-Man too, (in BND, so adorable) and then ATINYs immediately turned the sentiment right back around on him and hoped that the world was kinder to San.

>I'm doing fine. Everything's fine even if they're not kind(to me). However, I would be grateful if they listened to ATEEZ songs at least once and then wrote something. Even if they're not generous, it's totally fine to be honest with those feelings, but first I hope they just listen to ATEEZ songs once.

He finally ended it by saying,

>Why speak ill of others? What matters more to me is that we, ATEEZ, do well. Why would I go out of my way to stand on the same playing field and do something like that (lower myself to that level)?

>There is a fitting saying for this, "The stronger the light, the darker the shadow." But a shadow can only cover one side of it.

Reminding us all that the end of the day, hate is just proof that someone is shining brightly enough to cast a shadow and that we can all choose to focus on the silver lining.

I do want to add that this level of grace and resilience didn't come out of nowhere. Especially for San.

He's constantly been facing all sorts of hate since he was a rookie. At one point in his career, the hate got so overwhelming that he literally had to ask his parents not to look up his name online. So I find San’s emotional intelligence, mental strength, and the way he chooses to navigate the world so remarkable.

His words are also such a comforting reminder that we don't need to fight every battle or lower ourselves to toxic levels to protect the things we love and I hope it brings a little peace to anyone who’s been feeling heavy lately.

I am usually a pretty big fan of Ateez and even saw them live.

But as I was listening to "Bad" by them, it gave me the biggest ick, everytime I say that people will say its not that serious... and it isn't... but the lyrics give me this icky feeling.

The dance is fun, and the beat is regular Ateez; it's just some of the lyrics that make me feel kinda icky, but I don't know why.

Edit: some people are twisting my words and saying in calling them racist, or that I’m projecting and it’s not that serious, or that the song shouldn’t be called the worst song ever

One. I never said they were racist. I pointed out that the lyrics are tiptoeing the line more then they should, and that the song features a variety of Latina stereotypes. I never said “ateez is racist,” I’m talking about this one song.

Two. I don’t think this is a serious serious issue and It’s not ruining my day, but you are in kpop thoughts subreddit, so this is just a random thought I had while listening to this album, and haven’t seen anyone else point it out yet on reddit, so I thought I’d write my thoughts.

Three. I did say in my post that the song is ok, and the dance is fun. I just saw the lyrics and was like hmmm🧍🏻‍♀️🤔

Youtube has made the following announcement, I will just paste the relevant part:

>Hi,

>Last year, we updated how we count views for Shorts to align with industry standards. Starting August 24, 2026, we’re aligning all other video formats to this same methodology, including long-form videos and live streams. From that date and onwards, views will count from the moment a video starts to play, with no minimum watch time requirement.

>Data API (Developer documentation)

>On August 24, the viewCount field in the YouTube Data API will be updated to reflect this change across all content types. Please note that after this date, the view count provided by the Data API will be calculated using the new view counting logic. The view count calculated by the previous counting logic will no longer be accessible via the YouTube Public Data API, but this metric will be available as the “Engaged Views” metric through the YouTube Analytics and Reporting APIs.

If Youtube views were already meaningless and bloated, now you can just have a blast easily inflating views. But I am sure people will still list MVs and artists by most "views" like it means something.

And to think that site (Soridata) which told on ad-views on kpop were brigaded down .... the irony is everywhere.

I feel like it was both, and also the timing when CLC came out (March 2015) which was overlapped by hype from bigger groups who debuted within months between CLC (Twice, RV)