WEEEKLY: What's Happening? (Mismanagement, Virality, Debut, Comebacks)

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PLEASE TURN ON CC!
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Today, we are covering girl group #WEEEKLY that debuted to much anticipation & public recognition in 2020. After enjoying global success with their hit song "After School", the group underwent a drastic concept change and has not been in the public's eye in over a year due to no official comeback.
We'll take a look at the company history backing them, their formation & career.
Video by "felt"; • bandwagon stanning.
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[DISCLAIMER]
Aside from the facts backed by sources presented in the video, all connections made are purely personal ideas and are not supposed to be recognized as reality. The purpose of this video is exclusively to report on the situation, not to defame any of the companies or persons involved.
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[CREDIT]
/ todaileee
/ jiyoonietunes
/ daileee7days
/ daileeespace
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Companies
02:12 Pre-Debut
04:51 Debut
05:53 We Can
06:20 Award Season
06:46 We Play
07:45 Play Game: Holiday
08:44 Jiyoon returns
08:58 Another Award Show Season
09:32 Play Game: Awake
11:16 Jiyoon's Departure
12:18 Rest of the Year
13:57 New Hope
14:34 What went wrong?
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twitter: / searchforelris​​​
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tags
#afterschool #viral #tag #me #after #school #tagme #zigzag #zig #holiday #party #performance #monday #soeun #jihan #bunny #fancam #soojin #zoa #jaehee #jiyoon #english #venpara #ven #para #concept #rookie #mv #music #musicvideo #kpop #pop #trending #trademark #issues #lawsuit #disappeared #nugu #girlgroup #girlcrush #powerful #group #disbanded #disband #debut #redebut #disappeared #mystery #justice #mistreatment #underrated #ignore #ignored #stayc​ #trend​ #viral​ #rookie​ #monsterrookie​ #success​ #kpopsong​​​​ #kpop2021​​​​ #bts​​​​ #blackpink​​​​ #twice​​​​ #nct​​​​ #exo​​​​ #got7​​​​ #seventeen​​​​ #ateez​​ #itzy​​​​ #mamamoo​​​​ #redvelvet​​​​ #izone​​​​ #gidle​​​​ #straykids​​​​ #cherrybullet​​​​ #gfriend​​​​ #txt​​​​ #loona​​​​ #underrated​​​​ #song​​​​ #kwave​​​​ #2020​​​​ #2021

[@zosiexofficial]

Honestly i didn't like the change of concept. As you said, Weeekly gained popularity because of their unique bubliness that was a breath of fresh air among all girl crush concepts that were happening. Ven Para was a complete change of indentity and selling point of the group

[@edvaedan9161]

I get that but most groups can’t keep a school girl concept forever. They get older. It may have been rushed in Weeeklys case but a change would happen eventually. The bigger issue is just not doing anything after Ven Para. A return to closer to their original style would have calmed everyone down about the concept change.

[@laonagrouchini]

​@@edvaedan9161i get what you mean, but i feel that if the change in concept happened gradually people wouldn't have been as angry (for example, GFriend didn't immediately switch to a concept like Mago after Me Gustas Tu), but i agree with your thoughts about a comeback

[@mysticmaknae.]

@@laonagrouchini yea or for example twice, people took it much better to have their concept switch slowly starting with fancy than if we wouldve gone from tt to i cant stop me

[@edvaedan9161]

@@mysticmaknae. these groups aren’t as popular but people didn’t freak out as much about Nature with Girls or Dreamnote with Ghost. I’m just not that hung up on concepts.

[@staycsprinkles3777]

Weeekly was one of the top rookies that debuted in 2020, aside from STAYC and aespa. They got a lot of attention bc the landscape was emptier at that time, and I thought their company was smart for taking advantage of that bc they debuted with a school/nostalgic concept. After School peaked at #135 on Melon and it wasn't by accident. That was around the same time Next Level and ASAP were going viral. People were looking for something different and After School stood out bc of how nostalgic it was. The difference btw them and the former groups is that their companies capitalized on the hype. After School was in the top ULs that year for rookie girl groups, so thats how big it was. The issue is they released Holiday Party which was sort of bland in comparison. I heard one channel say it was the kind of song thats catchy but you soon get tired of it. It was not competitive enough. And IST, instead of reading the market, did a 180 which turned off significant portions of their fanbase. Now they tried to do damage control by performing Airplane Mode and their older songs at festivals, but they've been on hiatus for so long, probably bc they don't want to admit the mistake they did with choosing the song for the group. They have good B sides as well so I'm sure their company has it in them, it's just the execution isn't working

[@izonexbae]

The after school blowup was so crazy, it was unreal to be a fan at the time. I remember being like ‘oh this song should be so big’ and then boom😭

[@akkti_]

exactly it was literally everywhere 😭😭 everyone was screaming "WEEEKLY ROOKIES OF THE YEAR 2021!!" I was so shocked as someone who has known them since around debut time

[@izonexbae]

@@akkti_ right, I remember liking their debut and being like oh theyre cute and then boom after school

[@wendyszimzalabimoutfit3328]

@@akkti_ they actually were rookie of the years for 2020

[@kawaiiblossom3117]

I love the tomboy appearance in that mv

[@iMosi]

How i felt when momoland boom boom came out lol

[@sur_un_nuage]

i still follow all the play m girls who didn’t end up debuting in weeekly, it’s funny that seeun was in the pre-debut lineup but she fits better in stayc. weeekly deserves so much better!! they deserve their company’s attention

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Yeah I just now realized that

[@sur_un_nuage]

@@gwenmloveskpopcecmore i was closely following the pre-debut lineup that i was surprised when i saw seeun debut in another group shortly after weeekly’s debut. stayc is a good example of how a relatively small group (they’re not underrated just not as big as some of the other groups) can stay relevant despite having small bumps on the way like beautiful monster not being a huge comeback following run2u similar to holiday party following after school, it’s because highup is putting their everything into stayc and giving them their full attention wish ist could take some notes.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@sur_un_nuage oh yeah that’s true but luckily StayC got back up again with teddy bear

[@staycsprinkles3777]

I had no idea until I looked up her predebut photos. they really wanted a visual group

[@andieamigu5214]

@@sur_un_nuage The thing about StayC is that their producers know what they're doing. They know which concept fit the members and would help them grow as artists. Or at least it seems like that.

