TripleS Reveals New 24-Member Full-Group Teaser For “ASSEMBLE24”, But It’s Receiving Backlash

Rookie K-Pop girl group tripleS recently revealed their final members, bringing the total number to a whopping 24. Originally debuting in February 2023, the group has been releasing songs as units such as Acid Angel from Asia, +(KR)ystal Eyes, and LOVElution, with different members participating in different units based on fan participation.

The concept of tripleS, created by MODHAUS, revolves around their unique approach to fan engagement. Basically everything about the group, from their stage names to their subunit formations, is chosen based on fan votes in an attempt to let fans be directly involved in the group’s creative process. Fans earn voting tokens called “COMO” by purchasing NFT photocards known as “Objekts”, and they use these tokens to vote for and influence different aspects of tripleS’s production.

Recently, it was announced that the group would be making their first comeback as a full, 24-member unit this May, called ASSEMBLE24. The announcement was shared in an image that featured all 24 of the girls, which gives a visual reminder of just how huge the group is.

The teaser image was quick to spark a discussion among fans about the fairness and possible toxicity that could develop from the way that tripleS is managed and how many members there are. Some people noticed that the placement of the members in the image seems to be almost directly related to the number of votes/tokens spent on them, with those that have the most being placed in the front and center and those with the least placed further back.

Additionally, fans have taken issue with some of the more recently debuted members such as their maknae, SeoAh, due to their young age. SeoAh was born in 2010, making her just 13 at this time, while Joobin is 15 and four of the others are 16. Others have shared that they just can’t be bothered to get into a group that has so many members, as it’s understandably overwhelming.

But the biggest issue that people seem to have is the potential toxicity among not only fans, but also the members, that could be created from the voting system. Each members’ activity seems to be directly based on their popularity — or at least how much their fans can spend on them — and it would be hard for anyone to not be hurt by such a system, let alone such young girls. One of the members, Xinyu, even had to delete messages to fans recently after she brought up the cruelty of tripleS’s system.

Here’s how netizens are reacting to the teaser for ASSEMBLE24.

How do you feel about tripleS’s creative process?