It seems like these days there’s been a shortage of groups with unique group greetings, with the exception of a small few. A couple of my favorites are Ateez’s “8 makes 1 team!” and Itzy’s “All in us!” (Here’s a list of some of the most well-known.) These are greetings I would give to a few K-pop (and K-pop adjacent) groups that are lacking one:
Hearts2Hearts: “All my heart! Hello, we are Hearts2Hearts!” I think this fits Hearts2Hearts very well because they are “bridging” a gap between hearts, and this greeting highlights their sincerity towards their fans.
Katseye: “Of my eye! Hello, we are Katseye!” I know Katseye isn’t technically a K-pop group, but they’re K-pop adjacent, and I wanted to give them a greeting that would match their name. Since their fans are called “eyecons,” I thought that “of my eye” would make their greeting more fan-centered.
XLOV: “Look for X! Hello, we are XLOV!” The origin of XLOV’s name revolves around “finding the X” in “XLOV,” so I believe that a greeting like “look for X” would get that point across pretty well.
CLOSE YOUR EYES: “Feel the vibe! Hello, we are CLOSE YOUR EYES.” Since the name of the group is “close your eyes,” I feel like that would imply staying in the moment or “feeling the vibe.”
AHOF: “Hall of Fame! Hello, we are AHOF.” Their name is short for “All Time Hall of Famer,” therefore, “Hall of Fame” would be a good greeting for them!
ILLIT: “As I will it! Hello, we are ILLIT!” Similar to AHOF, ILLIT’s name is short for “I will it.” Though they don’t lean too heavily into their manifestation concept, I think this would be a cute greeting for them.
Ifeye: “Imagine and find! Hello, we are Ifeye!” Not wanting to bore you with redundant explanations, I will simply say that I came up with Ifeye’s greeting for the same reason as the previous greeting.
LE SSERAFIM: “Six wings! Hello, we are LE SSERAFIM!” A seraphim is an angel with six wings. LE SSERAFIM once had six members, so this greeting would have made sense at the beginning of their career, not so much now. Still, the allusion to the seraphim can hold different meanings, such as divine passion and purification.
KiiiKiii: “Hee hee! Hello, we are KiiiKiii!” KiiiKiii’s name is meant to symbolize not losing your joy in the world. Starting their greeting with laughter makes the most sense to me.
IDID: “I did it! Hello, we are IDID!” I chose this greeting for the same reason I chose ILLIT’s greeting.
82MAJOR: “To the majors! Hello, we are 82MAJOR!” In the name of 82MAJOR, “82” is South Korea’s national number, while “major” represents their desire to become established artists in South Korea. I chose this greeting because it could display how the group desires to be in “the major league” (like in baseball!).
NMIXX: “Pick N Mix! Hello, we are NMIXX!” I chose this greeting because it is the name of the donut shop from their debut single AD MARE.
If I get any more ideas, I may do a part 2 of this post!
FIFTY FIFTY is just like any other K-pop 5th-generation girl group now, but it wasn’t always this way. FIFTY FIFTY debuted with four members, Keena, Saena, Aran, and Sio, under the company ATTRAKT in 2022, with an EP titled THE FIFTY. The group would remain under many people’s radars until they finally released their single “Cupid”. According to an article by How Music Charts called “From Nugu to Star: Examining Fifty Fifty’s Viral Success,” the song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks. Despite the success of “Cupid,” the group had not gained much popularity from the song, and many things transpired afterwards.
The Dispute and the Aftermath
There was a legal dispute between FIFTY FIFTY and its company in 2023. The group’s company claimed that the members of the group were being persuaded by “outside forces” to break their contracts with the company and chose to sue said forces. These outside forces were implied to be The Givers, the company that assisted in the creation of FIFTY FIFTY. The Givers denied the accusations placed upon them and decided to sue ATTRAKT in defense. Earlier, the members of FIFTY FIFTY chose to try to suspend their contracts with their company, citing a breach of trust between the group and the company as well as general mistreatment (they, of course, maintained that they were not being influenced by “outside forces”). Some fans of the group even resorted to boycotting the company in support of the members, but not everyone was sure which party to side with. Eventually, the members Saena, Aran, and Sio left the group, and FIFTY FIFTY came back with a new lineup of five members, consisting of Keena, Hana, Chanelle Moon, Athena, and Yewon. The members who left re-debuted in a trio called Ablume under Massive E&C. Since FIFTY FIFTY became a five-member group, their sound and concept changed as well.
