This characteristic has steadily shifted from a December to a November custom, leaving more room for subsequent month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the subsequent few weeks, I’ll be lots of Okay-pop’s largest businesses and providing my ideas about how their 2022 went. Following SM Leisure and YG Leisure‘s evaluations, it’s time to dive into JYP Leisure.
As typical, the ideas are my very own and aren’t aware of any insider info. The aim of those articles is to find out how properly Okay-pop businesses are serving their artists and followers. Due to the timing of this submit, I’ll be together with the previous few weeks of 2021 as a part of my evaluation. 
The Good
JYP Leisure is house to many common acts and most of these acts have maintained (or grown) their reputation in 2022 – particularly abroad. Stray Youngsters have turn into probably the most profitable teams of their era and ITZY have deepened their worldwide attraction. I used to be hesitant concerning the company debuting two new acts this yr, however each NMIXX and Xdinary Heroes appear to have discovered their respective fan bases fairly rapidly.
As typical, the company does a pleasant job selling its acts. Not solely do they obtain frequent comebacks, however JYP usually movies a number of music movies for every album – particularly within the case of Stray Youngsters. This permits for a fuller image of their discography.
Although Twice’s industrial energy isn’t as robust because it was (a pure consequence of being trade veterans), the standard of their output hasn’t flagged. Speak That Speak was one of many strongest efforts this yr and the group has actually settled into a cushty groove. I’m unsure many informal followers anticipated each member to increase their contract with the company, however good on JYP for retaining your entire group and breaking the famed “seven-year curse.”
Talking of Twice, 2022 noticed a long-overdue solo debut from Nayeon. I hope this bodes properly for the way forward for different soloists from the company. JYP hasn’t usually leveraged the energy of their particular person members. This gives an important likelihood to develop the model.
The Unhealthy
Spoiler alert: JYP Leisure is not going to have a big presence on my upcoming “better of 2022” countdown. That is subjective, however their music high quality has taken a pointy downturn this yr.
If I had been to sum up JYP’s 2022 in music, I’d use the phrase “novelty.” It feels as if the company is putting idea earlier than tune and hitching their fortunes to gimmicky, meme-worthy songwriting crammed with foolish sound results and repetitive sing-talky hooks. From ITZY’s Sneakers to NMIXX’s O.O/Cube to Stray Youngsters’ Maniac/Case 143 to Xdinary Heroes’ Blissful Loss of life Day/Hair Reduce, the company appears extra intent on being intelligent than crafting songs that stand the check of time. It’s a worrying development, and much from the company’s peaks of 2018-19.
Increasingly, this music appears like blatant promoting. It’s as if it’s being cobbled collectively by a boardroom, with no actual soul behind it. It’s chintzy. JYP has lengthy cherished the ability of a repetitive earworm (assume early Marvel Women), however this new iteration of the method lacks heat. And on the whole, the digital charts appear to agree. ITZY’s Sneakers in some way discovered its means into the highest ten, however apart from that JYP has had a smaller presence than its rivals.
So far as debuts go, NMIXX and Xdinary Heroes exist extra as ideas than precise teams. The “mixxpop” style has confirmed polarizing, whereas Xdinary Heroes’ music hasn’t but come throughout as genuine. Perhaps these acts are simply concentrating on a distinct viewers. Regardless of the case, I discover a lot of their music borderline unlistenable. At greatest, these two have some severe rising pains to get by means of.
Talking of debuts, will JYP ever debut the boy group that was shaped on 2021’s competitors present LOUD? The vanity of that collection was to discover a group who might debut “straight away.” A year-and-a-half later and there appears to be no severe plan to get the ball rolling. It is a damaged promise to followers.
Whereas JYP discovered nice success with NiziU in Japan final yr, the group barely launched any materials in 2022. Gross sales are falling and it appears as if their reputation might need already peaked. There’s no cause to consider they couldn’t see a resurgence in 2023, however the company has been awfully quiet on the NiziU entrance this yr.
It appears like JYP Leisure is attempting to do to a lot and specializing in the flawed features of their artists. To me, their musical output has been the weakest of any of the “large 4” businesses in 2022, and that’s one thing to be involved about.
What I’d wish to see in 2023:
- Eliminate the gimmicks and give attention to the music. Perhaps let JYP himself take the reigns of some title tracks once more?
- LOUD boy group debut
- Extra solo debuts
Earlier years: 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017 // 2016
