Op-ed: All in a good day’s work

Stars…they work so hard. The major-label system which made them famous in the first place can be damaging to the artists we know and love. Like machines, they produce the biggest names in the business but the road to fame comes with a heavy price. The realities of the current Kpop business model reflect an industry where competition is fierce as every artist and idol tries their best to stay at the top of their game. But what’s really being sacrificed for the sake of the music industry in Korea?

There’s no doubt that the phenomenal success of Kpop has spread a light across Asia and other parts of the world. But while the current business model is great for the entertainment industry, artists, particularly idols, suffer for it. It’s common knowledge that the three powerhouses of the Kpop music industry— SM, JYP, and YG—hold a lot of influence and control over the market. They have become experts at staying ahead of the curve which allows their artists to rise to popularity and, most importantly, stay there. As mechanical as this process sounds, what can be said? We all love our idols. We love how they work so hard for their fans and we get so excited when they’re being funny on variety shows or featured in sexy magazine spreads.But we’re at the point where it’s not just about the music anymore. What do singers do, if not sing? Idols are not just singers—they are all-around entertainers. While some are great vocalists, others are better dancers. Acting, modeling, working as MCs, the list seems to go on and on. Even though it’s cool to see our favorite idols show face time doing all these side gigs, it’s like these entertainment companies squeeze out every possible talented aspect of their artists before their star power fades away. And the way idols are overworked and underpaid, it’s downright despicable.

The shadier aspects of the Kpop business model have become apparent in recent years, and it includes exhausting schedules, unfair contract terms, and unequal distribution of money. Prime example: DBSK. The obvious thing to say is that these bad practices need to be changed. But won’t that also mean less face time for idols? Even though we want our idols to rest, can their popularity survive with less exposure? Well, the rumblings of change have been happening here and there, and it looks like YG Entertainment and Epik High tinkered with the current model.



YG’s promotion of 2NE1 was pretty clever. Upon 2NE1’s debut, it was decided they would focus only on their music and performances. This meant no promotional activities through variety shows and they would perform once a week, thus creating a lot of anticipation from the fans



Epik High challenged the conventional business model by stepping away from the major-label system by distributing their music themselves. Although they’re certainly not the first band to do this, it’s a huge step in Korea where artists largely rely on the power of a major-label company. This isn’t to say that either group never used other means to promote themselves, but what’s striking is that they put music as their reason to do things a little differently.

We’re still quite a ways from any significant or dramatic change in the Kpop business model. After all, things just don’t change overnight. The bottom line is that the nature of the music industry is shaped by what sells, and let’s be honest, no one buys music like they used to. You can blame it on illegal downloading or blame the quality of music being produced and released–take your pick. Big name companies have to make their money somehow, and if it’s by having their artists scurry around the country with crazy schedules, then an idol’s gotta do what an idol’s gotta do.


Source: seoulbeats