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A 13-year-old song finds a new audience
South Korean girl group BESTie has returned to the spotlight after its 2013 song "Love Options" ("Yeonaeui Jogun") broke into the country's top 10 charts, 13 years after its release. The unexpected resurgence has prompted the four-member group, which disbanded in 2018, to announce a reunion eight years after going their separate ways.
The song had never previously reached the top 50 in South Korea. Its recent rise has been even more striking across Chinese-speaking markets and several Southeast Asian countries, where it is competing for the No. 1 and No. 2 positions on local charts.
Short-form videos spark an unexpected revival
The comeback began with short-form video content featuring the song as background music for clips involving another girl group. The videos gained traction, and participation by multiple singers in related dance and music challenges helped spread the track further.
The phenomenon has drawn comparisons with Brave Girls, now known as BBGIRLS, whose 2017 song "Rollin'" became a major hit four years after its release, just as the group was facing the prospect of disbandment. BESTie's revival is considerably more unusual: its song has returned to popularity after 13 years, and the group had already been disbanded for years before the renewed interest emerged.
Four members took separate paths after disbandment
BESTie debuted in 2013, during the transition between K-pop's second and third generations. Despite consistent performances and strong singing and dancing skills, the group struggled to gain widespread recognition. Its activities effectively ended about two years after debut, and it officially disbanded in 2018.
The members reportedly received no settlement payments from their agency and each carried approximately 100 million won ($70,000) in debt around the time of the breakup.
Afterward, the four pursued different careers. Leader Hyeyeon worked as a trot singer and regional television reporter. Main vocalist Uji established herself as a musical theater performer. Haeryung, a former child actress, returned to acting, while main dancer Dahye continued performing as a solo singer and musical theater actress.
A reunion built on an unfinished dream
Despite working in different industries and having separate professional commitments, the four members moved quickly to organize a reunion after their old song began attracting attention. They announced their return, released a new choreography video and appeared on a major South Korean terrestrial television music chart program.
Now in their early to mid-30s, the members are part of a generation of performers whose careers have evolved well beyond their original idol-group identities. Their reunion has been made possible by enduring personal bonds and a shared determination to pursue the dream they could not fulfill during their initial run.
The story has resonated beyond the usual narrative of an older K-pop song becoming popular again. With intense competition and rising barriers to employment making it increasingly difficult for young people to achieve their ambitions, BESTie's return has been viewed as a story of perseverance that offers encouragement to ordinary people as well as aspiring performers.
One South Korean journalist compared the group's journey to cicadas, which spend more than seven years underground as nymphs before emerging into the world. After 13 years, BESTie's members have found another opportunity to pursue the dream they once had to leave behind.
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