In this op-ed, let's play devil's advocate and raise the questions on everyone's minds about YG Entertainment's latest slew of announcements of comebacks, debuts, and competitive reality shows.  Why is YG doing too much?  What goals are they trying to reach?  What numbers are they trying to hit?  Those are the questions, at least this writer thinks.  There could be more. 

In the middle of June 2013, what seems to be 2NE1's long overdue comeback was announced by YG entertainment. Initially planned, for 2012, or was it 2011, YG once again set expectations that 2NE1 will finally come back this year, via a staggered concept, with tracks releasing beginning in July through October.  The culmination of which will be a full album, or is it a mini-album?  It's really hard to tell at this point. Why?  Because YG promised the same concept a year ago, starting with "I Love You" which by the way was the only track that saw the light of day in said staggered concept.  2NE1's comeback was then mired in the confusion that was an impromptu world tour, Psy madness, and the Big Bang World Tour.  Does it sound like I'm a Blackjack complaining?  Honestly, no.  I scratch my head, not over the delay of 2NE1's comeback, but over the apparent lack of solid planning from K-pop's most venerable entertainment agency.  

To its credit, YG Entertainment is home to top caliber artists, able to fill stadiums, domes, and arenas worldwide.  But is that stable getting too full to warrant eggs needing to be hatched too soon?  2NE1 is one of YG's prominent brands, and it feels an utter disrespect to them that their much anticipated comeback will now be mired again with new rookies and winners (or losers) of a competitive reality show from their own agency.

I honestly want to trust YG Entertainment, that they know what they are doing, given their clout and capacity in the Korean music industry.  Every time I want to try to trust, though, I'm left disappointed. Seeing their hits and misses over the years make this writer doubtful.  Yes, Psy became the mega-hit.  Yes, Big Bang was able to rise above the scandals into a stronger group.  Yes, Lee Hi became a breakthrough.   But what feels like 'misses' far outnumber the hits.  Was Gentleman released too late?  Why is Daesung and G-Dragon (and Seungri, if that counts) the only Big Bang members with solo activities now only mere months before a rumored group comeback?  Will Taeyang and T.O.P see their own solo comeback activities come into fruition in time?  Does YG really need to debut another rookie, when Akdong Musician has a lot of potential waiting to be unraveled? And yes, there's 2NE1, the fate of the femme fatale group almost waiting forever in the wing.

And of course, let's discuss this rookie group and this reality show.  It sounds like every bit like a stellar marketing propaganda.  It would work, because that's the trend these days, right? Maybe.  It would work if the company at the helm is not YG. 

The expectation I have of YG is not buzz or bandwagon marketing.  Given their spot in K-pop, I expected more.  I expected a solid machinery founded by a strong leadership, and proper planning.  I expected an anchoring to the core of what truly predicts success in K-pop - high quality and well-thought out music and stages.  Not another reality show, when there's already the K-pop Star franchise that head honcho Yang Hyunsuk is a big participant of.  

We don't need another rookie group from another reality show.  Not directly from YG Entertainment. 

We don't need more expectations set to fans, only to disappear like bubbles in the wind.

We need constant visibility, by way of proper timing of debuts and comebacks from artists we already know and respect or from trainees we already know should be seeing their own stages.

Are we setting our expectations too high?  Probably not.  With YG getting to where it is through fan support translated into revenue in millions, it is almost a given that the bar be set high.   Accountability becomes automatic -- for K-pop's most dominant entertainment agency face.  If YG intends to usher in one of the longest and sustained waves in Hallyu, their planning cannot be haphazard, for the reason that everyone else, especially smaller agencies are looking to them to set the right example. 

We need YG to stop focusing efforts solely on making and predicting their next hit.  Because their hits don't come that way.  They come naturally as we've seen from all their hits so far.  YG does best when YG least expects, when it is consistent and calm.    So, dial down the steroids. Breathe. Think. Focus.  Before it truly becomes too little too late for their stronger artist brands or before it becomes too much too soon for YG Entertainment and Hallyu as a whole.