Somi's Fans Express Concern Over Limited Discography and Lengthy Hiatuses Under The Black Label
Her list of albums is very short.
Long breaks from music by K-Pop artists can be hard for fans to deal with, especially if they don't know it's for health or something else serious.
BLACKPINK, for example, usually takes more than a year between releases, and fans have recently been complaining about aespa's unusually long break between releases.
There are also a lot of other examples, some of which have clear reasons for their long breaks and some of which don't.
But it's not just bands that take long breaks without making it clear why. It's not unusual for K-pop soloists who have been around for a while to take long breaks between comebacks, but it's less common for soloists who are just starting out, like Somi.
Somi first came out as a solo artist on June 13, 2019, with the song "Birthday." Before that, she had been a member of the temporary girl group I.O.I because she had won Produce 101.
She was a trainee under JYP Entertainment before she became a solo artist.
She might have debuted as a member of ITZY if she hadn't left the label in 2018 and moved to YG Entertainment's subsidiary, The Black Label.
Somi only put out two singles in 2020 and early 2021. They were called "What You Waiting For" and "Dumb Dumb."
On October 14, 2021, she finally released a "full-length" studio album called XOXO. However, it only had eight tracks and four songs that had already been released.
Since then, it's been almost a year and a half since she came back.
YG Entertainment and its subsidiaries are known for putting their artists on long breaks, so many fans only blame that for Somi's small discography (just eight songs, not counting collaborations) in her nearly four years as a solo artist.
Others brought up how much has changed since her last comeback, which really puts things in perspective.
Some can't help but think that if she had stayed with JYP Entertainment, she might have had a much bigger discography and made more frequent comebacks, whether she was in ITZY or a solo artist.
It's hard to say for sure, but it's possible that she's just focusing on things other than music, like modeling and commercials.
Overall, though, it seems like Somi's fans are mostly worried that her talents are being wasted at a label like The Black Label, which is known for its artists' long breaks.
We hope that Somi can make a comeback soon, whether it's just a single or an entire album, if she wants to.
BTS's Jimin Makes History by Winning 'Fan’s Choice Grand Prize' at the 2024 MAMA Awards
BTS member Jimin made history at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS, becoming the first solo artist ever to win the prestigious Visa Fan’s Choice of the Year award.
On November 22, Jimin was honored with the Fan’s Choice of the Year award at the2024 MAMA AWARDS JAPAN, held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. This marks a huge milestone in his career, especially considering his ongoing military service.
Jimin made history as the first solo artist to win the Fan’s Choice of the Year award, a category that BTS had dominated for six years since its debut in 2018.
In addition to this achievement, Jimin also took home the Fan’s Choice Grand Prize, making him a two-time winner at this year’s awards.
Although Jimin couldn't attend the ceremony due to his military service, his name was met with loud cheers from fans when announced.
His incredible win continues to prove his global influence as a solo artist. Jimin had also wonBest Male Artistat the 2023 MAMA AWARDS, marking back-to-back wins at the event.
The MAMA AWARDS praised Jimin for his groundbreaking achievements, saying, “As the first K-pop solo artist to reach 4 billion streams and set the longest-running #1 record for a Korean artist, Jimin has proven his influence as a world-class artist and global pop star.”
Jimin's win also made him the first solo artist to claim a grand prize at the MAMA AWARDSin 10 years, with his achievement sparking excitement worldwide.
On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag “CONGRATULATIONS JIMIN” topped the trends, while “우리지민이상받았네” (Our Jimin Got the Award) reached the #1 spot in Korea.
Jimin’s ongoing success continues to shine even during his military service. He was also recently named Best K-pop at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awardsand continues to be recognized for his charitable efforts, including a recent donation of 100 million KRW to the National Defense Soldier and Veteran Love Fund.
