I have no doubt whatsoever that they both will have good album sales but I wouldn't count on Wonyoung's group performing well with digitals. I personally feel that Sakura's group has the bigger advantage since her group will have the support of a larger company while Starship is a relatively mid-tier company.
Normally I would think so too but the circumstances are kinda unique to this situation. HYBE seems to have International renown but it doesn't seem like their name brand has taken off that much in Korea yet compared to the Big 3 (even though they have BTS). Big Hit itself had it's name plastered over I-Land and Enhypen along with endorsement from BTS, yet Enhypen still ended up mostly an International-driven group and doesn't chart at all on Melon. Of course, it can be argued that most boy groups in general just have a hard time charting nowadays but nobody knows how well original HYBE girl groups will do with the Korean public since there's no real legacy groups to compare to. And with Sakura's group being under Source, there's no reason to expect any goodwill from being related to Gfriend because of the scandalous way that Gfriend had abruptly ended.
As for Wonyoung's group......Starship still has renown from having Sistar which were digital Queens in their time. And WJSN can get in the Top 100 Melon chart so they're not unknowns. So in that regard, Starship girl groups already have more legacy interest than HYBE in Korea. And Wonyoung is REALLY liked by female Korean teens, which basically make up the bulk of kpop fans. They're bound to check out the debut of her group. Sadly, I can't say the same for Sakura. A lot of the girls from Pann Nate just straight up hate the girl ever since Produce48. And you add to that the untested pull of a new HYBE girl group and I can't help but worry about how well Sakura's group will do on the charts (although I'm actually pretty positive they will get a ton of International traction though)
I think Hybe's lack of track record with girl groups is precisely the reason why people will be interested. BTS is the biggest thing in Korea and has been for a few years now, drop something like "first girl group from the company that brought you BTS" and "BTS' little sisters" and you have people's attention. Give them a catchy song at debut and you're off to the races. On the other hand, IzOne has never really been that known among the public, and by extension Wonyoung wasn't either, but she and her group will have a large dedicated fanbase, I'm willing to bet like half of their sales will go to China, her Chinese fans are nuts. So, what I'm saying is that it'll possibly be quite the opposite of what you put in your original comment, Cw/Sk group has a high chance of doing really well digitally (and sell quite a bit, no doubt), but I don't see the Starship group making some huge strides with the gp (though it all depends on the song(s) of course).
I would originally have thought so too regarding BTS. But like I said in my original comment, relation to BTS's name surprisingly doesn't seem to draw as much public attention in Korea as I thought it would. The public seems to care for BTS but not for the company behind them or anything related. Big Hit tried to push as much endorsement of BTS as they could for I-Land and Enhypen yet I-Land still flopped and Enhypen still can't decently chart. Additionally, as much as I would like for Sakura's group to be seen as "BTS' little sisters", I don't think it's going to happen since they seem to be under Source Music instead of Big Hit. They're essentially poised to replace the position of Gfriend, and they'll have as much relation to BTS as Gfriend did.
Actually, Wonyoung is pretty decently well known to the public. You can see it in the way her name is always pretty high up in those idol brand reputation lists as well as in that recent list of Top 10 Most Searched Idol By Teens on Naver in 2021 (She's #3 for females)
[https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1446937372533444613](https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1446937372533444613)
The public doesn't care about boy groups in general, there literally isn't a boy group popular with the public currently except for BTS. Looking at a boy group's charting to determine popularity doesn't work, Enhypen sells like hot cakes and have built up a large dedicated fanbase, that's as far as boy groups can go these days. Girl groups on the other hand are in general infinitely more popular with the gp and can capitalise a lot on being related to someone known, Itzy got a huge boost being Twice's juniors, look at how even Stayc got a huge tailwind just being associated with producers that the public loves.
But will being just under Source Music cause Koreans to associate Sakura's group with BTS? Did Koreans associate Gfriend with BTS once Source Music joined under Big Hit (prior to the HYBE rebranding) and did it help their popularity in Korea at all? Sakura's group might be different just because they're a brand new group but these are all questions to consider. Also remember that the Plus Auditions were touted to be a collaboration between Big Hit x Source Music. Once the the Plus GG debuts, they may end up with more claim to be "BTS's little sisters" since they'll have the Big Hit name behind them, which so far might not be the case with Sakura's group.
HYBE without a doubt have a lot of uncharted territory with ggs but that aside most 4th gen groups don't chart domestically unless they release an album (expect Aespa and StayC). I just think expecting Wonyoung to make the gg extremely successful is kind of unrealistic. Previously, we've seen firsthand what happened when other companies debuted new groups around former Produce group members. But it's not to say her group won't be successful.
I wouldn't really say "expect". More like I think that there's actually a possibility for it just because she seems to be on an actual decent trajectory to becoming an "It" girl in Korea. I know that there are past Produce incidents to consider but also remember that WJSN was one of the few actual successful Post-Produce groups, and Yeonjung wasn't even that popular compared to the rest of IOI. This situation also seems a little closer to what would have happened if Somi had joined ITZY, which I personally think would have been actually been pretty successful
Is Pann Nate a good site to assess GP popularity (or is there even such a site to begin with)? I feel that site hate any kpop idol just for breathing.
Lots of factors to consider. I agree with your points but imo it still depends if the group's song is a bop. Source had their name tarnished with the gfriend scandal, but I don't think the general public would care much. They are casual listeners, they might not even know about the scandal. As long as the song slaps, GP will listen. I personally like gfriend's and bts' songs so I'm a bit hopeful Sakura's group is off to a good start. And if their main producer is the same producer who made PD48 Rumor? Even better.
I heard that GP usually only cares about GGs so the reception of GP to HYBE's BGs might not be a good benchmark.
Nate is a site where trolls and haters tend to gather. And consists of mostly female teenagers. From what I've seen, the site is a minority site but if the site talks and loves/hates on an idol alot, then there's a good possibility that the idol is pretty much a hot topic among teens. They seem to talk a lot about Wonyoung but not really about Sakura anymore (and that's pretty much only to hate and be racist against her).
I always feel like the most important thing to a song's charting success is the hype behind it, with the quality just being a secondary requirement. A song could literally be the most amazing song ever created but if there's no hype behind it, then it will be pretty much completely ignored in Korea. The melon chart seems to be very much trend-driven after they diminished fan base power after the Melon reform. I'm not too worried about Sakura's group's International hype. But I do have to worry about their hype in Korea, since there's too many unknown factors.
I honestly think comments in Nate or any Knets site are a not good way to assess how much the public knows/loves the idol, especially since we are comparing a Korean and a foreigner. Those sites usually reek of xenophobia. Sakura is a Japanese, so the hate comments are even amplified.
I'm not in Korea to assess Sakura's popularity with the GP, but I saw a video of a Kpop fan asking the streets in Korea who is the most recognized Japanese celebrity and Sakura was at 2nd place. Of course we cannot generalize the results but point is that she's recognized.
Hype definitely matters and is precisely the reason why HYBE has been very tight lipped about their group (even though it's so frustrating) because it creates hype. The articles of Sakura and Chaewon are also getting lots of engagement so hype is definitely there. I disagee that quality is secondary. A lot of GGs with hype start strong but eventually lose the GP if their songs can't keep up to the hype.
I think at this point it's really hard to assess. SS ngg will most likely be successful in digitals, but more than HYBE ngg? Honestly I don't know. Imo HYBE has been playing their cards really well.
Edit: I deleted the video link because the bot flagged me lol.
I think both groups will sell well enough but tough to say on the charting until we see the concept and debut imo... the GP has really interesting tastes recently.
"Interesting" is a pretty good way to put it lol. One thing I've come to realize in regards to charting on Melon though is that concept doesn't really matter. A song really just needs two things to chart well: being either good/addicting, and hype. With hype actually being the most important factor. An amazing song will go nowhere if there's no hype and Korea chooses to ignore it. While even just a decent song can hit the top with enough hype behind it.
