It’s that point of yr once more! Whereas December is full of year-end countdowns, I like to have a look again at a few of Okay-pop’s greatest businesses throughout November. Earlier than studying (particularly in the event you’re new to the weblog), it’s useful to know that my grading focuses most closely on music releases and the way comebacks are managed and delivered to followers. Scandals and non-musical elements can actually impression an company’s grade, however the greatest standards will at all times be the music itself. Following SM Leisure‘s evaluation earlier this week, it’s time to dive into YG Leisure.
As common, the ideas under are my very own and aren’t aware of any insider data. There can be loads of subjective critique.
The Good
YG Leisure continues to be buoyed by its established acts. BLACKPINK could not have made a bunch comeback this yr, however its members launched solo singles and high-profile collaborations, extending their push into worldwide markets. Rosé’s duet with Bruno Mars is a bonafide international smash, whereas new efforts from Lisa and Jennie additionally made waves far past Korea. These women have clearly established themselves in a wide range of media and in 2024 they had been in a position to reap the rewards of that effort. This solo work wasn’t really managed by YG, however the company was nonetheless in a position to profit from the success on the subject of their general model.
A lot of YG’s focus this yr went in direction of establishing rookie group BABYMONSTER. Their work was a blended bag musically, however thus far they appear to be persevering with the company’s run of profitable woman teams, doubling the gross sales of their first album with their just-released full-length.
Although we don’t but have any new music, veteran woman group 2NE1 simply kicked off a reunion tour, showcasing why they’re the template that each BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER had been constructed from. And the always-reliable AKMU continued to do their very own factor, each as a duo and soloists.
The Dangerous
So far as I can inform, YG Leisure have develop into creatively bankrupt. Nothing they launch feels new or novel. Every new woman group follows the identical sounds and ideas which were profitable previously. BABYMONSTER’s burgeoning discography is just about a xerox of 2NE1/BLACKPINK, however we’ve been down this similar highway for therefore lengthy that the copies start to fade with every passing technology. The company appears unwilling (or unable?) to change issues up. This may seize new followers for a second, however there actually isn’t something for these of us who’ve been listening to YG artists for years.
Whereas BABYMONSTER obtained a good quantity of promotion this yr, YG’s boy teams languished. Treasure launched a digital single and Winner was nowhere to be discovered (to be truthful, a few of its members are at the moment enlisted). With iKON and Bigbang gone from their roster, YG doesn’t appear to have a lot curiosity in creating this facet of their line-up. The company has by no means been in a position to multi-task, however it seems like they’ve positioned all their hopes on a slender sound that’s changing into narrower by the yr.
One solution to broaden this sound is thru subsidiary The Black Label. Sadly, this label appears to be following YG’s worst instincts. They proceed to don’t know what to do with Jeon Somi‘s music despite the fact that the reply (judging by Quick Ahead‘s success final yr) is clear. New woman group MEOVV got here and went with little promotion and no distinct identification. We’ll be fortunate if we get one or two songs from them subsequent yr, judging by The Black Label’s meager observe report.
Other than one or two exceptions, music doesn’t appear to be YG’s focus any extra. The company feels extra like a model, churning out endorsements extra typically than new albums. The music exists to help its artists’ cachet, as evidenced by all the worldwide collaborations YG pushed this yr. They so desperately wish to be within the room hobnobbing with a-list celebrities that they’ve forgotten the artistry that acquired them into that room within the first place. I can’t keep in mind the final time I used to be genuinely excited a few new launch from a YG artist. The company itself doesn’t appear excited in regards to the music, so why ought to we?
What I’d wish to see in 2025:
- A newly-debuted group with a sound we haven’t heard from YG one million occasions already
- New producers with new concepts
- Much less concentrate on international collaborations
Earlier years: 2023 // 2022 // 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017 // 2016
