Boy band Monsta X’s 12th EP “Reason” dropped on Jan. 9 and is quickly seeing success — reaching No. 1 the following day on the iTunes Top Albums charts in 15 nations including the United States, the iTunes Top Songs charts in 10 regions and the YouTube Music Videos Trending Worldwide Chart.

The lead track “Beautiful Liar” peaked at No. 27 on Korea’s Melon Chart; a significant achievement considering that male K-pop groups have lately been hard to spot on domestic streaming charts.

But to Monsta X’s fans dubbed Monbebe, the album means more than just another hit. What makes the new release most special is the fact that it’s Monsta X’s first comeback since member I.M. moved to a different agency from the other members.

In August 2022, Monsta X’s agency Starship Entertainment announced that five of the six members — Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon and Joohoney — renewed their contracts with the agency, but I.M. decided not to and signed with Sony Music Entertainment later that December.

From the beginning of 2022, fans had been nervous about how the contract renewal would turn out. Monsta X debuted in 2015, and a celebrity and agency’s exclusive contract can only last seven years maximum at a time — making 2022 that fateful year for Monsta X members' contract renewals.

This seven-year limit was established by the Korea Fair Trade Commission in order to prevent excessively long contracts that could potentially hinder an artist’s freedom. That same piece of legislation, however, also gave birth to the K-pop phenomenon known as the “seven-year curse,” which sees many K-pop groups lose members or disband altogether around their seven-year mark.

The curse may have been made to sound superstitious, but it’s a natural result of some members choosing not to renew their contracts with the same agency after the seven years ran its course. This is also why K-pop fans begin to fret when their favorite groups approach their seventh anniversary, worrying about whether their favorite member will sign to stay at the agency.

More often than not, members leaving the agency will be logistically unable to continue taking part in the group’s schedules. So the agency either announces their departure or they remain in the group only in name. If a large portion of the members choose not to re-sign, it often leads the group to disband altogether.

Another reason as to why failed contract renewals make K-pop idols vulnerable to breaking up is how these acts are formed in the first place. K-pop idol groups aren’t formed by high school friends who start a band in their own garage, as commonly seen in the West. The agency that brought the members together is often the only linchpin keeping them together and active as a team.

So if a group plans on working together even after some members move to a different agency, management ability and collaboration between the agencies are key. The members’ willingness to continue as an active part of the group, adjusting his or her solo schedules accordingly, is also crucial.

Fortunately for Monbebe, both Starship and I.M. emphasized in their statements that Monsta X will remain a group of six and will continue to be active. “As all six members share the same thoughts and affection towards the group and Monbebe, I.M has agreed to continue and participate in the group's future plans,” Starship said at the time.

Five months later, the agency and six members have indeed kept their word by coming back to the K-pop scene with “Reason.” I.M. is currently under Sony Music Entertainment, but his activities as Monsta X are managed by Starship Entertainment.

Cases like Monsta X add to the positive precedents of long-lasting K-pop groups who figure out a way to remain a team even under different managements. Another recent example of groups going “separate but together” is GOT7, a boy band that debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2014.

All seven members of GOT7 decided against renewing their contracts with JYP and signed with six different agencies in early 2021. But due to each member’s willingness to adjust and the cooperation among their agencies, the boy band came back in May 2022 with its 12th EP “GOT7.”

Warner Music Korea, a separate agency, was selected to manage GOT7’s activities for that specific EP. The seven members also worked out their schedules to host a fan concert that month. Not only did their fans appreciate the members’ strong willingness to remain a team, but they also praised the impressive collaboration between the seven different agencies that made it possible. “GOT7” topped the iTunes Top Albums charts in 95 regions.

Girl group Girls’ Generation also debuted under SM Entertainment in 2007 and now, three out of its eight current members are under different agencies. They were able to come together in August 2022 to release their seventh full-length album “Forever 1,” which saw great popularity among the general public.

If not done right, however, the “separate but together” idea can backfire. Son Na-eun of Apink moved from IST Entertainment to YG Entertainment in 2021 but remained a member of the girl group. Son planned to be part of Apink’s 10th anniversary comeback in early 2022, but was unable to participate in any promotional activities due to conflicting schedules. Fans expressed their disappointment over the broken promises, and the friction between the two agencies was visible as they gave differing explanations as to why Son could not make it.

Still, as more wholesome precedents accumulate, K-pop groups may have a wider array of options in their future instead of simply choosing between contract renewals and disbandment after seven years together.

“They say idol groups face a crisis around their seventh or eighth year,” Monsta X wrote in a written statement released with its latest EP. “We are happy that we overcame that crucial point united as one, and were able to come back to you guys as Monsta X again. That’s what makes this EP so precious.”

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]