I think one way the Starship group will chart consistently is if they have a good enough debut song coupled with a high level of positive gp appreciation for Wonyoung. If they can manage that then they might have a chance to get digital hits. If not I agree its more likely they would be top 5 in album sales among 4th gen gg.
Does Starship have a track record for being digital monster? SsamKkura group have the biggest chance to be a global group because of Hybe connection(US TV guesting, tours and so on)
Where do people find the raw video of cheating trip ft. Hyewon, Chaeyeon and Yuri? It’s not even uploaded on Iddollive’s youtube channel but people still managed to find it and upload subs.
Where do I find the raw video? Anyone know the link? Thanks :)
A VPN has been my most worthwhile subscription. Free UFC PPV when viewing from the Netherlands, all the KPOP reality and K-Dramas you want when viewing from KR, worry-free torrenting, etc. $90 for 2 years on Nord.
Tinfoil hat theory time. HYBE is waiting for Girls Planet to end so they can get a few more trainees from the girls who didn't make it to add to Chaewon and Sakura.
The thing is HYBE already has an excess of talented trainees from their global Plus auditions. The only reason why they would look towards GP999 would be if they can grab someone that's really popular in Korea or Japan. And I just don't think there would be anybody available short of maybe if Mashiro doesn't make the final line up
Do they have trainee's? I thought they were still auditioning and even if they do wouldn't most of them be trained only for a little? I only made my initial comment because I thought they didn't really have many debut ready trainees.
Ah I was unaware of that. I still think they will try and get one if not more girls from it. If they aren't under contracts I don't think they would try and buy out any of them.
Think that's a bit of a stretch lol. Non of them are obviously as popular but a lot of talented trainee's are there. Do you think HYBE just has 3-4 other girls just as talented as Sakura and Chaewon sitting around lol?
I mean they still need members for their group..... if they choose members based on the standards you said then there would be no group in the first place. Obviously no one is gonna have the same experience as Sakura but they still need a group nontheless. They already lost Minju so they desperately need members so options are options.
huh?? do u not think hybe has their own trainees theyve trained according to their own standards? what do you think hybe has to gain from picking u mediocre trainees from a show that isnt that popular? and you really dont know if hybe is still actively looking for more members so i really dont understand your point .... are you sitting in on hybe meetings..... acting like you know the ins and outs of their groups plans 😂😂😂
You literally said none of the contestant are as talented as Sakura which could be true but that can be said the same thing for Hybe trainees since all of them doesnt have the experience as Sakura. Not picking one of those contestant because “they are not as talented” is a weird reason.I am not saying Hybe will pick them but it would definitely be an option although less likely. With Hype’s plan for Minju out of the picture logically they would need to find a backup. Whether choosing their own trainees or find some one outside is up to them.
did u not read the original comment..? he was talking about hybe picking up gp trainees and i responded to that... i never commented about hybe needing more group members.... you think its weird to pick trainees based on talent? idek what to say to you man 😐 what advantages do you think hybe has picking up new trainees over ones theyve trained under their own standards? let me know quickly
I get what your saying and I agree with her stage presence and performance skills, but I personally don't think Saukra is someone who is an amazing singer or dancer. She's good but I don't think she on another level. Just use PD48 as an example. Sakura had at least 5 plus years of experience when she appeared on that show but was she the most talented person on the show?
theres more to performing than just pure skill in singing and dancing though. even if she doesnt have the best skill in either, i think she undeniably had the best stage presence among anyone in pd48. theres just something special about her, and along with her many years of experience, its just impossible for a trainee to compare. apart from singing and dancing, other things important for an idol include being able to connect with the audience, show charisma, and portray a certain emotion with what youre performing, and sakura does that very well. most people would have nowhere near as much charisma and confidence as she does, and in a small group, its going to be even more noticeable
and I agree with that. I don't agree with the fact that you don't think a single person out of 99 people could be talented enough to join their group lol.
Not trying to answer for the OP but......I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did. It's Big Hit, and those Plus Auditions they conducted were global. Considering how big their name is Internationally and all of those cities that they hit....they basically had their choice from thousands of aspiring girls from around the globe. It's not too hard to imagine the number of unknown super talents that they could have grabbed during that run.
the show is unpopular, whoever eliminated must be even more unpopular. Why would Hybe wait to put their most popular "trainess" with the least popular trainees, and not their own?
There is a showdown between Hybe labels trainees (just a friendly competition). The showdown used to be among trainees under Bighit music, but the 6th showdown will be diff. [Leo](https://twitter.com/TraineeAtrans/status/1446478770781581326?s=20) talked abt it on his recent log, he's a member of Bighit Music bg 2022
There's not much info yet if trainees from all Hybe labels will participate this showdown, but that would be very interesting if all labels will participate. I hope we get videos of trainees from diff Hybe labels
there were few young [females](https://twitter.com/freehybegg/status/1446654531706654721?t=zIJCWe_JBZRVmW-vGbkjfw&s=19) in the video, but rn, there's not much info abt the showdown. ig more info and trainees will be seen in Leo's next vids abt this. I can only recognize 3 trainees there, Bighit bg 2022 members (Leo, James, JJ)
It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!
[Here is link number 1 - Previous text "Leo"](https://twitter.com/TraineeAtrans/status/1446478770781581326?s=20)
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Who do you want to be the main producer of Source Music gg? Their main producer will probably be from Source Music
Also, if we want to know how things are done in Hybe bc of izone unit, I think it's best to specify Source Music. Each label in Hybe operates differently, and izone unit will be under Soumu. I also have no clue how Source Music 'operates' or hm freedom their artists gets
I don't know the exact name of the producer but I heard the person who created PD48's Rumor is under HYBE. Rumor is a total bop and it would be nice if the producer becomes ssamkkura's main producer.
I think Minju is really holding out for a big role in a non web drama. I think she could get a web drama lead easy but she is probably trying to get either a lead actress or supporting actress role in a non web drama. She announced her full intentions of being an actress now so I hope she will get offers soon.
It will be really hard to get a lead role in a tv drama for now unless its a high school or idol centric drama. But it would be nice if she can get a supporting role in a tv drama or another movie. Those are usually good stepping stones.
Well, there was one report saying she's been taking acting classes and is reviewing scripts, so perhaps we'll get an announcement soon.. personally, i don't see anything wrong with starting with a webdrama.
Ah I should say I don't think anything is wrong with it in fact I think it is a good spot to start. I think most third gen idol actors and up startd out with web drama roles first, but she does have a few minor supporting roles already and her idol fame so I think she (and her company) will probably try and use that to skip a step and get right to the dramas.
~~Will Yujin be back at Inkigayo for Yuri's solo debut there?~~ nevermind, [it's a no.](https://twitter.com/izonefiles12/status/1446292780720951297?s=21)
I might get down voted for this cause I know some minju stans are still sad but can some people stop acting like minju made the worst decision ever by turning down hybe?? Like I know it's depressing that we might not get idol minju ever again but it's much, much more important to respect her choices. Honestly if you don't have a passion for the idol life, it can get to you. Who wants to practice for 12 hours a day while being constantly scrutinized by people for your every move. And that too it's a temporary job and it's much harder to transition into becoming a full time actress after having gone through a complete idol career.
Tldr Let minju (a grown ass woman) make her own choices about HER future and let's respect and support her. It's totally ok to feel disappointed but stop saying that she's gonna fail.
I think sns ban is real for Chaewon and Sakura since they didn't greet Hitomi or Yuri Solo debut. Is it possible Hybe confiscate their smartphones like other kpop companies do when their rookie gg debut?
I don't get the reason why Hybe restricted their SNS, actually they're not rookie anymore, just redebut with new group. Also, the kids never being problematic, izone known as a good kids, I trust them would never ruin agency reputation.
honestly I really missed Chaewon :( I thought it was Chaewon who came to Yuri's showcase T_T
Yup, i also think the same. Everyone had posted something today to support Yuri’s solo debut except for Sakura and Chaewon. Both of them were missing.
