K-pop declines, many small groups disband

The K-pop race seems to be only for the 'big guys' in the entertainment industry when a series of music groups from small and medium-sized companies quietly disbanded one after another despite previously being very active.

Purple Kiss suddenly disbanded despite just making a comeback - Photo: RBW Entertainment

According to Starin , in just the past two years, a series of K-pop groups from small and medium-sized companies have announced their disbandment or changed owners.

On August 4, Purple Kiss suddenly announced their disbandment after 4 years and 5 months of activity. The management company said that the group will still complete their planned schedules including releasing an English album, promoting in Japan, touring in North America, and holding a concert in Korea before stopping activities in November.

It is worth mentioning that Purple Kiss had just returned with the single I miss my on July 16 and had many plans for the second half of the year. Therefore, the disbandment of the RBW Entertainment girl group not only made the audience regretful but also shocked the majority of fans.

Flash debut, quiet disbandment

It is rare in the K-pop industry for a group like Purple Kiss to disband before completing their seven-year contract, as idol contracts typically last seven years. Many groups then either renew their contracts with their old companies or move to new companies to continue their careers.

Purple Kiss is just one of many girl groups that have recently disbanded before reaching the 7-year mark. Previously, in February 2025, the group Weeekly also terminated their contract after 5 years of activity, despite being noticed for their youthful "teen crush" image and hit After School .

Purple Kiss is not the only group from a small company that has disbanded - Photo: RBW Entertainment

Everglow, who debuted in 2019 under Yuehua Entertainment and made a strong impression with upbeat songs like Bon Bon Chocolat, Adios, Dun Dun... also said goodbye last June after 6 years of activity.

Last year, two groups Rocket Punch (Woollim Entertainment) and Cherry Bullet (FNC Entertainment) both had stable products and their own fan bases but still could not avoid disbanding.

Despite having many hits and a large fan base, Everglow still cannot escape their fate - Photo: Yuehua Entertainment

It is worth mentioning that these groups all belong to mid-range companies that have had significant achievements, showing that the survival of a group now does not depend solely on talent or popularity.

Notably, even groups with songs that are doing well on digital music platforms - like H1-KEY with the hit It was summer - cannot achieve good revenue from album sales, leading to the decision to leave the old management company to find a new direction.

Is the K-pop game only for the 'big guys'?

According to Starin , one of the leading causes is the huge disparity in financial resources, media networks, and fandom ecosystems.

Big companies like HYBE, SM, JYP and YG have multi-million dollar promotional budgets for each new group debut, have strong media backing and a loyal fan base built up in advance.

Meanwhile, small companies are forced to "cut their coat according to their cloth", often only able to invest in products on a limited scale, making it difficult to create a spillover effect in the international market.

Hearts2Hearts easily sells albums even though they just debuted - Photo: SM Entertainment

This situation is clearly reflected in the data from Circle Chart. In the first half of 2025, the total album sales of the market decreased by nearly 10%, but groups from the "Big 4" (HYBE, SM, JYP and YG) still accounted for more than 80% of the sales of the top 400.

Rookie groups like Hearts2Hearts (SM Entertainment) or Kickflip (JYP Entertainment) can easily reach 350,000 copies with just their debut album.

In contrast, most groups from small companies struggle with sales below 20,000 copies - a number that is not enough to cover the costs of MV production, choreography and promotion.

Many small groups have to find opportunities through survival shows like Boys II Planet , where idols who have debuted from many different groups are forced to compete for a chance to re-debut.

Many idols who have debuted still have to participate in survival shows to find opportunities - Photo: Allkpop

This year's contestant list includes more than 10 people who were members of groups such as Drippin, Wei, Verivery, DKB, and even groups that had international tours. This shows that even active idols are in a "life and death" situation to gain attention and maintain their careers.

"The fact that big companies are acquiring many other companies and operating like giant corporations is causing the diversity of K-pop to disappear. This is the reason why the industry is in crisis," said pop culture expert Kim Heon Sik.

However, there is hope.

The group tripleS is a successful example thanks to the model of fans voting on the lineup and concept, helping to build a close-knit fandom and significantly increase sales (more than 300,000 copies of the latest album).

However, this is still a rare exception in the generally gloomy picture.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/k-pop-suy-thoai-hang-loat-nhom-nhac-nho-tan-ra-20250811102932877.htm