Becoming a mainstream trend is difficult, but maintaining that position is even harder. Rescene, a group that earned the modifier ‘national girl group’ with a frightening upward trend, has faced another test amidst recent mixed evaluations. It is a time when the members’ wish, "I hope it’s not just a momentary flash of buzz," becomes even more meaningful.
Rescene (Woni, Liv, Minami, May, Zena) is one of the most prominent growing groups in the recent music scene. Debuting in 2024, they built their presence by connecting online buzz from this year with actual musical achievements. At the center of it was leader Woni’s YouTube channel. Woni and Minami’s gal-conception and memes drew attention, quickly making the name Rescene known to the public.
Later, their 2024 release ‘LOVE ATTACK’ achieved a chart reverse and topped music charts, while the remake song ‘Pretty Girl’ also gained much love. They have moved past simply being an online sensation to achieve tangible success with their actual music.
Their fourth mini-album ‘PULSE’, released on the 3rd, also garnered a hot response. The title track ‘With’ reached No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 chart just two hours after release, and b-side tracks also entered the upper tiers of the charts. Award processions followed as well. Rescene took home four crowns at the ‘2026 Korea Grand Music Awards’ on the 7th, and consecutively claimed No. 1 trophies on ‘The Show’ on the 10th and ‘Show Champion’ on the 11th.
Furthermore, they confirmed their first solo concert at Olympic Hall in Seoul’s Olympic Park from February 19 to 21 next year. This is a meaningful achievement as they will showcase a performance under their own name in about three years since debut.
However, as popularity rises, the standards for expectations and evaluations naturally increase as well. Recently, Rescene faced mixed reactions surrounding their live singing skills following music broadcast encore stages. Some netizens pointed out that Woni and May’s pitch sounded unstable, and also expressed regret over Woni’s choreography and rhythm.
On the other hand, there were reactions that judging the members’ overall skills based on just a few scenes is excessive. The opinion was raised that constructive evaluations of live stages must be distinguished from excessive criticism directed at individual members.
In this situation, what drew renewed attention was what Rescene directly shared during their comeback showcase. Regarding the title ‘national girl group’, May stated that it felt undeserved and expressed her determination to become a group worthy of that name.
In particular, she shared that the members talked among themselves about wanting to receive lasting love rather than a momentary flash of buzz, and to continue showing new sides of themselves while working harder. The members were well aware that the sudden surge of attention wasn’t purely joyful.
Indeed, gaining public popularity and maintaining that popularity for a long time are two different matters. Regardless of how they gathered online buzz, continued love as singers ultimately requires solid music and performances.
At the same time, there is no need to disparage the achievements Rescene has built so far based solely on recent criticisms. Results ranging from chart reversals and music show wins to their first solo concert are clearly accomplishments they have accumulated.
Now, the important part is what comes next. The key is whether they can connect heightened attention to better music and performances rather than viewing it merely as a burden. Their first solo concert, in particular, serves as an opportunity to prove their potential through an extended stage format.
