My Bizarre Kpop Theories, Observations, and Predictions

[kpop_queenie❤]

I put a lot of work into this one, so I hope you read it and enjoy it!
This is also gonna be pretty long so....thanks even more if you read the whole thing.
42. Red Velvet started out as SM's way to cover up for other company scandals.
*This is no hate to Red Velvet. In no way am I saying that their only purpose is to distract from these scandals*
So I've noticed something with the timing of some of Red Velvet's releases and other SM scandals. Which is what makes me believe that SM uses Red Velvet to distract from other problems within SM groups or the company itself.
I'm gonna give my evidence chronologically:
1. Taeyeon and Baekhyun Dating and Red Velvet Debut
If you didn't know, Taeyeon of SNSD and Baekhyun of EXO were revealed to be dating for roughly 4 months on June 16th, 2014. They continued to date until September 15th, 2014 when they broke up due to busy schedules and naturally growing apart.
When the public found out they were dating there was a lot of outrage. Specifically EXO-Ls were brutal towards Taeyeon. They thought she was at fault because she was older and had been in the industry much longer than Baekhyun.
I'm sure the underlying reason they were mad was because they were upset that they could no longer view Baekhyun as their own boyfriend...lol.
So what does this have to do with Red Velvet?
Well if you stan them you would know the group debuted on August 1st, 2014.
Now you might think, that's almost 2 months, the dating scandal and the debut are completely unrelated. Well here me out.
Even though the months of June and August are 2 months apart, it is a shorter period in this situation based on the dates.
To be exact, the number of days between the two instances is 46 days, or 1 month and 16 days...
I would expect there to be at least a little time in between dates, as you can't just whip out a debut in a week.
I think SM saw the bad press and thought, we need a distraction. Especially one that would take the place of an SM girl group in fans' minds.
So they debut a girl group, Red Velvet.
I think this is also why Yeri was not automatically in the group. She was probably ready to debut for the time that was originally planned, 7 months later in March of 2015. However, there was some kind of factor which made it so she was not ready to debut when the scandal called.
Considering how much backlash SM and the group got when Yeri debuted, I think they would have preferred to avoid the situation and just debut them together.
Their debut was exceptionally helpful in distracting from Taeyeon and Baekhyun with the MV scandal.
If you didn't know, there was some imagry in the 'Happiness' MV that depicted the World War 2 bombings of Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Although having a scandal like this is not ideal, it is an easier job to fix then a dating scandal. SM had to simply edit the video and release an apology, and the world forgot about it. The same can not be done with a dating scandal.
2. Tao Leaves EXO+SM Files A Lawsuit Against SM and Red Velvet Comes Back with 'Ice Cream Cake'+Yeri Joins
Tao was the final of the 3 members that left EXO. He was absent during pretty much all 'Overdose' promotions in February of 2015 due to injuries and later in April his father posted a notice on Weibo about Tao's departure. He soon established his own agency a couple of months later where he officially filed his lawsuit for termination of his contract.
In addition, in February of 2015 SM filed a counter suit against Luhan for violating his contract before it could be broken via Luhan's own lawsuit.
He did something along the lines of modeling, and the payment did not go through SM, which is a violation of his contract.
SM is in hot water again. They lost another member, not to mention another Chinese member. So not only are fans mad that another member left, they are made at the way SM is treating their foreign idols.
SM filing a suit against Luhan is making them look even more like the bad guys.
During this time the public painted SM like a company who treat their foreign idols like trash, and will make the pettiest of moves to assure their power over the situation.
So what do they do, they give Red Velvet a comeback.
In March of 2015, less than a month later, Red Velvet comes back with "Ice Cream Cake". The comeback itself distracted from the negative EXO attention, but Yeri's addition just drew more attention.
Although there was a huge outrage at Yeri's addition, it at least led the public away from Tao and Luhan.
It wasn't exactly good publicity, but it did not implicate SM in doing something bad, like with EXO's scandal.
3. Tao Files His Official Termination Lawsuit+Sulli Leaves f(x)+Court Battle Between SM and Kris&Tao and Red Velvet Releases First Full Album
In August of 2015 Tao officially filed his lawsuit against SM to terminate his contract. This brought back the public's criticism against SM that they treated their foreign idols horribly. With this lawsuit going into detail about the physical harm SM made Tao go through.
In August of 2015 Sulli (may she rest in peace) left f(x) after a hiatus. SM said it was because she wanted to pursue an acting career, but we later found out it was partly because of how SM had done absolutely nothing to protect her from hate comments.
Throughout the summer (June-August) of 2015 SM was battling in court against Luhan and Kris's lawsuits, and Kris and Luhan were battling against SM's counter suits. Like Tao's departure this again stirred up criticism against SM for the treatment of their foreign idols.
The combination of the multiple former EXO members lawsuits and contract disputes, in addition with the outrage over Sulli's departure and SM not doing anything ton protect her, called for another distraction, so we get a Red Velvet comeback.
Around a month later (early September 2015)it is announced the Red Velvet would be releasing their first full album "The Red", featuring the single 'Dumb Dumb'.
What is especially fishy about this is that the announcement of this album came 6 days before the release.
On social media, SM announced the album on September 3rd, 2015 and it was released on September 9th, 2015.
It would make sense if this was a single that was being released, or even a mini album, but this was not only a full album, but Red Velvet's first full album. There should have been way more than a week of teasers for "The Red".
Just look at NCT 127's "Neozone" album. In January of 2020 it was announced the full album would drop, 2 whole months before it actually did release.
After Red Velvet's 'Dumb Dumb' comeback I can't find any match releases and scandals. So, I am presuming that SM started to take Red Velvet's success and popularity as priority. At this point SM's major scandals had died down at least a little, so their comebacks serving as damage control was no longer required.

I hope you like this theory and that it made sense to you.
I try to make these easy but informational, and also enjoyable to read, so I hope I am doing that!

This is quite impressive ~ your theories/observations are really fun to read!

 

[LostInTheDream]

19. Where I think the IZ*ONE members will go after they disband.
I've seen some videos on youtube theorizing about this and decided to give it a try.

