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WELL I JUST LEARNED GFRIEND DISBANDED AND IM DEPRESSED (Patreon)

Published:
2021-05-19 15:57:49
Imported:
2021-05

Content

Also I read everything on the situation and… my PD brain is going off and I don’t vibe with this. Something’s up. I just hope the girls are okay. Anyone else getting an uneasy feeling about this “disbandment”?

Comments

Anonymous

it really seems so off and unexpected, like i haven’t really enjoyed their recent titles after merging with bighit/hybe besides mago but i thought they were still doing well????

Marta

I think the same way like idk it happened out of nowhere, so sudden

Jan Grund

I just read the Members letters.... I'm not okay

希文 王

on the outside they seemed well managed (from a casual fan standpoint), but I've been trying to read more about it (especially since it was a group decision to not resign) and it does feel weird

Anonymous

Ive been hit by disbandments twice in a row now. This isnt good ngl

Josh Horton

There is speculation that gfriend and source couldn't come to a mutual agreement with investors and that they agreed to not renew contracts to help the girls not accrue any debts. But that's pretty much all hearsay atm.

Mira S

yeah i’m pretty sure the company pushed for this “disbandment” so they could focus on the new gg they are planning to debut

Anonymous

I don’t think they’re disbanding just parting ways with source/bighit

Anonymous

It's so sudden. The announcement dropped and then boom only 4 days till the contract is over. No proper farewell, and they haven't seen Buddy in over a year because of Covid. Not a worse possible way to go out

formoftherapy
>>60154034

I don’t know myself but based on comments apparently Mago was successful? I don’t know to what extent but yeah

eli_nhdoaek

This was all sudden. Something is definitely up. There are alot of rumors with soumu being bankrupt even with the loan from bighit or some are saying it’s because they’ll focus on the new gg. It’s very suspicious because they were doing so well.

Anonymous

Wait what!? I didn't even know there was a possibility of them disbanding. This is just made me really sad. They were one of my favorite girl groups ever. And that solidified once Fingertip came out. I can't believe it. I just hope the members are okay😞🙌🏽

Melanie Williams

Honestly I’m not a fan of them but I was looking forward to the direction they were going after Mago, since I loved the song,. And it happened so suddenly because I didn’t even hear that it was time to resign there contract.

Alexstaffordx

Wasn’t there a whole nazi scandal ... so it’s not a surprise to me

formoftherapy
>>60154056

Is it just me but why do they sound so…ashamed in their letters? Like they seem REALLY hard on themselves rather than it being bittersweet.

eli_nhdoaek

Also i dont think hybe would invest on gfriend being included in the hybe insight museum with sowon as one of the docents... something definitely came up

L. O.C.

it feels like hybe/source definitely forced them out using the “7 year curse” to their benefit in order to make “room” for the new girl group they have in the works under Source with Min Heejin. i think their controversy exacerbated this decision even more. hybe and SM are one in the same

Leen

I feel like they didn’t know that this will happen

Leen

I mean the girls

Yuhuai Liu

Something went wrong at the last minute for sure...

Anonymous

I feel the same PD. It was so sudden and I am very confused and bummed out.

formoftherapy
>>60154081

I don’t like the vibe of their letters either they seem…sad. And not like a “it was an amazing journey im so sad it’s over~” kinda sad but a bad sad

Loretta

How much did that scandal effect them? I’m not a fan or keep up with them but still it’s so sudden...

Anonymous
>>60154233

This point is odd to me too, and the museum just opened?

excellen

It's kind of sus since apparently they did a vlive the same day of the announcement and everything seemed fine. And they also had schedules that were cancelled just after this...if they weren't so active on social media before all this and disbanded it would be less suspect.

Kriss

What I found weirder is the fact they want to come back as two separate groups. It just doesn't make much sense to me

eli_nhdoaek

The recent dkdtv episode said that from danny’s “insiders” that it was a smooth agreement to leave and the girls didnt like the direction of their songs? And they prefer their previous concepts but it wont fit them anymore because of their age but that seems off too.... it’s all confusing really :( they had scheduled videos and content but was suddenly cancelled so it seems like a really abrupt decision

Sarah

They are disbanding? I thought they just left their agency....