The Consequences and Other Examples
Humans are naturally afraid of change, specifically when it happens to something we are interested in. Member changes are not a new phenomenon in K-pop, but they don’t always go smoothly. For example, when RIIZE’s Seunghan left the group in 2024, fans of RIIZE boycotted the group as well as its company in hopes that he might return after being harassed out of the group by angry “fans.” Since the boycott, some fans have returned to RIIZE, but the group has lost the momentum it once had after it debuted. Similarly, groups such as Monsta X and I-dle had situations involving members leaving the group following a controversy. Blackswan went through multiple member changes before reaching its current lineup. When a member leaves a group, especially if it is one’s favorite member, it can make it difficult to continue supporting the group with the same passion as before. FIFTY FIFTY’s debacle set the group back to the beginning. Many fans left to support Ablume, while others stayed, though FIFTY FIFTY is far from the group it once was.
The change in musical style is definitely noticeable when one listens to early FIFTY FIFTY and compares it to the present-day group. A group’s sudden change in musical style may surprise fans and potentially drive them away. One moment that comes to mind is when the group CLOSE YOUR EYES released the song SOB ahead of their mini album Blackout, which was the complete opposite of any other song on their discography. It was loud, rap-heavy, and abrasive. CLOSE YOUR EYES is a group known for its vocal-heavy tracks, so fans were unsure about what the rest of the songs on the mini album would sound like. Luckily, the rest of the songs were more laid-back and dreamy, matching the group’s usual aesthetic. Another example of a group having a change in style is NMIXX, which experimented with its discography during its early years. Sometimes they would use their usual “Mixxpop,” a style that involves mixing two sounds into one song, and sometimes they would not. The lack of consistency worried fans, but they eventually found their footing, alternating between “Mixxpop” and other styles. FIFTY FIFTY’s change in style made them lose what made them unique from other 5th-generation K-pop groups. The soft, airy tones they once produced were traded in for a punchy, louder sound that would make one question whether the group is still truly FIFTY FIFTY.
In the End…
Musical style changes and member changes are not necessarily bad. Like in the case of NMIXX, changing up one’s musical style can help one figure out what works best. Members leaving a group is also something that can happen naturally, not just when controversy arises. Members of a group can change numerous times before a K-pop group even debuts. It’s a natural process that occurs in the K-pop industry. In the case of FIFTY FIFTY, it may seem like many things went wrong (or right) for the group to get to where it is now. Whether one supports the group or not, it is almost undeniable that the series of events that occurred has reshaped the group’s identity as a whole, and that it can also change a fan’s perception of the group. If the FIFTY FIFTY girls had remained together, who knows what heights the group could have reached by now?
I love all things super. I remember watching Black Panther when it first came out, excited to see an African superhero. I also remember watching the series Young Justice and falling in love with the Teen Titans. Of course, outside of the big Marvel and DC franchises, there are other superhero franchises such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Umbrella Academy, though they don’t receive even a smidge of the same attention as The Avengers or The Justice League. People love to bicker about what makes DC better than Marvel or what makes Marvel superior to DC. What DC and Marvel have in common is that they both tell the stories of superheroes. Most of Marvel’s popularity is in their cinematic universe and long storylines, while fans of DC focus on the comics and individual characters. You may see people line up for the next Marvel movie release, but the DC cinematic universe may not be given the same hype. DC and Marvel are such big franchises, but they remain at the top of the superhero business for different reasons.
Marvel: The Rise and the Fall
Marvel Comics (under the parent company Marvel Entertainment) was established in 1939 by Martin Goodman. It was originally named Timely Comics; it became Atlas Magazines in the 1950s, and it would officially become Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Marvel is most well-known for its cinematic universe, titled the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). The MCU has featured a wide range of movies and shows, all emerging from the same universe. This means that one can see their favorite characters from different stories eventually appear in one movie. The MCU has its own storyline that began with the first Iron Man movie, which was released in 2008. The MCU had a big climax with Avengers: Endgame, where (almost) every MCU hero came together to defeat a villain in an epic battle. The release of Marvel movies has always been a huge deal. Recently, people have been gearing up for the release of Avengers: Doomsday. With a consistent canon (canon being what is true in a fictional universe) and storyline, Marvel has been able to draw in fans across the world. Marvel’s animated projects have pretty large followings as well, especially for the recent Spider-Verse movies (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, with a third movie to arrive in 2027) featuring Miles Morales and a multitude of other Spider-Man variants. Marvel comics have not gone down in popularity as Marvel is still one of the top comic-producing companies in the world, alongside DC.