Eunbi: Eunbi is under Woollim Entertainment, which currently houses the girl groups Lovelyz and Rocket Punch. Lovelyz debuted in 2014, so I highly doubt Eunbi would join the group, and she doesn't really fit the kinda light, cute concept the best, she's more of the edgy type (Rumor). Rocket Punch on the other hand debuted last year, so adding new members would not be strange in the slightest. However, Eunbi was born in 1995, and the oldest member of Rocket punch was born in 1997 and the youngest 2005. This would make her the oldest by two years and with a 10 year age gap between her and the maknae. I'm not very versed in Rocket Punch's music but from what I can tell their concept is somewhere in the teen crush realm, which would fit Eunbi more. The issue I see with this though is that Eunbi has a very mature face, which might clash a bit with the very youthful look of Rocket Punch. There also might be issues with the leader role, would Eunbi become the new leader, would they be co-leaders, or would she not have any kind of leader role. I also don't think she will wait several years for a new group to debut based on her age. Another idea I had was that she would debut as a duo with Chaewon, as they are both under the same company, however I feel like their talents are too similar and she would have to be placed with someone who was more rap oriented to be successful. For example Hangyul and Dohyon of X1 are debuting as a duo but one of them is a singer and the other a rapper, so there is good balance. So based on this I have two theories:
-Eunbi will join Rocket Punch
-Eunbi debuts as a duo with Chaewon
-Eunbi will go solo
Eunbi going solo is something I could really see happening. She has amazing vocals, dancing, and visuals. She is very similar to Chungha and I think it would make sense for her to go solo, so that is my top prediction.

Sakura: Sakura is part of HKT48, which is a Japanese sub unit of AKB48. She is incredibly popular within both Japan and Korea so I see two options for her:
-Sakura goes back to Japan and continues to promote with HKT48.
-Sakura leaves her group and joins a company in Korea and debuts in a girls group.
I see her going back to Japan more just because she was incredibly popular there and now it will be even more. I think it also gives her better opportunities to show off her talents then kpop does.

Hyewon: Hyewon is under 8D Creative which from what I found out does not have any kind of groups they have debuted. She did almost debut in a group called DAYDAY, however that was cancelled. This indicates to me that she has the desire to be an idol. So I theorize:
-Hyewon will return to 8D creative to debut in their first girl group.
-Hweyon will leave 8D creative and join another company where she will there debut in a girl group.
I don't see her going solo, if she choses to continue in kpop it would be in a group.
-Hyewon might also become a model or an actress, based on her visuals.
I think this all depends on what her company chooses to do or not.

Yena: Yena is from YUEHUA Entertainment. I'm pretty sure everyone is theorizing that she will join Everglow once IZ*ONE disbands. the group has 6 members, and groups are usually more compatible with odd numbers because of how choreography would cover the members. There are also theories that the reason Mia gets so many lines is because Yena will get half when she joins. However I think this could be in jeopardy. Because of all the scandals the company might not want her to debut and "taint" the groups image or something. Also if Everglow becomes insanely popular in the next year, the company might not want to disrupt something that is working for them. But I think the highest probability comes out of her joining Everglow. I also don't see her going solo, she would much better fit a group environment so:
-Yena will join Everglow
-Yena will leave her company to train at another and debut there.

Chaeyeon: Chaeyeon is under WM Entertainment, which houses the girl group Oh My Girl. However, Oh My Girl debuted in 2015, so there's really no chance she will join that group. However based on the time period between Oh My Girl's debut and now I think it is totally possible that Chaeyeon could debut with a new group at her company. There is also a high chance that she could debut as a soloist. She's an all-rounder and would do an excellent job. My only concern is that she is not considered pretty when it comes to Korean standards, which could hold her back in the industry if she debuts by herself. Her company might also see this happening and decide not to debut her as solo. But part of me thinks her talent, especially her dancing, might be too big for a group...
-Chaeyeon with debut under a new group under her current company
-Chaeyeon will go solo
I really have no clue which one would happen in this case, I can see either happening.

Chaewon: Chaewon is under Woollim entertainment like Eunbi. Based on Chaewon's age, appearance, and attitude, I think she would be a quite good fit for Rocket Punch. Her age falls within the range in the group. She does fit a cuter concept, but she has shown us she can get edgy and have that teen crush concept with "Rumor", "Highlight", "Ayayaya", and many others. I could also see her debuting in a duo with Eunbi but I'm not so sure about that. I don't see her going solo, she fits a group better in my opinion.
-Chaewon will join Rocket Punch
-Chaewon will debut as a duo with Eunbi

Minju: Minju is under Urban Works which does not have any active girl groups. So I think it's possible that she could join a girl group if the company that the company decides to debut. She might also leave her company if the company decides to not debut a girl group. However what I think has the highest probability of occurring is her becoming an actress. She already has a lot of credits and has the perfect appearance for playing the main female protagonist in the I guess typical kdrama. So she could stay at her company and begin acting in more roles and possibly do some modeling, or she could leave and join a more acting oriented company.
-Minju will debut in a new girl group under her company
-Minju will leave her company to debut in another's group
-Minju will become an actress

Nako: Nako is in the same situation as Sakura, being a part of HKT48. So I think there is a high probability of her rejoining her group, because she was also very popular, not as much as Sakura, but still very popular. However I think it would make a lot of sense for her to debut in a Korean group. Out of the three Japanese members she is the one who seems the most comfortable in Korea, and based on what I read about her she really likes Korea. I think there's a high chance she would leave her company to join another, where she would debut in a group. Nako also has the voice a lot for companies look for in trainees, as it is very desirable in girl groups (Sana, Umji, etc). Her cuteness also makes her a high contender for a Korean girl group.
-Nako will return to HKT48.
-Nako will leave her company to join another and debut in their new girl group.

Hitomi: I think that Hitomi will go back to Japan and rejoin HKT48, she was probably the least popular of the Japanese members, but IZ*ONE will have made her much more popular. She could possibly join a girl group, but idk, I just don't really see it happening, but you never know.
-Hitomi will return to HKT48.
-Hitomi will leave her company and join another and debut in their new girl group.

Yuri: Yuri is under Stone Music Entertainment which only houses groups formed by competitions like IZ*ONE and Fromis_9, so she won't join Fromis_9, especially because she was in competition for that group and did not make the final lineup. So Yuri could leave her company to debut in a new group. However, I think her debuting as a solo artist makes the most sense. Yuri's voice, while I really enjoy it, is very atypical to a normal girl group idol voice, which might discriminate her from debuting in a new group. Yuri's voice is amazing and I think she could be a very successful solo artist.
-Yuri leaves her company to join another and debut in their new group.
-Yuri debuts as a solo artist

Yujin: Yujin is under Starship Entertainment, which currently has WJSN. This group debuted in 2016 so there's no chance she will join it. However I think there is a very high chance she will join Starship's newest girl group. This girl group will probably debut sometime in 2021, based on the time difference between the debuts of Monsta X and Cravity (5 years). Because she is so young I think this makes sense, and her leaving her company or going solo does not.
-Yujin joins Starship's newest girl group.

Wonyoung: Wonyoung is under Starship Entertainment and would also not be a contender to join WJSN. I think she will also join Starhship's next girl group with Yunjin based on her being so young. I really don't see her going solo like other first place produce winners just cause her talents lie more in dance than singing or rapping (not saying she's a bad rapper or vocalist I just don't think her level is high enough for a solo debut).
-Wonyoung joins Starship's newest girl group.

