Light sticks are an integral part of a K-Pop performance. The light effects from the lightsticks and the large number of fans gathered in concerts make them likened to beautiful "oceans" of light.
Lighting the lightstick is like a way to motivate all the performers. But Kpop has had cases when fans from different fandoms did not support the artist on stage. And since then, the phrase "black ocean" has become an obsession of artists.
"Black Ocean" is an organized demonstration by a crowd of different fandoms in a performance that features a variety of artists. Audiences will turn off their lightsticks, leaving a "black ocean" when it comes to artists they don't love to perform.
Here are five times K-Pop groups survived a “black ocean.”
1. Girls’ Generation
Girls’ Generation was one of the earliest groups to be subject to the “black ocean” at the 2008 Dream Concert. As one of the largest annual concerts in Korea, the Dream Concert always boasts a popular lineup of artists.
Allegedly before the Dream Concert, there was even a physical altercation between Girls’ Generation fans and Super Junior fans, exacerbating the feud between the fandoms. When Girls’ Generation appeared on the stage, fans of other artists turned off their lightsticks for the ten-minute duration of their performance. As if the “black ocean” wasn’t enough, fans of other artists allegedly chanted Wonder Girls‘ name to further hurt the girls.
2. SEVENTEEN
At the time, SEVENTEEN performed at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, they were new rookies and hadn’t released a lightstick. But while some fans of other artists used their lightsticks to cheer for the rookie group, a large majority turned theirs off, creating another “black ocean.”
But despite all the hardships SEVENTEEN have faced during their careers, they have certainly become an incredibly successful group that is loved for their amazing music and stellar performances.
3. Lovelyz
Woolim Entertainment‘s first girl group, Lovelyz, endured many hardships over their time together. One of the eight members, Jisoo, couldn’t debut with Lovelyz due to controversy over malicious rumors being spread about her.
But, in seeming response to Jisoo being added to the group despite the controversy, fans of Lovelyz gave a “black ocean” for their performance at the 2015 Pepsi concert. But the worst thing was that some Lovelyz’s fans even asked for cooperation from fans of other artists in creating the ominous “black ocean" in the performance of the group.
4. T-ARA
Like Lovelyz, T-ARA had to face a “black ocean” orchestrated by their own fans because of the scandal related to bullying Hwayoung. At the 2012 World Conservation Congress K-Pop Nature+ Concert, fans seemingly voiced their displeasure with Hwayoung leaving T-ARA by not only creating a “black ocean” but by allegedly chanting Hwayoung’s name instead of a traditional fan chant.
Proving that they’re capable of enduring any hardship, T-ARA even made a comeback in late 2021 after an indefinite hiatus. They also showed that the scandal is not their fault.
5. BTS
Although BTS has become one of the most popular global music artists, they have had to endure two different “black oceans.”
Their first time is when they received the infamous “black ocean” at the 2016 Golden Disk Awards. At the time, with BTS’s popularity increasing, the “black ocean” was allegedly started as a retaliatory fan war with fans of EXO, with both sides blaming the other.
The second time continued at the 2016 Melon Music Awards, where BTS once again performed in front of a “black ocean” of other fandom. They only had some little light from ARMY's lighstick at that time.
Fortunately, both groups have continued their incredibly successful careers and, with the sizes of their fanbases, will not have to face a “black ocean” again.
