Published June 21, 2025

K-Pop Industry & Trends

By Fairlane Raymundo

Why Co-Ed K-Pop Groups Struggle — And Why All Day Project Might Break Through

Fans are buzzing over All Day Project—a fresh, exciting collaboration featuring both male and female idols. Some are asking: Could this finally be the co-ed group that breaks through in K-pop?

Members of upcoming K-pop group Allday Project. Screenshot from video on Allday Project's YouTube channel

It’s a fair question. For years, fans have rooted for co-ed acts to rise to the top, and yet... it just hasn’t happened on a large scale. Even with incredible talent and charisma, groups like KARD—often dubbed the most successful co-ed K-pop group to date—haven’t hit the same commercial highs as top-tier single-gender groups like Twice or Stray Kids.

MOKE/Courtesy of DSP Media

So why is that? Why do co-ed groups, despite offering variety, chemistry, and often even more musical range, tend to fall short in the K-pop scene?

Let’s dive into it—with a little help from marketing psychology, fandom culture, and brain science.

Co-Ed Groups vs. How the Brain Works

This isn’t about talent. It’s about how fans connect emotionally. There’s something called the single-minded proposition in branding—basically, one clear, emotionally-charged idea that makes a brand (or group) stick in your memory.

The human brain loves simplicity. K-pop thrives on strong, clean emotional signals—whether it's girl power, romantic fantasy, or fierce charisma. Co-ed groups? They tend to mix all of that together, and it confuses the brain.

Let’s break it down.

1. Cognitive Load: Too Many Stories at Once

A co-ed group presents more visual and narrative cues: are the members just friends? Is there romance? Who's the center? Is it about cool vibes or love lines?

All these layers require more brain effort. That’s called cognitive load. When it’s too much, people tune out. In pop music, fans want to feel something fast.

2. Selective Attention: We Remember the Loudest Message

When a group tries to do too much—girl crush + boy crush + maybe romance—it’s easy for nothing to stand out. Fans don’t remember nuance; they remember clarity.

Think Momo in Twice = dancing queen. Jungkook in BTS = golden boy. In co-ed groups, that kind of instant association is harder to form.

3. Emotional Priming: Mixed Signals Are Weak Signals

Pop music is emotional shorthand. A guy crooning into a camera = romantic fantasy. A girl slaying choreo = empowerment. But a guy and girl gazing at each other onstage? That’s emotionally mixed. Should the fan feel jealous? Inspired? Left out?

When the emotional signal is unclear, fans don’t connect as deeply.

4. Memory and Messaging: Repetition Wins

Girl groups repeat themes: pretty, powerful, playful. Boy groups? Strong, emotional, charming.

But co-ed groups juggle both—splitting the message and fragmenting the branding. And when your brain can’t summarize a group in one sentence, it doesn’t store it well.

5. The Bias Problem: Too Many Choices = No Choice

Fans love picking a bias. It’s a personal anchor, a point of emotional connection. But co-ed groups often disrupt this by adding layers—love triangles, dual leaders, gender hierarchies.

It’s like choosing from 24 flavors of jam: the more options, the harder it is to commit. That’s called choice paralysis—and it hurts fandom growth.

Pop Needs Fantasy—But Fantasy Needs Simplicity

Most K-pop fandoms are built on parasocial relationships—one-sided emotional bonds between idols and fans. These work best when the fantasy is clean.

In a boy group, fans may imagine dating or being protected. In a girl group, they might see a role model or best friend. But in a co-ed group? Suddenly, those dynamics clash.

Is he taken?

Why is she getting all the lines?

Are they flirting or just acting?

That ambiguity opens the door to jealousy, tribalism, and confusion—all of which disrupt the emotional high fans are chasing.

Why Black Eyed Peas Worked (and KARD Almost Did)

Black Eyed Peas is one of the few successful co-ed acts—because they weren’t selling fantasy.

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Members of upcoming K-pop group Allday Project. Screenshot from video on Allday Project's YouTube channel

They started as a hip-hop crew. When Fergie joined, she wasn’t marketed as a “female lead.” She was a voice. An instrument. The group’s identity was about energy and rhythm, not personas or love lines.

Same with KARD. They’ve toured globally and built a solid fanbase. But still, they've been more niche than mainstream—and the branding challenge remains.

Rock Gets a Pass—Because It’s Not Selling the Same Thing

Think ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, The xx—co-ed groups that worked.

But those aren’t K-pop groups. That’s rock, where the focus is on musical chemistry, storytelling, and authenticity, not idol personas or parasocial connections.

Pop is fantasy. Rock is friction. And co-ed tension is welcomed in one, but confusing in the other.

So… Can All Day Project Break the Pattern?

Honestly? It depends.

Right now, All Day Project is being positioned as more of a collaboration than a permanent group. Maybe that’s intentional—a way to test the waters without triggering the usual co-ed resistance.

It’s worth noting that one of the original members, Leongu, was supposed to debut with ILLIT but bowed out last minute. So it’s heartwarming to see her getting a second shot here—she’s actually one of the main reasons many fans are tuning in and supporting this project.

If All Day Project plays its cards right—sticking to a simple concept, avoiding overly complex dynamics, and letting the music lead—it might just break through.

It won’t be easy. Co-ed K-pop groups are still the exception, not the norm. But times change. And maybe fans are ready for something a little more layered. A little more daring.

Whatever happens, we’re watching, we’re listening—and we’re rooting for them.