Oooofff this was off
I got about half right

 

[Zerø_21]

Yep

 

[LostInTheDream]

2022 edit
This is more of an observation but:
26. Twice uses pretty much the same structure in most of their title tracks.
Yeah so I've noticed that with most of Twice's title tracks they tend to be constructed in the same way. I've decided to compile my data. I will be going over similarities and listing the title tracks that use the method. The tracks I will include are: Like Ooh-Aah, Cheer Up, TT, Knock Knock, Likey, Heartshaker, What is Love?, Yes or Yes, Dance the Night Away, Signal, Feel Special, and Fancy. 12 tracks I will then rank out of 12. + I Can't Stop Me, More&More, Alcohol Free, The Feels, Scientist=17
Also in no way am I calling Twice unoriginal or anything, there songs are amazing, and they are insanely popular so this structure must be working.
1. Nayeon gets the first verse song with about 3-9ish seconds of singing. Sometimes other members will be included.
-Cheer Up
-Fancy
-What is Love?
-TT
-Heartshaker
-Dance the Night Away
-Like Ooh-Aah
-I Can't Stop Me
-More&More
-Alcohol Free
10/17

2. In at least 1 chorus Nayeon starts and Jihyo ends.
-Like Ooh-Aah
-TT
-Fancy
-Feel Special
-Yes or Yes
-Knock Knock
-Heartshaker
-Scientist
-Alcohol Free
-I Can't Stop Me
-The Feels
11/17

3. When Jihyo and Nayeon don't contribute at least once to the chorus it is either or both Tzuyu and Sana.
-Dance the Night Away
-Likey
-What is Love?
-Signal
-Scientist
-Alcohol Free
More&More
7/8

4. The section where the music softens right before the 3rd chorus a part of it is sung by Mina.
-Cheer Up
-Like Ooh-Aah
-Knock Knock
-Signal
-Heartshaker
-Signal
-Dance The Night Away
-Fancy
-The Feels
-I Can't Stop Me
10/17

5. Jeongyeon sings part of the chorus once and it is usually 2nd or 3rd.
-Feel Special
-Dance the Night Away
-Like Ooh-Aah
-Cheer Up
-TT
-Knock Knock
-I Can't Stop Me
-The Feels
-More&More
9/17

6. The there's rap part is in between the 2nd and 3rd choruses.
-Likey
-Feel Special
-Yes or Yes
-Dance the Night Away
-What is Love?
-Signal
-Alcohol Free
-I Can't Stop Me
-More&More
-Scientist
10/17

7. Jihyo sings a highnote during the 3rd chorus.
-Like Ooh-Aah
-Cheer Up
-TT
-Knock Knock
-Heartshaker
-What is Love?
-Dance the Night Away
-Yes or Yes
-Fancy
-I Can't Stop Me
-The Feels
-Scientists
12/17

8. Chaeyeong ends the main rap section.
-Fancy
-Yes or Yes
-What is Love?
-Likey
-TT
-Signal
-Like Ooh Aah
-Alcohol Free
-Scientist
9/17

9. Sana gets a repetitive phrase at some point.
-Knock Knock
-Likey
-Cheer Up
-TT
-More&More
5/17

Yeah that's all I got right now.
I was gonna look into who sang the bridges most frequently but my brain won't process anything anymore.

 

[LostInTheDream]

2022 Update

Another observation rather than a theory
27. Each male idol group has to have at least one member with a deep ass voice.
It can range from normal-deep to Felix-level deep, but I can't think of a single boy group I stan that doesn't have a member with this kind of timbre.
Seventeen-Wonwoo, S.Coups
ATEEZ-Mingi
Oneus-Leedo
Day6-Dowoon
Stray Kids-Felix
Monsta X-I.M
Pentagon-Wooseok and Yuto
iKON-Ju-ne
NCT-Jaehyun, Lucas, Jisung
BTS-V
Wanna One-Daniel, Kuanlin, Woojin
Got7-Jackson
EXO-Chanyeol
Astro-Jinjin
Big Bang-TOP and Daesung
KARD-BM
SF9-Zuho, Chani, Hwiyoung?
Block B-P.O
Treasure-Haruto
Xdinary Heroes-Gunil
Enhypen-Niki
MCND-Win

 

[Zerø_21]

iKON is the only group in KINGDOM Legendary War without at least one left handed/ambidextrous member
Here Are The ones of the others
Ateez, Jongho (Left handed)
Stray Kidz, Lee Know (Ambidextrous)
SF9 Inseong (Left handed)
The Boyz, Q (Ambidextrous) Jacob (Left handed)
BTOB, ChangSub (Left handed)

 

[sanasideup]

an observation: red velvet's most recent tt was called feel my rhythm, which is cool bc in umpah umpah, one of the lyrics is "feel the rhythm." i wonder if fmr has been in the works since then...

 

[LostInTheDream]

an observation: red velvet's most recent tt was called feel my rhythm, which is cool bc in umpah umpah, one of the lyrics is "feel the rhythm." i wonder if fmr has been in the works since then...

I noticed that too! maybe it's related???
I've seen too many red velvet universe theory videos lol

 

[Zerø_21]

Even I noticed that

an observation: red velvet's most recent tt was called feel my rhythm, which is cool bc in umpah umpah, one of the lyrics is "feel the rhythm." i wonder if fmr has been in the works since then...

 

[LostInTheDream]

Wow I'm actually updating this!

64. "Sneakers" by ITZY is about feminism not just self love.
When I was watching the M/V for "Sneakers" I realized that some scenes appeared to be quite random but eventually could be found to have connections. This was only affirmed after watching the video of ITZY reacting to the M/V.
"Sneakers" at first seems to be just another ITZY trademark 'I love myself' concept, but I think it's dipping it's toes into the realm of feminism.

The Royal Scenes in the M/V
- Starting off with the outfits!
All members but are wearing outfits that are quite fancy. However, Yeji is the one fully decked out like a queen/princess. The rest of the members seem to have deviated from this typical styling. Ryujin is dressed like a jockey (horse rider) which is a job not typically given to women. Lia's outfit it quite revealing in comparison to Yeji's. Chaeryeong could wear that dress today and be seen as fashionable. Yuna is wearing a very chic dress that is also different from what would be appropriate then.
The differences in these outfits already kind of indicates that ITZY is pushing away from the gender norms of the time, except for Yeji.

- Lia's flag+knight scene
A little further on in the video Lia is being painted by Ryujin. She is holding a flag and standing confidently. This is a stance that suggest she's a general who just won a battle. This is nothing like how women were painted in medieval times. In addition, Ryujin painting it is also not in alignment with female occupations for the time.
In a later scene Lia is seen controlling a group of knights by lifting her fingers up. This provides more support to the idea that Lia is some kind of general or commander in this section of the M/V.

