Changing the sound and concept for the 1st comeback is one of the biggest mistakes a group can make

Some companies are afraid of making important decisions, so they constantly change a group’s concept and music genres in an attempt to attract as much interest as possible. However, this often has the opposite effect. People who were initially interested in their music and concept will be turned off by the first comeback. I understand that the intention is to attract as many people as possible, hoping that at least a percentage of them will become interested in the members and, in turn, loyal to the group. But besides being a cheap strategy, I don’t think it works very well.

There’s a kind of FOMO that some companies experience when choosing a group’s identity: what if we choose this concept and genre but miss out on another pool of fans? As a result, we end up with a first comeback that’s different from the debut, in an effort to attract fans of a second genre and concept. But not only do they lose their initial fanbase’s interest, but people who are interested in the second concept won’t be fully convinced either, since they discovered the group through its first concept and sound.

In the end, they change what made them known, which is a terrible marketing decision driven purely by the possibility of greater revenue. This is a common mistake, especially among smaller and mid-sized companies. I understand that they don’t have the luxury of taking the time to establish a strong identity like the Big 4 groups, but even non-Big 4 groups that had successful debuts often make this mistake, ruining any chance they had of becoming big.

So, yes, more people might like some of their releases, but since there’s a lot they don’t like, the chances of them becoming dedicated fans are lower than if the group had stuck to one type of music. It creates certain uncertainty to what expect from a group, and very few groups know to turn that uncertainty to their favor.

It’s even worse because they often use concepts that were popularized by Big 4 groups with more resources, who actually maintain those concepts, making it more likely for fans to stan a group that consistently does that style, rather than one that only tries it once or twice.

I don't know how popular this opinion is, but it's something i always thought. There's multiple groups i don't like because of their sound, however, i know them for that sound. i don't understand when ppl say "they should change their sound because i don't like it" because if they change, they'll lose the fans that have been supporting them all along...so more ppl can become casuals? it does not make sense.

If you've examples of groups where you LOVED their debut but was turned off by their first comeback since it was different i would love to hear it! it's something that happens to me quite often tbh...i fear when a rookie announce their cb lol