Popular Boy Group’s “2025 MAMA” Collab With Female Juniors Triggers Extreme Backlash

The collab was only recently announced.
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Koreaboo

Mnet’s latest announcement for the 2025 MAMA Awards was intended to build excitement, but it has instead sparked intense backlash.

Earlier today, they confirmed that NCT WISH and Hearts2Heart will be teaming up for an exclusive collaboration stage — but many fans are already calling it a major misstep.

nct wish ig

According to a new report, the joint performance is planned as a special stage that can only be seen during this year’s ceremony. On paper, the pairing was intended to showcase the synergy between two groups that were rapidly gaining popularity. But the reaction online suggests fans aren’t buying it.

hearts2hearts kgma

Within minutes of the announcement spreading on Korean forums and X (formerly Twitter), criticism poured in. Many fans even argued that male–female collaborations have little demand in today’s idol industry.

No sense at all. Who in the current idol scene even likes male–female collabs? If they’re going to do something, they should just get Yeonja-noona and sing ‘Amor Fati’ or something.

— Fan via X

Here we go again — supply with zero demand.

— Fan via X

Seriously, women look best with women, and men look best with men. Why do they keep forcing this ‘balance of yin and yang’? I told you all to stop with that outdated nonsense.

— Fan via X

Others questioned the reasoning behind pairing the two groups at all, claiming that — because they don’t share a concept, member count, or debut timeline — the collaboration feels forced rather than meaningful.

They’re not the same gender,
They don’t have any special connection,
The member counts don’t match,
Their debut dates aren’t similar,
Literally no one wants this,
So why are they doing this?

— Fan via X

However, others criticised some fans’ reactions, especially the responses coming from the NCT WISH fandom.

Let me say one thing since the timing feels right. NCT WISH fans will defend them even if they get into every other controversy imaginable, but if a dating scandal breaks out, you need to understand that’s the end of their idol careers. If that happens, the only people who’ll show up to an NCT WISH concert will be old ticket scalper grandpas and their families.

— Fan via X

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