- Yeji's scenes showing a lack of control
Yeji is seen surrounded my people holding out papers for her to sign. This indicates that she is being controlled and pressured to act obident as a female ruler. She is also seen looking upset with her heels off. This shows that she us unhappy with the way her gender is being treated within her role as a monarch. Even her dress looks very confining as it comes up to her neck with only her face visible.

- Yeji being given the sneakers by members
Once Yeji gets her Sneakers she begins to evade the control that is around her and act outside of how women were expected to do. That is taking of her heels and running around the throne room.

The NASA Scenes in the M/V
- The context behind this scene
Have you ever seen the movie/read the book "Hidden Figures"? It's a true story about three black women who were incredibly intelligent but faced so much persecution for their race and gender that they were hidden. Despite cracking equation, writing a ton of code, and honestly being essential parts to us getting to the moon, they were and are still looked down upon.

- How this relates to ITZY
In the NASA scenes we see ITZY in a room full of only men, typical for the time at which the space race was taking place (1960s). They are not being looked at by any of the men and kind of just wander around on their own, as if they don't belong. Even after the rocket launches ITZY celebrate separate from the men.

- Combining these two
I believe these scenes show that in order to deviate from gender norms (especially considering occupations) you have to be brave. Like the women from "Hidden Figures", the members of ITZY are displaying this push for female empowerment.

The Lyrics

It’s a sin to be prejudice. That’s not my fault, woah
This line shows the prejudice that women may face when entering a specific work force. But of course it's not our fault.

I don’t need order. Don’t need no guidance. I’m makin’ my way
Often when women enter a male dominated work force they are often treated as if they know nothing, so men will then try to mansplain what they already know.

It’s okay, call me trouble, or you can call me weirdo
I don't think I have to say much about how often women are criticized for being feminist or not being a 'typical woman'. I myself have been ridiculed at times for entering the criminal justice field.

The moment I waited for, stand up, stand up
Women have to often start from the bottom in male dominated field and wait for their moment. We are often overlooked for promotions, raises, etc. So when the moment comes, we grasp it.

The symbolism of sneakers
Sneakers are often worn for difficult and athletic actives. These are things women are often discouraged from doing. They should just wear their high heels and sit and look pretty. ITZY telling us to put our sneakers is them telling us that we need to be proud of our gender. However, we still need to do what we can to climb to the top, by symbolically wearing our sneakers.

Conclusion
ITZY utilizes the occupations and powers of women during various periods of time to show the oppession that exists. They further then tell women that by putting our metaphorical sneakers on we can show that we despise this prejudice and will do anything to rise above. It is a message to masagonists to shut the fuck up and let women do what they want. And it is a message to women to be strong and perservere so they can also accomplish their dreams and be themselves.
.....So yes there is an element of the 'I love myself' concept ITZY is known for. But with this M/V this message takes on a whole new meaning that is so important to show. Especially in South Korea where a female idol can say she's a femanist and then have thier career ended the next day. I further theorize ITZY and JYPE may have hid this message in order to not face any backlash. But, JYP himself may have had nothing to do with this concept due to how often he objectifies women (including minors).

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!
*Also this can apply to any marginalized community. I just specifically felt a connection to feminism as a female and the fact that ITZY is a female group*

 

[sanasideup]

Wow I'm actually updating this!

64. "Sneakers" by ITZY is about feminism not just self love.
When I was watching the M/V for "Sneakers" I realized that some scenes appeared to be quite random but eventually could be found to have connections. This was only affirmed after watching the video of ITZY reacting to the M/V.
"Sneakers" at first seems to be just another ITZY trademark 'I love myself' concept, but I think it's dipping it's toes into the realm of feminism.

The Royal Scenes in the M/V
- Starting off with the outfits!
All members but are wearing outfits that are quite fancy. However, Yeji is the one fully decked out like a queen/princess. The rest of the members seem to have deviated from this typical styling. Ryujin is dressed like a jockey (horse rider) which is a job not typically given to women. Lia's outfit it quite revealing in comparison to Yeji's. Chaeryeong could wear that dress today and be seen as fashionable. Yuna is wearing a very chic dress that is also different from what would be appropriate then.
The differences in these outfits already kind of indicates that ITZY is pushing away from the gender norms of the time, except for Yeji.

- Lia's flag+knight scene
A little further on in the video Lia is being painted by Ryujin. She is holding a flag and standing confidently. This is a stance that suggest she's a general who just won a battle. This is nothing like how women were painted in medieval times. In addition, Ryujin painting it is also not in alignment with female occupations for the time.
In a later scene Lia is seen controlling a group of knights by lifting her fingers up. This provides more support to the idea that Lia is some kind of general or commander in this section of the M/V.

- Yeji's scenes showing a lack of control
Yeji is seen surrounded my people holding out papers for her to sign. This indicates that she is being controlled and pressured to act obident as a female ruler. She is also seen looking upset with her heels off. This shows that she us unhappy with the way her gender is being treated within her role as a monarch. Even her dress looks very confining as it comes up to her neck with only her face visible.

- Yeji being given the sneakers by members
Once Yeji gets her Sneakers she begins to evade the control that is around her and act outside of how women were expected to do. That is taking of her heels and running around the throne room.

The NASA Scenes in the M/V
- The context behind this scene
Have you ever seen the movie/read the book "Hidden Figures"? It's a true story about three black women who were incredibly intelligent but faced so much persecution for their race and gender that they were hidden. Despite cracking equation, writing a ton of code, and honestly being essential parts to us getting to the moon, they were and are still looked down upon.

- How this relates to ITZY
In the NASA scenes we see ITZY in a room full of only men, typical for the time at which the space race was taking place (1960s). They are not being looked at by any of the men and kind of just wander around on their own, as if they don't belong. Even after the rocket launches ITZY celebrate separate from the men.

- Combining these two
I believe these scenes show that in order to deviate from gender norms (especially considering occupations) you have to be brave. Like the women from "Hidden Figures", the members of ITZY are displaying this push for female empowerment.

The Lyrics

It’s a sin to be prejudice. That’s not my fault, woah
This line shows the prejudice that women may face when entering a specific work force. But of course it's not our fault.

I don’t need order. Don’t need no guidance. I’m makin’ my way
Often when women enter a male dominated work force they are often treated as if they know nothing, so men will then try to mansplain what they already know.

It’s okay, call me trouble, or you can call me weirdo
I don't think I have to say much about how often women are criticized for being feminist or not being a 'typical woman'. I myself have been ridiculed at times for entering the criminal justice field.

The moment I waited for, stand up, stand up
Women have to often start from the bottom in male dominated field and wait for their moment. We are often overlooked for promotions, raises, etc. So when the moment comes, we grasp it.

The symbolism of sneakers
Sneakers are often worn for difficult and athletic actives. These are things women are often discouraged from doing. They should just wear their high heels and sit and look pretty. ITZY telling us to put our sneakers is them telling us that we need to be proud of our gender. However, we still need to do what we can to climb to the top, by symbolically wearing our sneakers.

