K-pop’s first big hit was Gangnam Style. It rocketed artist Psy to the top of the charts all over the world. But this was the once in a lifetime, right time, right song that is incredibly hard to replicate. But K-pop wanted more and some lucky artists knew how to get it.
The next big thing that I heard from K-pop was the girl group Blackpink. Their four members ended up having a number of hits outside South Korea. None were as big as Gangnam Style, but collectively, their songs did as well as Psy.
Quickly after, BTS managed to top the charts outside of their homeland of South Korea. They’ve even done a Coldplay collaboration. Sadness fell on BTS fandom when they, like all their age group in South Korea, had to endure compulsory service in the South Korean armed forces. But they are now on the other side of this service so I expect big things from them again. BTS is a seven piece boy band.
Just a few months ago I saw on television a thirteen piece boy band from South Korea. I didn’t catch their name at the time but a cursory glance on google says it might be the band Seventeen. They started in 2015 but possibly are only becoming big over here now. Do you see the trend that I think K-pop is taking us on? Add more and more talent until you can’t be ignored.
This can take us only to one place. The supergroups Band Aid, USA for Africa and the Canadian Northern Lights each had so many members that star lead singers were fighting to sing even just one line in their respective singles. But they fought for a good cause. Proceeds went to stop the famine in Ethiopia.
Anyhow I think I see the end of the K-pop trend that has been going on for quite a while. A forty member collective, fighting over which line each gets to sing, Their members will include songwriters, choreographers, instrumentalists, etc. And their shows will be big because they simply have to be with so many members. They will have to have hit after hit to make each member wealthy. Ten members at a time could be completing the compulsory armed forces service and this would not mean that the full band would have to go on hiatus.
There it is. My crystal ball has spoken. It also sees good fortune for all who read this posting.
