Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2024: JYP ENTERTAINMENT

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It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed and delivered to fans. Scandals and non-musical factors can certainly impact an agency’s grade, but the biggest criteria will always be the music itself. Following SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment‘s analysis, it’s time to dive into JYP Entertainment.

As usual, the thoughts below are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. There will be plenty of subjective critique.

The Good

JYP Entertainment seems to be in a stable place at the moment, with all of their artists either remaining steady or making modest gains in 2024. The agency continues to do an excellent job giving each artist a chance to shine. Everyone enjoyed at least one comeback this year and these were usually spread out enough to avoid conflicts in promotion.

JYP’s girl groups had an especially solid year, with ITZY back as a full five-piece and NMIXX starting to make a name for themselves after a hit-or-miss debut era. The music has largely been solid as well. Meanwhile, Twice continue to do what they do best, solidifying their existing fan base and delving into solo and sub-unit releases that deepen the variety of genres the group can tackle. Nayeon’s solo ABCD was especially ear-catching this year and seemed to garner elevated global attention.

It feels like Stray Kids are in a holding pattern, but with their level of success that isn’t a bad thing. They remain one of the biggest groups on the planet and don’t need to broaden their sound to appeal to the general public. They’ve built a devoted fan base and deliver directly to them. I’m no longer a huge fan of their music, but I appreciate how they stick to their guns. And really, you can’t argue with multi-million album sellers. The proof is in the pudding, and they’ve expanded this success to various music markets around the world.

Perhaps JYP’s biggest flex this year involved veteran band DAY6. After their long-awaited comeback, many songs from their back catalog suddenly captured the imagination of the Korean listening public. They’ve topped the charts with a variety of music – both old and new. We’ve rarely seen a resurgence like this, and the agency seems to be striking while the iron is hot. Not only did we get a new album, but solos as well. The agency’s other band Xdinary Heroes was also well-promoted, though they’re still building their fan base.

On the Japanese side, girl group NiziU continued their solid run of success, scoring drama OSTs and releasing a new EP. Boy group NEXZ seem to be off to a good start, though their mix of Korean and Japanese promotions feels a bit unfocused.

The Bad

Nothing stands out as glaringly bad about JYP this year, though they’ve definitely fumbled the ball with international group VCHA. I don’t consider VCHA to be vital to their roster anyway, but the group has definitely lost ground to Katseye in the burgeoning world of “global group managed by K-pop agency.”

Rather than “bad,” many of JYP’s 2024 releases were just… whelming. There were plenty of musical highlights, but the agency seems to have lost some of its steam on the charts. When I think of the music that went truly viral this year, much of it came from other agencies like SM and HYBE. DAY6’s Korean success notwithstanding, many of JYP’s veteran groups suffered tumbling chart positions in 2024. I’m not sure this matters that much when you’re still selling millions of albums, but it does push the agency to the side when it comes to capturing the K-pop zeitgeist of the moment. Their artists remain successful but not many of their 2024 singles felt truly buzzy.