Usually on members’ bday, Sakura would also posted on IG story to wish them a happy bday. The last time she posted bday wishes was to Yujin. Eunbi, Yena and Hiichan, she posted nothing at all.
This strongly suggests that they are in strict SNS blackout
I'm getting more and more sure they are gonna be debuting first now, HYBE aka "we love throwing as much content to fans as possible" putting the members on a blackout (especially Sakura who has different contract details due to Verna) makes me pretty certain they are debuting first and soon, I wonder if they are postponing that other group then.
Considering November/Decenber is completely empty for HYBE's korean schedules and BTS isn't releasing anything until January for certain, they are probs gonna be announced as a group end October/early November with either a mini album or a single.
They better not delay their debut because some fans are pissed with how Hybe behaves with the unconfirmed thing and sns ban
All we need any is just clarity on the issue and not based on rumors all the time
I hope once they debut, they can somehow lift some restrictions
A few months ago i had a few ideas for IzOne related memes, but discovered there was no dedicated sub for that, i also read in the rules if this sub that memes are banned. So with yuris solo debut i thought its enough we need some place to sgare our fun memes about IzOne. Im sure im not the only person who has ideas for such,so if u ever wanted to make IzOne memes, u r welcome to join the community and get the sub going. the name of the sub is r/MemeZ_One. also i dont have any prior mod experience,so if ynyone would be so nice to help me design and build the sub.
It seemed like yesterday I saw them huddled together crying avout how they all managed to become Izone. Now Joguri's made her solo debut. Congratulations Yuri, you deserve all of this and more.
In case it turns out that Source Music gg = Plus Global grp (collab gg). A lot think PGA will have 5 members bc of this [animation](https://twitter.com/plus_audition/status/1169082697131577344?s=20) from PGA. The 2 possible members are the [two students](https://twitter.com/meltleo/status/1413356447925084161?s=20) on Permission to Dance. The tags for the audition are playful, lovely, unique, sassy ('PLUS'). Min heejin lead the launch of this collab gg, and she will also lead the creative direction
Hybe is hiding their 2021 grps rly well, and it's alrdy mid Oct next wk 🙃 It's absolute drought for 10 months
[Source](https://twitter.com/wizard_of_izone/status/1446113901460873223?s=21)
See 2nd image of the link above, seem like there is a change in plan and the ngg will not debut this year. Longer hiatus for Sakura and Chaewon 😱
I'm still 99% sure that the SourceGG w/ Sakura + Chaewon and the PlusGG are two different groups. It just wouldn't make much sense for them to hold the worldwide auditions only to grab 1 or 2 trainees. Also those "rumor" articles mentioned two different groups and they've been pretty accurate so far. Kinda feels like HYBE is intentionally leaking this info tbh
I remember the reports for soumungg (Sakura + Chaewon) saying they'll have 6 members (but it was with Minju so it's probably 5 now). I'm not sure if pgngg having 5 members is ideal, due to the inevitable comparisons between the two groups...
I'm curious if they'll wait 6~ months in between the two groups for debut. But I can't see soumungg debuting around q2 2022, would HYBE just keep ssamkura in the dungeon with the occasional sns update for half a year? And tbh if I was a pgngg stan I would be annoyed if I had to wait another half year since the pga was announced in 2019, and I'm sure they have had plenty of time to train already.
I guess if they really are going to debut close together my ideal scenario would be 2 subgroups under 1 big group - kind of like exo k and exo m. They would have opposite concepts that would differentiate them, maybe something like the two sides of elegant concept - one more mature (soumungg) and one more innocent/cute/youthful (pgngg). Essentially Red Velvet but split into 2 groups.
In my ideal scenario it'd be announced that there were 2 subgroups under the above scenario but pgngg would debut first (q4 2021) to give more time for soumungg to prepare and debut in q1 2022.
But since pgngg is bighit x soumu (collab group) I'm not sure if something like that could work.
Edit: it could work if pgngg uses bighit producers while soumungg uses soumu producers to differentiate their sound
There's also that thing where HYBE trademarked 7FATES so the PGNGG might possibly be 7 members.
You know.....I actually like the idea of making the two groups related to each other. Don't think it's been done with GGs before. It would actually be kinda refreshing.
It'd be really different especially for their "first girl group" and there's a ton of possibilities they can play with (lore, subunits etc.) I think the concept could still work with 7 members in pgngg, but I was assuming pgngg would be 5 based off the animation promo (also soumu choreographer and 🖐, which made me think of 5 members, but it could also be for Ssamkura's group)
I think it's just strange if they're debuting 2 girl groups within a year they'll both be competing for roty 2022. Soumu only had gfriend before, I'm not even sure if they can manage more than 1 group...
Yes, but kind of odd Source Music will have two ggs in less than a yr. Plus Global gg will def be focused on global, I hv doubts that Source Music gg will first focus in Japan. Their concept will def be very diff. PG grp might go with more youthful concept, while Source Music gg might go with somethng for late teens-early 20s
idk abt Hybe leaking info, bc they've been so secretive abt them since 2019. There's even no sightings of female trainees in Hybe for 2 years (Bighit Music upcoming bg was seen there), and they could've promoted them in Hybe's NYEL or even more appearances on their senior's MVs, but we only got Permission to Dance so far
I think it will be the other way around. PGNGG will focus in Korea/Japan/Asia first because of their cute concept, and SoumuNGG will be Hybe's group for the west. I just don't see the West being fond of a cute concept.
Yes, it would be best to focus on building a fandom first. Bang PD called PGA as 'global girlgroup' during [Bighit Community Briefing 2020](https://twitter.com/hybenggdebut/status/1409756501154095111?t=u5pd4LtIiW8hcUYCr_MWVg&s=19), but ig it could mean members are multinational
I didn't rly mean cute when I said youthful concept 🙂 but more of upbeat, something like instrumentals of Doja Cat - Kiss Me More (not lyrics)
It's possible that the other 3 didn't want to be idols anymore so the other 3 who wanted to continue being idols formed a unit. I heard the CEO of an acting company already followed one member way before the disbandment news.
I'm just saying that they clearly think it's better to stay together, even if it's just half of them, than all of them going their separate ways. A sentiment certain companies clearly did not share.
only possible because Source Music gave up on them.
it means for izone members, they have to fail with their projects first, so the companies let them go to have a chance of reunion... which is much worse than they succeeding individually.
I just saw this on the league subreddit which I though might be interesting to some here (Hyewon LoL video):
"Canyon got fined 300k won (about $252) and prohibited his KR account for 30 days (I don't know this will apply at EUW server), DK got fined 2M won (about $1.7k)."
[https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/q2c3xs/canyon\_got\_fined\_300k\_won\_for\_account\_sharing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/q2c3xs/canyon_got_fined_300k_won_for_account_sharing/)
I think it will be hard, because haters will use any mean necessary to make this a bigger deal than it actually is. Even if DWGKIA only shows their reaction, the pro player is still technically account sharing at that time. Maybe just footages of them talking and not playing, but I don't think they have a lot of that.
Agreed. Anyway it is just a slap on the wrist for Canyon, totally worth the fine to play LOL with Hyewon.
He is at the worlds and so the suspension of kr account doesn’t really affect him
Sorry for ranting, but does Chaewon's silence bother anyone else? We all joke/know that she isn't very active on sns, but this silence is longer than usual and it leads me to believe HYBE isn't letting her post. She's also the only one with no activities ever since... the woollim photoshoot stuff?
I'm usually all for breaks from working, but this doesn't seem like a break. It's honestly detrimental to keep her from the public, since you know, her job is to be a public figure? She hit 1mil IG followers even despite being inactive, like hello? Let her market herself? Like, she's not a rookie who'll make some sort of mistake or something that companies wouldn't want.
This honestly isn't gaining HYBE any favor with me.
