“Why Only Us?” — Fromis_9 Chaeyoung’s Heartbreaking Frustration At Long Hiatus Leaves Fans Furious With HYBE

“I wanna promote… Why are we the only ones to have long hiatuses?”

The K-Pop industry is known for its rigorous schedules and frequent music releases, but Fromis_9 — managed by Pledis Entertainment under HYBE — seems to be an exception, much to the frustration of its members and fans.

Recently, one of the girl group members, Chaeyoung, voiced her concerns about the group’s unusually long hiatuses during a Weverse live session.

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Chaeyoung’s clear feelings of sadness and frustration have sparked a wave of support for the group and anger from her fanbase aimed at the two companies responsible for Fromis_9’s activities.

I wanna change my Weverse profile picture. I wanna promote soon so that I can change it to a promotion (comeback teaser) picture. Why is it that we’re always… I wanna promote… Why are we the only ones to have long hiatuses? Why only Fromis_9… It’s so sad…I have FLOVERs , I have FLOVERs , I have fans too, We have FLOVERs…

— Chaeyoung via Weverse Live

 

The gap between their activities has been notably long compared to industry standards, where frequent comebacks are essential for maintaining public interest and momentum. For example, Fromis_9’s first comeback took nine months following their debut, and it took over a year for their third mini album to be released in September 2020. Such delays are unusual for rookie groups eager to establish a solid fan base.

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| Pledis Entertainment

Since their debut, the group’s fanbase has been very vocal about the group’s perceived mistreatment. Fans often call out both companies, Pledis and HYBE, asking for more activities and comebacks.

Following her heartfelt comments, Chaeyoung returned to Weverse to apologize, worrying that her words might have upset fans or been taken the wrong way.

I feel sorry that something that I said while just chatting with FLOVERs might’ve hurt someone or sounded bad to others, and it made me worry about FLOVERs, who are even more worried about me… I will speak more carefully from now on.

— Chaeyoung via Weverse

Her initial remarks, however, have already ignited a fervor among fans, leading to a backlash against HYBE and Pledis Entertainment. Flovers are calling for more transparency and better management of the group’s schedule, hoping that their voices will lead to change and more frequent comebacks for Fromis_9.

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