Unfortunately, the MCU seems to have hit a roadblock. After the release of Avengers: Endgame, it seemed like the story had nowhere to go. Many fans (including myself) complain about there being too many characters, too many stories, and too much CGI. Some people do not feel as excited for the next Marvel movies as they did for previous ones. Marvel seems to be overloading fans with content, causing them to feel less excited to be fans, as keeping up with stories has become a chore. It feels as though Marvel’s popularity (in cinema) may be on the decline. Could that mean that other superhero franchises have a chance at making it big the way Marvel did? I doubt Marvel will completely fade into obscurity, but one cannot deny that the influx of content has made Marvel movies lose their shine. Marvel movies were once special moments, but now they feel like everyday experiences.
DC
DC (Detective Comics) was founded in 1934 as National Allied Publications. DC published the first comic book that only featured new content. DC is credited with leading the golden age of comics with superheroes such as Superman (1938), Batman (1939), and Wonder Woman (1941). Compared to Marvel, DC has more “unearthly” superheroes. Marvel superheroes are more relatable, more human, while DC heroes are larger-than-life beings (though most of them are still humanoid). DC, like Marvel, has many shows and movies. My personal favorite pieces of DC media are the show Young Justice and the Webtoon series Batman: Wayne Family Adventures. Most people prefer DC’s comics and animated media over their live-action content because their live-action films and series have lower quality and a lack of consistency compared to their other releases. DC, however, is still coming out with new live-action movies such as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and The Batman Part II.
DC’s biggest fault is its lack of continuity. DC has multiple storylines and multiple universes in live-action media, animated media, and comics. Though Marvel is similar, they have managed to create a consistent timeline in their live-action universe. DC, on the otherhand, has not. Take Batman, for example. Batman “canonically” is a dark and gritty hero who fights for justice in the city of Gotham. In one universe, he also has a kid named “Jarro” who is an alien starfish. In another universe, Batman is a Russian freedom fighter. DC is even coming out with a new comic series titled Absolute Batman, which reimagines Batman’s backstory and villains. Yes, it is nice that there are different universes to choose from with cool stories and new characters to love. Nonetheless, not being able to tell what is true about a character can be a bit off-putting and cause more fan wars.
Conclusion
In the end, DC and Marvel are still the producers of some of the biggest superhero franchises in the world. Even with their current issues, DC and Marvel still have a special superhero magic that can’t be replicated easily, especially for those who grew up with their superheroes.
Like the U.S. has the VMAs, Grammys, and Coachella, South Korea has the MMAs, MAMA, Seoul Music Awards, and many other music festivals and awards shows. Both America and South Korea can put on some extravagant performances (like Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super BowlHalftime Show and ZEROBASEONE’s MAMA 2024 performance). However, one thing that caught my eye was the HUGE difference in quality of MAMA 2024 in Los Angeles and MAMA 2024 in South Korea and Japan. First off, the venue in Los Angeles was much smaller compared to the huge 360-degree stage-having stadiums of South Korea and Japan. A smaller stage obviously led to a smaller crowd as the venue wasn’t large enough to hold a stadium’s worth of people. In my opinion, the crowd seemed a bit less interested in the LA MAMA performances than the crowds in Japan and Korea. The performances were still MAMA-esque, though, with there being large dance breaks and cool song remixes for each artist. Still, storylines that are usually built around the performances were not as emphasized as they were in the other MAMA 2024 venues.
The Grammy Awards, an annual music award show hosted by the Recording Academy, bases its awards on the quality of the music, unlike MAMA, which decides the recipients of its awards based on a mix of fan voting, song/album streams, sales, and judge analysis. The quality of the Grammys has been up for debate for many years, with some calling it biased, similar to critiques of MAMA in the past and present (especially following MAMA 2025). Despite the criticisms of both MAMA and the Grammy Awards, both are still 2 of the most prestigious music award shows in the world. Winning a Grammy or a Daesang is still one of the highest honors a musician can get, even if some may question the validity of the recipient receiving it. The major awards one can win at the Grammys are Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. At MAMA, the “grand prizes” (AKA Daesangs) include Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Fan’s Choice of the Year. Fan’s Choice is an award given to artists who have garnered much support from their fans. MAMA seems to have a larger emphasis on the fans being the deciders of who wins an award (though that is up for debate). The VMAs are similar to MAMA in that aspect, as they also combine public votes and judges to decide who wins an award.
