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RESCENE's rise proves small K-pop agencies still have a chance
K-pop girl group RESCENE / Courtesy of The Muse Entertainment
By Pyo Kyung-min
Viral clips, humanness rewrite rules for K-pop; gov't now pays attention
In a K-pop landscape where entertainment giants hold most of the cards, one five-member girl group is proving the rules can still be bent.
RESCENE is winning over the public through a playbook that looks nothing like conventional K-pop marketing, fueling hope that small agencies still have room to break through, even as industry watchers debate exactly what RESCENE's formula is.
RESCENE debuted in March 2024 with the album "Re:Scene" under The Muse Entertainment, a newly formed agency. The multinational lineup, made up of Woni, Liv, Minami, May and Zena, built its identity around an unusual concept: reviving a "scene" through "scent." But without the backing of a major label or a big-budget marketing push, the group struggled for years to make a name for itself.
Momentum finally arrived this year through social media. In March, content showing Woni and Minami sporting Japanese "gyaru"-style (a flashy, dramatic Japanese street-fashion look) makeup while touring Woni's rural hometown of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, went immensely viral online.
Members of K-pop girl group RESCENE pose onstage during a special performance on Mnet's "M Countdown" on June 18, where the group performed a "gyaru"-themed rendition of "LOVE ATTACK," the lead single from its 2024 EP "SCENEDROME." Courtesy of The Muse Entertainment
The YouTube moment also sent a spotlight onto the catalog the group had quietly built over two years. "LOVE ATTACK," released in August 2024 and still RESCENE's best-known song, is climbing music charts, with "Busy Boy" (2026) and "Pinball" (2024), drawing renewed attention as well. Riding that momentum, RESCENE is set to release a remake single in July.
At a moment when a major label debut can feel like a guaranteed path to success, a small-agency name breaking through is a welcome story. Groups including GFRIEND, MAMAMOO, EXID and Brave Girls have also previously ridden fancams, word of mouth and chart resurgences to mainstream recognition.
The members of currently inactive K-pop girl group GFRIEND pose during a showcase marking the release of their seventh EP, "Fever Season," at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, Seoul, July 2019. From left are members Sowon, Eunha, Yerin, SinB, Umji and Yuju. Newsis
Industry observers say short-form platforms and algorithm-driven discovery have created new openings for groups from smaller agencies. Where major broadcast appearances and distribution once required a big company's backing, platforms like TikTok, YouTube and fan-edited clips now let smaller teams reach global fandoms quickly.
Going viral, however, is no guarantee of staying power. A single chart resurgence or challenge trend rarely sustains a fandom long-term, and the K-pop market has no shortage of groups that caught fire briefly only to lose momentum.
"An idol group under a smaller agency can break out overnight through virality, but securing the systems to sustain that over the long term is much harder," a representative from a local public relations company told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. "Without enough marketing or promotion, music inevitably run out of steam."
Others argue that what has drawn audiences to RESCENE is something other than viral mechanics alone — that what comes through the content feels distinctly human.
Lee Woo-ram, head of PR firm LIKE BAHA and a columnist, wrote in a piece for local outlet that he sees something larger in the phrase people have started using for the group: "the underdog miracle."
People are not simply talking about one girl group's success, he wrote.
"Embedded in that phrase is a wish: that the world isn't one where capital and platforms determine everything, but one where a small team can still be noticed."
K-pop boy band BTS, signed to the then relatively small agency BigHit Music, performs during a media showcase marking the release of its debut full-length album, "Dark & Wild," at Blue Square in Yongsan District, Seoul, August 2014. Newsis
The momentum behind small-agency idols has reached the government as well.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency announced on June 16 the launch of a new support program for small and medium-sized K-pop agencies looking to expand overseas, the first of its kind. RESCENE was named among 10 inaugural beneficiaries.
Under the program, the ministry plans to select 10 agencies each year and provide up to 300 million won ($194,000) annually to each. Companies that show strong results can keep receiving support for up to three years through a follow-up evaluation.
"People still love watching someone grow. They're still waiting for a comeback story. They still want to believe that sincerity and hard work can eventually be discovered," Lee wrote.