Conclusion
ITZY utilizes the occupations and powers of women during various periods of time to show the oppession that exists. They further then tell women that by putting our metaphorical sneakers on we can show that we despise this prejudice and will do anything to rise above. It is a message to masagonists to shut the fuck up and let women do what they want. And it is a message to women to be strong and perservere so they can also accomplish their dreams and be themselves.
.....So yes there is an element of the 'I love myself' concept ITZY is known for. But with this M/V this message takes on a whole new meaning that is so important to show. Especially in South Korea where a female idol can say she's a femanist and then have thier career ended the next day. I further theorize ITZY and JYPE may have hid this message in order to not face any backlash. But, JYP himself may have had nothing to do with this concept due to how often he objectifies women (including minors).

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!
*Also this can apply to any marginalized community. I just specifically felt a connection to feminism as a female and the fact that ITZY is a female group*

this actually kinda makes me love sneakers

 

[JustAGiantKpopMultistan]

Ok Part 2:

4. Woojin Left Stray Kids because he broke the dating ban in his contract.
As a Stay hearing about Woojin's departure was incredible surprising and saddening. I think I refreshed the page half a dozen times because it was just so out of the blue.
This is one of the main reasons why I think Woojin left.
If Woojin had left the group due to some type of injury/illness he would have gone on hiatus.
-For example Hwall from The Boyz left around the same time but it was because of a reoccurring ankle injury that he had previously taken a hiatus for.
Woojin also did not limit any of his activities due to a condition like Han did during Levanter promotions due to anxiety and Seungmin due to the flu.
Woojin's activities with Stray Kids were very consistent as well.
They had just finished the promotions for 'Double Knot' where Woojin preformed beautifully, he wasn't holding back at all.
Woojin also seemed to be having a really good time during promotions, on and off stage.
Another thought I had to why Woojin would want to leave is his lack of lines/center/screen time.
the music that Stray Kids releases is very rap and beat/edm heavy, leaving Woojin, the Main Vocalist, with very few times to shine on promotional stages. What made me believe this theory even more was that Seungmin, Han, Bang Chan, Lee Know, and I.N, who all have a lead vocal/vocalist position, would be getting more or the same amount of lines in title tracks.
I thought maybe Woojin left because he got tired of not getting to sing, but I don't think JYP would have allowed this as an excuse to cancel his contract, which is incredibly difficult to do.
Therefore it seems the only reason Woojin got pulled from the group was because he violated something in his contract, which I believe is the dating ban.
*If you didn't know JYP puts a 3 year dating ban in each of his idols contracts so that they can focus on their work*
Another aspect which increased my belief in this theory was that the press release by JYP about Woojin was practically identical to the one about Junhyeok, who was a former member of Day6.
Here is JYP's release about Woojin:
“Woojin, who has been a member of Stray Kids, has left the team and terminated his contract due to personal circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused many fans.”
And here is the one about Junhyeok:
"Junhyeok, who had been working together with DAY6 until now, has decided to leave the group and his contract for personal reasons,”
The reasoning given by JYP is "personal circumstances/reasons" nearly identical.
When Junhyeok later went on the survival show 'The Unit' it was revealed that he had been kicked out of Day6 for dating someone and giving the private info about Day6.
Because of the similarities in this situation and because of the lack of signals/clues before Woojin left I believe that it was because he broke the dating ban.
However I could be completely false and the only people who can really tell us the truth are Woojin and JYP.

5. YG Entertainment is trying to replicate their success.
I think it is well known in the kpop world that YG created Blackpink because he wanted to make a prettier version of 2NE1, that just happened to disband that same year.
There is even proof that Blackpink's song 'Don't Know What To Do' was originally meant for 2NE1.
Even the members have similarities.
CL=Jennie-Both Main Rappers who have a kind of badass concept to them.
Park Bom=Rose-Both Main Vocalists with similar sounding voices.
Minzy=Lisa-Both Main Dancers, Lead Rappers, and Maknas of the group
Dara=Jisoo-both visuals and vocalist who don't get as many lines

I found this recreation of a group even more in iKON and Big Bang.
YG himself has said himself that Jay is the new Taeyang.
Jay=Taeyang-Both Main Vocalist and have a dance position of the group, they are both the shortest members, and their singing voices are incredibly similar.
B.I=G-dragon-They both have a rap position and they are both the main producers of the group.
June=Daesung-The vocal tone is incredibly similar between these two, and the same can be said with T.O.P and June.
DK=Seungri-In no way am I saying that DK did the shit that Seungri does but they both happen to be Main Dancers and vocalist with similar voices tones as well. They are also both in the Maknae line.
I feel like YG does this from a business standpoint. He knows what works (Big Bang and 2NE1) and so he replicates it and improves on it.
This is a really smart business strategy however I feel like it leads the members to lack individuality.

6. Each group has a member who is the prime bullying victim and it makes me sad.
When I first started stanning The Boyz I was looking up New on youtube because I found him interesting and saw him as a potential bias. However I felt really sad to see videos in the results that had titles like '15 Minutes of The Boyz Bullying New" or "The Boyz Showing Their Love for New" that last one is sarcastic.
I feel so bad for these members that are always the ones to get picked on, cause I know it is good natured, but sometimes I wonder if they really feel hurt by it.
I'm also curious if this was a role given by the company to these members, but that is a theory for another time.
There are also different degrees of bullying, I think the most I've seen it happen is with New and Yesung of Super Junior.
Here is my list of who I think if the most bullied in the group:
The Boyz=New
Monsta X=Kihyun
NCT 127=Doyoung
NCT Dream=Jeno
Super Junior=Yesung
EXO=D.O and Tao (my OT12 heart)
BTS=Jimin
Stray Kids=Changbin
Astro=JinJin
Ateez= Seonghwa
Seventeen= Mingyu
Twice=Nayeon
iKON=Jinhwan
Day6=Wonpil
Got7=Mark
WayV=Kun
TXT=Soobin
There's probably more but this is all I can think of at the moment.

that is all for today
stay tuned for more of my weird ass thoughts and theories

SUNOO

 

[yunaing]

Wow I'm actually updating this!

64. "Sneakers" by ITZY is about feminism not just self love.
When I was watching the M/V for "Sneakers" I realized that some scenes appeared to be quite random but eventually could be found to have connections. This was only affirmed after watching the video of ITZY reacting to the M/V.
"Sneakers" at first seems to be just another ITZY trademark 'I love myself' concept, but I think it's dipping it's toes into the realm of feminism.