Conclusion
The South Korean and Western music industries share many similarities. When it comes to marketing music, however, that’s when the differences become more noticeable. South Korea’s music industry relies more on fan interaction and parasocialism, while in the West, though there are still parasocial aspects, many celebrities are seen as untouchable. Though South Korea and Japan may have the most popular music in Asia, T-pop is slowly on the rise after establishing TMC (Thailand Music Countdown) in 2024. Though it doesn’t have the same production quality as South Korea’s M Countdown, it is a sign that Thai pop music is adhering to a more global audience. Japan’s DayDay, Music Fair, and other Japanese music shows, though older than TMC, are still not on the same level of popularity as South Korean music shows, most likely due to K-pop’s newfound global popularity through new movies like K-pop Demon Hunters and K-pop acts such as BTS, BLACKPINK, and TWICE. Overall, South Korean music and award shows have their distinctions and similarities to other shows, particularly in the West. When it comes to camera work, South Korean music shows will always take the cake, but when it comes to the longevity of hosts and adhering to Western audiences, it’s American talk shows that usually come to mind.
One big difference that I have noticed is the camera work and the use of “fan cams”. Camera work on South Korean music shows is not just used to show off parts of the performance; it is really meant to enhance it, to make it feel like it’s jumping out at you, like you’re witnessing it live. That may just be a personal opinion, but when I look at the performance of aespa’s “Rich Man” on Good Morning America and compare it to their performance on Music Bank, it is pretty obvious how good camera angles can transform a performance, even if its choreography is not the most glamorous. However, this difference in the use of camera angles may be because South Korean music shows are specifically meant for musical performances. This year, I have noticed more and more K-pop groups appearing and performing on American talk shows. Maybe the West simply hasn’t caught up with South Korea when it comes to performance camera work. Now, fan cams are used to allow a fan of a K-pop group to focus on their favorite member. Some idols even go viral because of a fan cam, and a great example of this is Billlie’s Tsuki, who went viral for her facial expressions. Fan cams allow for a spotlight to be shone on specific members of a group and can illustrate their uniqueness and individuality as members of the group and as performers. There’s even a YouTube channel called SoundBOMB360 where K-pop groups perform, and one can watch a “VoiceCam360” to listen to a specific member’s voice!
Another difference I have seen between South Korean music shows and international shows is the awards. Every week, a K-pop group can gain a “win” for their songs, which basically means that it was the most popular song for that week. Almost every South Korean music show does this, and it is an important way for K-pop groups to be recognized by the public, as getting a win on these shows is no easy feat. To win on a music show, an artist must have the highest score, usually combining their rankings in multiple locations such as broadcasts, digital streams, voting, and/or album sales. Shows usually use different categories and weigh each category differently. For example, Music Bank counts their streaming category as 65% while Inkigayo counts it as 55%. This means that artists can have better or lower chances of winning depending on which show they choose to perform on.
American talk shows and variety shows usually do not change hosts frequently. South Korean music shows change hosts every one or two years. American talk show hosts usually retire after many years, mostly because being a host is their main job. South Korean music show hosts are, more often than not, the K-pop idols themselves. Some recent hosts are Han Yujin of ZEROBASEONE, Moon Seonghyun, and Leeseo of IVE on Inkigayo, Xiaojun of WayV, Hyeongjun of Cravity, and Saebi of IZNA on The Show, Minju of ILLIT and Moon Sangmin on Music Bank, and many more. Korean music shows usually have hosts in pairs or trios (probably because fans love to see idols from different groups interact). They also feature actors as hosts (such as the aforementioned Moon Seonghyun and Moon Sangmin). Since South Korean music show hosts change so frequently, it is harder to become overly fond of a specific host, unlike in American shows. There are certain cases, however, where music show hosts develop such a popular online presence that even the idols are sad to leave. An example of this is the case of MeongDdoCat, a music show host trio on Music Countdown featuring Jaehyun of BOYNEXTDOOR, Sohee of RIIZE, and Sung Hanbin of ZEROBASEONE. This trio became so popular that they even did a cover of the SEVENTEEN subunit BooSeokSoon‘s song “Fighting.”