[@CoCo-ov9eb]

They were growing so much, why did the company have to sabotage them …

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Oh yeah ATBO is one reason but even IST doesn’t know how to manage sone of their other groups either but they definitely don’t know how to manage GGs

[@hyeonist]

​@@gwenmloveskpopcecmore they are sooooo bad at management omg i even forget atbo existed...

[@itreasurr]

​@@gwenmloveskpopcecmore the company is really bad at managing girls groups

[@itreasurr]

​@@hyeonist the last comeback was 5 months ago

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@itreasurr yeah cuz they have been on JTBC’s peak time but just got eliminated

[@rapthor666]

Interesting to note: Jiyoon did a lot on early albums but didn't get to contribute really on the last few (of course due to her condition partly, but she always said she had enough concepts/content for 10 albums). Once they stopped using her talent in composing and writing, it felt missing the 'Weeekly touch' for me at least. She was like a Soyeon, didn't sing much but busy behind the scenes...and a variety show talent of the likes of Bomi (when she put her arm around Yves, you saw Jihan almost exploding as a yyxy fan hahahaha)

[@paradyne1T101]

I've always felt that as the company they were originally under(Play M)kept merging with others companies the changed management wanting to have complete & total creative control basically took away Jiyoon's writing & composing contributions from her, which I think was actually a therapeutic outlet that help to ease & strengthen her mental health away from her anxiety conditioned.. Sadly once she no longer had that outlet to aid her she didn't have the mental focus to keep up with the other group heavy promotion scheduled activities. Really quite sad. I do remember that she was a natural variety show dynamo

[@cjc363636]

Their first few songs were some of the catchiest songs of that year/summer. Thanks for calling out the management for fumbling their second and third year comebacks. Hope they comeback strong soon!

[@searchingforelris]

Their songs are soo catchy! Thank you for watching! ❤️

[@stan_wjsn]

it's been 3 months please come back i miss you 😭

[@searchingforelris]

ohh thank you so much for remembering us! 😭♥️ we're currently so busy with university, we don't know when we'll be back but we will! thank you for waiting patiently 🫶

[@zoomzoomer9923]

This is all their company’s fault. They’re always going through too many management and staff changes and now it’s ruining Weeekly’s activities and growth. People keep bringing up the concept change but that isn’t really relevant at this point-they just need to have a comeback in general.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Now they won’t have a comeback til Kep1er disbands so Huening Bahiyyh can join the group

[@nessstarries6204]

​@@gwenmloveskpopcecmoredelulu

[@OrbitTheWorld]

it's always difficult to live up to the hype after a viral hit, but the concept change to girl crush when people were already tired of girl crush was a big misstep. of course when/if weeekly comes back I'll give it a listen but after the last two releases I've lost the excitement personally

[@rosa__24]

I ain't a Daileee but I enjoyed a lot of their previous songs and were always in my playlist, especially ZigZag, Weekend, and Tag Me. I was devastated when they changed their sound 😭

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

have u listened to airplane mode

[@sasukeissocoollike]

FINALLY A FELLOW ZIG ZAG STAN

[@pookiebearsgf]

its one song😭

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

@@pookiebearsgf right like💀people act like their faves don’t have a song they don’t enjoy

[@seolarflwr8866]

Now this is the kind of video weeekly deserves

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Yes

[@onthefloor8830]

IST is trying to walk back the concept switch and re-establish their pre-Ven Para image, that's probably why they're taking such a long break. it's like their trying to re-brand Weeekly... again.

[@loonatheworldz]

thank you for making this video! hopefully ist and kpop stans wake up soon and realise how incredibly talented they are ☹ we need them back

[@chaehyunsmvsk]

right kpop stans ate up after school but when holiday party they just completely ignored the cb & complained when they released ven para after they made holiday party go under the radar... weeekly deserve way better the situation theyre in now is such a mess :((

[@searchingforelris]

Thank you for watching! Let's support them! ❤️

[@pledisafterschool]

I hope they’ll have a comeback this year 😢

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Same and go back to their old concept

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@-𝘦𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢- yeah don’t we all

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@something_army4747yeah because they need to focus on the planet concept

[@kimikimino]

IST is such a weird company.I still believe Weeekly's going to be successful, They really have everything

[@littleBIGrobots]

Those Ven Pera sales happened before we knew what it sounded like.

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

not really. they were first week but ven para had a lotttt of build up and was already known to be darker at that point. people still bought it regardless

[@jiwxnhrt]

In my opinion, instead of switching to the “dark” concept , they should have emphasized the planets more. Like a kind of “galactic” concept , with a lot of scenes with planets , the dark concept doesn’t really show any part of their original concept with the weekdays stuff. Or, they could have went with a school concept still, but kept in a little more mature.