The Royal Scenes in the M/V
- Starting off with the outfits!
All members but are wearing outfits that are quite fancy. However, Yeji is the one fully decked out like a queen/princess. The rest of the members seem to have deviated from this typical styling. Ryujin is dressed like a jockey (horse rider) which is a job not typically given to women. Lia's outfit it quite revealing in comparison to Yeji's. Chaeryeong could wear that dress today and be seen as fashionable. Yuna is wearing a very chic dress that is also different from what would be appropriate then.
The differences in these outfits already kind of indicates that ITZY is pushing away from the gender norms of the time, except for Yeji.

- Lia's flag+knight scene
A little further on in the video Lia is being painted by Ryujin. She is holding a flag and standing confidently. This is a stance that suggest she's a general who just won a battle. This is nothing like how women were painted in medieval times. In addition, Ryujin painting it is also not in alignment with female occupations for the time.
In a later scene Lia is seen controlling a group of knights by lifting her fingers up. This provides more support to the idea that Lia is some kind of general or commander in this section of the M/V.

- Yeji's scenes showing a lack of control
Yeji is seen surrounded my people holding out papers for her to sign. This indicates that she is being controlled and pressured to act obident as a female ruler. She is also seen looking upset with her heels off. This shows that she us unhappy with the way her gender is being treated within her role as a monarch. Even her dress looks very confining as it comes up to her neck with only her face visible.

- Yeji being given the sneakers by members
Once Yeji gets her Sneakers she begins to evade the control that is around her and act outside of how women were expected to do. That is taking of her heels and running around the throne room.

The NASA Scenes in the M/V
- The context behind this scene
Have you ever seen the movie/read the book "Hidden Figures"? It's a true story about three black women who were incredibly intelligent but faced so much persecution for their race and gender that they were hidden. Despite cracking equation, writing a ton of code, and honestly being essential parts to us getting to the moon, they were and are still looked down upon.

- How this relates to ITZY
In the NASA scenes we see ITZY in a room full of only men, typical for the time at which the space race was taking place (1960s). They are not being looked at by any of the men and kind of just wander around on their own, as if they don't belong. Even after the rocket launches ITZY celebrate separate from the men.

- Combining these two
I believe these scenes show that in order to deviate from gender norms (especially considering occupations) you have to be brave. Like the women from "Hidden Figures", the members of ITZY are displaying this push for female empowerment.

The Lyrics

It’s a sin to be prejudice. That’s not my fault, woah
This line shows the prejudice that women may face when entering a specific work force. But of course it's not our fault.

I don’t need order. Don’t need no guidance. I’m makin’ my way
Often when women enter a male dominated work force they are often treated as if they know nothing, so men will then try to mansplain what they already know.

It’s okay, call me trouble, or you can call me weirdo
I don't think I have to say much about how often women are criticized for being feminist or not being a 'typical woman'. I myself have been ridiculed at times for entering the criminal justice field.

The moment I waited for, stand up, stand up
Women have to often start from the bottom in male dominated field and wait for their moment. We are often overlooked for promotions, raises, etc. So when the moment comes, we grasp it.

The symbolism of sneakers
Sneakers are often worn for difficult and athletic actives. These are things women are often discouraged from doing. They should just wear their high heels and sit and look pretty. ITZY telling us to put our sneakers is them telling us that we need to be proud of our gender. However, we still need to do what we can to climb to the top, by symbolically wearing our sneakers.

Conclusion
ITZY utilizes the occupations and powers of women during various periods of time to show the oppession that exists. They further then tell women that by putting our metaphorical sneakers on we can show that we despise this prejudice and will do anything to rise above. It is a message to masagonists to shut the fuck up and let women do what they want. And it is a message to women to be strong and perservere so they can also accomplish their dreams and be themselves.
.....So yes there is an element of the 'I love myself' concept ITZY is known for. But with this M/V this message takes on a whole new meaning that is so important to show. Especially in South Korea where a female idol can say she's a femanist and then have thier career ended the next day. I further theorize ITZY and JYPE may have hid this message in order to not face any backlash. But, JYP himself may have had nothing to do with this concept due to how often he objectifies women (including minors).

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!
*Also this can apply to any marginalized community. I just specifically felt a connection to feminism as a female and the fact that ITZY is a female group*

Itzy my feminist queens we love to see it.

I mean, right from pre-debut Ryujin displayed a HEAVY disliking to being limited down to just being a member of a girl group. She wanted people to see ITZY as a talented GROUP not a talented GIRL GROUP so this theory works in line with her views

 

[LostInTheDream]

65. 'Girls' by aespa was supposed to be an NCT 127 track

Logo Design:
When I saw the one of the first teasers for "Girls" I was immediately reminded of a previous NCT 127 release, "Punch".

While they are not exactly the same the share similar elements.
-Both kind of collapse in on each other
-The utalization of sharp lines and shapes
-The both kind of just remind me of a video game title

The Structural Similarities
Intro Beat
The introduction beat in both 'Girls' and 'Simon Says' both have the same kind of erie feeling.

Prechorus
'Girls' prechorus really reminds me of the ones in Simon Says' and 'Kick It'
'Girls' prechorus has either Giselle or Karina rapping along to rock music. Then Winter comes in with a hybrid sing/rap with little 'woops' thrown in.
'Simon Says' prechorus is very similar just with less intense rock music.
After this part in 'Girls' there is a more melodic section by Ningning and Winter.
This really reminds me of the melodic sections in the prechorus of 'Kick It'.
Also, the rock music in the beginning of 'Kick It' really reminds me of the music during aespa's prechorus.

Chorus
The chanting section of the chorus really reminds me of 'Kick It'.
Especially with the adlibs between lyrical sections.

Bridge
I find the bridges in both 'Girls' and 'Kick It' to be extremely similar. They both start with melodic singing that lead to a high notes that goes into the dance break.
This melodic section is then repeated in 'Girls' after the dance break.

Final Chorus
In both the final choruses of 'Girls' and 'Kick It' there are a lot of adlibs in the final chorus.
However this is not unusual as it happens with most kpop songs.

M/V Styling
Both M/Vs of 'Girls' and 'Kick It' essentially have the same styling of badass/electronic/traditional.
- They both feature traditional clothing
- They both feature traditional backgrounds like temples and dragons.
- They both feature motorcycles.
- But of course the styling is more up to date and badass.

Conclusion
I think this song was written for NCT due to the combinations of similar structures and previously used concepts. It was rejected and given to aespa. They just changed some lyrics and added some lore to make it their's.

 

[LostInTheDream]

66. "Shut Down" could be Blackpink's last comeback
In the "Shut Down" m/v there are many instances in which the group pays homage to previous releases.
- Lisa's intro dance is the same set as "Playing with Fire"
- Jennie's first part has the same tank and pink bags from "Dx4"
- Lisa's first part has the same set as her rap in "Boombayah"
- Jisoo's first part has the same umbrella and camera shot as "Dx4"
- Rose's first part has the same rotating globe shot as in "Whistle" and car shot from "Kill This Love"
- Jennie's 2nd part has the same shot with lighting the match from "Playing with Fire"
- Lisa's 2nd part has the set from "Playing with Fire" and the sword from "Kill this Love"
- Jisoo's 2nd part has the visuals from "Kill This Love"
- Rose's 2nd part has the swinging chandalier from "Dx4" and car from "Kill This Love"
- The set used during the intro and the 2nd chorus also really remind me of the bridge in "Kill This Love".
- That set also has song titles and other references everywhere.
There's probably some I missed but this is what I caught.