If you’re someone who likes music performances, you have probably watched performances on talk shows and variety shows like The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and Saturday Night Live. As a K-pop fan, I like watching these shows to see my favorite K-pop groups perform (like P1Harmony!). These American shows are like an additional place for me to enjoy K-pop performances besides South Korean music shows such as Music Bank, Inkigayo, and Show! MusicCore, where you can watch many artists and groups perform every day. It makes me understand why a group like KATSEYE was formed, since they get to experience the best of both worlds. They can perform on South Korean music shows and Western talk shows, allowing them to market themselves globally instead of just in the United States. However, what I want to investigate is what makes these South Korean music shows different from Western and other international spaces for artists to showcase their work (like Thailand Music Countdown and Japan’s DayDay). How is Xiker’s performance on FOX 5 New York different from their performance on Show! MusicCore? How do the Grammys, VMAs, and Coachella compare to MAMA, the MMAs, and the Seoul Music Awards? As a BIG fan of musical performance, I’m here to try and answer these questions.
What Makes an American Talk/Variety Show?
GOOD MORNING AMERICA – A new set is unveiled on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 9/8/16, airing on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Ida Mae Astute) MICHAEL STRAHAN, ROBIN ROBERTS, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, AMY ROBACH, AUDIENCE
American talk shows are places where someone with a widely known internet personality interviews different guests, who are usually celebrities. They all focus on various things, such as entertainment, news, comedy, music, and even emotional therapy. The Tonight Show, which has aired since 1964, has been the standard for American talk shows. It has also won many Emmy Awards. Most late-night talk show hosts were white men, but now we see more female and non-white hosts. The setup of the shows has mostly remained the same, with the interviewer sitting behind a desk while the interviewee sits on a couch. Some shows do try doing things differently, like sitting closer to guests (Arsenio Hall on “The Arsenio Hall Show”) and doing away with the desk altogether (Samantha Bee on “Full Frontal”). There were many female late-night talk show hosts, the pioneer of late-night talk shows being Faye Emerson. Later on, female-hosted shows were played in the daytime, causing men to take over the late-night shows. Even today, many talk shows follow the same formula.
What Makes A South Korean Music Show?
South Korean music shows started back in the 1990s. Back then, music shows would feature a variety of music genres and would appeal to a diverse audience. They were not segmented to appeal to specific age groups, which is something that occurred a bit later on. This happened because of the debuts of the first Korean pop idols, and music shows wanted to appeal to younger audiences with pop music. This pushed out the usual genres like Korean trot and contemporary music, which had to be scheduled at different times and on other shows such as Gayo Stage and Gayo Top Ten. Even though Gayo Top Ten ended in 1998, it was still the blueprint for our modern-day Korean music shows like Music Bank and Inkigayo. Now that we’ve gone through some of the origins of South Korean music shows, what exactly makes them different from other spaces where musicians showcase their talent, specifically Western spaces?
f(x) is a five-member girl group that debuted under SM Entertainment in 2009 on September 5th. f(x) released Pink Tape – the 2nd Album on July 29th, 2013. The album contains twelve songs and runs for about forty minutes. Pink Tape is a highly regarded album, seen as one of f(x)’s best. Since I had never reviewed any older albums before, I thought I would begin with this album because it has so many songs that I enjoy. It was interesting to watch and read other reviews on the album and see what other interpretations were out there.
The Title Track
The title track, A.K.A. the most promoted song, is “첫 사랑니 (Rum Pum Pum Pum)”. The lyrics describe the speaker as a girl who is like a “wisdom tooth” that takes its place in your heart by pushing all the “others” out. The song frequently uses imagery and words that remind one of what it feels like to have a wisdom tooth grow in. The girl states that “It feels likе your head is about to burst with pain,” “one day, I suddenly appeared,” and “I’ll stand crooked and torment you.” Though she describes the pain the audience would feel after meeting her and the strange circumstances of her arrival, it is not meant to be a negative experience. In the chorus, the girl proclaims herself as the audience’s “true first love,” implying that falling in love for the first time is similar to having a wisdom tooth grow in. It is painful, but it is also new, unforgettable, and “electrifying,” as the girl claims. The description of the wisdom tooth helps the audience to understand what a “first true love” feels like, using something anyone can relate to: the pain of a wisdom tooth. The lyrics in this song are clever and interesting, though this is not my favorite song on the album, it gives you a different perspective on the “special experience” that is falling in love for the first time. I do, however, wish that the music video leaned into the “teeth” idea instead of doing something common at the time of its release: street wear and a shiny, cool set design.