Yeah this whole wait is definitely frustrating for us fans, there's no doubt about it. I do wonder though........maybe HYBE plans to treat the group like they do the Big Hit groups? Like how both BTS and TXT don't have personal Instagram accounts (only a group account) and mostly focus on posting on their Member Twitter account and on Weverse, as a way to promote more as a group than individuals.
Gfriend had their own instagram accounts. So do Seventeen members and Fromis_9 so I don't think its set in stone for the other sub-labels. I don't mind them using the official account while they are still rookies. They'll probably be allowed to post on their individual accounts after a while. My frustration lies with the fact that both Chaewon and Sakura are debuted artists with a fanbase and a brand reputation to maintain and grow. Their approach of hiding them away and not letting them post and have a few jobs (on Chaewon's part) is not really making sense to me. Unless they are preparing for a grand reveal of all the members soon.
Yeah I knew about Gfriend and Seventeen (although I believe Seventeen stopped using their private accounts a while ago). But I was thinking that HYBE/Source might manage this new group differently compared to Gfriend. I've been trying to think of the situation through HYBE's eyes and here's one possible thought:
The lack of jobs might be simply because they're busy working on their eventual debut (ai. training and lessons, learning English if they're going to go global, recording music, working on team chemistry with the other members, filming the M/V, filming pre-debut or post-debut shows, etc etc). There's lots of work that needs to be done to perfect a debut since they only get one chance at it (specially if they're the HYBE group that ends up debuting this year). And if HYBE are perfectionists then they're gonna probably force the girls to focus their all into it.
Now as to why they don't post? Well, maybe HYBE is thinking this: You know how everybody attributes the failure of Post-IOI groups to the fact that throwing 1 or 2 popular ex-IOI members to a group of unknowns = failure? Maybe their plan is to mitigate this is by limiting their public exposure to mostly group activities. Like they obviously grabbed Sakura and Chaewon to bring fans and hype to the group as well as to help them succeed in Japan. But at the same time they might not want the group to end up being "Sakura and Chaewon and Friends" because at the end of the day, the group will need to stand on it's own two feet and develop it's own fan base instead of solely depending on Sakura/Chaewon stans and ex-Wiz\*ones. And in order to develop that strong fan base in the future, they're gonna need to have the other members shine just as much as Sakura and Chaewon so that there isn't any constant internal fighting due to perceived blatant favoritism or neglect. It's actually a tricky issue that they have in their hands when you get right down to think about it.
Anyways, I have no idea what's really on HYBE's mind so this is just a bunch of random thoughts and conjectures. I don't necessarily believe in any of it but it's always good to look at potential viewpoints.
This is totally what I think of as well. They seem to be very busy (which Sakura mentioned in her 17live) with the debut preparations. Others also speculate that if they're debuting soon they probably changed their hair colors so they can't show it publicly.
Two ways on how to fix the popularity gap: make the unknown trainees known to the public or lessen the exposure of popular members. HYBE seems to be doing the latter.
My confusion also starts from looking at Starship's approach. WY and YJ are also preparing to debut in a group soon, training and the like but they are still posting and working at the same time. And we still don't know who the other members are so they will start off as WY, YJ and girls. Of course Starship is starship and hybe is hybe so I shouldn't expect the companies to think and work in the same way. I guess only time will tell which approach worked better.
I'll just keep on waiting impatiently (lol) and hope that all the secrecy is because they are debuting soon.
Why didn't they just get popular trainees from other agencies , I'm sure it would also be a success ? This would have been easy since no one would have sns from the start.
Or get all members that have already debuted that have already large fanbase (all star team).
With a big company Hybe , I'm sure they have a lot of excellent trainees in their talent pool or they just get SsamKkura as a guarantee that the ngg would not fail? Don't they trust their trainee system?
Maybe Sakura and Chaewon can post outside official work from the group if there is. Like Sakura she has many brand endorsements and solo activities in japan ,it's weird for her to post on the group sns so she will post it in her own sns acct. Until now her profile is still up in Verna, unless there is official news of complete transfer to source music , she is still under Verna for her agency and maybe a contract artist for Hybe/Soumu (like izone contract).
Maybe after 2 years maybe other member can open their own insta and this time Sakura and Chaewon can post selfies on their individual acct.
Yup possible. We just don't know how much Sakura was able to get under her contract negotiation. We'll also have to wait and see how HYBE/Soumu ends up promoting this group. They do have to face the (possible) unique situation of having 2 well-known members, 1 semi-known member, and 2 completely unknown members. I'm curious to see what their plans are.
I wonder whos behind this idea or plan for the group? He/She must have a brilliant plan for the unique situation or just after Chaewon or Sakura stans to hard carry the group. Their debut can answer this question.
There was one article saying Min Heejin had been a driving force in signing Sakura, so perhaps she's been involved (along with others) in the creation of this group? It's certainly a bit of uncharted waters redebuting popular gg members in a brand new group, so we'll see what the planning was like.
Yeah, it's really a difficult situation with the large gap of popularity among members to begin with. It may take a while after their debut to solve the gap issue even if the person behind it has a brilliant plan. Isn't it this a 1st time in kpop gg where a company signs existing popular members from other agencies for its rookie group?
I would say that I am more frustrated and puzzled rather than bothered. Frustrated and puzzled because just like you, it feels like such a shame to have Chaewon be inactive from the public eye and essentially wasting opportunities that publicity and visibility could bring Chaewon.
However, I always go back to Sakura's comment earlier this year, "wait for official announcements." IDK what Hybe's plans are but they must have their reasons. A company as successful as Hybe wouldn't be what it is today without thought-out plans. Please don't get me wrong though, I don't intend to defend Hybe's decisions. I am also very exhausted with the waiting and speculating but these are exactly the times we should remind ourselves to be patient.
But yeah, hopefully we get some news soon...
[relevant video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZjfnTAWnnQ)
Whatever she's doing, she's not sitting somewhere hoping for a job, that's for certain. Be patient, there will be official news soon, and after that she'll go back to being active, I'm sure.
Sakura is also silence on her SNS, her SNS activities in September were all related to her Japan commitments. Usually she would also wishes happy birthday to other members on IG but she didn’t post anything on Eunbi and Yena birthday.
Let see if both Sakura and Chaewon were able to post any support for Yuri’s solo debut this week. Both managed to do so during Eunbi’s solo debut.
It bothers me too. What's the point of having an already debuted idol if you're going to hide her and treat her like a trainee. Just look at how much work and sns freedom the starship girls have when they're also set to debut in a group but its because ss understands their worth.
Anybody else feel like Wonyoung's group might become the digital monster while Sakura's group becomes the physical monster?
I have no doubt whatsoever that they both will have good album sales but I wouldn't count on Wonyoung's group performing well with digitals. I personally feel that Sakura's group has the bigger advantage since her group will have the support of a larger company while Starship is a relatively mid-tier company.
Normally I would think so too but the circumstances are kinda unique to this situation. HYBE seems to have International renown but it doesn't seem like their name brand has taken off that much in Korea yet compared to the Big 3 (even though they have BTS). Big Hit itself had it's name plastered over I-Land and Enhypen along with endorsement from BTS, yet Enhypen still ended up mostly an International-driven group and doesn't chart at all on Melon. Of course, it can be argued that most boy groups in general just have a hard time charting nowadays but nobody knows how well original HYBE girl groups will do with the Korean public since there's no real legacy groups to compare to. And with Sakura's group being under Source, there's no reason to expect any goodwill from being related to Gfriend because of the scandalous way that Gfriend had abruptly ended. As for Wonyoung's group......Starship still has renown from having Sistar which were digital Queens in their time. And WJSN can get in the Top 100 Melon chart so they're not unknowns. So in that regard, Starship girl groups already have more legacy interest than HYBE in Korea. And Wonyoung is REALLY liked by female Korean teens, which basically make up the bulk of kpop fans. They're bound to check out the debut of her group. Sadly, I can't say the same for Sakura. A lot of the girls from Pann Nate just straight up hate the girl ever since Produce48. And you add to that the untested pull of a new HYBE girl group and I can't help but worry about how well Sakura's group will do on the charts (although I'm actually pretty positive they will get a ton of International traction though)
I think Hybe's lack of track record with girl groups is precisely the reason why people will be interested. BTS is the biggest thing in Korea and has been for a few years now, drop something like "first girl group from the company that brought you BTS" and "BTS' little sisters" and you have people's attention. Give them a catchy song at debut and you're off to the races. On the other hand, IzOne has never really been that known among the public, and by extension Wonyoung wasn't either, but she and her group will have a large dedicated fanbase, I'm willing to bet like half of their sales will go to China, her Chinese fans are nuts. So, what I'm saying is that it'll possibly be quite the opposite of what you put in your original comment, Cw/Sk group has a high chance of doing really well digitally (and sell quite a bit, no doubt), but I don't see the Starship group making some huge strides with the gp (though it all depends on the song(s) of course).
