Contract Megapost
My Honest Thoughts ✍️
With the dozens of asks I’ve received following the initial news that B1A4 was: firstly, extending their 7-year contracts by two additional months, followed by, secondly, WM Entertainment (WM) announcing that Jinyoung and Baro would be leaving the company while CNU, Sandeul, and Gongchan were re-signing to stay with WM, I’ve always tried to remain as neutral as I possibly could when writing my responses, even when I’ve personally felt, and wanted to say, more.
This was done purposely on my part-- with the news still so fresh, I wanted to try and create a ‘safe space’ of sorts, where people could come and fully express how they felt without judgement. Also, I didn’t want to contribute any additional negative thoughts or energy then what was already out there, since many were so sensitive, hurt, and confused by the entire situation. I was certainly part of this crowd, but I did my best to keep (most) of my feelings at bay, instead just answering or commenting on what was directly submitted in my asks.
With months having passed, each of the five boys involved in their own projects, and the fandom seemingly much more calm about what transpired, I’d like to now actually take the time to fully write out my thoughts and opinions without feeling like I need to hold back. This isn’t to say what I had previously written wasn’t what I felt, but now it is just... complete.
(likely unnecessary but putting it here anyway #1) DISCLAIMER: Everything from here on out is 100% my opinions and thoughts and by no means accurate. While I appreciate many of you coming to me for my opinions, I by no means am more qualified than anyone else here-- in other words, my guesses as to what happened are as good as yours.
(likely unnecessary but putting it here anyway #2) WARNING: Major, MAJOR word vomit ahead. So, apologies in advance for those who aren’t able to make it all the way through 😅
I’m going to attempt to write this in the most chronologically-sound way, since that format makes the most sense in my mind. With that said, let’s start at the beginning (or at least, the beginning of what matters in relation to all of this):
One side of the equation we need to look at was WM’s management. From B1A4′s debut up until WM debuted Oh My Girl (OMG), 100% of the attention was given to the boys. And it showed in the appropriate choices management made, allowing the boys to promote in a timely manner without ever overdoing it, giving them health breaks when needed if they were sick or injured (for example, when Baro injured his leg during What’s Happening promotions-- they decided to cut promos short), as well as allowing them to individually try out acting, composing, and guesting on variety shows, and having the boys star in their own variety shows. The timing seemed great when they ventured into the Japanese market, putting a focus on just releasing translated versions of their Korean singles before expending the resources to actually create new J-songs/singles.
Another side that is important to note in this is the boys’ inner relationships, not only with WM but amongst themselves. B1A4 were never shy in describing how good their communication with one another were. They detailed about their meetings they conducted the end of each week, to go over the ups and downs of what transpired. They admitted that this was a big contributor in preventing them from having legitimate arguments vs. normal disagreements that everyone has. And this closeness showed-- I know many non-fans who would comment (to me or otherwise) on how real their relationships seemed, that it wasn’t just a ‘show’ for the fans or for ‘business’. The boys would even comment about how they wanted to last a long time and be like ‘Shinhwa’. So with these two main points addressed, what happened to cause a shift? When did these shifts actually happen?
Let’s look at WM’s management first, because in all honesty it’s the easier of the two and I’ve admittedly already ranted a good deal about it, so my thoughts are more organized and collected.
To quickly go through my thoughts about the downfall of good management choices at WM, I’ll summarize points I find note-worthy from the last few years:
Following ‘Solo Day’ in 2014, the boys go on their longest hiatus (up until that point in time) of a full year with no real news of updates on the next comeback cycle.
With the debut of OMG in 2015, it is noticeable that there is a lack of focus with B1A4′s next promotional cycle of ‘Sweet Girl’. This is reflected in basically no promotions leading up to it, as well as little to no appearances during the actual promotional cycle.
Not specifically related to management in an of itself, but also at this time, the boys find themselves in a bit of a conflict regarding their stage and concert outfits; they had resembled SHINee’s outfits too much.
When it came time for their 5th anniversary celebrations in 2016, WM makes the choice to host a venue in Korea but specifically only for J-BANAs to attend (with a guest). K-BANAs start boycotting.
Issues arise with Pony Canyon, and how their Japanese promotions are seemingly given precedence over their Korean promotions (fans were also complaining that their Japanese albums looked cheaply designed and made).