The B-Sides
The second song on the album, “미행 (그림자: Shadow)”, tells a different story from the title track. The speaker in the song is more like a shadow rather than a tooth, though they don’t explicitly state this. Phrases like “together with you, I walk in sync,” and “without an expression, I hide behind you” give an image of someone who follows, but does not say anything, similar to a shadow. The speaker loves the audience dearly, but does not verbally communicate that, seeming less like a lover and more like a silent observer or secret admirer. The speaker “secretly” chases after the audience’s “footsteps” and is “always careful” so the audience does not notice, further emphasizing the one-sided love that the speaker purposefully pursues. This contrasts with the sharp words of “첫 사랑니 (Rum Pum Pum Pum),” which make it clear that the speaker’s presence will not go unnoticed.
“Pretty Girl” sounds a bit silly at first, but transforms into a powerful and hard-hitting song by the time one reaches the first pre-chorus. It tells the story of a “witch” who absolutely despises someone known as “pretty girl.” The witch casts a spell to make everyone look the same so that the “pretty girl” is no longer a “pretty girl princess.” In the end, everyone is a pretty girl, and there’s no need for her to put herself above others. In my opinion, the song is about the consequences of trying to be pretty. Since the girl loved being pretty so much, she ended up becoming just like everyone else, fading into the background. Juxtaposing a “witch” and a “princess” reminds me of the movie Wicked, mostly because of the conflict between the witch and the pretty girl.
“Kick” is a song that appears to be a love song, though love is only mentioned once. The song’s lyrics illustrate that the main character is riding a skateboard with lyrics such as “I kick with my white sneakers,” ” don’t stop the board,” and “Skateboard on this street.” The speaker expresses their desire to overcome fears and push through challenges, ready to “go forward once again” if they run into any shortcomings. Then, they go on to ask, “Does it always feel like this when you fall in love?” To me, this lyric is out of place in this song because the song is mostly about perseverance. A possible interpretation is that the speaker is overcoming the challenges of love. However, there is a chance that certain nuances were lost in translation.
“시그널 (Signal)” is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. It gives me the vibes of a 90s sci-fi movie. The song follows a speaker trying to “catch” a mysterious lover, the audience, who seems to give mixed signals. The speaker pleads, “Can’t I keep you after I catch you?” The lover does not comply, seeming to enjoy the game of cat and mouse. In the end, the speaker does not succeed in catching the audience, the game being presumably unending. The speaker has always “got a signal,” but never their lover. I love the idea of this cosmic mystery; I believe it would have made a great title track and music video, but “첫 사랑니 (Rum Pum Pum Pum)” may have been more flashy.
The song “Step” is another anthem of confidence. In my opinion, the speaker is a “not like other girls” type of girl. Instead of wearing “dazzling kill heels,” she wears regular sneakers. She doesn’t want to conform to what other girls do. She chooses to tie her “shoelaces and run” when others are doing their makeup. It is not to get the attention of a boy, but to live for herself instead of for the attention of others. When she says, “I’m holding onto your feet and not letting go,” it is as if she knows she lives in the minds of those who dislike her for her individuality. At first glance, one might say that the speaker sounds arrogant, but I think that she is simply making a statement about breaking free from expectations that hold her back. She passes the one “who is wearing risky heels” and runs.
“Goodbye Summer” is a subunit song with the members Amber, Krystal, and Luna featuring D.O. of EXO, another group under SM Entertainment. It is a song about someone who secretly had feelings for their friend, but never had the courage to tell them until it was too late. The two friends shared a sacred bond, their “relationship” a “heartbreaking story.” Even the day before they graduated, they “couldn’t say what” they wanted to. Now, the speaker wishes they had revealed their “long-time hidden secrets.” So far, this album has told many stories through song, not just feelings. Now that I know the meaning of the lyrics, it really is a sad song despite the happy tune. It effectively captures the emotions of having to live with “the friend label,” and tells the tale of the two friends with personal anecdotes, giving them credibility and making the song more memorable.
