Netizens are debating whether the success of ALLDAY PROJECT will spark a significant increase in co-ed groups in K-pop.
On an online forum, users discussed the instant popularity of THEBLACKLABEL's co-ed group ALLDAY PROJECT and whether this might influence the entertainment industry, leading more companies to attempt co-ed group debuts.
Opinions were split. While most did not claim that all future co-ed groups would fail, they stressed that ALLDAY PROJECT had unique advantages that made the group exceptionally distinctive—advantages that would be hard for a random future co-ed group to replicate in generating massive attention and buzz from debut.
Many pointed to the presence of Tarzzan and his unique traits, along with the fame of Shinsegae heiress Annie, as the main reasons the group was able to create such a high level of buzz. They argued that if future co-ed groups want to succeed, they will need equally attention-grabbing elements.
The most upvoted netizen comments include:
"Mixed groups can’t succeed unless they have someone on Tarzzan’s level. If ADP didn’t have Tarzzan, they would’ve just ended up with the image of a shy group with a ton of money."
"Unless you debut with the daughter of Samsung, success is impossible."
"Unless it’s TheBlack, chaebol heirs won’t even apply for trainee auditions. Chaebol kids have standards, and they’re not going to join some factory label making half-baked domestic groups and tarnish their family name."
"But if you’re going to do a mixed group, you have to fill it with members who each have insane buzz like ADP, which is probably hard to pull off."
"Tarzzan was ADP’s divine move. Without a character like that, it’s hard to succeed."
Some commenters added that chaebol heirs and heiresses rarely aim to become K-pop stars, and that companies such as SM Entertainment likely have no plans to debut co-ed groups since it "does not fit their company image."
"SM will never do it. It doesn’t fit the company’s direction in the first place."
"Yeah, even when mixed groups were doing well and popping up everywhere, SM didn’t put one out."
"And if they bring in someone like Tarzzan, they’ll get slammed for copying him."
"ADP’s lineup is a cheat code, and at the center are Tarzzan and Annie. Even though they’re a mixed group, their relationship dynamics and self-produced content worked out well. If a company just used their usual trainees to make a mixed group, they’d never pull off that same vibe."
Others noted that the example of ALLDAY PROJECT’s success might still tempt some companies to try. They speculated that a large agency like HYBE could be in a position to attempt it.
"ADP did so well that someone will try it eventually, but I feel like it’ll flop badly and scare others off from trying. Probably ends with the members dating each other, going viral for a bit, and then disbanding soon after."
"I think HYBE might make one."
"Apparently HYBE America is preparing a mixed group. They held auditions for it around April. But it’s more like making a foreign group like KATSEYE… I don’t think there will be a Korean-member mixed group."
More comments include:
"It’s not easy. How many groups in Korea can get constant media play months before debut like Shinsegae? There are bigger groups, but since groups target consumers, very few have the budget to spend Shinsegae-level ad money, and there aren’t many owners with the attention-seeking personality of Shinsegae’s family."
"It was only possible because it was TheBlack. The image wouldn’t match with SM, JYP, or even the well-known mid-sized companies."
"What if SM made a mixed unit like GOT the Beat? It will be a total disaster."
"For boy groups, you need heavy fanservice, and for girl groups, you need female fans to stick around to last. Mixed groups that can’t achieve that have to appeal to the general public, and ADP already did. But the public’s attention changes quickly, so I don’t think they’ll last long."
"ADP has members who are all center-level."
"If the team doesn’t have a chaebol heir plus someone super handsome or super beautiful, it’ll flop."
"Boys like Tarzzan and Woochan both seem mild-mannered. They don’t play the hierarchy game and get along well with the girls. It’s hard for a typical male trainee to tick all those boxes, so putting together a team like that would be tough."
"Tarzzan is honestly the mood maker here, lol. He keeps things connected in the middle."
"Bring back Coed School, the best mixed group ever, for this century, please."
"If I were Teddy, I’d carry Tarzzan on a palanquin. He’s basically a huge factor in their success."
"If another group comes out, I think they’ll get endlessly compared to ADP, so I doubt it’ll happen."
"If SM made a mixed group, the drama would be insane."
"ADP picked their members really well. With that one member there, you can’t even try to link them to anything else. They’re all over 20, so there’s no heavy fanservice, but the kind of visuals and manners that come out when men and women are together still make you swoon."
"I think part of why this group did well was because of the members’ strong backgrounds—the Shinsegae chairman’s daughter, NewJeans’ ‘Super Shy’ MV male lead, a famous choreographer, Woochan, and former b. Even if another company tried, I don’t think it would be easy to replicate that."
"From a company’s perspective, if they have trainees who could make a good mixed group, it’s better to debut them as a boy group or girl group. This time it worked because the mixed group scene was bone-dry and a chaebol daughter debuting brought massive buzz. It might be fine for an initial hype burst, but for long-term group maintenance, mixed groups aren’t great. Unlike idols who rely on fandoms, if they can’t keep releasing hit songs, they just fade away."
"I think it’s impossible unless you bring in someone with star power like Tarzzan. But since there’s no one like that, he’s the one getting all the attention."
"Mixed groups are the hardest for agencies. It’s like running a boy group and a girl group at the same time. Big companies won’t do it, but maybe a mid-sized one will."
"Without a member like Tarzzan, it’s hard to succeed… Tarzzan is a gem."
"Unless the members can thrive together and apart, it’ll be tough. And male members are key—you need guys like Tarzzan and Woochan who are accepting of everything."
"They have to be somewhat well-known before debut."
"Even though ADP succeeded, no one knows if they’ll do well in the long run."
"Some company head in their 40s or 50s will probably see ADP and try to push something similar."
"Even if one forms, it’ll probably just copy ADP."
"But I don’t think we’ll see another one for a while… Any attempt will look like copying ADP. Even if the concept is different, I’m not sure they could match that level of success."
"Old-school K-pop fans might hate it, but as a casual listener, I do want to see more mixed groups, lol."
"JYP and YG aren’t impossible, but SM and HYBE will probably never do it."
"The Big 3 will never do it, but HYBE will probably try because they go for anything that makes money—maybe even a global mixed group."
"It’d be fun if more mixed groups popped up."
What are your thoughts?
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