Sandeul is announced (with very short notice) to be given a solo album in October of 2016. Shortly into his promotion cycles, he falls ill and has to skip scheduled shows and appearances. Jinyoung helps fill in, as he has been involved with his biggest tv-role to date, along with producing songs for other girl groups (OMG, I.O.I).
Announcements that B1A4 are coming back with extremely little warning occur in the midst of Sandeul’s promos; their comeback begins at the end of November 2016. While the promotional cycle for ‘A Lie’ is fairly short, it seems to be a bit more organized than what we saw during ‘Sweet Girl’ (which was over a year prior at this point).
The following hiatus between ‘A Lie’ and when ‘Rollin’ is released in the Fall of 2017 sees the least amount of schedules for the boys as a whole. Little to nothing is done as a group following their ‘Four Nights in the US’ and 'Live Space’ concerts; CNU is involved in ‘Hamlet’, Sandeul in ‘Thirty Something’, Jinyoung dabbles more in producing for other groups (such as for the ‘Idol Drama Operation’ team), Baro does a short web-drama and acts in ‘Manhole’ (the latter being not well-received or popular) and Gongchan... chills. Oh! Gongchan did that virtual dating game... thing.
Again, much like with ‘A Lie’ and ‘Sweet Girl’, the comeback for ‘Rollin’ gets announced in a rush, with the boys having not even filmed their MV yet when the news gets dropped this time. They take the flight to Australia, film for the next 48-hours, then fly back. The lack in production quality is evident, myself being witness to many commenting on the seemingly low budget and little to no creativity involved in the MV-- I still agree, it leaves a lot to be desired. Teasers are literally released by the boys themselves, on their instagrams. (And look tacky as hell lmao).
With barely a week into promos, Jinyoung falls ill and has to sit out of promotions and appearances. The promotional cycle ends almost as quickly as it started, with a couple appearances (very few with all five however-- Jinyoung or Baro seem to be absent for some), and very little fanfare as a whole.
Following the end of this last comeback cycle, again we seen very little appearances with all five. They don’t have any concerts for fans (something they did following almost every promotional cycle since their first BABA concert), instead just guesting for a few random concerts.
During this hiatus, we hear the same comments from the boys that we’ve been hearing now the last few years: That they have been working on new music, and that they’d like to comeback as soon as possible.
During one of their few vlives as five, they play a game where they guess what different words are. Confused at one of the hints, a staff behind the camera makes a tasteless joke of the word involving around ‘loli’ or ‘lolita’. This gets picked up by a few news sites.
Other, larger controversies arise when Sandeul’s name get’s wrapped up in a sexual assault conflict which WM (luckily) quickly denies. However, when Baro gets involved in a ‘lovestagram’ conflict, WM stays mostly silent, and Baro instead has to release two letters himself denying it, along with apologizing for his ‘attitude controversy’ that seems to keep resurfacing.
No fan meeting is scheduled for their 7th anniversary when April 2018 comes around; instead, WM announces that their contracts have been temporarily extended for two months and talks of renewals are still up in the air.
A vlive is held. Sandeul cries when he makes his ending statement about their 7th anniversary and ‘moving forward’ as a group. He makes a point to comment that “[B1A4] will always be with you”.
A compilation album of their Japanese singles is released with no promotions or appearances by the boys.
At the end of the two month extension, WM announces that Jinyoung and Baro are leaving the company, not before Jinyoung posts the emotional lyrics of ‘Together’ to his instagram. Jinyoung, and eventually Baro, release statements confirming their departure. Sandeul releases a statement making clear his confusion of what’s going on, and CNU takes almost two months to make his statement, again expressing confusion and a lot of emotion over what happened-- but this we’ll get into more next when talking about their relationships.
So... wow. It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? I’m of course not remembering every single detail of what happened that was questionable in the last few years. In fact, I’m sure there’s still quite a few moments going back to 2015 and early 2016 that I’m leaving out. But, the point in laying it all out here like this is to show that there has been a decline in the company’s management, and it’s been occurring over the last 3~4 years.
This isn’t out to paint WM as the enemy here, either. They didn’t want this to be how things ended with B1A4. B1A4 was their money maker, their source of income, their ability to purchase a seven-story building. And, looking at it in a less cynical way, B1A4 was the boys that WM founder Wonmin and director Jimni took in as teenagers, having been there since the beginning-- likely acting as foster parents to the boys that moved away from their actual families. Why would they want to disappoint them? Why would they want to do anything but give them all they could to succeed?