[@rosyves]

Oh my god tysm for speaking up about this. Finally someone spoke up! The girls have already adressed multiple times about there current schedule and preparations. Sadly, no comeback news..IST is being absolute sht rn. I miss them sm. As a person who's ult gg is weeekly, I can't help but feel sad that that they aren't getting proper recognition. They have so much talent and potential! I really hope we get a comeback announcement asap.

[@searchingforelris]

Thank you very much for watching, let's support them!

[@rosyves]

@@searchingforelris yes! And np!!

[@julianakassia95]

What i miss about their lore was the space concept so the change was abrupt but finaly the concept was showing So i hope they can make a comeback keep their new identity and incorporate some of their school days

[@andredrw289]

I’ve stanned Weeekly since debut and they’re one of my favorite girl groups right now. Ven Para wasn’t my favorite song of theirs but it’s definitely not as bad as people make it sound. I do agree the concept switch was a little weird but with the uptick in sales it did well. The cover of NoNoNo they did on a music show kind of gives me hope that we’ll see them soon.

[@cvmslvtfortwice]

as soon as they changed their concept they straight up js disappeared

[@autumneagle]

Ven Para gets a lot of heat for being a turning point from their bubbly style but imo it's still an excellent song. Also I first got into KPOP in the 2nd Gen when groups freely bounced from genres and concepts. I always looked at comebacks as a differing era that is fun if it continues a previous storyline but also can represent a whole other view of the group.

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

exactly! i feel like its weird to restrain a group to a concept when a lot of people praise that they enjoy certain artists “for the music” and then leave because of a concept.

[@claireshi7384]

The problem with Ven Para is that the change was wayyyyy too abrupt, and it butchered their whole musical identity. Like during 2nd Gen even when the concepts are different at least they still have their own overall sound. Releasing Ven Para for Weeekly at that time was like if Twice released Pink Venom straight after What is love. They lost their sound that made them "Weeekly".

[@keyburner5092]

Someone said this on twitter once and I have to agree- I don't think the company knew how to handle weeekly after Jiyoon left. I think the venpara backlash added too it too since most fans weren't the most receptive but Jiyoon's departure shifted something on their managements side. Hopefully with the recent change in management they'll be able to bounce back.

[@zoomzoomer9923]

I sort of have to agree with this. Idt people realized how invested Weeekly’s company was into their lore and Jiyoon leaving the group probably ruined everything for that. They were literally named for being the 7 days of the week and now they don’t even have 7 members anymore. But the company needs to find a way to adjust and move on. The change in their management division also suggests there’s something going on behind the scenes & that there may be an issue with their creative direction.

[@celindareyesproductions5243]

Hi! Loved the video but I just wanted to clarify one thing. Airplane Mode wasn’t promoted much because it was a song written & produced by Lee Daehwi of AB6IX for the producing competition show Listen Up. Weeekly were chosen by Daehwi to perform the song so that’s why they only did two stages for it outside of the show. Hope everyone gives this song love because Weeekly do an amazing job performing it & Daehwi worked so hard to capture the perfect sound for Weeekly.

[@gloriamanggalagita5237]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Jiyoon is the one that sometimes produce and write Weeekly music.. She then couldn't take the pressure and went on hiatus and then leave... For me she is the most important member of weeekly, she gives bubbly, fun and so much energy to the team.. So when she leaves.. The concept kinda change too...

[@Aegiey]

She said she left because of her mental health, and the idol life affected her badly. It was the same reason for the two breaks she took prior to promotions, too. It's bittersweet, because she really liked being in the group and being an artist but it also hurt her well being more than did good. And she officially left after Ven Para promotions had ended, not before.

[@gloriamanggalagita5237]

@@Aegiey thank you for the correction

[@sea-of-skies_]

@@Aegiey she also said she didn't want to leave. I would argue it was more like she got fired.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

⁠@@sea-of-skies_exactly she probably did just like former momoland member Daisyb

[@sfliebert]

I was excited about Weekly until the concept change. They were filling up the void that New Jeans is now filling up.

[@justsomerandomfangirl6084]

Not even a stan but they deserve better! I honestly thought they would of been one of the top 5 4th gen ggs. Their concept was so refreshing! I hope we get a comeback soon. The girls are too talented!

[@miaemblem8072]

Now we need a video titled "where is searchingforelris"

[@searchingforelris]

hahah we're so sorry! we're currently just very busy - we'll be back! :))

[@miaemblem8072]

@@searchingforelris i like a lot your videos please comeback ahah

[@mandyedouard8319]

I was really shocked when Jiyoon left. I think that is why they changed their concept as « Weeekly » wasn’t really Weeekly no more since they are now 6. I think they should stay with the same fresh and bubbly concept even without Jiyoon. They had a strong start and even with Jiyoon leaving they should have continued. When a member leaves it can be hard to continue as the fans were used to them. What Weeekly has become is kinda sad, I hope they will continue to grow and could have an amazing comeback. However it can be hard as we can see new kpop groups are arriving with new concept and new music. I hope their company will make good decisions these girls have amazing talent!

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

I wasn’t really shocked tbh because sadly I saw it coming but at the same time didn’t see it

[@aleah8577]

​@@gwenmloveskpopcecmorekinda... But she also didn't want to leave. The company forced her out, but she wanted to stay on hiatus and rejoin. It's unfortunate.

