Opinion | K-pop groups like Girls’ Generation and Got7 take more artistic control from their labels

K-pop group Got7 have released a new album, titled Got7, a year after leaving their label JYP Entertainment

Their amicable split, and the fact they kept their name, could be the start of a new era in the Korean music industry, with artists having more control

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K-pop group Got7, who split with their label JYP Entertainment, have released an album titled Got7. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 4:15am, 1 Jun 2022Updated: 8:24am, 1 Jun 2022

K-pop boy band Got7 have just released a new eponymous EP. Eight years into their career, band leader Jay B said on the album’s release day: “We wanted to come back as Got7 after [our] JYP days, and thought that rebranding is needed.”

A new beginning for Got7, this rebranding isn’t just lip service. It’s the launch of a new sort of Got7, and K-pop in general: the band’s current state of self-driven existence shows a change in the K-pop industry that’s slowly under way as artists are increasingly able to eye longevity on their own terms.

First, some background: Got7’s seven members – Jay B, Jackson, BamBam, Mark, Yugyeom, Youngjae and Jinyoung – were brought together by JYP Entertainment in 2014. All seven left the label last year, promising their fans that they hadn’t disbanded.

Since then, the members, all of whom are pursuing their own paths, have repeatedly said they are dedicated to staying together even while apart, despite being managed by different entertainment companies and with several members operating in different countries.

Jay B of Got7 said in 2019 that he was unhappy with his label’s cut of the single Eclipse. Photo: Getty Images

“We promised our fans that we won’t be going anywhere. We wanted to prove that we have not disbanded,” BamBam said on GOT7’s release day.

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