"What if BESTie went viral in 2014?"
This series is inspired by the Reckless Speculation posts over on the NFL subreddit, which in turn was inspired by the "N-if-L" series by Dave Dameshek. The "wild" is a reference to the wild format of Hearthstone where any and all cards are available. In short, it theorizes how a single decision or event being altered would create a series of domino effects and change the future. Granted, the world of Kpop is more rigid than the world of football (there's no free agency, different contracts, etc.), but it's all for fun speculation and puts my imagination to the test, and that's precisely why I decided to take a crack at it. In today's episode (that's been sloppily pushed back month after month), we look at what could've happened to the careers of two "sister" groups if some fortunes had been reversed.I've put this off for god knows how long. Anyways! We now know that despite a decent debut in 2012 with "Whoz That Girl," it took all of two months for members Haeryung, Uji, and Hyeyeon to leave. Filling the void would be Solji and Hyerin, while the departed trio would regroup as BESTie (plus Dahye) a year later. Both groups would be mired in obscurity until Hani's fancam skyrocketed them to stardom in late 2014. This propelled Hani and EXID into the spotlight where they have stayed since, while BESTie never broke through, ultimately leading to their unofficial disbandment with Uji and Dahye leaving the group in late 2017.
But what if BESTie went viral instead of EXID? Say, a Haeryung fancam of "Hot Baby" becomes a megahit a few months after their release in July of 2014. Their song was coupled with a hot choreography full of body waves that rivaled the ones in Sistar's "Loving U," and Haeryung's visuals make the whole nation swoon. Now people start diving into the group, starting with the title track from their repackaged EP in "I Need You," and going back to debut works such as "Love Options." This sudden spark of life puts everyone on notice: Dahye gets known for her versatile rapping and singing ability, Haeryung for her acting potential and general gorgeousness, while Uji's amazing voice has everyone hooked. Plus, the combination of Uji and Hyeyeon is a strong 1-2 vocal punch that serves BESTie's music well. Then in 2015, they drop "Excuse Me" which turns out to be their magnum opus. The song charts extremely well (despite the awkward as hell music video) while fans and non-fans alike can't help but dig the track, thanks to a stellar performance from Uji. The variety offers increase, including a Haeryung showing on Running Man later that summer. Thus, with new momentum they keep a relatively active schedule over the next couple of years, splitting time between individual activities, variety and acting gigs, and full group comebacks. As the veteran groups start disbanding throughout most of 2017, BESTie becomes a rising group to keep eyes on as the girl group landscape continues to change.
Meanwhile, EXID continue to release some pretty incredible music since reforming. Songs like "Every Night" and "Up & Down" prove popular within those that follow the group closely but nothing groundbreaking in the eyes of the public. They even try a continuation of "Up & Down" in early 2015 with "Ah Yeah" but that still doesn't quite catch on. As the years and releases go by, it's clear that despite the solid talent on the roster - like Solji, Hyerin, and LE, their luck isn't really going to change. In late 2017, LE and Solji terminate their contracts and leave the group, with Solji pursuing a second attempt at a solo career and LE focusing on songwriting and production. And unfortunately for the rest of the world, Hani remains mired in obscurity, never making a name for herself with her versatile skillset and adorkable personality. Much less of a happy "ending" for EXID but that's what happens when the fortune flips.
Agree? Disagree? What do you think would've happened? Have suggestions for future editions? Let's talk about it!
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