On X, fandoms discussed why HYBE will never surpass the "BIG 3" — SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment — legacy in K-pop despite its status as a conglomerate.
Among entertainment agencies, HYBE is the corporation with the highest revenue, thanks to its housing of top-rated K-pop groups, such as BTS and NewJeans.
HYBE is also the parent company of some of the biggest affiliate labels: Pledis, Source Music, Belift Lab, ADOR, and more.
Despite its established position in the music scene, K-pop stans refuse to recognize HYBE's power and insisted that it will never beat the influence and legacy of the pioneers of K-pop: SM, JYP, and YG.
Supporters of this trio of labels recalled how they established the K-pop market in the 90s with only talents, visuals, and performances. Each agency has its own image that sets it apart from the others; thus, plagiarism controversy wasn't a thing back then.
Also, the founders of the "Big 3" Lee Soo Man (SM), Jinyoung Park (JYP), and Yang Hyun Suk (YG) built friendship rather than rivalry, which also reflected the solid relationship of their artists from other idols beyond the label.
The "Big 3" may not be perfect, but fans recall it as the "golden days" of K-pop.
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Unfortunately, things became different when K-pop Giant HYBE entered the scene, causing chaos. Fandom wars became rampant, charts were prioritized over skills, and rivalry within the company ignited.
Worse, the corporation was also revealed to be using its power to manipulate the media and put other artists in a bad light, especially those from the "Big 3."
Fans are now blaming HYBE for ruining the fun that K-pop used to bring, a genre that prioritizes quality and uniqueness, rather than quantity and rankings.
Here are some tweets about this topic:
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz