Music Critics Reveal Why Co-Ed Groups are Rare in K-Pop

Over the years, we've seen some co-ed groups make their debut in the K-Pop industry, such as Roo'Ra, Cool, Koyote, Space A, and S#arp back in the 1990s, to newer groups KARD, CHECKMATE, Triple Seven (777), and more.

However, they are still rare as compared to the number of groups that consist of only male or female idols. But what is the reason for its rarity?

Media outlet Korea Times interviewed two well-known music critics - Seo Jeong Min Gap and Jung Min Jae - who revealed why companies aren't too keen on debuting co-ed groups.

Music Critics Reveal Why Co-Ed Groups are Rare in K-Pop

1. It's difficult to form a solid, loyal fan base.

According to the music critics, a big factor that threatens the continuity of a co-ed group is due to the difficulty in being able to form a solid and loyal fan base - which is an important aspect when it comes to the success of a group in the cutthroat K-Pop industry.

Pop music critic, Seo Jeong Min Gap, notes that girl groups usually attract male fans, while boy groups usually bring in more female fans.

However, co-ed groups have difficulty attracting both.

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Critic Seo Jeong Min Gap noted the difficulty for a mixed-gender group to draw female supporters than that of a boy group. It's also challenging to gain male fans than a girl group.

Jung Min Jae then added this is what makes debuting a co-ed group riskier, and noted the issues agencies would face when it comes to planning strategies to promote these kind of groups.

According to him, companies should decide on which gender of fans they would like to target for their groups, but when it comes to co-ed groups, that would be difficult to pinpoint, and would subsequently cause an issue to the group's success.

Jung Min Jae shared that co-ed groups are unlikely to acquire fame without a certain target audience, notwithstanding the fact that they can showcase unique charms.

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2. Living arrangements

Surprisingly, living arrangements are also taken into consideration when it comes to debuting a group.

According to Seo Jeong Min Gap, members of a K-Pop group would usually live together in the same dorms to be able to foster and improve their teamwork, but when it comes to co-ed groups, living together in one place isn't an option.

This can be due to the belief that male and female idols living together are considered inappropriate, despite maintaining a professional or platonic relationship.

3. Lack of successful co-ed groups

Recently, MBC's variety show, "Hangout With Yoo," launched the project co-ed group, SSAK3, which features Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Hyo Ri, and Rain, and became extremely popular in South Korea. This brought about the question of the possibility that there is a revival in co-ed groups. However, SSAK3 was just an "exceptional case," according to Jung Min Jae.

The music critic shared that SSAK3's success did not imply a revival in co-ed groups, and that their success was due to the group being created through a popular variety show that featured their entire debut process while being promoted.

In addition, the group consists of members who have already established themselves in the entertainment industry.

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There is also a lack of successful predecessors to help give companies a reason to debut co-ed groups. Although KARD became successful, they have yet to witness a successful co-ed group recently.

In addition, COVID-19 was a blow to many companies, which drove them away from potentially taking on new challenges.

Jung Min Jae added that co-ed groups may see success in the future if they focus on producing easy-to-listen songs. But they may face difficulty if they wish to become K-Pop idol groups.

Do you agree with their reasons? Share your comments with us below!

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Written by Robyn Joan