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K-pop is a fast-paced music industry that has seen unprecedented growth over the years. K-pop started small with the popularity of Seo Taiji and Boys. Seo Taiji and Boys' success led to a small number of groups debuting each year, such as H.O.T and Sechs Kies, giving the public a variety of music and making the competition amongst these groups fierce. This also gave birth to South Korean fandom culture.
However, with the rise in the popularity of idol music, especially after the booming popularity of BTS, K-pop companies grew greedier. They started to pump out more and more groups in an already saturated market, craving similar success as the popular groups.
Out of the 20-30 groups that debut each year, barely three or four get recognition or actual success. Even those that somehow do manage to get some fame are forgotten as soon as another group debuts. Very few groups can hold on to their popularity. The vast majority of K-pop groups turn to distant memories.
5 K-pop groups lost in oblivion
1) M-BLSSM
M-BLSSM was a four-member group that debuted on March 24, 2017, with their mini album PLAY. Their group name was a combination of the words music and blossom. Unfortunately, their music withered away with time.
The group consisted of four friends, Yujin, Taewook, Subin, and Taekyung, who had plans to debut as a group since 2016. Premium Press International took them under their wing and provided the quadruplet with all the help they needed to produce their album and debut.
The group had a debut showcase, but that was also the last anyone heard of them. They have all vanished from the music industry, and there is no trace of them on any social media platforms.
2) B.o.M
B.o.M is a four-member boy group that debuted on July 27, 2011, under the label Y2Y Contents Company with their mini album Burning Rose.
B.o.M stood for Blooming of Our Music. However, they suffered the same fate as M-BLSSM as their debut album was also the last piece of music they ever released.
The four members, Jisoo, Sechang, Tagoon, and Yua, decided to go their separate ways when their agency shut down in 2013, pulling the plug on the group.
After his group's disbandment, Tagoon found success as WINNER's rapper Mino. He was the runner-up on the fourth season of Show Me the Money and has also appeared on various variety shows such as New Journey to the West and Kang's Kitchen. Despite having a shaky start, he was the only member of B.o.M who managed to turn it around for himself.
Yua appeared on Produce 101 but was eliminated in the fifth episode. There is not much information about the lives of Jisoo and Sechang.
3) PURETTY
PURETTY, which stood for Pure and Pretty, was a five-member girl group under DSP Media and Universal Music Japan. The group debuted in Japan on September 5, 2012, with their song Cheki Love which was used as the soundtrack for the popular anime Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future.
The group was soon after supposed to debut in South Korea. However, all plans fell through, and the group disbanded in 2014. Members Hyein, Siyoon, Chaekyung, Somin, and Ja Eun decided to go their separate ways after disbanding with some members participating in DSP Media's KARA project.
Hyein and Siyoon pursued an acting career, while Chaekyung and Somin debuted again in a group called APRIL. Somin left APRIL soon after and is currently part of a four-member co-ed group called K.A.R.D, where she has found a lot of success.
4) ELVIN CREW
The five-member boy group ELVIN CREW debuted under HiCC Company on May 29, 2017, with their single Good Girl. It was the only song released by the group. Not only did the group not release any music after that, members Noa, Woojoo, Jonathan, Josh, and Siwoo almost vanished from the K-pop industry.
No one has heard of them since. Despite no official disbandment news, the group has not uploaded anything on its social media handles since July 2017 and is therefore considered disbanded.
5) M.Pire
M.Pire was a seven-member group that debuted on August 1, 2013, under CMG Chorok Stars. In August, the group debuted with six members, Taehee, Yooseung, Haru, Red, T.O, and Jerry. Lumin joined them in October.
The name M.Pire was a combination of the words music and vampire, which meant that the members needed music to survive. However, this was not enough to save them from obscurity.
Despite winning several awards and getting decent recognition amongst the public, the group all but vanished after 2014. There was no official notice of their disbandment, and the group has not released any music ever since.
Very few K-pop groups can claw their way out of obscurity, especially if these groups have debuted from small or unknown companies.
The life of a K-pop idol may look glamorous, but it is a pipe-dream for the bulk of these groups. However, like Mino and Somin, a few K-pop idols have been able to turn their luck around and come out on top, despite having unsuccessful debuts.