[@daileeespace]

Thank you for letting us help with this video and showing what the girls have done and gone through. ❤

[@searchingforelris]

Thank you very much for your help! ❤️

[@shiroro7695]

I'm a casual listener of weeekly who knew of them thanks to after school... I gotta say the expulsion of that one member + the change in concept made impossible to become a fan for me so, I hope the best for them but I do think they should go back to After school style

[@CallMeAuranna]

I hope the girls have a comeback this year ToT

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Yes and I wish they’d go back to their old concept

[@CallMeAuranna]

@@gwenmloveskpopcecmore That too! I think they were more comfortable in that concept and had a niche public that loved it. I hope IST wakes up and sees how much potential these girls and their previous concept have.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@CallMeAuranna oh yeah but I think we should all know how bad IST is when it comes to GGs

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@CallMeAuranna I think they should stick to what they know best: Bgs but even then they can’t Manage some of them properly either but still

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

@@gwenmloveskpopcecmore i disagree actually they dont need to go back to their “old concept” (even tho ven para technically IS their actual concept) but ven para was one of their most successful albums. the problem was never the concept change itself but rather just the incompetency of the company as a whole

[@ryunekoyashiki]

i freakin love their original concept that is using props for each comeback....i also love their 'after school' comeback because of the choreo is like watching a musical play 🥰 *venpara kind a hurmmm not my cup of tea i guess 😌

[@magnumskpopdungeon]

i was such a huge daileee during 2020 and 2021. when play game: awake was announced i was soooo excited, thinking they were going to try a more mature vibe but moreso something ""elegant"" like IVE or red velvet rather than girlcrush. i was so disappointed.... there are ways to go down a dark and mature concept without it being girlcrush and "IM SO BAD" 😮‍💨😮‍💨 weeekly would be so perfect for a double concept/sub group too! since their theme is space, i had the thought: space is really beautiful and colorful but it is also very dark and dangerous, perfect for the double theme/sub group!

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

what a lot of people fail to realize is that whether you liked ven para or not, the concept change was NEVER the problem kpop fans make it out to be. IST never knows how to properly promote and manage their groups, especially their girl groups and them not following up such a “controversial” comeback for over a year now is what the real problem is.

[@kotochel4592]

I really like their last comeback, they did great job, they were shining, the only problem I have with Ven Para is autotune and some weirdly processed vocals sometimes, but I don't understand the hate they got, it is ridiculous

[@staycsprinkles3777]

I mean the concept change was also a problem as well, because the public doesn't give you the benefit of the doubt and a song like Ven Para could never do well in SK. Keep in mind NMIXX debuted around the time with O.o they released that and it was chaos, and they were from JYP. Rather than same concept, public also likes consistency, and weeekly wasnt being consistent.

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

@@staycsprinkles3777 it was a lose lose situation in that period of time for weeekly. if they continued to do highteen. theyd be called boring like people were for holpa. and ven para wasnt even the problem people make it out to be. its given them great achievements. and while it did turn away a lot of casual fans, it was a stan attractor.

[@user-cs3yw5vh1g]

so true

[@insomniatic991]

​@@staycsprinkles3777 Ven Para is literally their best selling and highest charting album...

[@victoriab637]

with songs like sneakers and teddy bear doing well domestically, weeekly can do well if they go back to their original concept.

[@courtneyrinaa]

Weeekly has been my ults since We Can era and the lack of a comeback is so incredibly disappointing:(. I’m glad we have a variety show to watch but I feel people are starting to forget about them :(. everyday I wake up and hope for some kind of comeback announcement. IST seriously needs to get it together and give them a comeback. This is seriously harming their career and I’m scared for their future as a group

[@Jordansxxx]

Girl I think you need to talk about lightsum members too since they have also been disappeared for a long time, and about cube which is now prefers to prioritize gidle than their new gg.

[@BillCanning]

Call me old fashioned, but I thought the change of concept was inappropriate for a group with members who were so young. I believe Zoa was only 16 (international) when Ven Para came out, and it doesn't seem right to me for a group with members that age to release that song. It was especially jarring after the Weeekly we had grown to love was releasing fun songs like Zig Zag, After School, etc. I still support the group and feel they are super talented, but not gonna lie, their latest release didn't do it for me.

[@pookiebearsgf]

ummm why? whats wrong with that song?

[@BillCanning]

@@pookiebearsgf I can’t believe I have to spell it out. The lyrics to Ven Para are very suggestive and in my opinion inappropriate for high schoolers to sing.

[@pookiebearsgf]

@@BillCanning Ohhhhhhhh ok sorry i didn't know about the lyrics 😭

[@FocusSight]

I really think you guys should do a Brave Girls episode given their rebranding and anticipated comeback!

[@lingth]

Weeekly was known as the dongsaeng group of Apink and ppl expected them to continue the same concept of Apink.. i think hoobae groups of famous girl groups have this stress that they are always compared to their seniors. their messy management merges is probably one reason to be blamed.

[@Molly-iw1rc]

I didn't even mind their last comeback but it was OBVIOUSLY not a great concept change considering how their popularity was growing with their other concept. I don't know anyone who listens to their last song but everyone listens to Afterschool and Holiday (from my circle at least).

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Finallyyy!!! Thank u so much for making a vid on their situation ❤ They deserve better!! They could’ve been at the same level of popularity just like STAYC (At the same time after school went viral Asap did as well but StayC were able to get their 1st win after with Stereotype) if it wasn’t for their stupid company!! In my opinion I think PlayM/IST should only stick to boygroups (Although they do struggle a bit with them cause ATBO literally had to go on another survival show) Because they keep mistreating and/or neglecting their girl groups!! Even Apink exposed the mistreatment they got!!

[@staycsprinkles3777]

They literally had same path as STAYC too (in terms of growth), if any gg wanted to be in the big leagues now 2020 was their year,. NL, ASAP, After School all did well at the same time, so the public was sending a message but only two of those companies listened

[@kimareska]

@pruit v3 wait what all of this? I watch winterosy's videos sometimes. And the other day I found (I think the username is hapus rapus) hating on twice's MV. are they really a same person?

