Photo = Screenshot from MORE VISION YouTube

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter KIM YEWON] Singer JAY PARK directly confronted fans’ complaints surrounding LNGSHOT, the group he personally produced. He responded to the “backup role” controversy that erupted online with his signature straightforward way of speaking, heating up social media.

 

On the 11th, JAY PARK posted a long message on his X (formerly Twitter) account along with photos showing LNGSHOT’s activities. He emphasized, “Hundreds of thousands of albums sold, four projects released, over 300 million Spotify streams, thousands of fans singing along at every performance, and schedules so packed they are busy,” expressing his affection for LNGSHOT by saying that they are “promoting as themselves even under a ‘no-name’ company.”

 

The core of the controversy was the stage. Recently, some fans have expressed dissatisfaction over JAY PARK going on stage with LNGSHOT members on music shows and taking the center position and ending pose in the process. They pointed out that LNGSHOT might be reduced to serving as JAY PARK’s backup.

 

JAY PARK did not back down. Declaring, “Next time, I’ll officially join LNGSHOT,” he frankly stated, “That was my goal from the beginning, and no one can stop me. Because I’m the one who owns the company, and I’m the one who made the group.” Fans’ concerns, in a way, became the trigger for him to make his plan official. In response, netizens reacted with comments such as, “Just how much did he miss being in a group?” and “JAY PARK’s big picture is insane. It was actually true that he made the group because he wanted to debut as a group himself.”

 

JAY PARK previously debuted in 2008 as the leader of 2PM, a group under JYP ENTERTAINMENT. 2PM later received great love with explosive popularity, but JYP’s statement regarding the reason for JAY PARK’s departure, saying, “If we reveal the reason for JAY PARK’s withdrawal, people will get hurt,” caused a huge stir.

 

He also maintained a firm stance toward online public opinion. After cutting it off by saying, “The narratives you create online mean nothing in real life,” he added, “Just enjoy the music and this journey, or watch from the sidelines.” Rather than trying to quell the controversy, it was a message declaring that he would not be shaken in his path.

 

He left somewhat different words for his own fans. “There is no need to feel upset because of me, and there is no need to try hard to defend me,” he said, adding, “There has never been a time when I did not get work because of online chatter.” He also drew a line regarding misunderstandings about the LNGSHOT members. “The narratives created online do not represent what they actually feel,” he stressed, adding, “The LNGSHOT members respect me and are always grateful, and I also respect them and will take care of them when needed.”

LNGSHOT is a four-member boy group that debuted in January this year through MORE VISION, the label founded by JAY PARK. On the 19th, the group released its 2nd mixtape 《4SHOBOIZ Vol. 2: 4SHOVILLE》 and has continued active promotions. Less than half a year after debut, the group has surpassed 300 million streams on Spotify, and in terms of numbers alone, its achievements are clear.

However, this back-and-forth has also left behind a task. Whether JAY PARK’s path as a producer, owner, and even a prospective future member of the group will strengthen the group’s identity or become another seed of controversy remains something to watch. Fans’ attention is now turning toward LNGSHOT’s next stage.

baily0623@hanteo.com