What’s Happening to HYBE?

HYBE is one of the biggest labels in the entertainment industry, specializing in K-Pop groups with notable names like NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, and of course, BTS. However, 2026 has not treated the company kindly, as their staff and idols have been under fire for countless reasons. From hiatuses to lawsuits, endless criticism and more, here’s a quick summary of everything going on at HYBE.

The first and most well-known issues come with members leaving their groups. With the lawsuit between HYBE, NewJeans, and Min Heejin coming to a close, a new lawsuit has opened up with member Danielle and her family, likely causing both her and ex-leader Kim Minji to leave the group. The details are murky as far as I’m aware, but it seems to me that the group will attempt to continue as three, leaving Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein as the only members. Speaking of inconclusive drama, Manon’s hiatus from KATSEYE has sparked massive debate over whether or not she will return, with member Daniela’s father speaking on the matter in a disrespectful manner that caused his daughter to receive massive hate. These two are not the only ones, with others such as Heeseung leaving Enhypen and likely others leaving or having their group disbanded.

(ex-?) KATSEYE Manon posing for a shoot with F1, which has led to speculation over whether she’s still under contract.

More recently, there has been criticism centered around the wave of new music being released by HYBE’s girl groups, with KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM, and ILLIT all releasing new music around the same time and within the same genre. KATSEYE’s ‘'PINKY UP'’ is a slight deviation from their more recent direction, the instrumental taking on a much more EDM, rave-style of vibe that perfectly suited their Coachella performance, but likely won’t fit in people’s playlists. LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT’s dabbles into the EDM style are both being met with criticism, as LE SSERAFIM’s ‘'CELEBRATE’' doesn’t live up to the expectations set by previous tracks such as ‘'CRAZY'’, which takes on a very similar genre. Meanwhile, ‘'IT’S ME'’ from ILLIT is a strong deviation from their norm, and I believe the preview didn’t do the full song justice, as upon hearing some of the verses my opinion on the music has grown much more positive.

Overall, HYBE artists have been subjected to not only the stress of potentially losing their fellow members or leaving/being removed from the group, but also the criticism for their music for reasons mostly outside of their control. The company’s credibility and reputation have certainly diminished over the span of 2026 so far, and it only seeks to get worse in the following months.