It’s in these questions where the real tragedy lies surrounding WM and the boys: WM didn’t want this to happen, but in their goals of continuing to grow, expand, and debut more groups, they let it happen unknowingly. I believe they even tried to right some wrongs towards the end, such as finally dropping Pony Canyon and signing with the more revered Universal for Japanese promotions and productions, literally giving the boys an entire floor to themselves to freely produce, and attempting to extend their contracts in a last-ditch effort to get them all to stay. I could only imagine how hard it was for Wonmin, Jimni, and other senior-leveled staff (as well as their day-to-day managers) to see Baro and Jinyoung walk out the door after 9+ years.
But the fact of the matter still stands that WM dropped the ball. To dive into my own personal opinions of what happened behind the scenes, nothing seemed more apparent regarding the lack of management when looking towards appearances and gigs outside of the company. I feel that a good majority of the acting roles that Jinyoung and Baro landed (barring maybe their initial roles) they got based on their own merit and networking. I have a hard time believing that they had the support of the company behind them in helping them land these jobs. If they had, I think there would have been more articles and interviews lined up helping them promote their roles. I point out these things particularly that WM could have done and not necessary more roles because I also can believe that WM didn’t have that much pull in being able to do that (i.e., land them bigger roles). Which just subtracts another point towards them, especially where Baro and Jinyoung would be concerned. But in other words, WM did have the power, and could have, promoted them better in the roles they did land.
Additionally, it was apparent that there was some unhappiness with the organization surrounding comebacks, and the planning for their comebacks. To have the boys themselves point out so often how they wished they could comeback sooner, and that they were always in the studio making more songs-- what happened to prevent these comebacks from happening (or happening sooner)? Where did all these songs, and the time spent on them, go? With a group as involved in their productions and compositions as B1A4, I’m sure this was a big annoyance to them, and Jinyoung, in particular. With Jinyoung, he quickly was given charge in the groups’ musical sound and direction. Initially, I’m sure this was seen as a huge gift to him that would not likely have been allowed if he had been in a larger company; But what happens when the same company that once gave you the freedom to compose the groups’ songs now makes it a challenge to let these songs see the light of day? I bet there was a bitterness that began to build up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he began to question how much more more well-off he could be if WM backed him up more in composing (and going back to my prior paragraph, in his acting).
Jinyoung got his first tastes of popularity when his songs ‘What’s Happening’ and ‘Lonely’ became hits. This coincided with his movie ‘Miss Granny’ doing quite well, but following ‘Solo Day’, seen in the events listed above, he (along with the others) fell into a bit of a lull for a while. I personally think this could have been a bit of a turning point for Jinyoung, catalyzed even more when he did get back out there with ‘Moonlight Drawn By Clouds’ and guesting/producing for ‘Produce 101′. I think once he saw that the public was interested in seeing what more he could do, it was a no-brainer for him to begin reaching out and drafting what would soon be the beginnings of ‘LINK8 Entertainment’ (LINK8). He wanted the freedom to do what he wanted, on his own terms, and he created that with LINK8... which I’ll talk about more later.
Moving on to Baro, admittedly his shift was a bit harder to pin down. While I may be going out on a limb here, I wouldn’t be surprised if Baro’s true interests never quite lied with rapping, or even being part of an idol group. While he was a natural from the very beginning at being on stage, his always seemed to shine brightest on shows or acting. I’ve always felt that Baro was actually the best actor out of the boys, and would at times find myself questioning why WM wasn’t putting him in more roles. Looking back, and like I already mentioned, it was just likely because they didn’t have the pull to get him roles. But I also think that Baro would have really benefitted from WM at least promoting his roles more than they did. When we found out Baro was moving to an acting-centric company (Hodu&U Entertainment (Hodu) ), I wasn’t surprised at all, and in fact, thought that this was what Baro likely wanted from the beginning.
Something I’d also like to point out about Hodu is that they seem to be a bit of a mystery, kind of like a fortress in a way compared to WM. And I think this is important because they seem like they’ll offer a bit of ‘protection’ compared to WM from critics/trolls. And I think this is important because I feel that Baro was deeply affected by all the comments that were made about him and his ‘attitude’, and the fact that those comments seemed to resurface every few months with WM not releasing a statement that was good enough to quell them. Add to this that WM literally said nothing when his next ‘controversy’ broke about his alleged girlfriend with his own ‘fans’ attacking him... I’m sure this was a last straw. When I read the letters he posted, I can remember how sad I was, with his disappointment and pain quite tangible. At the time, I thought it was just disappointment in himself, but looking at it now from a broader perspective, I think he was just 100% ready to move on and shed his past image (and company).