[@faeriegraver]

@@kimareska no they aren't. See the "v3" in pruit's username? That's because they've had multiple accounts, harassing people. They are particularly obsessed with hating on Everglow Up. Note how in the list of accounts they are accusing of all being Everglow Up, one of them is Planet Minjae. Everglow Up is female, Planet Minjae is male. They are from completely different countries. It doesn't matter what gender, or age, people are. When they started their KZbin channel. What country they are from. I've seen pruit go after people who are clearly young teenagers, accusing them of being all the channels in their long list, that ALWAYS starts with Everglow Up. Harassing them, insulting them, saying they're haters based entirety on something they saw a different channel say. If you come across pruit. Report them for bullying. Because that's all they are doing.

[@faeriegraver]

@pruit v3 take your long list of accounts and look up when they joined KZbin. In the about section. They are all different people. Some will have their countries listed. It is literally impossible for Everglow Up and Planet Minjae to be the same person. One of two things about you is true, either: You genuinely believe all these accounts are sock puppets run by one person. In this case, you are delusional and need help. You need to get offline, and seek psychiatric help. Or, you know it's impossible for these accounts to all be one person (Everglow Up), but you just enjoy harassing, and bullying others, while saying everyone else is toxic apart from you. In this case you also need to get offline, and get psychiatric help. You've been doing this for years. Why do you think your accounts keep getting deleted? Because what you are doing is not okay. Seriously, get help.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

@@faeriegraveryep and he still does that to me to this day it’s getting sick

[@snapwilson316]

Because sales go up on a album isn't an indicator of the album's success. A lot of kpop numbers are presale, being built on the back of previous work. The reaction to Ven Para was resoundingly negative, which is the reason the company put the breaks on the group. I'm sure the great explosions of NewJeans, Le Sserafim and IVE have also sucked a lot of the girl group oxygen out of the room, so if tney're going to come back with a song and want it to get any sort of attention, they're going to have to wait for a lull in the release schedule.

[@jjkchan]

Thank you so much for this video!!! Being a pre-debut weeekly stan it is so hurtful to see the way IST ent started treating the girls worse as the time went despite the hardwork and achievements the girls were bringing :/

[@DesolateSpace594]

I never understood why people didn't like "Ven Para", it's such an amazing song. Jiyoon leaving/kicked out sucks because she wrote some amazing b-sides for the group, "My Earth" is still my favorite b-side from them.

[@luvbxn]

bc it was so sudden, if it was a steady shift like twice did then people wouldn’t have been confused and loosing interest

[@DesolateSpace594]

@@luvbxn I guess I just took it as a good song by talented artists. But I guess not everyone can take it as that way.

[@koma7512]

Weeekly fans are more into cute concept so obviously when they change it they will not like it

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

@@luvbxn but the problem is people werent just “confused” they took it too far and completely shunned them out over 1 “bad” song. if it was just a matter of disliking it, weeekly probably wouldve been back by now

[@l4091]

@@anthonymaneclang7440 that's true! and to be fair, weeekly can't really bounce back if... y'know, they haven't had a comeback since ven para, lol. but from the fans' perspective, i get it (definitely not agreeing with the overhating tho). song opinions will always differ but weeekly fans prior to ven para like them for a reason. it could be a "bad" song to weeekly standards, and it honestly kind of was. if ven para was released by a fitting girl group, it would've been fine. but by releasing ven para, weeekly is essentially stripped away any of the prior musical identity their previous fans have grown to love. it's an okay song, it's just not weeekly.

[@nocaptainmatt3771]

I dont know why everyone shits on Play Game: Holiday cause imo its their strongest if not one of their strongest albums, obviously the album with Ven Para was an incredible let down and I knew it was going to be the death blow to Weeekly. I was called out for this and said I was wrong, clearly vindicated - unfortunately

[@Carolina-bw6gy]

It sucks seeing the fact weeekly concept would hit in 2022 and 2023 bc Aespa is edm pop scifi concept, Lesserafim + IVE are Elegant concept, Itzy is girl crush, Babymonster prob will be girl crush, NewJeans is teen crush + rnb, Stayc is teen crush pop. Even other rookies like XG, Fifty fifty, NMMIX, TripleS arent doing high school concept. Weeekly is Teen crush, but is way more pop and energetic than Newjeans or even older groups like Weki Meki. Unfortunately, the fandom, general public hype forgotten this group due the drastic change of sound and concept and probably the lack of comebacks. The Jiyoon/lyricist member leaving was a third hit to fans, bc she was such talent, that sadly left due her anxiety(I hope she returns someday to music... :( )

[@smokerscough2907]

After School is one of my favorite releases in the past decade. I’ve listened to it hundreds of times during running and just when I need a pick me up. They were a breath of fresh air during a 4th Gen filled with girl crush. It’s a shame what’s happened to them and reminds me of NATURE.

[@yimdiw6236]

Why Nature?

[@michaelstrono7528]

If Weeekly debuted with the big 4 then they would be incredibly popular.

[@Kpop.addict_Drama]

weeekly was my ult for so long i was so disappointed with concept change and now the lack of content from them in general. Its not like ven para was bad It just isnt weeekly and isnt what so many people loved about them there was no need to change the concept the girls were all still young and they couldve been able to continue success with the concept they had. As someone who was in the fandom I do know that a lot of fans had hoped theyd give weeekly that type of concept and give monday rap verses like i saw in every boy group cover everyone saying that so to me it wasnt extremely out of nowhere epsecially since holiday party didnt do as weel as after school but it was still so dissapointing. I hope they get a comeback soon I miss them sm but im sure it wont be the same without jiyoon altho i follow her insta it will still be sad. They are not my ults anymore but i dont think have a new ult either I really dont understand what theyre company is doing to them.