The lyrics of “Airplane” illustrate a scene of flying through the air using descriptive words. “On this plane called Love,” the speaker expresses the temporary nature of her love, knowing that the plane will “fall down soon” and that “it’s over between” her and the audience. The song describes love as something temporary, like the feeling of being in the air while jumping on a trampoline, only to fall back down again. Even though the speaker knows her love is temporary, she still wants to fly with her lover in the dream that is love. I love the lyrics, and so far, the album has done a great job at drawing different interpretations of love.
“Toy” uses the metaphor of a “toy” to describe a relationship where one party feels neglected, similar to how a toy is when its owner is not around. The speaker no longer wishes to “endlessly wait for someone” and decides to take control of their life. The speaker doesn’t want to live on believing that time stops whenever “he’s not here.” In a way, the song teaches one to not become codependent and to remember that one’s life cannot revolve around one person, to not be someone else’s “toy.” This song reminds me of Toy Story because it emphasizes making “magic” and causing a “ruckus.”
“여우 같은 내 친구 (No More)” was once a demo created by Ariana Grande titled “Boyfriend Material,” created around 2012. Of course, the original song was about looking for “the right boy” who is “boyfriend material.” Yet, “여우 같은 내 친구 (No More)” is a song about a “fox-like girl” from the perspective of her friend. The fox girl, who is also the song’s audience, frequently finds new lovers, rarely keeping a boyfriend for longer than a month. Her friend is annoyed at her “fox-like” behavior, but feels bad for her friend and comforts her whenever she experiences a break-up, telling her to “forget about that guy” and “start anew.” The speaker wants her friend to finally stop chasing after boys and ignoring her to pursue her infatuation, but she always goes back to her old ways, similar to the never-ending cycle the speaker endures in “시그널 (Signal).” I was surprised by the lyrics of this song since Ariana Grande’s demo is about a girl’s desire to find the perfect guy. In a way, “여우 같은 내 친구 (No More)” is like “Boyfriend Material” if it were from the perspective of the friend of the one who seeks her “perfect type.” The lyrics of “여우 같은 내 친구 (No More)” make you feel bad for the friend who keeps getting neglected over a boy, but also sympathize with the “fox-like girl” who wishes to meet the love of her life. My favorite part of the song is where it describes the “fox-like” girl’s change in personality, where the speaker says, “you were never interested before, but now you go to church,” and “your new boyfriend is a church oppa, right?” It is a bit humorous, but it gives you good insight into the nature of the speaker’s friend.
The speaker in “Snapshot” is trying to capture someone’s attention. The song is less crafty and more straightforward. The one to whom the song is directed is the “camera,” while the speaker is the “model.” The speaker meticulously creates the image they want to present to their audience to win them over, fearing that their “real image” will not be viewed “prettily.” Eventually, the speaker’s image falls apart, revealing who they are underneath after “obviously pretending.” They decide to be themselves, allowing their audience to “know” their “heart.”
The last song on the album, “Ending Page,” uses the metaphor of the ending of a book to illustrate the end of a relationship. The speaker starts off by describing the feeling of losing the “camouflage of love,” feeling lonely as their love begins to fade away. The song creates an image of a book with lyrics such as “if we turn the ending page to our novel,” “the place where it’s been written and erased,” and “turn me back to the happy times.” The speaker hopes that at the end of their “story,” their love will remain “on top.” “Ending Page” is a good ending to the album, as it feels like the album’s story is wrapping up, finally reaching the end of the “novel.” The distinction between “Ending Page” and “첫 사랑니 (Rum Pum Pum Pum)” is that the title track describes the audience’s first love, and “Ending Page” talks about the end of love.
The Impact
Overall, the album felt very intentional, with each song presenting a clear story or feeling. It is difficult to see the same intentionality in more recent K-pop albums, where most lyrics convey vague emotions. Most songs on the album are about love, which feels a bit redundant to me. I might understand why there are so many love songs because with a group of people, it is hard to have a song more specific to the entire group, especially in K-pop. Love is also a common theme that appears in plenty of songs.