In discussing the relationships between Baro and Jinyoung (Bayoung) with the others, I’m going to begin by making the (possibly polarizing) statement that I do not think they let CNU, Sandeul, or Gongchan know ahead of time that they were planning on leaving WM. I believe this is apparent in the tidbits of information that was hinted at in Sandeul’s statement to the fans immediately following the news, and later reiterated by CNU when he finally made his post weeks later, in that they were surprised, confused, and overall upset over the whole situation.
Going back to what I said in the introduction, this is an alarming shift from the group that would hold their weekly meetings to discuss and air everything out between one another. I can’t say I have an exact idea of what lead Bayoung to not openly discuss it, but I’m sure relationships started to shift and change going back to when they first moved out into their own apartments by the end of 2015. Factoring in the mismanagement of what I explained in the previous section, I’m sure this also caused possible issues between the members, particularly when it came time for recording together. I don’t think any actual fights happened, but I could see possible strains between Jinyoung and CNU over what, and when, they wanted to record (with CNU pushing to try to get into the studio more, whereas Jinyoung starting to focus on producing for other groups and being involved in ‘Moonlight’ around this time); And of course with Baro, his natural progression of falling out of interest with the lifestyle would affect his relationships with likely all the members, to differing degrees.
I’d like to think Baro still keeps in some contact with Sandeul-- I don’t think for a second that their relationship was nothing but a true friendship. I’ve talked about all the member’s strongest points before, with Sandeul’s being forgiveness, and this above all else is likely what would allow him to see past the secrecy of Baro’s final few months with the company and not let it get in the way of their friendship. As far as Baro with Gongchan or CNU, I’ve also said before I never personally felt that he was particularly that close with Gongchan, so I’d doubt if they keep in regular communication. As far as with CNU, I think time will be their biggest helper in moving past this awkward rift they probably feel. In an older post I made a comment that Bayoung possibly spoke to each other in the weeks leading up to contracts ending, but as time has passed, the more I feel that this was not likely either, with instead them both just announcing it for the first time to each other, and everyone else, during negotiations back in April.
Jinyoung’s current relationships are a bit trickier for me to try and guess... honestly, I could see him trying to stay in touch with them all, even if it’s just a text here or there, but I also could see the communication being severed, which, if true, would be unfortunate and I know very upsetting for us to accept. But the relationship between Jinyoung and the rest of the members wasn’t quite the same as Baro’s was. Jinyoung had his role as their leader, which always put him on slightly different grounds than the rest. Plus, as the main musical composer of their sound, it also followed that he was very important to the group’s central style and vibe. Which would be why, if he did not say anything to the others, it’d be all the more shocking and hurtful for the members to swallow. As someone who had always acted as the pillar of the group, it of course would be upsetting for them to comes to terms with, and accept. If I had to pick between the two, I’d hate to say it but I don’t think Jinyoung is in much contact with them at this point in time.
Also worth mentioning here is CNU’s newest comments he made during the BANA 5th fanmeet about the situation-- he made it clear he felt a lot of blame in not being able to keep all five together. While we know he was always one to shoulder the responsibility, being the eldest member and titular ‘mom’ of the group, I think it’s worth questioning if there’s a bit more to it. I think CNU knows he’s not really to blame in regards to the split... but, I think, maybe reading between the lines a bit, that it was possible that when Bayoung announced their disinterest in staying with WM back last April, CNU may have tried to personally talk with them, to get them to reconsider. Obviously, I think Bayoung’s decisions were already made and the extension as I had mentioned in posts before was likely just due to the release of their final Japanese album; But, CNU maybe had seen this extension as a true last chance to keep B1A4 together, and with Bayoung going their separate ways in June, saw this as a failure on his part.
I feel like at the time of the split, and when I was receiving the bulk of messages regarding the event and Bayoung, I was legitimately more optimistic of them all still being communicative and on decent terms. But as the months have passed with not so much as a mention of each other (admittedly, I don’t think WM would be mentioning Bayoung, but I also don’t think WM would prohibit A3 at this point from doing so, even if it was just liking or commenting on each other’s posts) my optimism has waned. I suppose it’s realistic after all; I’m sure none of us would be too happy if someone we’ve known for 10 years and shared such hardships and memories with decided to leave so suddenly. Gongchan’s recent instagram erasure (and unfollowing of everyone) could be something that hints of this.