Typically groups will only do this when they are disbanding. For example:
- Panorama by IZ*ONE has choreo from their previous songs
- Spring Breeze by Wanna One features imagery of a ring from "IPU"

However this may not be the only interpretation of the M/V. Other groups who are still active released songs referencing their old songs.
The best example is "Umpah Umpah" by Red Velvet. Also "Talk that Talk" by Twice and "We Go Up" by NCT Dream.

But to further support my theory, the members contracts are set to expire next year. If we consider the groups track record with making usual comebacks, it's not looking good.

 

[Zerø_21]

66. "Shut Down" could be Blackpink's last comeback
In the "Shut Down" m/v there are many instances in which the group pays homage to previous releases.
- Lisa's intro dance is the same set as "Playing with Fire"
- Jennie's first part has the same tank and pink bags from "Dx4"
- Lisa's first part has the same set as her rap in "Boombayah"
- Jisoo's first part has the same umbrella and camera shot as "Dx4"
- Rose's first part has the same rotating globe shot as in "Whistle" and car shot from "Kill This Love"
- Jennie's 2nd part has the same shot with lighting the match from "Playing with Fire"
- Lisa's 2nd part has the set from "Playing with Fire" and the sword from "Kill this Love"
- Jisoo's 2nd part has the visuals from "Kill This Love"
- Rose's 2nd part has the swinging chandalier from "Dx4" and car from "Kill This Love"
- The set used during the intro and the 2nd chorus also really remind me of the bridge in "Kill This Love".
- That set also has song titles and other references everywhere.
There's probably some I missed but this is what I caught.

Typically groups will only do this when they are disbanding. For example:
- Panorama by IZ*ONE has choreo from their previous songs
- Spring Breeze by Wanna One features imagery of a ring from "IPU"

However this may not be the only interpretation of the M/V. Other groups who are still active released songs referencing their old songs.
The best example is "Umpah Umpah" by Red Velvet. Also "Talk that Talk" by Twice and "We Go Up" by NCT Dream.

But to further support my theory, the members contracts are set to expire next year. If we consider the groups track record with making usual comebacks, it's not looking good.

Interesting

 

[LostInTheDream]

67. Chaeyeon's Solo Career Will Not Be Successful
*In no way am I hating on Chaeyeon. I am analyzing trends, her companies work, korean beauty standards, and her vibe.*
This pains me to write because I want to see all my IZ*ONE girlies succeed. However, past trends and the pre-debut material is giving me warning signs. Here are several explained reasons as to why I believe this. Feel free to pose another opinion but produce information to support it.
The "Hush Rush" Concept
It's typical for kpop artists to do a special stage around Halloween. For example: Loona's "Full Moon" cover, ATEEZ's creepy version of "Wonderland", and A.C.E's "On and On" cover. However it is very rare to find an artist who releases a comeback in October that is spooky and unlike their usual concept. The two very lose exceptions I can think of are TWICE's debut with "Like Ooh-Aah" and comeback with "TT". The songs' concept is not exactly spooky but are both released in October. "Like Ooh-Aah" has vampires in the m/v and "TT" shows the girls dressed up in costumes and scaring a couple of trick-or-treaters. However one must also consider that Halloween is a notable time of year for Twice, so it is not unusual for them to pay tribute. The one instance where I can act as the devil's advocate is Sunmi's debut. However she had a further established career and debuted solo under a big 3 company.
In Chaeyeon's concept photos she is pictured as a vampire. There is imagery of crosses, bloodbags, fangs, coffins, and garlic. However the concept evolves past vampires and other campy aspects of Halloween are featured. We see eyeballs, lightning, and full moons in the promotional material. The concept is further twisted by adding a Y2K style with old style mobile phones, camcorders, boxy tvs, and the fashion.
All of this does point towards a unique concept that stands out from the rest, but is it too unique? My thoughts are focused around what comes after "Hush Rush". After October ends what will she do? Is she going to continue to picture supernatural creatures? I feel that the concept change after her debut would be confusing and harsh. Now I want to expand upon the current concept and why I think it won't work.
-Y2K Concept:
There is quite a bit of Y2K imagry in the concept material, as I mentioned above. However I cannot see Chaeyeon finding success with this concept. One reason is due to the popularity of this concept. NewJeans, Yena, StayC, Twice, Sunmi, Taeyeon, Somi, ITZY, Joy, and weeekly are just some of the female artists who are currently/have released songs with this concept. This oversaturates the market, making it nearly impossible for another person to stand out. Furthermore, fellow IZ*ONE member Yena has made this her trademark concept. So some may feel they only have to pay attention to one, if they're both doing the same.
Y2K is also obviously a trend that will pass. This time 1-2 years ago retro concepts from the 70s and 80s were extremely popular, but now they have fallen out of taste. Another example is the oversaturation of pure/cute concepts in the mid 2000s. Groups like Gfriend, Oh My Girl, and TWICE survived but so many others were forgotten. Once the trend ends what would Chaeyeon do?
This next point is more opinion based, but I don't think Chaeyeon would really fit this concept. Chaeyeon is often remarked to be like a feather and very easily fit elegant ones that IZ*ONE dedicated themself to. Sure she could adapt and do well, but if we compare Yena and Chaeyeon's personalities/styles of performing, it's kinda clear to me that this may not be Chaeyeon's strength.
- Horror Concept:
It is very rare that an artist with a horror concept finds success. Groups like VIXX and Dreamcatcher are the only ones I can think of that have even won a music show. Just because she is a former IZ*ONE member doesn't mean she can overcome the difficulties groups like PIXY, Pink Fantasy, and Purple Kiss have faced.
Also more of an opinion, Chaeyeon doesn't seem like she would be excellent at this concept considering her performance style. I think she would do a lot better with this one considering her ability to do darker concepts, such as her cover of Taemin's "Criminal". However when I thought of Chaeyeon's solo debut I thought of something like her Produce 48 audition "Singing in the Shower" with a dark twist. She shined in that performance.
Her Companies Promotional Material
I said it in my profile post, but the photos released for Chaeyeon's debut look cheap. Even the graphics showing the tracklist and schedule are campy and look like something I could make with Canva. It's kinda like Chaeyeon said they would leave the company unless they debuted her. They were like fine, it's almost Halloween so let's make you a vampire.
Ever worse now, we are seeing plagiarism accusations with Key's "Gasoline" promotional material. And having seen the comparison, the content looks too similar for it to be a coincidence. Sometimes a little controversy before a debut can be helpful to gain attention, but an obvious case of plagiarism of a respected company/idol is not it.
Toxic Korean Beauty Standards
Although I wish I could deny it, but Chaeyeon does not fit Korea's extreme beauty standard. I personally think she is absolutely beautiful, but Knetz don't. I fear that they won't be able to value her talent and her beauty the way it is. That's one of the reasons I thought it would be best if she debuted in a group. However due to how her dancing talent was perceiveved in the past I do have hope.
Overall Thoughts
I wish Chaeyeon the best of luck with her solo debut, and I hope that her company is actually planning something in the long term. She is incredibly talented and beautiful, even if some may not think so. I think she could be phenomenal with the correct concept and company.
Fighting Chaeyeon

