HYBE’s obsession with techno is ruining K-pop
by Ada Moore October 21, 2026
Maheen
Rashid/DAILY
Devoted K-pop fans and KATSEYE listeners alike have no
doubt noticed the recent shifts in visuals, sound and lyricism within their
beloved groups that are managed under South Korean music industry giant HYBE.
Following the global success of KATSEYE’s “Gnarly” and “Internet Girl,” a
noticeable redirection has emerged across the rest of HYBE’s girl groups.
Although these groups belong to separate sub-labels within the company’s
enormous entertainment ecosystem, they have converged on a fresh,
fast-tempo and beat-driven electronic sound, marked by highly saturated
production, repetitive hooks and unconventional lyrics.
HYBE was the first South Korean entertainment company to be
designated as a conglomerate by the Korea Fair Trade Commission after its total
assets surpassed the 5 trillion won threshold in 2024. Its subsidiary labels include BigHit
Music (BTS, TXT, CORTIS), ADOR (NewJeans), SOURCE MUSIC (LE SSERAFIM), BELIFT
LAB (ENHYPEN, ILLIT) and HYBE X Geffen Records (KATSEYE). Many of HYBE’s most
successful groups rose to fame through distinct concepts, such as NewJeans’
refreshing Y2K-inspired sound, ENHYPEN’s vampiric lore and ILLIT’s blend of
dreamy innocence and eerie undertones.
However, in April 2026, “sister” groups KATSEYE, LE
SSERAFIM and ILLIT released back-to-back comebacks, all within the techno or
hardstyle genres. Each song featured a similar anti-drop structure, a
chant-heavy chorus and electro-pop production. While the tracks were
successful, fans started expressing concern online that HYBE’s groups were
gradually losing their individual identities, with some theorizing that this
trend began with the release of KATSEYE’s “Gnarly” in April 2025.
“Gnarly” initiated the dramatic departure from KATSEYE’s
original aesthetic of softer, sweeter pop (e.g., “Touch”) into a chaotic,
maximalist electronic sound. While fans were originally startled by the group’s
drastic change in concept, it kept listeners hooked, with the track
accumulating more than 638 million streams on Spotify.
This particular single embodies the abrasive hyperpop
production and ridiculous lyrics that define the viral formula that HYBE is now
increasingly interested in reproducing for its other artists. But when the same
sonic tricks are pushed onto groups with completely different aesthetics, the
experimentation starts to feel like an intentional corporate formula that
undermines one of K-pop’s biggest strengths: the ability for every group to
develop their own niche.
Known as the leaders of fifth-generation K-pop, ILLIT has one of the
most unique concepts in the genre, juxtaposing the innocence of girlhood with
unsettling horror elements known as “dreamcore.”
The girl group’s music videos take place in liminal spaces, such as abandoned
hospitals, to evoke an eerie feeling of being trapped in an endless dream or
alternate reality. These uncanny videos contrast sharply with ILLIT’s bubbly,
lighthearted sound that includes layered harmonies, youthful vocals and dreamy
electronic pop beats. Since the group’s debut in March 2024, their music has
retained this aesthetic, with particular examples being their debut single
“Magnetic,” “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)” and viral single “Not Cute
Anymore.”
However, everything shifted in April 2026 when the group
released their album MAMIHLAPINATAPAI, with an electronic, hard-house
track “It’s Me.” The song features a driving, heart-pounding beat, sparkling
synths, rave-style beat drops and recurring spoken lyrics like, “I’m your bias”
and “It’s me.” In an interview with Teen Vogue, member Wonhee said, “For this
album, especially with the new genre we are trying, it was very new to us.”
Member Minju shared the same sentiment: “When I first heard it, I was very
surprised because it gave us a feel that we have never tried before.” Many
listeners were unsatisfied after their first listen of “It’s
Me,” commenting that it pivoted too sharply away from the whimsical, magical
girl concept that fans know and love.
Fourth-generation girl group LE SSERAFIM was also affected
by HYBE’s hyperpop wave. Their core concept revolves around fearlessness and
personal ambition, with their group name being an anagram of “I’m Fearless.”
The group’s visuals are also inspired by the multi-winged celestial beings
known as seraphim. While their branding has always been more flexible than
KATSEYE or ILLIT — usually evolving with current cultural or musical trends —
their sound often anchors itself within the house genre, as with tracks “Crazy”
and “Made My Night.” They broke this tradition with their release of
“Celebration” on April 24, 2026. This headbanging, high-energy song meshes
hypertechno and neo-rave and is known for its excessively repetitive chorus and
hair-whipping choreography routine. Fans remain divided online over the sudden change from
carefree dance pop to overproduced hardstyle.
Concepts are arguably one of the most significant aspects
of K-pop. Defined as the overarching visual, musical and thematic identity a
group adopts for their debut or a specific “comeback,” concepts are what allow
K-pop groups to stand out in a crowded musical market. They also allow for
greater fan engagement, especially if the group has a fictional backstory or
lore that is maintained throughout their future releases. These consistent
aesthetics also greatly affect marketing and merchandising; a well-defined
identity will dictate everything from album packaging and promotional materials
to light sticks and stage design. If HYBE groups lose their own personal
identities and merge into one corporate sound, fans will quickly become
fatigued, and a crucial part of K-pop will be lost.
Ultimately, the issue is not that HYBE’s artists are
experimenting with similar techno production and eccentric lyricism — “Gnarly”
proved that taking a creative risk can pay off with its shock factor. However,
the more that HYBE attempts to replicate this reaction across its roster, the
less startling and less distinctive it becomes. K-pop has thrived for decades
on its ability to build one-of-a-kind worlds around each group. When melodic
styles become increasingly interchangeable, a group’s individuality that once
drew in millions of fans starts to disappear. Rather than chasing the next
viral sound and compressing idols into the same overused concepts and formulas,
HYBE should return to what made its groups successful in the first place:
authentic and engaging music that showcases the pure talent of its artists.
Daily Arts Contributor Ada Moore can be reached at adamoore@umich.edu.
