The sad story of BLACKPINK’s former rival: Press conference for new music release with only a few members, album sales fail to reach 500 copies.
After many years of activity, this girl group is facing decline.
On March 3rd, EVERGLOW returned with the EP “Code” and the title track MV, marking the first time the group performed with a four-member lineup. Last May, the six girls confirmed their departure from Yuehua Entertainment after their exclusive contract ended. By September, four members, Sihyeon, E:U, Onda, and Aisha, were confirmed to have signed with a new management company, Chxxta Company, to continue pursuing their artistic activities.

EVERGLOW makes a comeback with a four-member lineup (Image: IG)

Yiren and Mia, two of the most popular members, have gone their separate ways to pursue solo careers. This is considered a major disadvantage for EVERGLOW, especially as K-pop is declining and the group’s popularity is no longer what it used to be. EVERGLOW didn’t have a strong, dedicated fanbase; their popularity mainly stemmed from their catchy music and the appeal they garnered from the general public. Amidst a volatile market and the emergence of numerous other groups, two years of “disappearance” caused EVERGLOW to lose their former glory.

A clip posted on X, which attracted significant interaction, captured the disheartening scene of EVERGLOW on the evening of March 2nd. The group was reportedly at a location preparing for a press conference for the release of “Code,” but only a few reporters were around taking pictures. Posing in front of a backdrop featuring the group’s poster, the four girls—Sihyeon, Aisha, Onda, and EU—were even ignored by passersby, who didn’t even bother to pay attention to them. After a few dozen seconds, the group went inside to prepare for their showcase.

(Image: X)

Furthermore, the EP Code only sold a mere 473 copies, a shockingly low number for a girl group that once dominated K-pop around 2018-2020. Normally, the first day of album distribution would see the highest sales figures. Therefore, this also signals a less-than-successful comeback for EVERGLOW. While it’s known EVERGLOW has never been strong in album sales, partly due to a small number of dedicated fans, this situation reveals a truth: EVERGLOW is beyond saving.

The group only sold 473 copies on the first day of release.

Not long ago, people were surprised to learn that throughout their time active, the six female idols had never received a single penny in salary from Yuehua. Ms. Du Hua, CEO of Yuehua, frankly shared: “Because they debuted in South Korea, the investment in their debut and comeback was so large that they haven’t even been able to repay the reimbursement fees.”

Once dubbed a “monster rookie” upon entering Kpop, EVERGLOW was one of the first groups to make an impact in the early stages of the 4th generation. Not only did they contribute to paving the way for a new generation of idols, but the group was also expected to become one of the leading girl groups in the industry.

Debuting with “Bon Bon Chocolat,” EVERGLOW quickly created a strong impact. The catchy melody, cool girl crush concept, and addictive chorus helped the song spread across platforms, spawning numerous dance covers from Korea to internationally.

EVERGLOW was once called a “monster rookie” when they first entered Kpop (Image: IG)

When they released Adios and Dun Dun consecutively, EVERGLOW was truly considered a formidable rival to ITZY – a girl group at the peak of their popularity at the time. In early 2020, the two groups almost went head-to-head when ITZY released Wannabe and EVERGLOW returned with Dun Dun. Both created a huge buzz, but paradoxically, after that explosive success, neither ITZY nor EVERGLOW were able to maintain the expected growth trajectory.

For EVERGLOW, the unfortunate turning point began with La Di Da. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics for its retro style and musical personality, the song failed to generate enough mainstream buzz to elevate the group to a new level. Meanwhile, the girl group market became increasingly crowded with the influx of big names like aespa, STAYC, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans. Amidst this wave of rookies with strong concepts and fandoms, EVERGLOW’s name gradually faded.

Subsequent releases did not achieve the same widespread reach as the early stages.

To date, “Dun Dun” remains the group’s most iconic hit, with over 301 million views on YouTube, a number that clearly shows their former position on the K-pop map. However, one big hit is not enough to guarantee long-term sustainability.

Amidst a wave of rookie groups with strong concepts and fandoms, EVERGLOW’s name gradually faded (Image: Google)