TRCNG: What Could Have Been

K-pop is full of a huge number of individuals with immense talent who have blessed the world with their creative output. Throughout the years, we’ve seen so many awesome people get the opportunity to take the stage or recording booth. However there are also a lot of talented and deserving people who didn’t have access to the same resources or chances as the others. These sorts of situations are frustrating and disappointing, but arguably more disappointing are those who had a shot at success and had it slip through their fingers due to forces outside of their control.

 

 

Such is the case with teen boy group TRCNG. The group debuted on October 10, 2017, with TS Entertainment and had ten members. Their name was an acronym for ‘Teen Rising Champion in a New Generation’ and was thus made up of younger idols. They only existed for a few years before the group disbanded, and unfortunately there was very little the group members could have done to prevent it, as it came from the collapse and exploitation of TS Entertainment.

 

So what happened? Long story short, TS Entertainment messed everything up. The group debuted much like any group, and were on track to receive a similar level of success as other boy bands by following a similar trajectory as those groups. Their debut didn’t rock the boat too much, but they did find a growing fanbase through the singles “Paradise,” “Wolf Baby,” and “MISSING” over their first few years as a group.

 

 

Then in late 2019, everything changed. Two members and their families filed a criminal complaint against TS Entertainment. The company was no stranger to lawsuits, as they had faced litigation from B.A.P., Sleepy from Untouchable, Sonamoo, Jieun, and Hyoseong. However, this new suit would be one of the final nails in the coffin for the TS Entertainment, as it contained allegations of child abuse and neglect, criminal battery, extortion, assault, and more. The two members were dismissed from the group, but this would remain in the public consciousness for a while. Some of the details of the case came out, such as the horrible living conditions of the dorms and members being beaten with objects like a metal chair, and eventually the whole agency shut down in 2021.

 

 

In 2022, members of TRCNG announced the official disbandment of the group and thanked fans for their support through the hardships over the previous few years. To this day, most have left the entertainment circle completely, although several of the members did launch the APR Project, which let them celebrate the few hits they did have as TRCNG.

 

 

APR Project eventually became the group BXB, and it seems like the members who crossed over are in a much better environment now. Unfortunately, TRCNG was never given a real chance to shine, as those in charge used their power in horrible ways. However, it is a relief that the members are in a better place now and no longer need to deal with that abuse.