BABYMONSTER "flops", YG struggles to find a BLACKPINK copy, regains its glory

YG is facing increasing pressure to find a breakthrough group to maintain its position, especially when BABYMONSTER has not been able to explode and BLACKPINK 's future is still uncertain.

BABYMONSTER has not met expectations, BLACKPINK is still the "savior"

According to Koreaherald's analysis, although still ranked in the "Big Four" of Kpop, YG Entertainment has not introduced a new artist for many years that can match the global influence of its seniors.

The last group to help the "big guy" change the game was BLACKPINK, which debuted in 2016. Since then, the company has released Treasure (2020) and BABYMONSTER (2024), but neither group has reached the level of superstardom expected from a YG artist.

BABYMONSTER, with the title "BLACKPINK's little sister", has the highest expectations, but this momentum is also very fragile. Data from Kpop Radar - a global artist data tracking unit - shows that in the top 20 prominent artists in Korea in 2024, YG only has BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER on the list, at 14th and 19th place respectively.

Notably, BLACKPINK dropped one spot compared to last year due to the strong comeback of BTS members after military service. Meanwhile, BABYMONSTER appeared for the first time. Other YG artists such as Treasure and Winner were not included. Even BIGBANG , although still active with 3 members, did not appear on the global list.

The situation is even more worrying when the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) list of the world's top 10 recording artists in 2024 does not include any YG artists, including BLACKPINK. This shows the fierce competition in the global music market, when the only Kpop groups to make the list are Pledis Entertainment's Seventeen (3rd place) and JYP Entertainment's Stray Kids (5th place).

Expert speaks out: YG needs to "try again" and have a new strategy

Faced with this situation, music critic Lim Hee Yun gave a frank assessment: "Despite coming from one of the biggest Kpop companies, BABYMONSTER does not stand out compared to other groups debuting at the same time."

He also pointed out the core problem: "It's been almost two years since BABYMONSTER debuted (from the time the project was announced), and neither Treasure nor BABYMONSTER have shown any significant growth. YG needs to try again."

YG's financial indicators also clearly reflect this. Although BABYMONSTER recently released a new song, the group's impact on the company's stock performance is negligible. Therefore, BLACKPINK is still YG's most valuable asset to date.

The clearest evidence is that in August 2023, YG initially failed to reach an agreement to fully renew the group's contract with all four members. Immediately after this news, the company announced an operating loss of up to 20.5 billion won (about 15 million USD).

Although optimism returned last month when YG announced upcoming activities by BLACKPINK and other artists, causing the company's stock to rise from 87,000 won (June 27) to 95,200 won (July 1). However, the stock quickly fell again after producer Yang Hyun Suk 's trial on charges of smuggling luxury goods caused a stir, showing the market's sensitivity to YG's internal problems.

Competitive pressure and YG's future strategy

In fact, YG has done little to ensure a smooth generational transition. The company's traditional strength comes from betting on big-hitting acts, or relying on a few key artists.

However, in today's fiercely competitive K-pop market, where even mid-level agencies like Starship Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, or Source Music are churning out breakthrough talents and successful groups, waiting for another BLACKPINK hit may no longer be a viable and sustainable strategy.

YG is now betting big on debuting a new rookie girl group later this year. Yang Hyun Suk describes the group as “the ones to carry on YG’s girl group legacy,” a statement that puts the company on the brink of either huge success or crushing failure.

Music expert Lim Hee Yun added: "Hundreds of groups debut every year. Even if you have a strong lineup, it's important for a company to invest in the next generation early. That's the only way to maintain a stable and long-term source of revenue."

YG "went all-in" with TREASURE to forget BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK shared the same fate? Snow17:34:06 02/12/2024Recently, YG Entertainment has just shared about the upcoming activity plans of the artists under the company, including BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER, making people wave.