7 K-Pop Songs That Saved Their Groups From Disbandment

Some K-Pop groups find success early on in their careers, and don’t have to worry too much about disbanding from lack of funds or popularity. Many others, however, struggle for some time to find their niche, and tragically, oftentimes they end up disbanding before they find any kind of fame. Sometimes, though, groups have been on the brink of disbandment only to be skyrocketed into fame because of a single song. These are 7 songs that likely saved their idols from having to give up their dreams!

1. “Bar Bar Bar” by Crayon Pop

Before the release of this now-viral sensation in the summer of 2013, Crayon Pop was relatively unknown and even had to do performances on the streets in order to get attention. If they continued on the same path, they likely would have disbanded before too much longer.

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When “Bar Bar Bar” came out, however, the catchy, repetitive lyrics along with the recognizable dance and outfits helped to propel the song, and thus Crayon Pop, into fame. There were few fans of K-Pop back in the day that weren’t familiar with the hit!

2. “Up & Down” by EXID

EXID came so close to disbandment that it’s amazing to know how much more they released after this song came out! “Up & Down” wasn’t immediately a hit, and they had actually ended their initial promotions and, supposedly, were only days away from disbanding when they were suddenly invited back on various music and variety shows to promote the song again. It’s all thanks to Hani‘s fancam of the song, which went viral!

3. “Be Mine” by INFINITE

INFINITE was actually supposed to disband in 2011, but of course, everyone knows that they’ve lasted a lot longer than that! Woollim Entertainment was close to bankruptcy at the time, and their CEO, incredibly, sold his house in order for INFINITE to produce what they thought would be their last album, Over the Top.

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Fortunately, the title track of the album, “Be Mine”, finally made the group rocket into success, and they were able to become one of the most well-known second generation groups!

4. “I Need U” by BTS

It may be hard for fans to believe considering how massively successful they are now, but BTS was actually planning on disbanding if “I Need U” wasn’t well-received. They weren’t a group that was immediately popular after debuting, and in fact, BTS really struggled for some time.

However, “I Need U” was incredibly well-received (for good reason!), earning the group their first win and starting the beginning of their successful careers into major stardom. Where would K-Pop be today without BTS?

5. “Really Really” by WINNER

With a long hiatus and Taehyun leaving the group, WINNER’s future was pretty uncertain for some time. It’s often difficult for a group, especially those with fewer members to begin with, to continue after a member leaves, and they went for some time with no indication of what was coming next.

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However, with the release of “Really Really”, the group proved that they could still make incredible music, and in fact, it’s still one of their most popular songs to date! While they might not have disbanded if the song hadn’t done as well as it did, it was still definitely a possibility, but thankfully that didn’t happen and they’re still going strong.

6. “Chase Me” by Dreamcatcher

While most people know “Chase Me” as Dreamcatcher’s debut song, what some don’t know is that many of the members of Dreamcatcher were in a group called MINX beforehand that had a much different concept than Dreamcatcher. They were a more “generic” girl group at the time, and struggled to stand out among all the other girl groups during that era.

However, with the change in name and direction, Dreamcatcher’s “Chase Me” was a very refreshing and unique concept for a girl group and helped them to become more recognized and find their niche in K-Pop. Now, they’re known for having that unique rock sound that no one else has really replicated as well!

7. “Secret Garden” by Oh My Girl

Oh My Girl was a group that wasn’t completely unknown, but also struggled to find their niche in K-Pop for a while. Seunghee has said that before the release of “Secret Garden” in 2018, the group was on the brink of disbandment and wouldn’t have lasted if the song didn’t do well, especially after JinE left and with “Coloring Book” not performing like they’d hoped.

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Fortunately, “Secret Garden” not only did well, but also finally got Oh My Girl their first win! They’re definitely a beloved group in Korea now, and it’s hard to imagine if they had disbanded those couple of years ago.