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what got7's departure from JYPE means to me
tw // mentions of trauma
Last Monday, January 11, JYP Entertainment officially announced that GOT7 will be leaving the label. As someone who has been a fan of the group for almost four years, learning about the news felt bittersweet. After all, they were the first group that I really got into when I started my journey as a K-pop fan. They were the miracle that came into my life in January 2017 after going through a traumatic 2016. It sounds fucking cheesy as hell, but it’s true!
In all honesty, I am elated for the boys. The boys are extremely talented. They can do almost anything that they set their mind to, but JYPE holds them back from pursuing opportunities that best fit them. For example, during their appearance on Knowing Brothers, JYP (the producer and founder of JYP Entertainment) shared that the demand for GOT7 in variety shows wasn’t high compared to their contemporaries. Wrong. K-pop fans (and locals) on social media have repeatedly mentioned that GOT7’s variety skills are top-notch and they can make any appearance fun and meme-worthy (see this MTV interview, for your reference). Don’t you just hate it when you’re rooting for someone and they’re being held back from tapping their full potential?
Their departure from JYPE means that they can take on whatever they want to pursue, whether it’s building a strong online presence (Mark and Bambam), making new music (all 7 of them), pursuing a diverse range of acting roles (Jinyoung), and curating retail experiences (Jackson).
Seeing them venture out on their feels like I’m growing up with them. After all, the boys are in the similar age group as I am, and it feels like we’re navigating this journey together when it comes to making important life choices and seeking our best chances. Just like the boys, I’m not getting any younger, and I want to make choices that are best for me. I want to grow up from the insecure, confused, and unsure Lea of 2016, and proceed with life with a sense of sureness in myself. The trauma from that time really stunted me, and it magnified a lot of the insecurities that I have. I’m still working on setting up a life after that trauma, which means that I need to cut off things that no longer serve me, expend my energy, and cultivate boundaries. I’m pretty sure that the boys want to go into this new journey with a degree of certainty and stability after years of missed opportunities and other missteps. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing the people that you root for go through their own lives with confidence, self-awareness, and growth.
While I’m excited for their solo ventures, I am also sad because I won’t be seeing them together in a while. I will miss the inside jokes and memes that they have together, and the chemistry that they have on stage.
Anyway, I’m just excited for GOT7 and the new chapter that they have. Their brotherhood is super strong, and I’m pretty sure that they’ll thrive. #GOT7Forever