The 7 years curse is a real thing. At least in K-pop, it is. In case you are wondering what this 7 years curse is, we’ll enlighten you. Most of the K-Pop groups that debut, sign a binding contract with an entertainment company which usually lasts for seven years. Now we look at the past instances, many groups have disbanded after their seven years of contracts are finished. Even if the whole group isn’t disbanded, some of the members decide to leave, and some stay back. Time and again, we have seen how a group that consisted of more members is suddenly left with just a handful of them, and those groups just declined thereafter. TWICE is the group that is speculated to be disbanding this year. Will TWICE actually disband?
TWICE is one of the most popular groups in South Korea, and the girls are much loved by their fans internationally too. The girl group debuted through a survival show called SIXTEEN and has succeeded as a group since then. The group has nine members, namely: Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu.
ONCEs, fans of TWICE, have been preparing for the worst as soon as 2022 started. Their contract will end sometime this year, and we aren’t sure if all members will consider renewing their contracts. Let’s learn a few facts first about why there is a 7-year rule and how it affects K-Pop idols.
The 7-year Rule In K-Pop
It had come to notice first sometime in the early 2000s. Some groups complained that SM Entertainment had given them a contract of 13 years. 13 years is too long of a time period, calling the contract a slave contract. Hence, thereafter, labels started giving out contracts of 7 years to groups. 7 years’ time frame is perfect in terms of if a group can succeed. The time period is enough to determine if a group turned out to be successful or not. If a group succeeds, then they may choose to renew their contracts, as BTS and Exo did. But a lot depends on their label too, and how they are treating their artists. Recently, another group, Seventeen, had their contract expiring, but all the members decided to renew it.
But this doesn’t happen with every group. So many groups debut every year, and not each of them becomes successful. The ones that do, well, great for them. But if things don’t work out for a certain group, the seven years are just a long period of time full of inactivity. Some very successful members of groups like 2NE1 and SISTAR didn’t renew their contracts, and the group eventually went into ruins. However, a recent reunion did take place at Coachella.
Will TWICE Disband?
TWICE made its debut through a survival show in 2015, and that makes the year 2022 its 7th year in the industry. The question we are facing is, will TWICE be disbanding too after their contracts expire? Well, sad to break it to you, but there is a 50/50 chance. Fans have often said that JYP Entertainment, TWICE’s label, doesn’t really treat the girls well. The company only sees TWICE as a profit-making tool since TWICE has unmatched popularity. The girls are widely loved, and over time, the girls have managed to show their many sides in terms of music. So yes, there is a chance that TWICE might be disbanding in 2022.
Unless they decide to be a group even outside their label, yes, that is quite possible. Another JYP Entertainment artist, GOT7’s contracts expired one early 2021, and the members didn’t renew them. Fans were left devastated, but they never said that GOT7 had disbanded. They managed to work together even while every artist is under some other label now. The group even made their comeback as a group again some days back. So, an option like that is available for TWICE, too, since they are too loved to disband like that so early.
Recently all TWICE members made their personal Instagram accounts, wherein each member’s first photo was a group photo of them on stage. This was enough proof that the girls are very close to each other, and disbanding might be off the charts for TWICE.
Also Read: All TWICE Members Have Personal Instagram Accounts Now, ONCE Rejoice
