TenAsia’s post comparing Among the two most popular K-pop bands boys right now, STRAY KIDS and SEVENTEEN sparked outrage online, prompting charges of media play against HYBE, SEVENTEEN’s parent business.
The story emphasized Stray Kids’ continuous globe tour, with 25 of 41 performances taking place in stadiums, demonstrating the group’s rapid global development. In contrast, SEVENTEEN’s latest tour allegedly averaged 30,000 attendees per concert across 28 performances, for a total audience of one million.
Despite noting Stray Kids’ growing impact, the article positioned SEVENTEEN as the group to beat in the male K-pop idol category during BTS’ military hiatus.
“SEVENTEEN, who have become the representative male idols of K-Pop during BTS’s hiatus due to military service, gathered a total of one million attendees across 28 gigs during their recent world tour, with an average of 30,000 spectators per event.” – TenAsia
Netizens criticized the article’s tone, believing it generated unneeded competition between the two groups. Many complained that it unfairly devalued Stray Kids’ accomplishments while promoting SEVENTEEN’s reputation, potentially cementing HYBE’s position as the main player in the K-Pop business.
“However, SEVENTEEN’s popularity in North America is rapidly rising. Since 2022, they have continuously appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, gaining popularity. The stock market views HYBE’s development potential as positively as it does JYP Entertainment’s. “— TenAsia
Netizens also discussed the timing of the similarities. SEVENTEEN’s position on US charts and in the global market has progressively increased, but some believed the piece pushed a narrative about their domination, diverting attention away from Stray Kids’ accomplishments.
Knetizens COMMENT ON HYBE COMPARES BETWEEN STRAY KIDS AND SEVENTEEN
- “Wow, Stray Kids fans must be confused. Just leave them alone; we’ll handle it on our own.
- “Please leave Stray Kids alone.”
- “Here we go again…”
- “Even JYP isn’t bragging about Stray Kids’ achievements and staying quiet, but why are HYBE and TenAsia being so over the top?”
- “HYBE stans, talk about Stray Kids without dragging others, lol.”
- “This is just HYBE media play, right? Ugh.”