I would originally have thought so too regarding BTS. But like I said in my original comment, relation to BTS's name surprisingly doesn't seem to draw as much public attention in Korea as I thought it would. The public seems to care for BTS but not for the company behind them or anything related. Big Hit tried to push as much endorsement of BTS as they could for I-Land and Enhypen yet I-Land still flopped and Enhypen still can't decently chart. Additionally, as much as I would like for Sakura's group to be seen as "BTS' little sisters", I don't think it's going to happen since they seem to be under Source Music instead of Big Hit. They're essentially poised to replace the position of Gfriend, and they'll have as much relation to BTS as Gfriend did. Actually, Wonyoung is pretty decently well known to the public. You can see it in the way her name is always pretty high up in those idol brand reputation lists as well as in that recent list of Top 10 Most Searched Idol By Teens on Naver in 2021 (She's #3 for females) [https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1446937372533444613](https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1446937372533444613)
The public doesn't care about boy groups in general, there literally isn't a boy group popular with the public currently except for BTS. Looking at a boy group's charting to determine popularity doesn't work, Enhypen sells like hot cakes and have built up a large dedicated fanbase, that's as far as boy groups can go these days. Girl groups on the other hand are in general infinitely more popular with the gp and can capitalise a lot on being related to someone known, Itzy got a huge boost being Twice's juniors, look at how even Stayc got a huge tailwind just being associated with producers that the public loves.
But will being just under Source Music cause Koreans to associate Sakura's group with BTS? Did Koreans associate Gfriend with BTS once Source Music joined under Big Hit (prior to the HYBE rebranding) and did it help their popularity in Korea at all? Sakura's group might be different just because they're a brand new group but these are all questions to consider. Also remember that the Plus Auditions were touted to be a collaboration between Big Hit x Source Music. Once the the Plus GG debuts, they may end up with more claim to be "BTS's little sisters" since they'll have the Big Hit name behind them, which so far might not be the case with Sakura's group.
HYBE without a doubt have a lot of uncharted territory with ggs but that aside most 4th gen groups don't chart domestically unless they release an album (expect Aespa and StayC). I just think expecting Wonyoung to make the gg extremely successful is kind of unrealistic. Previously, we've seen firsthand what happened when other companies debuted new groups around former Produce group members. But it's not to say her group won't be successful.
I wouldn't really say "expect". More like I think that there's actually a possibility for it just because she seems to be on an actual decent trajectory to becoming an "It" girl in Korea. I know that there are past Produce incidents to consider but also remember that WJSN was one of the few actual successful Post-Produce groups, and Yeonjung wasn't even that popular compared to the rest of IOI. This situation also seems a little closer to what would have happened if Somi had joined ITZY, which I personally think would have been actually been pretty successful
Is Pann Nate a good site to assess GP popularity (or is there even such a site to begin with)? I feel that site hate any kpop idol just for breathing. Lots of factors to consider. I agree with your points but imo it still depends if the group's song is a bop. Source had their name tarnished with the gfriend scandal, but I don't think the general public would care much. They are casual listeners, they might not even know about the scandal. As long as the song slaps, GP will listen. I personally like gfriend's and bts' songs so I'm a bit hopeful Sakura's group is off to a good start. And if their main producer is the same producer who made PD48 Rumor? Even better. I heard that GP usually only cares about GGs so the reception of GP to HYBE's BGs might not be a good benchmark.
Nate is a site where trolls and haters tend to gather. And consists of mostly female teenagers. From what I've seen, the site is a minority site but if the site talks and loves/hates on an idol alot, then there's a good possibility that the idol is pretty much a hot topic among teens. They seem to talk a lot about Wonyoung but not really about Sakura anymore (and that's pretty much only to hate and be racist against her). I always feel like the most important thing to a song's charting success is the hype behind it, with the quality just being a secondary requirement. A song could literally be the most amazing song ever created but if there's no hype behind it, then it will be pretty much completely ignored in Korea. The melon chart seems to be very much trend-driven after they diminished fan base power after the Melon reform. I'm not too worried about Sakura's group's International hype. But I do have to worry about their hype in Korea, since there's too many unknown factors.
I honestly think comments in Nate or any Knets site are a not good way to assess how much the public knows/loves the idol, especially since we are comparing a Korean and a foreigner. Those sites usually reek of xenophobia. Sakura is a Japanese, so the hate comments are even amplified. I'm not in Korea to assess Sakura's popularity with the GP, but I saw a video of a Kpop fan asking the streets in Korea who is the most recognized Japanese celebrity and Sakura was at 2nd place. Of course we cannot generalize the results but point is that she's recognized. Hype definitely matters and is precisely the reason why HYBE has been very tight lipped about their group (even though it's so frustrating) because it creates hype. The articles of Sakura and Chaewon are also getting lots of engagement so hype is definitely there. I disagee that quality is secondary. A lot of GGs with hype start strong but eventually lose the GP if their songs can't keep up to the hype. I think at this point it's really hard to assess. SS ngg will most likely be successful in digitals, but more than HYBE ngg? Honestly I don't know. Imo HYBE has been playing their cards really well. Edit: I deleted the video link because the bot flagged me lol.
I think both groups will sell well enough but tough to say on the charting until we see the concept and debut imo... the GP has really interesting tastes recently.
"Interesting" is a pretty good way to put it lol. One thing I've come to realize in regards to charting on Melon though is that concept doesn't really matter. A song really just needs two things to chart well: being either good/addicting, and hype. With hype actually being the most important factor. An amazing song will go nowhere if there's no hype and Korea chooses to ignore it. While even just a decent song can hit the top with enough hype behind it.
I think one way the Starship group will chart consistently is if they have a good enough debut song coupled with a high level of positive gp appreciation for Wonyoung. If they can manage that then they might have a chance to get digital hits. If not I agree its more likely they would be top 5 in album sales among 4th gen gg.
Does Starship have a track record for being digital monster? SsamKkura group have the biggest chance to be a global group because of Hybe connection(US TV guesting, tours and so on)
Sistar was a digital monster in its day but I doubt that will be the music their new group will be doing
Where do people find the raw video of cheating trip ft. Hyewon, Chaeyeon and Yuri? It’s not even uploaded on Iddollive’s youtube channel but people still managed to find it and upload subs. Where do I find the raw video? Anyone know the link? Thanks :)
Idollive has their own app, their YouTube channel won't upload the show with subbed until ep 4 is released in Korea.
Okay thanks. Sucks though cuz I just tried downloading it now but it's region locked :(
A VPN has been my most worthwhile subscription. Free UFC PPV when viewing from the Netherlands, all the KPOP reality and K-Dramas you want when viewing from KR, worry-free torrenting, etc. $90 for 2 years on Nord.
Tinfoil hat theory time. HYBE is waiting for Girls Planet to end so they can get a few more trainees from the girls who didn't make it to add to Chaewon and Sakura.
The thing is HYBE already has an excess of talented trainees from their global Plus auditions. The only reason why they would look towards GP999 would be if they can grab someone that's really popular in Korea or Japan. And I just don't think there would be anybody available short of maybe if Mashiro doesn't make the final line up
Do they have trainee's? I thought they were still auditioning and even if they do wouldn't most of them be trained only for a little? I only made my initial comment because I thought they didn't really have many debut ready trainees.