Loretta
>>60154248

Hmmm I don’t think so. Rumors are they’re practically back rupt even with a loan from hybe.

formoftherapy
>>60154201

It’s got nothing to do with that and I looked into it myself and it was completely overblown and a mistake

Anonymous

wait a full on disbandment???

Malaki.H

WTF I JUST GOT TO KNOW!! WHY?!

Samantha

It definitely came out of left field and right around when hybe is looking to form a new girl group????? And with just how successful gfriend always is???? Like I've heard all the contract speculations, controversy issues, and bankrupt rumors but I don't like/trust it.

Cali_SVT

It came as a complete surprise to me. Typically, only one or two members choose not to renew their contracts if they want to pursue a different path on their career. However, the decision of all of them not to renew is questionable. Something is definitely going on inside that huge Hybe building. Though I can't be certain if it's Hybe's problem or Source Music because the Pledis artists "seem to be" doing fine in Hybe at the moment.

eli_nhdoaek

This thread explains one of the theories as to why the contracts weren’t renewed https://twitter.com/chartbuddies/status/1394686794592043016?s=20

希文 王
>>60154765

seventeen I think their contract comes up next year-ish? I'm still worried because it's Pledis

jimmirakeul

It's too sudden and unexpected i feel so bad for them

Anonymous

I definitely feel uneasy about their disbandment. Especially since Source Music has applied for GFRIEND trademarks. So I’m worried about their future careers. I’m so sad because it was so sudden. I trust the members and I think they saw Source Music’s lack of commitment toward their careers.

tigerhoshi

My take is it all comes down to Source Music. Both Pledis and Source Music had debts last year, mainly due to cancelled concerts. Source Music took out a 7M loan from HYBE to pay off the debt. Pledis recovered. They must have mismanaged the money, or they were not simply making enough to sustain long term. While GFRIEND is definitely one of the most known girl groups, it is undeniable that since FEVER, they have been regressing on K-Charts and album sales have been lowering. They gained more international listeners with APPLE and MAGO, but on the contrary MAGO has become their fastest song to leave Melon Top 100. K-side prefers their old music, International *new* listeners prefer the newer music. Then the controversy in January happened, which might have affected their newly gained *new* casual listeners. In early 1Q report this year, Source Music has been in deficit IIRC. I doubt the new GG has something to do with this, because that is a collab group that has been in the making since 2019. I doubt BigHit is letting Source handle that new GG’s budget (who has been in deficit) when they can fund them by themselves. The problem is for a group, GFRIEND is doing well. But for an agency’s ONLY GROUP, they are not making enough for the agency to last. Until now, Source has a loan to pay to HYBE. I think the reason why this situation is weird is because it’s so SUDDEN. But then SinB also said in her letter that she has been thinking about how to say it to everyone for a while now. Clarifications in the next few days may be made, my guess is Source Music is just really losing money. There’s a rumor that they have been laying off employees since early this year.

Anonymous

Sad and befuddled. I was hoping that in a few days, we would hear about GFRIEND being under another label/agency. But the handwritten letters each member posted on WeVerse seem to indicate that this is the end of GFRIEND. To be so sudden and abrupt is really strange. Source just uploaded a G-Ing video a couple days back of them playing pool. But at the same time, their Memoria series also looked like it just wrapped up with a highlight reel episode posted about 5 days back. Their merchandise section on WeVerse Shop has been quiet (after bombarding us with new stuff every month or two for the last year).. i am not sure what to make of all that. But I am sad, for certain. And very curious.

eli_nhdoaek
>>60155293

This is really sad because gfriend saved the company but in the end it failed them :(

Opinionated Matt

I want to hear what they have to say about it first because it feels very strange to me too

Saolam Nguyen

It's so sad but I'm not surprised that they left...in 7 years none of them have had a solo release and it was only in the past year that the members were able to contribute to the official comeback albums (if I remember correctly). I have to wonder why they disbanded tho - is it because of some issue with Source Music or is it possible they all just really wanted to move on?

