LogFAQs > #929507248

thinking out loud about kingdom now that queendom is over:

queendom's line-up has two veteran groups who are sort of entering a new phase, two fairly well-established mid-tier groups, a rising rookie, and a current top tier group. mamamoo aside, these are groups from very different stages in their careers, so less direct comparisons, and with no massive disparities in popularity. mamamoo is ofc well ahead and the inevitable winner from day 1 but it's good because the competition isn't the point, exposure is the point, and having a top group in there is beneficial to all except maybe mamamoo, but at least they get the prize. also it being entirely predictable might have persuaded at least some to argue less about results and just see it as a venue for performances, remixes, and interactions.

so thoughts on a kingdom line-up, mostly going like for like, though the metrics for boy group success are different. the show isn't about getting a nugu group their break, but rather works because all the groups are decently popular already. it keeps the stakes low, while also being momentous enough to get viewers. round one is a hit song, so the group needs to at least have a hit.

(ofc, while queendom's format is good, absolutely all the changes between pd101 seasons 1 and 2 made the show more competitive and less fun, so if mnet did kingdom they would probably fuck it up anyway)

AOA - Teen Top
trouble is most of the still active boy groups with this level of seniority are missing key members due to military service, but teen top debuted young so they're still all present. i'd like this for them even with more options, though. no one thinks about them anymore, so some renewed interest like AOA got would be nice. they were well-known for their performances (esp. their footwork) so they're a good fit. they had hits back in the day too - new gen kpop fans need to know about 'crazy', which i'm guessing would be their round 1 song. also we don't have to, but if we're looking for AOA parallels specifically, they're also working with less members than before, and are the boy group equivalent to AOA when it comes to getting the best brave brothers songs.

the other possible group for this slot is nu'est but i don't know if they'd want to be on another survival show even if it's very different. it's a much more reasonable choice if you don't consider teen top relevant enough for this show relative to AOA's current standing, but idk maybe it's okay to put more weight on past popularity than current popularity for this slot, and teen top was at least mid-tier. plus nu'est already revived their careers so what have they to gain.

Park Bom - Jang Hyunseung
oh god. first of all, a solo artist is sort of an ill fit for the show, especially one who's fairly limited in the type of performance she can give like bom. i can see them scrapping this slot for one more group but if they keep it then hey, you know who's a veteran boy group member turned solo artist who was also derailed somewhat by scandal, but with the added bonus of not having to sit out the dance performance? i don't know if he'd want this, i don't know if i want this, i definitely don't want this to be his first activity out of the military. ideally he'd have a song or two out beforehand like bom. i am nervous about the response so i'm torn between hyunseung and literally anyone else, but if we're in a place where we know he'd be fine then it could be cool. hit song is a hurdle though, since that's going to have to be a beast song and his relation to that material is a bit fraught, but god, can you imagine the fandora's box round with 'home' performed for the first time and with the choreography it was supposed to have?

alternatively idk, a SS501 member? or super junior's sungmin which would be pretty funny.
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