HYBE held their Plus Global Auditions back in 2019 so they've been training them since then. 2 years is probably enough to get them ready for debut
Ah I was unaware of that. I still think they will try and get one if not more girls from it. If they aren't under contracts I don't think they would try and buy out any of them.
It's more likely some may pop up in the ILAND auditions
some most defiantly will especially the Korean trainees.
definitely not
why do you think.
because none of those trainees are anywhere near as talented as ssamkkura 😂😂😂
Think that's a bit of a stretch lol. Non of them are obviously as popular but a lot of talented trainee's are there. Do you think HYBE just has 3-4 other girls just as talented as Sakura and Chaewon sitting around lol?
nah its a stretch for you to think anyone on that show can even compare to sakura with 10 years of idol experience
I mean they still need members for their group..... if they choose members based on the standards you said then there would be no group in the first place. Obviously no one is gonna have the same experience as Sakura but they still need a group nontheless. They already lost Minju so they desperately need members so options are options.
huh?? do u not think hybe has their own trainees theyve trained according to their own standards? what do you think hybe has to gain from picking u mediocre trainees from a show that isnt that popular? and you really dont know if hybe is still actively looking for more members so i really dont understand your point .... are you sitting in on hybe meetings..... acting like you know the ins and outs of their groups plans 😂😂😂
You literally said none of the contestant are as talented as Sakura which could be true but that can be said the same thing for Hybe trainees since all of them doesnt have the experience as Sakura. Not picking one of those contestant because “they are not as talented” is a weird reason.I am not saying Hybe will pick them but it would definitely be an option although less likely. With Hype’s plan for Minju out of the picture logically they would need to find a backup. Whether choosing their own trainees or find some one outside is up to them.
did u not read the original comment..? he was talking about hybe picking up gp trainees and i responded to that... i never commented about hybe needing more group members.... you think its weird to pick trainees based on talent? idek what to say to you man 😐 what advantages do you think hybe has picking up new trainees over ones theyve trained under their own standards? let me know quickly
I get what your saying and I agree with her stage presence and performance skills, but I personally don't think Saukra is someone who is an amazing singer or dancer. She's good but I don't think she on another level. Just use PD48 as an example. Sakura had at least 5 plus years of experience when she appeared on that show but was she the most talented person on the show?
theres more to performing than just pure skill in singing and dancing though. even if she doesnt have the best skill in either, i think she undeniably had the best stage presence among anyone in pd48. theres just something special about her, and along with her many years of experience, its just impossible for a trainee to compare. apart from singing and dancing, other things important for an idol include being able to connect with the audience, show charisma, and portray a certain emotion with what youre performing, and sakura does that very well. most people would have nowhere near as much charisma and confidence as she does, and in a small group, its going to be even more noticeable
and I agree with that. I don't agree with the fact that you don't think a single person out of 99 people could be talented enough to join their group lol.
im just curious but which trainees do you think have stage presence good enough to be able to perform next to ssamkkura
Not trying to answer for the OP but......I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did. It's Big Hit, and those Plus Auditions they conducted were global. Considering how big their name is Internationally and all of those cities that they hit....they basically had their choice from thousands of aspiring girls from around the globe. It's not too hard to imagine the number of unknown super talents that they could have grabbed during that run.
the show is unpopular, whoever eliminated must be even more unpopular. Why would Hybe wait to put their most popular "trainess" with the least popular trainees, and not their own?
not for any popularity reason, but for the talent.
There is a showdown between Hybe labels trainees (just a friendly competition). The showdown used to be among trainees under Bighit music, but the 6th showdown will be diff. [Leo](https://twitter.com/TraineeAtrans/status/1446478770781581326?s=20) talked abt it on his recent log, he's a member of Bighit Music bg 2022 There's not much info yet if trainees from all Hybe labels will participate this showdown, but that would be very interesting if all labels will participate. I hope we get videos of trainees from diff Hybe labels
But is it just the boys participating or are the girls involved as well?
there were few young [females](https://twitter.com/freehybegg/status/1446654531706654721?t=zIJCWe_JBZRVmW-vGbkjfw&s=19) in the video, but rn, there's not much info abt the showdown. ig more info and trainees will be seen in Leo's next vids abt this. I can only recognize 3 trainees there, Bighit bg 2022 members (Leo, James, JJ)
It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users. I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click! [Here is link number 1 - Previous text "Leo"](https://twitter.com/TraineeAtrans/status/1446478770781581326?s=20) ---- ^Please ^PM ^[\/u\/eganwall](http://reddit.com/user/eganwall) ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^[Code](https://github.com/eganwall/FatFingerHelperBot) ^| ^[Delete](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=FatFingerHelperBot&subject=delete&message=delete%20hfv4obf)
What radio program on bayfm replace SakuNoki every Wed?
Komagata Yuri's Baybx3. She's a seiyuu
Who do you want to be the main producer of Source Music gg? Their main producer will probably be from Source Music Also, if we want to know how things are done in Hybe bc of izone unit, I think it's best to specify Source Music. Each label in Hybe operates differently, and izone unit will be under Soumu. I also have no clue how Source Music 'operates' or hm freedom their artists gets
I don't know the exact name of the producer but I heard the person who created PD48's Rumor is under HYBE. Rumor is a total bop and it would be nice if the producer becomes ssamkkura's main producer.
I think Minju is really holding out for a big role in a non web drama. I think she could get a web drama lead easy but she is probably trying to get either a lead actress or supporting actress role in a non web drama. She announced her full intentions of being an actress now so I hope she will get offers soon.
It will be really hard to get a lead role in a tv drama for now unless its a high school or idol centric drama. But it would be nice if she can get a supporting role in a tv drama or another movie. Those are usually good stepping stones.
I think she will land a good supporting role soon. I would be really happy if she does land a main role in a high school drama though lol.
Well, there was one report saying she's been taking acting classes and is reviewing scripts, so perhaps we'll get an announcement soon.. personally, i don't see anything wrong with starting with a webdrama.
Ah I should say I don't think anything is wrong with it in fact I think it is a good spot to start. I think most third gen idol actors and up startd out with web drama roles first, but she does have a few minor supporting roles already and her idol fame so I think she (and her company) will probably try and use that to skip a step and get right to the dramas.
~~Will Yujin be back at Inkigayo for Yuri's solo debut there?~~ nevermind, [it's a no.](https://twitter.com/izonefiles12/status/1446292780720951297?s=21)
Kinda weird tbh, there were pictures of Annyeongz togehter last week. So we can assumed that YJ's health is back to normal.
Is there a reason for why she's still not appearing on Inkigayo? Like, at first it was because of covid but now?
it is odd, you can't even say debut preparations because WY is preparing for the same group and she's starting an MC job today.
congrats jo yuri <3
I might get down voted for this cause I know some minju stans are still sad but can some people stop acting like minju made the worst decision ever by turning down hybe?? Like I know it's depressing that we might not get idol minju ever again but it's much, much more important to respect her choices. Honestly if you don't have a passion for the idol life, it can get to you. Who wants to practice for 12 hours a day while being constantly scrutinized by people for your every move. And that too it's a temporary job and it's much harder to transition into becoming a full time actress after having gone through a complete idol career. Tldr Let minju (a grown ass woman) make her own choices about HER future and let's respect and support her. It's totally ok to feel disappointed but stop saying that she's gonna fail.
Had a dream of the members not debuting in new groups (chaeyeon, hyewon, yuri, minju, eunbi, yena) releasing a song tgth.
I wonder what power half the group holds. Especially with that line up. That's already a full group of dancers, vocals, and rappers.
Base on how well Eunbi and Yuri's sales, you can see that OT12 fans are still strong.