[@bastetowl3258]

a mature concept doesn't have to mean that the sound of the song is super aggressive/beat heavy, or the song has to be dance heavy with heavy makeup and leather jackets. you can have an upbeat positive concept and still dress or act in a more mature way. like IU, for example. she acts like a grown adult in her music videos but her songs can still be light and pretty in their sound. or mamamoo's yes i am. the MV is brightly colored and the sound is an upbeat funky disco style but the lyrics are about being a confident grown woman

[@boomchiki3245]

ist totally killed weeekly's momentum even if venpara wasn't much liked they could've comeback with another song instead they did nothing

[@antrite08]

I'm so tired of companies like for real these companies need to get there shit straight and stop doing these groups dirty

[@breadstal]

IST is so bad at mismanagement of their groups, they're a joke of a company tbh. While I haven't been a fan of their releases since After School, I have always had a soft spot for these girls and I hope they can comeback soon.💗

[@a-ri-a-na]

i miss them so much...

[@nojahae]

i still remember the day that jiyoon's departure was announced :( so many teasr were shed that day but im truly happy that she is in a somewhat better place now. i still hope for weeekly's return this year and hopefully in the near future

[@JanetArogundade]

Thank you so much for this. Thank you! I'm tired of people using them as cannon fodder for other groups. They deserve so much but ist is letting their management issues affect them badly

[@searchingforelris]

Thank you for watching!

[@iagogaming9133]

Personally I love all of their MV'S, Even with the change of concept (VEN PARA) They were still so talented and it was soooo catchy, I really want a comeback tho :(

[@AmberMarz]

I miss weeekly so much, I have been following them since their debut. after school was my most played song that year and I still adore it!!

[@el6700]

All momentum was lost when Ven Para came out… what was their company thinking

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Exactly

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Lots of people left the fandom due to their concept change which I think is stupid

[@zoomzoomer9923]

Ven para had their album biggest sales they’ve ever had. Meanwhile look at the drop-off between After School and Holiday Party. This is why kpop stans that blame the concept change are dumb af.

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

no it didnt. what lost their momentum was the fact that IST didnt give them a cb for a year. the concept change was never as big a problem as u people make it seem

[@staycsprinkles3777]

@@zoomzoomer9923 Except after school and holiday party are not equivalent. Holiday party didnt stand out. By that point all groups were expected to bring their A game and in the second half of 2021, the top girl groups were starting to fall into place. AftetrSchool did well bc of the theme, the nostalgia, not the concept, but their company didnt get that and then just did something any other group could release. ntm they ditched the props when their theatrical concept made them stand out. Similar to seventeen in a way

[@ilexnxhii]

Thank you for this video! I’ve been worried they would suddenly disband because I had never seen a group be partly inactive for so long. I’m relieved to know they might return, they have SO much potential, they’re so talented and they just deserve the biggest success! Always a Daileee! 🤍 Miss Jiyoon everyday. ♡

[@deulgis6644]

Honestly, I don't think we can fully say that Weeekly was a victim of bandwagon stanning. It's logical that a severe change in sound would turn off people who had come to know the group for their bright songs. Especially since the concept they switched to made them less unique in relation to other groups. Holiday party not doing as well as after school was to be expected since it was a viral hit, but there was an increase from ZigZag, so it's unfortunate that the company panicked and made such a drastic change.

[@_L10]

I've been waiting for a video like this because I've been wanting answers, but that also means that there is going to be a lot that I DON'T want to know about. I just hope that Weeekly can comeback and have promotions again.

[@_Gilles_]

The dynamics in the K-Pop industry have always been intriguing to me. Thanks for thr video

[@Valentineatelier]

Can I just say the editing on this channel is sooooo good…like I WISH

[@searchingforelris]

thank you so much, we really appreciate it! ☀️

[@dubblebubbletoilandtrouble6646]

-I'll never forgive their company for saying that Jiyoon supposedly left for her "mental health" when she herself has come out and said she never wanted to leave, they just didn't want to deal with her mental health difficulties and kicked her out against her will. Like seriously they were willing to betray one of their most creative members and sabotage the 7-member concept because they were impatient. That's just so mind-blowingly cruel to me. Weeekly deserves so much better and their members are all so talented. To see them drop off the radar like they have just hurts my heart.- Edit: Apparently I was misinformed by an article I read a while ago. It seems that someone misinterpreted something she said in a Twitter vid and she did come out and clarify. Sorry for the confusion, although I still think their company could do better with them as a whole.

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

Exactly

[@gwenmloveskpopcecmore]

IST should quit managing GGs cause they seem to not know how to deal and manage them even Apink exposed their mistreatment

[@secrtdiary]

do you know where she said that? ive never heard of this

[@yuucky]

@@secrtdiary i don’t believe there is any solid proof, but apparently jiyoon revealed it on a livestream or in a server.

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

no that is not the case🧍‍♂️jiyoon has explained VERY CLEARLY she was never kicked out. she explained that there was a talk between her herself, the company, her doctors, and her parents and they came to agreement that she should completely focus on recovering her mental health.

[@gomezcried]

thank you so much for this video ❤ I met weeekly in 2021 and I found their songs very good and their more colorful, bright and light sound very refreshing, but then there was that unexpected change with 'ven para' which left me very disappointed because it was very sudden and strange. Well, I was really worried when I realized that the months went by and we didn't have a comeback (and there was even Jiyoon's departure that took everyone by surprise), and the company basically seems to have purposely forgotten about the girls and left them aside, which is pretty sad. But I hope that this year we can still see the girls coming back again after everything that happened.

