Brave Girls is the feel-good story K-pop needs right now
Back in full effect, here’s Elaine with a new piece for her column, Idol Talk with Elaine Nguyen.
Last Sunday, Brave Girls tearfully accepted their first music show win from SBS’ Inkigayo for “Rollin’”, a song released over four years prior. Less than three weeks before that historic win, the group was preparing to leave their dorm and find new careers.
How did we get here? The explosive resurgence of “Rollin’” began when a stage compilation of the song alongside Internet commentary went viral. While the creator, Viditor, has uploaded hundreds of such videos, this one garnered particular attention for its inclusion of military performances and YouTube comments from ex-soldiers.
“Rollin’” enjoyed little commercial success in South Korea upon its release in 2017, but soldiers joke that it’s been #1 on “Millboard” (a portmanteau of “military” and “Billboard”) for years. Comments highlighted by Viditor remarked, “I learned this song from my seniors in the military and taught it to my juniors before I was discharged,” “I still remember my senior danced that dance on the table at the barrack,” and even, “[With this song] the Koreas will be united LOL.”
Brave Girls’ path to the hearts of their nation’s armed forces was simple: they performed for them. This is fairly common practice — 9Muses, Apink, Girl’s Day, and more have all graced the stage at military camps. The gig, however, can be grueling. Because these camps are often in remote areas, groups may find themselves traveling upwards of 12 hours to get there, including over rocky terrain or even by boat. Once there, they’ll face dust, bugs, and a pay rate significantly below what they’d get for a typical music festival. Furthermore, these appearances are usually closed to the public and untelevised, limiting the amount of exposure groups stand to gain.
Despite these adverse conditions, Brave Girls performed for the military over 100 times from 2016 to present, a figure unmatched by any of their industry peers. If the crowds of men in army fatigues mimicking the “Rollin’” choreo and roaring the fanchant in Viditor’s video are any indication, their efforts have been repaid in deep appreciation — and this appreciation is finally making its way to the civilian population.
The current lineup of Brave Girls (Minyoung, Yujeong, Eunji, and Yuna) debuted in 2016, and the past 5 years have not always been kind to them. Sales were lackluster, as were results when the group participated in survival show The Unit. Brave Girls also took an extensive hiatus before the release of their digital single “We Ride” in late 2020, after which it was quietly assumed they would disband.
But the universe had other plans. On February 23, the very day that Brave Girls privately decided to call it quits, Viditor’s video was posted. According to Yujeong, the group’s initial reaction when it went viral was not excitement but to tell each other, “Don’t get your hopes up, you’ll end up feeling hurt.”
Reality, however, has gone beyond even their wildest hopes. As I write this, Brave Girls have scored 4 more music show trophies since that first win on Inkigayo and recorded over 100 hourly Perfect All-Kills (or PAKs, a term referring to holding the #1 spot on every major Korean music chart simultaneously). I’m sure these numbers will be wildly outdated before the week is out — they seem to break another record every time I blink.
The past few weeks have been the busiest of their career, and the members constantly reiterate how grateful they are to be working. In one interview, Minyoung even said, “I’m so happy and excited that I can’t fall asleep.” There’s a simple delight in watching people who are so clearly thrilled to be doing what they’re doing. Brave Girls’ current success may have been catalyzed by a viral video, but it’s been sustained by the world’s overwhelming compulsion to root for them.
Whether you mean for the Kpop industry or the world as a whole, it’s safe to say that things are rough. In the midst of all the doomscrolling and discourse, the “Rollin’” renaissance has been a much-needed breath of fresh air on my Twitter timeline. Here are 4 talented women who spent years struggling and receiving limited recognition, whose salvation arrived with absurdly perfect timing and catapulted them to stardom. It’s enough to make you believe in miracles again.
Not only that, but the members of Brave Girls are also all in their late 20s or early 30s, making their tale especially poignant in an industry where idols often debut as teenagers and flare out by the time they’re 25. In Yujeong’s own words: “Our group is not young. I am the second oldest and I am 31 [in Korean age] … I have hit rock bottom after debut, but I eventually ended up where I wanted to be. You never know what life has in store for you.”
The next time you’re feeling down, try looking up a Brave Girls video or two. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself smiling along with them — and remembering that your efforts will pay off, even if it’s not when or how you expect.
(Sincere thanks to my good friend Yuri for providing English translations of the Naver article referenced above.)