Jodi Wong

apparently it’s “the end of gfriend” bc they don’t have copyright to their own name there are rumors that they’ve all already gone to another company and are going to redebut under a new name (bc source music had to pay a lot for the bighit acquisition so they don’t have that much money left to handle them?) and already took new profile pictures, but nothing has been confirmed :’)

Dianne

Reading their handwritten messages. It seems like it's really the end for Gfriend. It was just so abrupt. I feel bad for the fans.

ice4fresh
>>60155857

Yeah, I thought it maybe was only something related to the copyright and they would stay toegther but after reading their letters...doesn't look like it.

Emily L.

I am really holding onto the rumor of them signing with a different company and redebuting under a different name like Highlight 😔

Hannah Q.

This has got to be the strangest disbandment I’ve ever seen. Extremely abrupt. And the whole situation is very self-contradictory.

Anonymous

yeah this came so unexpected and hit a lot of people hard. i feel like they’ve been fairly active on social media and i don’t think that would have been the case if they knew they were abt to disband. and only telling people about not renewing their contract 4-5 days before the contract actually expires?? super fishy

Réka O.

I'm really saddened by this news and just as baffled as everyone else, but I'm also tired of hearing the theories HYBE antis are weaving. They did a lot of good for Gfriend during the past year, promoted them really well, produced content for them and included them in their events, platforms and museum. They would have done none of those and invested money in them if they were gearing up to drop them. They also have the money and the capacity to manage two girl groups at the same time so that theory seems ridiculous to me. There must have been something that happened behind the scenes and there's a good chance we'll never know what it is (based on the way the Kpop world operates). I hope we'll get some kind of explanation though and this will not become one of Kpop's great unsolved mysteries 😕

Bradley Wright

So unexpected and so heartbreaking, i really loved Gfriend so much. I feel like if they were leaving on good terms they would have had a farewell concert/song. I’m just sad.

Cali_SVT

The acquisition has a lot of implications. Hybe obtained a loan of 200B KRW from KDB in order to acquire Pledis and Source Music (as well as the others). Prior to the acquisition, both Pledis and Source had debts of their own. Pledis and Source's debts are now also Hybe's debts as a result of the acquisition. In Hybe's 2020 financial report, it shows that Pledis was able to pay off their debt (before the acquisition, they still have so much debts now but they're doing well) + they contributed 69B KRW in sales, in which 11B KRW was the over-all net profit. Meanwhile, Source only had to borrow more money from Hybe to pay for their previous debt/s + a net loss 2.3B KRW. But I don't think it's fair to put all the blame on Hybe and acquisition. All these companies have a debt of their own. And Hybe played its role in giving Source the support they need in terms of influence and finance. It's just that, Source is no longer being a profitable company and is only losing more money. It's better for them to let go of their artist now rather than risking the impossible, which could have serious consequences for not only the company but also their artists.

tigerhoshi
>>60158316

This! Pledis has been doing well and the promotions are also great especially this year. They had a higher or even double the debt than Source Music had last year but still managed to make profits thanks to album sales. Gfriend's last album sold only ~53k, I think Source Music was just really having it hard, its the harsh reality. But still, everything feels abrupt, like did HYBE even know about this, because HYBE Insight Museum just opened a week ago and that's a huge investment.

Anonymous

I am shocked as well that they didn't renew the contract...I thought being under the Hybe would secure them with that spot going higher as more international fans recognize Gfriend now. It's so sad T.T ... I don't know what to say..

Mira S
>>60155766

but big hit acquired/invested in source music not the other way around, so how could they lose money from this venture? :(

Thilde

Some of the comments here are kinda weird, being shooters for a mega corporation who's monopolizing half the industry..