 

[LostInTheDream]

68. NMIXX will change or tone down their concept
NMIXX's presence in kpop is similar to that of their music, it's confusing. In some ways they seem to be doing really well, but I'm finding more instances where I am nervous. Becuase of these instances, that I'll be analyzing, I think future NMIXX releases will either tone down or completely change their Mixx-Pop concept.
This post is also inspired by this video:

Lack of Music Show Wins + Comparison to Otheer JYP GGs
When a girl group debuts and doesn't get a win with their first two releases it is not said to be unusual. However, when the girl group is from a big three company such as JYP, then there is an issue. NMIXX has essentially just completed their promotions for "Dice", their first comeback. But they still haven't taken home a win. If we compare this to other JYP GGs, this is a concern.
Wonder Girls - Got first win with first comeback "Tell Me"
Miss A - Got first win with debut "Bad Girl Good Girl"
TWICE - Got first win with first comeback "Cheer Up"
ITZY - Got first win with debut "Dalla Dalla"
NMIXX does not follow this pattern. This is a huge concern considering that music show wins are one of the biggest ways to measure an artists success in Korea and for international fans.

Poor Reception of Songs
It's not secret that NMIXX's songs are some of the more divisive ones in the industry. But this shock production seems to be doing the opposite of its intention. In the video posted above, the youtuber states their theory that Nmixx's musical identity was formed after JYP saw the success of aespa's "Next Level". It's actually pretty credible if you look at the dates. Instead of replicating this popularity, many people turned away because they didn't like the music, myself included. If they continue to put out songs with suhc radical changes they will have difficulty building any kind of fanbase.

Members Not Drawning Attention
Many of the NMIXX members seem to go unknown to many kpop stans, eventhe ones intended to succeed.For example Jinni was planned to be the center of the group, but now rarely fulfills this in the form of Sullyoon or Kyujin. This is further reflected in the part distribution and screen time distribution of "Dice". If the members who are supposed to be the stan attractors aren't doing that, it's a recipe for a Miss A of 4Minute scenario.
Sullyoon seems to be the only member that kpop stans are able to name. However this is simply due to her conforming to the kbs so well. It does not tell the public how insanely talented the group is. Someone won't want to listen to a song just cause someone is pretty, tbey'll do it to hear their talent.
It seems like JYP is seeing how the other members are not leaving a mark and pushing the said two members on us. Therefore they get many or important parts and show up on the screen much more frequently.
*I'm not saying that the girls who are not grabbing attention are bad or anything, they just aren't being promoted properly/fairly.

To play the devil's advocate:
NMIXX has been able to sell a significant amount of albums and is charting pretty well. I'm not sure how to find Korean charts to truly see how good they are charting and for how long. But it is something.

Conclusion
I think NMIXX desperatly needs to tone down a song that will not bring them success.
If they don't do this then they need to at least add more bsides to their albums to balance it out.
I wish all the success for the girls. I was really excited for this debut.

 

[sanasideup]

68. NMIXX will change or tone down their concept
NMIXX's presence in kpop is similar to that of their music, it's confusing. In some ways they seem to be doing really well, but I'm finding more instances where I am nervous. Becuase of these instances, that I'll be analyzing, I think future NMIXX releases will either tone down or completely change their Mixx-Pop concept.
This post is also inspired by this video:

Lack of Music Show Wins + Comparison to Otheer JYP GGs
When a girl group debuts and doesn't get a win with their first two releases it is not said to be unusual. However, when the girl group is from a big three company such as JYP, then there is an issue. NMIXX has essentially just completed their promotions for "Dice", their first comeback. But they still haven't taken home a win. If we compare this to other JYP GGs, this is a concern.
Wonder Girls - Got first win with first comeback "Tell Me"
Miss A - Got first win with debut "Bad Girl Good Girl"
TWICE - Got first win with first comeback "Cheer Up"
ITZY - Got first win with debut "Dalla Dalla"
NMIXX does not follow this pattern. This is a huge concern considering that music show wins are one of the biggest ways to measure an artists success in Korea and for international fans.

Poor Reception of Songs
It's not secret that NMIXX's songs are some of the more divisive ones in the industry. But this shock production seems to be doing the opposite of its intention. In the video posted above, the youtuber states their theory that Nmixx's musical identity was formed after JYP saw the success of aespa's "Next Level". It's actually pretty credible if you look at the dates. Instead of replicating this popularity, many people turned away because they didn't like the music, myself included. If they continue to put out songs with suhc radical changes they will have difficulty building any kind of fanbase.

Members Not Drawning Attention
Many of the NMIXX members seem to go unknown to many kpop stans, eventhe ones intended to succeed.For example Jinni was planned to be the center of the group, but now rarely fulfills this in the form of Sullyoon or Kyujin. This is further reflected in the part distribution and screen time distribution of "Dice". If the members who are supposed to be the stan attractors aren't doing that, it's a recipe for a Miss A of 4Minute scenario.
Sullyoon seems to be the only member that kpop stans are able to name. However this is simply due to her conforming to the kbs so well. It does not tell the public how insanely talented the group is. Someone won't want to listen to a song just cause someone is pretty, tbey'll do it to hear their talent.
It seems like JYP is seeing how the other members are not leaving a mark and pushing the said two members on us. Therefore they get many or important parts and show up on the screen much more frequently.
*I'm not saying that the girls who are not grabbing attention are bad or anything, they just aren't being promoted properly/fairly.

To play the devil's advocate:
NMIXX has been able to sell a significant amount of albums and is charting pretty well. I'm not sure how to find Korean charts to truly see how good they are charting and for how long. But it is something.

Conclusion
I think NMIXX desperatly needs to tone down a song that will not bring them success.
If they don't do this then they need to at least add more bsides to their albums to balance it out.
I wish all the success for the girls. I was really excited for this debut.

i love nmixx's music, but they need normal songs. cool (your rainbow) is their only normal song, and it's rly good, which proves that they can make normal music. i only hope jyp actually listens. they've finally started giving twice the opportunities once have been asking for, so i rly do think there's hope for nmixx