FSBolthof. “F(X) – Toy Lyrics» Color Coded Lyrics | Lyrics at CCL.” Color Coded Lyrics, 29 July 2013, colorcodedlyrics.com/2013/07/28/f-x-toy/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
This is my piece from a Valentine’s paint party hosted by the National Art Honor Society (that I am a member of) at my school! I call it “My Heart Bleeds.” It was really fun to make and I completed it in about an hour. It depicts a heart inside a ribcage that is softly glowing. The heart is bleeding and fading into the air. It gives a feeling of wearing your heart on your sleeve or putting your whole heart in something. This has really inspired me to do more painting!
To some, a global girl group is a group with members from various countries and continents. To others, it’s a girl group that is popular internationally. Throughout history, there have been multiple top girl groups such as Fifth Harmony, TLC, Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, and many more. Girl groups have used their platforms to send different messages, such as TLC and their strong support for female empowerment. Recently, musical girl groups have started to resurface alongside the increasing global popularity of K-pop groups.
The Western Girl Group Resurgence
Girl groups have begun to re-emerge in the 2020s after their decline in the 2010s; one of the last notable groups being Fifth Harmony and Little Mix, both going on indefinite hiatuses with members pursuing solo careers. K-pop’s 3rd generation had begun around 2013 and marked a time when K-pop was still just making its way into the West. Some recent examples of global girl groups are KATSEYE, FLO, Say Now, XG, no na, and plenty more emerging globally. These groups differ from K-pop groups because they adhere to a more global audience, using differing aesthetics and musical sounds from their K-pop counterparts. Many newer groups are going for a 2000s sound and aesthetic. This is especially appealing to Gen Z, as many people are turning toward older genres and forms of media. This is also coming with a desire for more musical groups rather than just soloists. Some believe that the lack of groups has caused the music scene to become dull and tiresome, with the inability to do complex harmonies and have the chemistry that groups bring to the table.
Girls in the Business
It seems as though norms of the past have re-emerged alongside girl groups. Girl groups were full of young, inspirational women who were meant to convince girls that success could look just like them, while also conforming to music industry beauty, body, and fashion standards. The issue of provocative fashion for women in the music industry has been around for years. The entertainment industry in general is known for its use of female bodies as products and marketing tactics. Katseye is a big example of that. Katseye, though debuting with a Y2K, “teen” concept, is now donning a more adult, girl-crush look. This switch was seen after the release of their single “Gnarly.” A couple of the members, most notably Lara, had dressed this way before. The reason why it has become an issue now is that the members are now under a billion-dollar company, making it unlikely that they can control their styling. A bigger reason is that most of the members are very young; the youngest, Yoonchae, just turned 18 in December of 2025. Groups like FLO and Say Now also have similar styling to Katseye, but the members of these groups are a bit older. Though not explicitly stated, a normalized part of being a female artist is being skinny and wearing revealing clothing, especially in the West. So much so that it is also a way K-pop girl groups seem to attempt to make themselves known in the West.
Making it Big
Though many strive to be “global” groups, what one might call being successful is also being well-known in the West. There are a variety of K-pop (and K-pop adjacent) groups and idols who have tried to become popular in the United States (BP, XG, TWICE) by changing the way they present themselves. TWICE has started to gain more traction in the West by releasing songs in English. The members of BLACKPINK have released solo projects, all of them with their own unique flair, but most marketing towards the West with English lyrics and collaborations with Western artists such as Doechii, Bruno Mars, and Raye. XG, a more recent group composed of all Japanese members, blends the genres of Hip-hop and RnB while promoting both in the West and at Korean music shows. XG, TWICE, and BLACKPINK all have strong fan bases in the West, but does that make them global groups? K-pop groups are striving more and more to be well-known in the West. Groups like Cortis, who use aspects of Hip-hop and other Western genres as well as Korean lyrics, are a major example. Overall, it seems like every group is trying to be the next big thing internationally.
Global girl groups are re-emerging in a time of great change in the music industry and in the world in general. K-pop is already supplying more and more girl groups practically every day. With this in mind, will there even be room for top “global” girl groups? Or will this wave of groups pass like other recent trends? There is still no exact definition of what is or isn’t a global. Time will tell whether the world will finally have groups that define what it means to be a global girl group in today’s music scene.
Mia Lares, Yérimen. “Girl Groups Are Back: How the K-Pop Machine is Bringing Back The Western Girl Group” GEN-ZiNE, 27 Oct. 2025, www.gen-zine.com/posts/girl-groups-are-back-k-pop. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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