Keiera Jones

I don't know the entirety of the situation but I know that typically gg's don't sell as much as bg's. So I am really wondering how profitable Gfriend was in terms of business. Being popular doesn't equate to actual sales. It sucks because I really enjoyed Mago but I have never really heard gfriend being heavy sellers. Fans need to also understand that their favs still are "technically" business projects for companies and need to have ROI(return on investments) to sustain themselves. Being popular (again) does not equate to actual money. Plus as others mentioned, their main company was drowning in debt that sadly gfriend couldn't be like SVT kinda was for pledis. Interested to see how this plays out.

Anonymous
>>60166605

It seems that Gfriend's album sales are not doing very well if basing on their popularity, which is weird because they do have a stable fandom. So you are right, I guess it doesn't really depend on popularity. Groups like Izone, Twice, BP are prob the only groups who own popularity and album sales at the same time.

crash9100

It’s sketchy for sure..they had schedules that have since been cancelled and there were comeback rumours for July. They’ve been going through this whole rebranding, been doing constant lives in the HYBE building, and have picked up steam from international fans the past year. Something had to have happened, but we may never know what. The Source Music/Big Hit gg is debuting this year, but I can’t see GFRIEND straight up disbanding bc of that. It makes me uneasy, though, a lot of third gen contracts end soon (Red Velvet’s is up in August and TWICE in 2022) and GFRIEND were a group I was sure would stay together, so now I can’t help wonder what’s in store for other groups who have contracts expiring.

Neeeenzzzz

You know what’s fishy? SM applying for ownership of the GFRIEND and 여자친구 trademarks. And why was it not announced on the proper platforms, something has definitely happened to force them not to renew their contracts

Violet Joo

I don't know if this is accurate but in some korean news they were saying that the girls weren't getting along. That there were some troubles and disagreement between the girls and that played a role in the disbandment. Even if some of girls of the group want to keep singing they are not longer allowed to use Gfriend as their name. But I don't know if this is true is just what some of the korean media was saying.

Otto

Yerin will still be appearing in upcoming 3rd season of "뷰티타임 (Beauty Time)" even after leaving Source Music. And Yuju show about Halli Galli has released today a new episode (of course probably pre-recorded) but about Yerin this is not under SouMu, how does this work?

Dalia H

I can't stop crying they are my ult group since 2016 and this was so sudden

CRAYON weiwen

BUDDY and WIZ*ONE (Hugging each other...)

Jenna M

Yup, same. Strange goings on

Tasia

HOLD UP WHAAAAATTTT WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!!!

Erd'na

With what happen with Gfriend, i dread some of the girl groups who are bound for contract renewal this year.

Anonymous
>>60169800

it happened a while ago. the trademark for the korean name happened in 2015 when they debuted and the english name in 2020. the whole source music forced them to quit is nothing more than a conspiracy theory at this point. if anything, what info we have suggests that source music WASN'T expecting them to not sign and therefore had activities planned out for them which had to be cancelled. But clearly it wasn't expected by anyone, probably not even gfriend nor source music themselves otherwise they would have made it more clear leading up to it. we just don't know what exactly happened.

Aysha
>>60158177

This! I’m tired of seeing people blaming hybe for their disbandment. They invested in them so why would they invest if they wanted to disband them?

Wodgenia

Yeah I discovered that yesterday and since then it just doesn't feel real. I just hope in some months we will have news about them that will explain what's going on because it doesn't make any sens to me T^T

Anonymous

Yeah something isn’t right here

希文 王

Did some wikipedia-ing, and their sales peaked at time for us (sunrise) at 98k, then dropped to around 83k to 91k for the subsequent albums (not counting their newest since it hasn’t had as much time to sale). For comparison, red velvet sells around 110k to 165k (peaking at summer magic/power up), twice around 600k to 700k for their latest albums, so yeah, for their popularity their sales really aren’t that good :( (also wjsn falls at 150k to 170k, so they’re actually doing pretty well

DiddivediamondL

some romer ...about hybe pressured SourMu 😅 dont know whats the truth. the physical sale hits bad for sure even they did receive some recognition

Alena

This twitter thread seems to provide some seemingly valid insight: https://twitter.com/chartbuddies/status/1394686794592043016?s=20