To take it a step further in my thoughts, I’d also have to be honest and say time has not been as kind to Jinyoung for me as it has been to Baro. By this I mean, initially I felt equally supportive of them both, and respectful in their decisions and paths they chose. While I still respect their choices, and understand full well that they had every right to choose what they did, I suppose my support now, particularly for Jinyoung, has started to falter. I guess the reasons that I felt Baro may have left (i.e., sick of being an idol), seem to coincide with his choice to sign with a non-idol, acting company. Jinyoung’s reasons... don’t seem quite to fit as much. At this point, it seems that he just wanted the power and control that starting and heading a new company would bring. He wants to be able to create the music he wants, without having to necessarily confer with four other members and staff, plus the ability to choose what acting projects he wants, when he wants them. Is it a bit selfish? Yeah, if I’m being honest, I do feel that it is. There was a good possibility he could have haggled with WM enough to be given what he wanted instead of just leaving. But again, he fulfilled the duties he had under his contract with WM, so it is his every right to do what he wants, even if it comes off as transparent.
I think this ‘transparency’ is where my main issues with Jinyoung come in. With every post of his or LINK8′s, every video, every ‘#wewillnotstaysilent’, I just find myself reading right through it. Their motives seem to be very obvious, in wanting to make sure they make it known that they are pushing Jinyoung every single day as much as they can, e.g., giving him the fanmeet very soon after he officially left WM, making him a Season’s Greetings, all the acting gigs he’s been a part of in the few short months they started, the whole ‘J.GROUND’... It’s A LOT. Almost so much, that it can come across as a bit competitive towards WM and A3 in what they post and do. While I hope this isn’t the case as this would just eventually cause more of a divide, there has yet to be any reaching out between the two parties to placate any thoughts over this.
One last point I’d like to make towards Jinyoung and LINK8 is that companies just don’t sprout up (excuse the BANA pun) overnight. Jinyoung didn’t decide to finally leave WM in June, and in the span of a week (or however short of time it was before it was announced he ‘joined’ LINK8) create this new company; he had to have been putting this in the works for months, if not the better part of a year prior to leaving WM. He had to find staff to work with, find a building, create a whole image/vibe he was going for, create and file the name and logo... and a lot more. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt that people approached him, he still would have been involved in getting LINK8 off the ground for quite some time. And, pairing this with the likely idea that he hadn’t told the other members? ...Imagine not only find out your leader has decided to leave the company, but has also been putting all his time and resources into creating this entirely new company behind the scenes instead of working to try and keep B1A4 together. I can only speak for myself but shit, I’d be hurt. Again, it is a striking contrast to Baro, who just cleanly left and joined an already established company (whom had likely just approached him around the time of contract negotiations).
It’s difficult still for me to quite wrap my feelings around Jinyoung in the months that have passed. I am hurt by his actions, and the possibility that some shady things may have went down behind the scenes. While this hasn’t (or may never be) confirmed, I think the fact that a good majority of us feel the same way, speaks for itself.
That being said, I do support him. I always will. Jinyoung will always be the goofy, dorky leader that I first stumbled upon seven and a half years ago. Nothing will change those soft feelings I hold for him. He did a great job as a leader, just as Baro did a great job as their rapper and mood-maker. I’ll always adore them, and wish them nothing but the best as they venture into their new life paths.
As for the remaining members that stayed to carry on B1A4′s legacy, my heart goes out to them. To CNU, Sandeul and Gongchan, I am so grateful that they continued on. It is heartbreaking in many ways to see that this was the outcome after seven years: two members leaving, with three staying to try and continue on, except another member suddenly getting pulled away via a draft sentence from the army. But it’s also important to note that this isn’t the end. Regardless of how long I still stay in kpop, I always know that I’ll be able to come back and see these three together. And of course, I’ll always be able to look back at the years that I did spend with them, together as five, as some of the fondest memories I have. I’ll always be so thankful and appreciative to them all for making me happy each and every day.
At this point, I’d like to thank anyone who took the time to read this. It’s been a difficult past couple months, with the recent news of CNU’s draft notice not making anything easier. But I’m proud we have such a tight unit here that we can turn to each other during hard times, and discuss our feelings so freely and openly. So as always, I encourage anyone to share their thoughts, and look forward to hearing from you all~ ♡
