In recent years, not only Blackpink members but also many Kpop idols have chosen to establish their own management companies to operate freely.
4 Blackpink members did not renew their individual contracts with YG. Photo: Allkpop
Normally, when the group reaches the 7th year of operation, the exclusive contract between the music group and the management company will end. Instead of re-signing or moving to a new company like before, the 3rd generation idols have started a new trend of establishing their own management company.
A typical example that is attracting attention recently is the girl group Blackpink . Accordingly, Blackpink only renewed their group activities with YG Entertainment. In addition, with individual contracts, all 4 members Jisoo, Rosé, Lisa, Jennie did not re-sign.
Recently, Jennie announced the establishment of her own management company called ODD ATELIER.
In the program “The Seasons – Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet” broadcast on January 5, Jennie also shared about her decision: “I want to explore personal activities more freely. This made me decide to become Start your own company”.
Jennie (Blackpink) established her own management company after not re-signing with YG Entertainment. Photo: Allkpop
Similarly, another member of Blackpink, Jisoo, is also rumored to be collaborating with her brother. Specifically, Jisoo’s brother posted a recruitment notice on the search platform, prominently featuring an image of the female idol with content talking about a breakthrough in the entertainment industry called Blissoo.
These moves reflect a new trend in Kpop, when artists proactively leave their old management companies and venture to establish their own companies for more personal and professional autonomy.
In addition to Blackpink, in recent times, many stars in the Korean entertainment industry have also chosen this direction.
Some EXO members such as DO and Baekhyun have also established their own companies. In particular, DO and manager Nam Kyung Soo plan to build SuSu Entertainment, while Baekhyun and I&B100 are looking to recruit two members of the same group, Chen and Xiumin.
Baekhyun of EXO also established his own company. Photo: SM
Another case is Kino (Pentagon). After leaving Cube Entertainment, he announced the establishment of a management company called NAKED. Kino is excited about his future at NAKED, and is committed to having diverse solo activities.
Former ASTRO member – Rocky also founded One Fine Day Entertainment in August 2023 to start his solo career.
The male idol said, “I want to continue doing music. With my heart towards that, I founded a company to connect with fans as soon as possible.”
Faced with this new trend, many people ask: “Why don’t artists renew their contracts and establish their own companies? Which path is more profitable?”
According to industry insiders, idol singers establish their own companies with the goal of clearly expressing their own musical style and pursuing freedom in personal activities.
Meanwhile, large companies will have some intervention in each member’s private decisions.
However, the new path also has many challenges. Finding resources and partners is not easy. During the management process, risks can occur, even causing fans to turn away from their idols because of incompatible decisions.
