It’s time to break out the tissues, roll up the posters, and put away the lightstick. What do you do when your Kpop group breaks up? When 2NE1 broke up it was a big deal at my house. We went through crying, wailing, disbelief, and hours spent asking “They will get back together again someday, right?” My daughter won’t even listen to “Goodbye” because she refuses to believe it’s true. So let’s talk about breakups and the stages of grief in a Kpop fan.
Dislosure-I’m still pretty new to Kpop so I will of course miss some groups, but these are the ones that hit me hard.
Saying Goodbye…
Here are a few of the groups we will miss the most….
2NE1
They were the first girl group that I really got into. I loved how they broke through the cutesy mold and came off like modern day warriors. “I am the Best” is still my ring tone and my daughter will randomly start singing it in public places. CL, Dara, Minzy and Bom breaking up left us pretty bereft and I still haven’t found anyone I like as well.
Sistar
Probably one of the classiest breakups to date. They hit the dreaded 7 year mark and made the decision to go their separate ways. They left the fans with a new single and not even a hint of scandal. Sometimes people go in different directions in life and that seems to be the case here. We will miss the Girls of Summer. 
Wonder Girls
It was extremely sad to see the Wonder Girls breakup right before their 10th anniversary. They survived members coming and going over the years, but sadly their picture came down off of the JYP building, and many of us knew it was over even before the official announcement.
2AM
This is the only boy group on my list. While most of the members left in 2015, the last member, Jo Kwon, left this year. I fell in love with these guys when I heard “Like a Fool” while watching the drama Personal Taste.
The Stages of Grief for a Kpop Fan…..
Stage One- Denial
Look me in the face and say you are breaking up.
Nope, it doesn’t matter that they have been in the agency dungeon for years, someday they will have a new album/single. They are NOT breaking up!
Stage Two- Anger
Don’t you think you are being a little selfish?
It’s all X’s fault! If he/she hadn’t wanted to act/solo/had a scandal, then they wouldn’t have broken up!
Stage Three-Bargaining
TVQX broke up and we got 2 groups, can’t we figure something out?
Can’t they restructure? Who do we need to talk to to get contract negotiations that they will accept? Please, just let them have another album/single!
Stage Four-Depression
When that one song sums up how you both feel about the group breaking up.
Now what am I going to listen to? It’s just not the same without them and I’m just going to sit in my room and play their songs over and over and over.
Stage Five-Acceptance
Shhh! I finally convinced her that the world hasn’t ended and she’s willing to listen to other groups.
Ok, maybe it was time for a breakup. It still hurts, and I’m going to miss them like crazy, but I kind of expected this. I’m going to support all their solo endeavors and wish them well. It’s time to move on…..
We all know that one day our favorite group will disband, even though we want them to stay together forever. Everyone gets nervous when they reach the 7 and 10 year marks, but no matter how long our group has been together, we still mourn their breakup. Tell me in the comments which group breakup broke your heart.
Till next time,
CLKYTTA
2NE1 disbanding hit me pretty hard as well, because that was the only girl group I would listen to. I’m not into the cutesy stuff. It was especially hard because YG was teasing at their comeback for months… then Minsy left, but they still were going to come back as 3. So when the news hit, it was a real blow. I still cry when I listen to Goodbye.
My daughter was furious when Minzy left. She was convinced that caused the breakup.
I just discovered ToppDogg like a month ago… This is relevant to my current feels. Glad I didn’t waste time learning everybody’s names, lol
Royal Pirates saying goodbye this year made me extremely sad… 🙁
Well, the first Knopf song I bought was HISTORY’s What can I do? They were crisp dancers and – they disbanded in May 2017. You actually need more than pretty faces – imagine that!
Definitely 2ne1 for me too. They were one of the first K-pop groups I ever listened to. “I Don’t Care” is still played constantly around my house. I have yet to find a girl group with as talented of a dancer as Minzy plus talented rapper as CL. I’m glad CL, Dara, and Minzy are still in the industry though!
https://www.thekimchikorner.com
I’d like to see all of the girls be successful.
Me too! They’re all so talented!
I was heartbroken when 2N1 broke up, they were the only girl group that I listened to and Bummie was my serious girl crush. Like you I became a fan of 2AM after the Personal Taste OST, they have such lovely voices. I’m waiting to hear that Big Bang has broken up. There is no way they can fix TOP’s pot problem and it won’t be BB without him. TT_TT
I’m still hoping that they won’t break up. There’s a lot of time for reflection while everyone goes to the army.
Some American bands still tour, even though their members are now in their 60’s! Which makes me wonder if there will be any veteran Kpop bands out there still touring in 20 years? Would YOU go watch 60 year old EXO or BTS? If not, what should be the cut-off age?
I think that’s a really good question! I think there is more staying power than we think though. Look at Shinwa. Also several of the older groups have reunited for comebacks.