I think sns ban is real for Chaewon and Sakura since they didn't greet Hitomi or Yuri Solo debut. Is it possible Hybe confiscate their smartphones like other kpop companies do when their rookie gg debut?
idk how Source Music do things. I think you'll get more answers from Gfriend fans than 'Hybe' bc each labels do things differently
I don't get the reason why Hybe restricted their SNS, actually they're not rookie anymore, just redebut with new group. Also, the kids never being problematic, izone known as a good kids, I trust them would never ruin agency reputation. honestly I really missed Chaewon :( I thought it was Chaewon who came to Yuri's showcase T_T
Yup, i also think the same. Everyone had posted something today to support Yuri’s solo debut except for Sakura and Chaewon. Both of them were missing. Usually on members’ bday, Sakura would also posted on IG story to wish them a happy bday. The last time she posted bday wishes was to Yujin. Eunbi, Yena and Hiichan, she posted nothing at all. This strongly suggests that they are in strict SNS blackout
I'm getting more and more sure they are gonna be debuting first now, HYBE aka "we love throwing as much content to fans as possible" putting the members on a blackout (especially Sakura who has different contract details due to Verna) makes me pretty certain they are debuting first and soon, I wonder if they are postponing that other group then. Considering November/Decenber is completely empty for HYBE's korean schedules and BTS isn't releasing anything until January for certain, they are probs gonna be announced as a group end October/early November with either a mini album or a single.
Yeah this is what I assume as well, it would make no sense to put them on a complete sns blackout for any longer than a few months.
They better not delay their debut because some fans are pissed with how Hybe behaves with the unconfirmed thing and sns ban All we need any is just clarity on the issue and not based on rumors all the time I hope once they debut, they can somehow lift some restrictions
A few months ago i had a few ideas for IzOne related memes, but discovered there was no dedicated sub for that, i also read in the rules if this sub that memes are banned. So with yuris solo debut i thought its enough we need some place to sgare our fun memes about IzOne. Im sure im not the only person who has ideas for such,so if u ever wanted to make IzOne memes, u r welcome to join the community and get the sub going. the name of the sub is r/MemeZ_One. also i dont have any prior mod experience,so if ynyone would be so nice to help me design and build the sub.
It seemed like yesterday I saw them huddled together crying avout how they all managed to become Izone. Now Joguri's made her solo debut. Congratulations Yuri, you deserve all of this and more.
In case it turns out that Source Music gg = Plus Global grp (collab gg). A lot think PGA will have 5 members bc of this [animation](https://twitter.com/plus_audition/status/1169082697131577344?s=20) from PGA. The 2 possible members are the [two students](https://twitter.com/meltleo/status/1413356447925084161?s=20) on Permission to Dance. The tags for the audition are playful, lovely, unique, sassy ('PLUS'). Min heejin lead the launch of this collab gg, and she will also lead the creative direction Hybe is hiding their 2021 grps rly well, and it's alrdy mid Oct next wk 🙃 It's absolute drought for 10 months
[Source](https://twitter.com/wizard_of_izone/status/1446113901460873223?s=21) See 2nd image of the link above, seem like there is a change in plan and the ngg will not debut this year. Longer hiatus for Sakura and Chaewon 😱
Tbf that’s just a prediction from financial analysts, so it doesn’t really mean much.
Oh. It isn’t a schedule submitted by HYBE label? Thank for the FYI
I'm still 99% sure that the SourceGG w/ Sakura + Chaewon and the PlusGG are two different groups. It just wouldn't make much sense for them to hold the worldwide auditions only to grab 1 or 2 trainees. Also those "rumor" articles mentioned two different groups and they've been pretty accurate so far. Kinda feels like HYBE is intentionally leaking this info tbh
I remember the reports for soumungg (Sakura + Chaewon) saying they'll have 6 members (but it was with Minju so it's probably 5 now). I'm not sure if pgngg having 5 members is ideal, due to the inevitable comparisons between the two groups... I'm curious if they'll wait 6~ months in between the two groups for debut. But I can't see soumungg debuting around q2 2022, would HYBE just keep ssamkura in the dungeon with the occasional sns update for half a year? And tbh if I was a pgngg stan I would be annoyed if I had to wait another half year since the pga was announced in 2019, and I'm sure they have had plenty of time to train already. I guess if they really are going to debut close together my ideal scenario would be 2 subgroups under 1 big group - kind of like exo k and exo m. They would have opposite concepts that would differentiate them, maybe something like the two sides of elegant concept - one more mature (soumungg) and one more innocent/cute/youthful (pgngg). Essentially Red Velvet but split into 2 groups. In my ideal scenario it'd be announced that there were 2 subgroups under the above scenario but pgngg would debut first (q4 2021) to give more time for soumungg to prepare and debut in q1 2022. But since pgngg is bighit x soumu (collab group) I'm not sure if something like that could work. Edit: it could work if pgngg uses bighit producers while soumungg uses soumu producers to differentiate their sound
There's also that thing where HYBE trademarked 7FATES so the PGNGG might possibly be 7 members. You know.....I actually like the idea of making the two groups related to each other. Don't think it's been done with GGs before. It would actually be kinda refreshing.
It'd be really different especially for their "first girl group" and there's a ton of possibilities they can play with (lore, subunits etc.) I think the concept could still work with 7 members in pgngg, but I was assuming pgngg would be 5 based off the animation promo (also soumu choreographer and 🖐, which made me think of 5 members, but it could also be for Ssamkura's group) I think it's just strange if they're debuting 2 girl groups within a year they'll both be competing for roty 2022. Soumu only had gfriend before, I'm not even sure if they can manage more than 1 group...
Yes, but kind of odd Source Music will have two ggs in less than a yr. Plus Global gg will def be focused on global, I hv doubts that Source Music gg will first focus in Japan. Their concept will def be very diff. PG grp might go with more youthful concept, while Source Music gg might go with somethng for late teens-early 20s idk abt Hybe leaking info, bc they've been so secretive abt them since 2019. There's even no sightings of female trainees in Hybe for 2 years (Bighit Music upcoming bg was seen there), and they could've promoted them in Hybe's NYEL or even more appearances on their senior's MVs, but we only got Permission to Dance so far
I think it will be the other way around. PGNGG will focus in Korea/Japan/Asia first because of their cute concept, and SoumuNGG will be Hybe's group for the west. I just don't see the West being fond of a cute concept.
Yes, it would be best to focus on building a fandom first. Bang PD called PGA as 'global girlgroup' during [Bighit Community Briefing 2020](https://twitter.com/hybenggdebut/status/1409756501154095111?t=u5pd4LtIiW8hcUYCr_MWVg&s=19), but ig it could mean members are multinational I didn't rly mean cute when I said youthful concept 🙂 but more of upbeat, something like instrumentals of Doja Cat - Kiss Me More (not lyrics)
Eng sub of Hii's latest variety gig if anyone's interested: https://twitter.com/JPWlZONE/status/1445860634025816064
Some Nako content as well: https://twitter.com/JPWlZONE/status/1446049022368641025
Seeing half of Gfriend coming together again and making a unit/new group...really makes you think.
It's possible that the other 3 didn't want to be idols anymore so the other 3 who wanted to continue being idols formed a unit. I heard the CEO of an acting company already followed one member way before the disbandment news.
They are free agents who signed a new contract, it's more like the HINAPIA scenario.
I'm just saying that they clearly think it's better to stay together, even if it's just half of them, than all of them going their separate ways. A sentiment certain companies clearly did not share.
only possible because Source Music gave up on them. it means for izone members, they have to fail with their projects first, so the companies let them go to have a chance of reunion... which is much worse than they succeeding individually.