[@andieamigu5214]

I was a casual fan, So I had no idea what happened when Ven Para came out. Then Jiyoon leaved the group ,while I was glad how she got involved on their creative process so I was so confused. But it seems like each time IST took a desition about the group, Jiyoon was strangely or coincidentially on hiatus. But anyway, present time, mistreatment is never justified, and I don't know if they making a comeback would make a turn on their career. But IST is not even trying. Weeekly is a talented group, but kpop is full of talented idols. I just hope the members are ok despite of their current situation.

[@simircsi]

thank you for making this video !! weeekly is one of if not my favourite ggs since their debut. with the new variety show and the official colours announcement i feel hopeful of a future comeback and i think theyll tone the new concept down because the release of love and airplane mode didnt match ven para at all- i think ist might be backpedalling a bit. i love the girls i hope theyll be able to be even more succesful than their highest and loved by all again

[@RaeG_11]

This video was very well put together. I especially appreciate the visualization of the companies - I knew about all the changes, but the video also made it really easy to follow! The only thing I would maybe add is that the increase in sales for the last album could also be partially due to pre-orders. In that case people may have made the decision based on the sound of their previous releases (if they ordered before even listening to a highlight medley etc.). And if people did order before knowing about the change in sound it wouldn't necessarily be a good indication that people were responding well to the change in sound, but rather that they were happy with the established sound of the previous comebacks and were expecting something similar. This would mean that you might not see how the concept change affected their sales until the NEXT comeback, which might be part of the reason the company is hesitating to give them another album. While the number of physical sales were high, the reviews were mixed, and the general public didn't stream it as much. Anyway, slight rant over, keep up the good work!

[@vinkloo4827]

they need to bring back their After School concept, but i think it’s too late to do that people forgot them already, they are really a perfect example of one hit wonder, seeing Fifty Fifty’s massive success with ‘Cupid’ i hope they’ll not experience the same fate as Weeekly

[@margaesperanza]

Looks like Fifty Fifty had a WORSE fate. Good luck to those girls, idk if any management would want to hire them.

[@HOGISIMJAYUN]

Wow! If Seeun never cut off from Weeekly's line up, we will never see her in Stayc instead. Can't imagine Yoon without Seeun 😬

[@mlewis5212]

I'm telling y'all... It's IST... Since IST was formed, the groups' music under it hasn't been the same.. Take The Boyz for example...correct me if I'm wrong but IST took over after RTK and since then The Boyz's music has been kinda intense and generic.. Like I thought it would just be a phase because they're trying to capitalize on the RTK win but hmm no. I now realise that Weeekly's sound also changed to the intense, generic sound around the takeover, and that's most likely due to IST's production team. I don't know if they're trying too hard to control they're groups but they need to start letting they're idols do they're thing because they have some talented artists that should also have some input in production.

[@sasukeissocoollike]

Not to mention, I don't know how fair it is to say "the concept switch worked", I personally think a particular album's sales are more indicative of the clout and good grace they've built up between their last release and now. We were all anticipating the next thing Weeekly would release, and many of us preordered the album as loyal fans, just to be hit with a concept switch and song we didn't like.

[@sasukeissocoollike]

But even so, this is a great and thoughtful video- thank you for taking the time to explore and explain how companies fail and fumble with the lives and careers of these girl groups.

[@thatweirdfangirl15]

i personally really like ven para, I know a lot of people didn't, but I mean it wasn't my fave comeback but I enjoyed it and personally like when groups try something new. still a great song to me but it's sad they haven't done anything since. they were doing so well for an amount of time and I miss them. I hope they don't disband because that's sad even if they're not my favorites, but I really hope things look up for them this year.

[@uriel393]

Omg, the perfectly-smiley/sound-effect with Jihyo’s smile.

[@yarioi]

I thought the sudden concept change was weird and unnecessary- I hope they do come back!!!!

[@yangqi]

i feel like every time i want to stan them something happens to go wrong but i think if they make a comeback that i like soon i might actually stan them

[@fran13r]

When Jiyoon left I pretty much grieved this group cause not shot it survives after that. It's sad cause they're talented as heck, specially Jiyoon, but this group absolutely will officially disband this year. Jihan is still bias, her smile can't be topped in the kpop world.

[@paritsebelah9575]

wait sorry why they disband? i dont understand :(

[@medyvirzean442]

IST Entertainment is very incompetent not only on Weeekly, they very incompetent when promoting The Boyz and VICTON They only good when they promoting ATBO, sadly ATBO really flopped so hard and make them participate on Peak Time to boost their popularity They are really depend on ATBO, the main reason why Weeekly never getting comeback cause of IST promoting ATBO more and more and bring them to Peak Time only to lost against smaller group like VANNER, DKB and NTX I hope after this IST promoting Weeekly more and more, not only take focus on ATBO

[@rlawpzh]

yup. i remember stanning VICTON back in June of 2018. literally after Time of Sorrow era, they disappeared so when Seungwoo and Byungchan joined Produce X 101, my hopes became so high.

