Anonymous What do you think of JYJ?
Two issues here, I guess? First JYJ in general and second is their break from SM?
I think that they are a talented group of guys who are slightly lost at sea, since suddenly they don’t have a dedicated production team to tell them what to do, which choreography to learn and which songs to promote.
In terms of their actual existence, as an entity, I am somewhat conflicted in the sense that I appreciate what they did at the same time as wanting to condemn it.
They certainly raised awareness to the nature of some of the contracts that rookies are dumb enough (not forced) to sign. In the future it may protect debutant artists, but remember that any industry doesn’t do work for charity: where a company is forced to compromise its profits (in this case, not getting the full use of its trained talent), it will find some other way of doing so. So while JYJ may have shortened contracts in the industry, rookie artists may have contracts in which the small print gives them next to nothing or pays them in company shares. Not only this, trainees that enjoyed small allowances, dormitories and small luxuries may find that potential costs that their sunbaes may incur are cut from their budget.
The impact JYJ had on the industry may well be one step forward, two steps back: notionally it seems better, but in reality the problems may now be completely away from the public eye.
Now, about their break. It’s easy for fangirls to blame SM for all their woes and to demonise them in comparison to other companies. Whenever I read comments that do this, I know that the writer knows nothing about K-Pop and should sit back down and read more about its history.
Besides, every company is the same and seeks profits as a long-term objective. It isn’t some artsy college music society: K-Pop is a multi-million dollar industry with the potential for billions in expansion across the continent.
JYJ breaking their contracts goes against everything I believe in. They made a promise at debut in the form of a contract, keeping their heads down while earning fame under the direction of SM, before deciding they wanted more money. They went to a higher power to try to break that promise. A man must stick to his word, no matter how painful the consequences. Without that, he is without honour.
Let’s break it down. In the end, JYJ chose money over all, yes over all things. They were successful enough to be allowed creative input into their activities, so the artistic issue is right out the window already. And one should be judged by actions, not words, and their actions speak volumes.
They said Always Keep the Faith.
We thought they’d be five forever.
They chose to leave the group. They chose to leave Yunho and Changmin behind. They chose money over their two other members. They chose to break the trust of those who made them who they are today. They succumbed to greed, no matter how fans wish to put it… and that reality is the sad truth.
https://ask.fm/oniontaker/answers/26946735742
(Approx late 2012, early 2013)
*sigh* I am going to assume that you are new to this or new to me, because this was done to death back when it happened.
These were my thoughts over five years ago and they’ve been proven to be right by how history played out: here is why JYJ have found it difficult to jump right back into K-Pop after the break-up. Please bear in mind that this is going to be long enough as it is, and I’m condensing several posts into the smallest summary possible, so I will have to gloss over the exact details on certain things and streamline the narrative for you, so please bear with me.
Hopefully this is the last time I need to post this.
First consider SM Entertainment. In the grand scheme of things, as much as K-Pop fans want to pretend that they are some imperial monolith, they are a tiny company. I’m not comparing them against Samsung and Hyundai, I am comparing them to people in their industry. CJ E&M on its own is a beast, even without the entire CJ conglomerate backing it up. Do you honestly believe that SM Entertainment has the clout to unilaterally “block” a clearly profitable unit like JYJ as effectively as it appears to be?
No.
Before you go on about SM boycotting places, the only time SM ever did that was because Mnet and Co. had this whole thing with SM about money with regards music distribution and even a hostile takeover of the company was being thrown around the rumour mill. SM won’t boycott KBS, SBS, MBC or even cable channels for showing JYJ - and it’s not like they’re about to reward all channels for keeping JYJ off either. The broadcasters and agencies need each other in a symbiotic relationship to sell products and raise viewer ratings.
Notice who doesn’t fit into that equation? JYJ.
As I said before, years ago, the entire K-Pop industry would be and has shown to be sloped against JYJ. Not just SM Entertainment but other major and smaller entertainment agencies have no interest in JYJ being successful and even if they don’t want to hold them down, they certainly don’t want to pipe up and voice an opinion in favour of the trio.
Why would they?
SM Entertainment, and every other entertainment agency, did not want JYJ to be successful. JYJ represented something that they feared - a legitimately talented group that broke off acrimoniously from its agency while at the peak of its success. This was something that could happen to any agency. JYJ becoming ridiculously successful after suing their company would set a precedent for their talent to rebel and break off from their agency before the agency could rake in that sweet money. They were rogues, they represented revolution, them being successful would be bad business for all of them.
If you hurt the potential financial bottom line for everybody, then everybody is going to work against you.
The entertainment industry is a very political industry, as you know.
This is both business and politics.
And how did we see things play out?
1. JYJ went with a smaller agency that had few significant political links in entertainment and not a lot to lose. Allegedly one with a lot of “manpower”.
2. When they did release music, which was really good by the way, it never got significant airtime and never promotion campaigns that they deserve.
3. Eventually they managed to branch out into other lines of work and proved that they had the talent there too, but music still remains a struggle to keep them front-and-center where they should be.
4. And that’s despite the fact their sales numbers are huge compared to the amount of promotion they are given.
I said it before and I will say it again - SM Entertainment is not the only one keeping JYJ down. The difference between them and Jessica is that Jessica went quiet and eventually had a mutually-agreed break-up from the agency. JYJ always put forward lawyers and used the courts to wrench what they legally deserved from the agency.
I’m not saying who was right or who was wrong, but in Korea what is legally right and what is considered right within clique-like industries can be two very different things. What is right and what is wrong is totally dependant on context and the perspective of the person you ask.
Now, why are Luhan and Kris different?
They’re not “one of us”. The difference in their treatment can be summarised down to “LOLFOREIGNERS”
And they have options in China where most Korean artists don’t.
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