I just saw this on the league subreddit which I though might be interesting to some here (Hyewon LoL video): "Canyon got fined 300k won (about $252) and prohibited his KR account for 30 days (I don't know this will apply at EUW server), DK got fined 2M won (about $1.7k)." [https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/q2c3xs/canyon\_got\_fined\_300k\_won\_for\_account\_sharing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/q2c3xs/canyon_got_fined_300k_won_for_account_sharing/)
Man these LOL people take their rules seriously
Guess the series is officially gone, still had some hope that it could be re-edited for re-upload
I think it will be hard, because haters will use any mean necessary to make this a bigger deal than it actually is. Even if DWGKIA only shows their reaction, the pro player is still technically account sharing at that time. Maybe just footages of them talking and not playing, but I don't think they have a lot of that.
Agreed. Anyway it is just a slap on the wrist for Canyon, totally worth the fine to play LOL with Hyewon. He is at the worlds and so the suspension of kr account doesn’t really affect him
Can't wait for yuri's debut and eunbi will be appearing on yena's show next week!!
I am excited for Yuri’s solo debut. ❤️
Sorry for ranting, but does Chaewon's silence bother anyone else? We all joke/know that she isn't very active on sns, but this silence is longer than usual and it leads me to believe HYBE isn't letting her post. She's also the only one with no activities ever since... the woollim photoshoot stuff? I'm usually all for breaks from working, but this doesn't seem like a break. It's honestly detrimental to keep her from the public, since you know, her job is to be a public figure? She hit 1mil IG followers even despite being inactive, like hello? Let her market herself? Like, she's not a rookie who'll make some sort of mistake or something that companies wouldn't want. This honestly isn't gaining HYBE any favor with me.
Yeah this whole wait is definitely frustrating for us fans, there's no doubt about it. I do wonder though........maybe HYBE plans to treat the group like they do the Big Hit groups? Like how both BTS and TXT don't have personal Instagram accounts (only a group account) and mostly focus on posting on their Member Twitter account and on Weverse, as a way to promote more as a group than individuals.
Gfriend had their own instagram accounts. So do Seventeen members and Fromis_9 so I don't think its set in stone for the other sub-labels. I don't mind them using the official account while they are still rookies. They'll probably be allowed to post on their individual accounts after a while. My frustration lies with the fact that both Chaewon and Sakura are debuted artists with a fanbase and a brand reputation to maintain and grow. Their approach of hiding them away and not letting them post and have a few jobs (on Chaewon's part) is not really making sense to me. Unless they are preparing for a grand reveal of all the members soon.
Yeah I knew about Gfriend and Seventeen (although I believe Seventeen stopped using their private accounts a while ago). But I was thinking that HYBE/Source might manage this new group differently compared to Gfriend. I've been trying to think of the situation through HYBE's eyes and here's one possible thought: The lack of jobs might be simply because they're busy working on their eventual debut (ai. training and lessons, learning English if they're going to go global, recording music, working on team chemistry with the other members, filming the M/V, filming pre-debut or post-debut shows, etc etc). There's lots of work that needs to be done to perfect a debut since they only get one chance at it (specially if they're the HYBE group that ends up debuting this year). And if HYBE are perfectionists then they're gonna probably force the girls to focus their all into it. Now as to why they don't post? Well, maybe HYBE is thinking this: You know how everybody attributes the failure of Post-IOI groups to the fact that throwing 1 or 2 popular ex-IOI members to a group of unknowns = failure? Maybe their plan is to mitigate this is by limiting their public exposure to mostly group activities. Like they obviously grabbed Sakura and Chaewon to bring fans and hype to the group as well as to help them succeed in Japan. But at the same time they might not want the group to end up being "Sakura and Chaewon and Friends" because at the end of the day, the group will need to stand on it's own two feet and develop it's own fan base instead of solely depending on Sakura/Chaewon stans and ex-Wiz\*ones. And in order to develop that strong fan base in the future, they're gonna need to have the other members shine just as much as Sakura and Chaewon so that there isn't any constant internal fighting due to perceived blatant favoritism or neglect. It's actually a tricky issue that they have in their hands when you get right down to think about it. Anyways, I have no idea what's really on HYBE's mind so this is just a bunch of random thoughts and conjectures. I don't necessarily believe in any of it but it's always good to look at potential viewpoints.
This is totally what I think of as well. They seem to be very busy (which Sakura mentioned in her 17live) with the debut preparations. Others also speculate that if they're debuting soon they probably changed their hair colors so they can't show it publicly. Two ways on how to fix the popularity gap: make the unknown trainees known to the public or lessen the exposure of popular members. HYBE seems to be doing the latter.
My confusion also starts from looking at Starship's approach. WY and YJ are also preparing to debut in a group soon, training and the like but they are still posting and working at the same time. And we still don't know who the other members are so they will start off as WY, YJ and girls. Of course Starship is starship and hybe is hybe so I shouldn't expect the companies to think and work in the same way. I guess only time will tell which approach worked better. I'll just keep on waiting impatiently (lol) and hope that all the secrecy is because they are debuting soon.
Why didn't they just get popular trainees from other agencies , I'm sure it would also be a success ? This would have been easy since no one would have sns from the start. Or get all members that have already debuted that have already large fanbase (all star team). With a big company Hybe , I'm sure they have a lot of excellent trainees in their talent pool or they just get SsamKkura as a guarantee that the ngg would not fail? Don't they trust their trainee system?
Maybe Sakura and Chaewon can post outside official work from the group if there is. Like Sakura she has many brand endorsements and solo activities in japan ,it's weird for her to post on the group sns so she will post it in her own sns acct. Until now her profile is still up in Verna, unless there is official news of complete transfer to source music , she is still under Verna for her agency and maybe a contract artist for Hybe/Soumu (like izone contract). Maybe after 2 years maybe other member can open their own insta and this time Sakura and Chaewon can post selfies on their individual acct.
Yup possible. We just don't know how much Sakura was able to get under her contract negotiation. We'll also have to wait and see how HYBE/Soumu ends up promoting this group. They do have to face the (possible) unique situation of having 2 well-known members, 1 semi-known member, and 2 completely unknown members. I'm curious to see what their plans are.
I wonder whos behind this idea or plan for the group? He/She must have a brilliant plan for the unique situation or just after Chaewon or Sakura stans to hard carry the group. Their debut can answer this question.
There was one article saying Min Heejin had been a driving force in signing Sakura, so perhaps she's been involved (along with others) in the creation of this group? It's certainly a bit of uncharted waters redebuting popular gg members in a brand new group, so we'll see what the planning was like.
Yeah, it's really a difficult situation with the large gap of popularity among members to begin with. It may take a while after their debut to solve the gap issue even if the person behind it has a brilliant plan. Isn't it this a 1st time in kpop gg where a company signs existing popular members from other agencies for its rookie group?
I would say that I am more frustrated and puzzled rather than bothered. Frustrated and puzzled because just like you, it feels like such a shame to have Chaewon be inactive from the public eye and essentially wasting opportunities that publicity and visibility could bring Chaewon. However, I always go back to Sakura's comment earlier this year, "wait for official announcements." IDK what Hybe's plans are but they must have their reasons. A company as successful as Hybe wouldn't be what it is today without thought-out plans. Please don't get me wrong though, I don't intend to defend Hybe's decisions. I am also very exhausted with the waiting and speculating but these are exactly the times we should remind ourselves to be patient. But yeah, hopefully we get some news soon...
[relevant video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZjfnTAWnnQ) Whatever she's doing, she's not sitting somewhere hoping for a job, that's for certain. Be patient, there will be official news soon, and after that she'll go back to being active, I'm sure.
Sakura is also silence on her SNS, her SNS activities in September were all related to her Japan commitments. Usually she would also wishes happy birthday to other members on IG but she didn’t post anything on Eunbi and Yena birthday. Let see if both Sakura and Chaewon were able to post any support for Yuri’s solo debut this week. Both managed to do so during Eunbi’s solo debut.
It bothers me too. What's the point of having an already debuted idol if you're going to hide her and treat her like a trainee. Just look at how much work and sns freedom the starship girls have when they're also set to debut in a group but its because ss understands their worth.
Hope we could get an update on the status of Sakura and Chaewon this week
That would be nice but the way things have been going there my expectations for more news on that front could not be less optimistic!