[@asjsk8286]

their biggest groups are the boyz and apink and not even them got proper treatment(the boyz now has because fans mass emailed the company and protested), the company doesn’t handle the artists well, the boyz were literally begging the company and have creative control to actually have a good era this year

[@yujinade]

very nicely put together video! i like the smooth editing and narration. gute arbeit 😊

[@searchingforelris]

thank you very much! ❤️

[@FancyAlly]

I love Weeekly’s songs “After School” & “Holiday Party”

[@gazzakeh26]

Talking about the PG: Awake, i don't hate the song (VP, Solar & WIML are fine), i don't hate the concept but i hate the way their company decide to change them drastically. It just a completely shocking momeny to the fans who listen to their 'We' era, who thought they are a 'fresh air' among the girl crush concept. IST managed to make a video explaining the reason they change Weeekly concept but still, i need some times to really listen and enjoy their last comeback. Despite the concept they have, i still think they are still one of the most talented 4th gen gg especially in live vocal, dance & stage presence. So, in the end they would pull off any concept and make it theirs But among the Y2K and bright concept nowadays, i kinda expecting them to comeback with strong or maybe high energy concept title track with ofc a good song.

[@ZenStrive52]

What can you hope when IST couldn't even maintain apink members and sold them off to some licensing company

[@quinny98]

Hello! It was a great video! In regards to new video ideas, I am really worried about GWSN. Please make a video about them and their issues with the company. They have an uncertain future I think.

[@pherbmarsh3043]

What annoys me is that they couldn't come to a middle ground with Jiyoon to stay in the group. So they force her hand in leaving, and then proceed to do nothing for a year. Such a waste. They lost one of their most important members in terms of creative vision, and then waste the others girls time by letting them slowly fade into irrelevance.

[@martinhoDKB]

IST: AHH WE HAVE BOY GROUPS THEY SOLD WAY BETTER SO SHUT YOU MOUTH YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW BUSSINESS WORKS

[@HookiewinkTwice]

sales of most recent album is an indicator of group's main fan bases, not really in general popularity though.

[@Meldonator]

When Plan A launched Weekly, they made the (good) choice to have a different sound and vibe than Apink's. When they merged and became IST, first they lost the best day of the week 😢and second they tried to change the concept without being able to find one... Some people have real talent to turn gold into lead because they only care about short term success and big hits (everyone wants to be the next HYBE obviously...)

[@itreasurr]

i really want a new comeback and a new song for weeekly i miss them so much

[@28gisc]

Tbh, i think the concept change was the main problem here, i enjoyed after school and holiday party and after ven para was released i wasn’t feeling it and decided to drop the group, and the fact that jiyoon was my bias and she left 😭

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

objectively the “concept change” was never the problem in the first place…whether you liked the song or not it was still their most successful album in terms of sales. the only problem with such a drastic change is how IST ditched them for a whole year. and frankly, ven para IS the concept they originally told, just more extreme. also, dropping a group over one song you didn’t like is very irrational

[@rome4210]

they are a weird case. They were clearly gaining popularity but somehow stopped their strategy. I dont mind he change of concept, I think the girls can do many kind of concepts. There are many huge new gg so it will be hard for them to catch up now

[@lingth]

Honestly i hope queendom puzzle ..final winners have at least 1 weeekly, 1 rocket punch, 1 cherry bullet, 1 woo lah, 1 H1-key, 1 TripleS..

[@siux07]

after school and holiday party pulled mo to stan weekly

[@hoon3350]

I'm honestly so worried for fifty fifty. Them receiving the same success with their song cupid as weeekly with their song after school because of tiktok is very worrisome beause of the bandwagon culture going on. I hope their success, and weeekly's success, will solidify as time goes on.

[@yohanedescends4683]

fifty fifty will be fine as long as their company isn't stupid. higher gave them critical acclaim and attention and now cupid is a viral hit. they just need to release dreamy songs with aran's voice as the focus. they might not gain a huge amount of sales yet (same thing happened to momoland whose song was bigger than cupid and after school combined). they lucked out as a nugu group and their company should be patient with their success

[@chicysai]

As long as they stick to their concept and have comebacks regularly they will only grow their fandom. Especially because of their unique vocals people will be interested in them.

[@lola9148]

i really liked tag me and i super got into the lore that was initially teased, but then i wasn't super into zigzag, and despite finding the members super talented i gradually kind of stopped trying to listen to them. they still have a lot of gems in their discography. ist entertainment has no reason to waste their momentum like that

[@orbeat6557]

Am I the only one who find their case very similar to what had happened to CLC? While CLC never truly sold a lot but it's also because Cube never give them proper mini album and no full album in their entire career and that I think contribute to why their struggle to sell since they only always release singles. That being said, I feel like the company that manage WEEEKLY simply chose to not support the group anymore for unknown reason, similarly to what happened to CLC. Great group with amazing members, had their breakthrough but the company seemed to want to sabotage their own groups. It's so upsetting to think about. Like Sorn, to this day were still affected by how poorly CLC was treated.

[@evenif7431]

Very funny for the company to say that the days of the week were named after the planets, when really both were named after Roman gods and then got mostly renamed as Norse gods (Thorsday, Friggday etc) but sure!

[@anthonymaneclang7440]

its still closely related to the planets tho…thats how it always was

[@anneyygg]

I think last month they did a No No No cover on a music show. I feel like that could be a sign they're going back to their original concept for their next release. btw, I might be on the minority side that actually liked Ven Para and the concept. however, I agree the change was too abrupt. I don't follow their universe concept/storyline closely to know details about it. Tho, I believe if they had tease some dark images in their previous releases, it would've built anticipation among fans and Ven Para would've been received better. Instead, like you said, it just feels like the company suddenly wanna cater to international fans

[@momofeatherpen8357]

Afterschool was one of the most beautiful song ever after changing the concept from nostalgic teen life to dark concept was the downfall of everything. I feel sad for the group. They should stick a little bit more to the concept on where they got the shine.