With the many many names to keep track of in K-pop, it can be easy to miss when a group hasn’t had a comeback in a while if you haven’t been tuned into the discussion. One such case you may have missed is the girl group MOMOLAND. While the group seemed poised for success after hits like “BBoom BBoom” and “BAAM,” you may have noticed there hasn’t been anything from the group in a while. Unfortunately the group disbanded in 2023 due to a number of factors, including scandals, negative attention from online fans, and mismanagement from MLD Entertainment.
MOMOLAND was created in 2016 through the competition show Finding Momoland and debuted early the following year. The group changed lineups a few times during their run, but despite the hard work of the girls, there was just too much pushing against them in the end.
After several members left the group in 2019, group member Daisy shared information that the voting on Finding Momoland had been fraudulent and that the results had been manipulated. She was removed from the group shortly after, and MLD Entertainment took legal action against her, refuting her claims the whole time. Although this scandal wouldn’t completely destroy the group’s reputation, it took a significant hit from this point forward.
This scandal continued the trend of hate comments the group had been receiving from fans across K-pop. Throughout their career, MOMOLAND was seen as a punching bag among stans, with every little action and statement receiving criticism. From jealous fans upset that their favorite groups didn’t beat MOMOLAND on the charts to comments about members not smiling at awards ceremonies and having limited interaction with other idols, there wasn’t a safe space on the internet for these girls. Compilations like the one included below circled the internet criticizing the group.
Years later, a few members of ARMY who had led some of the hate campaigns actually admitted to falsifying information and editing clips to make MOMOLAND look worse than they were.
One of the biggest factors in their disbandment was how poorly the group was managed. Fans have pointed to multiple aspects of the group as faults of their management. MOMOLAND suffered from over-sexualization, bad promotion, constant lineup changes, and lengthy breaks between their comebacks. Even without the fan responses and scandal, this would be enough to tank the popularity of almost any group.
In the end, the members decided not to re-sign with MLD Entertainment, and it was announced early 2023 that MOMOLAND had disbanded. Although it still remains to be seen what the members will do from here, we just hope that it goes better than their time as a group. What was meant to be a beautiful “Starry Night” for the group ended up being a perfect thunderstorm of trouble.