A trending post on the Korean forum Pann titled “Huh? aespa Didn’t Win Again?” is stirring discussion online after highlighting aespa’s unexpected loss on KBS’s Music Bank. The post, which has amassed over 63,000 views, includes a screenshot of the latest Music Bank chart where aespa was overtaken by a lesser-known idol group. The original poster added a sarcastic caption: “They lost 1st place to some idol I’ve never even heard of, lol.”
While some netizens echoed the surprise and disappointment, others criticized the tone, defending newer or lesser-known groups for their hard-earned wins. The thread has become a battleground for differing views on idol popularity, chart fairness, and the evolving K-pop ecosystem. Here’s how people reacted online:
- 1. “Isn’t it obvious that Music Bank’s criteria are the problem here? Why are people mocking aespa? LOL. A group that didn’t even rank in the daily top 1000 took 1st place? Seriously?”
- 2. “I’m not even a MY (aespa fan), I swear on my own group. But doesn’t anyone else find this male idol group’s score super suspicious? They just debuted a few days ago and scored that high in album points?? And people are using this to diss aespa??”
- 3. “This reminds me of when LABOUM beat IU for 1st on Music Bank years ago. Back then people bashed IU as if she were a has-been. I bet those same people are hating on aespa now.”
- 4. “It’s funny how nobody says anything when aespa wins, but the moment they don’t get 1st place, everyone suddenly crawls out of the woodwork. And let’s not forget Music Bank’s long history with aespa. Remember when ‘Supernova’ got zero broadcast points? Or when they reset the pre-vote scores to give NewJeans the win? Since then, aespa hasn’t gotten a single Music Bank trophy.”
- 5. “Seriously, do y’all have nothing better to do than constantly stalk aespa’s every move?”
These reactions reflect growing fan frustration over Music Bank’s scoring system, perceived industry biases, and the tendency to scapegoat girl groups during questionable ranking outcomes. As competition intensifies with a flood of rookie debuts and digital metrics playing a greater role in rankings, even top-tier acts like aespa are feeling the pressure to keep their place at the top. The incident reflects the unpredictable and ever-shifting dynamics of the current music show landscape.
