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.
Fans can't stop swooning over BTS's V showing off cherry blossoms and his toned muscles just 40 days before discharge
BTS's V is making his fans fall even more in love with him as he shares moments from his life just 40 days before his military discharge.
On April 30, V posted several new photos on his Instagram story, giving fans a sneak peek into his daily routine.
Among the photos was a beautiful shot of cherry blossoms, accompanied by the word "cherry blossom" as he expressed his longing for spring.
He followed up with more photos, sharing how much he wanted to enjoy the season with his fans.
To make the post even more special, V added background music from BTS member J-Hope's song Sweet Dreams and Design by the American punk band Gustav.
It turns out that Gustav was grateful for V introducing their music to the world and even received fan comments saying they discovered the band through him.
In another adorable photo, V posed with CF director Ray J. Yi (Lee Jun Yeob), with flowers in his hair. The director also shared the cute photo, adding the word "flower" to express how happy he was with the moment.
But it wasn’t all about flowers and beauty—V also gave fans a peek at his workout routine. He proudly showed off his toned arm muscles in a picture, though his face appeared a little thinner.
This is likely due to his diet, as he’s been working hard to maintain his figure ahead of his discharge. Before enlisting, V weighed 62 kg, and during his service, he reached 86 kg. Now, he’s lost 10 kg and is preparing for his return to the public eye.
Interestingly, V has been working out at the same place where singer Kim Jong Kook films his popular YouTube channel Jim Jong Kook, sparking fan excitement and hopes that V might make an appearance on the show after he’s discharged.
As soon as V shared his latest update, his name—"KIM TAEHYUNG"—shot to the top of real-time trending charts worldwide. Fans from all over the globe, including in the U.S., couldn’t get enough of the updates, proving once again the massive impact V has.
He is set to be discharged from the military on June 10, and fans are eagerly awaiting his return.
