K-pop’s latest female group M.M.D is made up of all moms

January 31, 2022

M.M.D (which stands for “MAMADOL”), a six-member K-pop group composed of mothers, made their global debut with the release of their first single “WooAh Hip” on Jan. 28.

Formed by Korean reality show “Mama the Idol,” the new group consists of K-pop stars who temporarily left their thriving careers to give birth and care for their children, reported Soompi.

The M.M.D roster consists of Park Jung-ah (Jewelry), Sunye (Wonder Girls), Kahi (After School), Yang Eun Ji (Baby Vox Re.V), Hyun Jyu-ni (Scarlet mojo-Pin) and solo artist Byul.

The group showcased their new single along with some impressive dance moves in a recent performance on “M Countdown.”

Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik attributed the appeal of M.M.D to fans who used to support the group’s members during the high point of their careers , according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

“Female fans who loved them at the peak of their popularity have grown older too and are likely to be mothers themselves today,” he was quoted as saying. “Many of them also may have halted or ended their careers because of childcare. So it’s natural for them to become emotionally invested in the female stars’ attempts to resume their careers and gain a sense of vicarious satisfaction.”

According to Kim, the show that formed M.M.D highlighted that marriage and motherhood greatly affect the careers of K-pop idols. “Women in similar age ranges can empathize with that reality because it also affected them or potentially will in the future,” he explained.

In South Korea, 65% of the 1.45 million women who left their jobs in the first half of 2021 cited childbirth and childcare as their reasons for quitting, a report by Statistics Korea revealed.

Kim also noted how “Mama the Idol” has broken outdated concepts which place a huge emphasis on the age of female idols.

“Compared to male idols, women were much more harshly judged on their youth or the effects of aging on their looks,” he added. “But nowadays, more fans of female idols are women and are very loyal.”

As of this writing, M.M.D’s performance video on YouTube has received over 1 million views and an overwhelmingly positive response from viewers.

“Female idols should NOT stop working when they turn 30, get married, or have kids (unless they chose to) because these women + their experience and talent makes them some of the best female kpop idols right now,” a YouTube commenter wrote.

“This song is NOT ‘just a mom song’ — it is a reminder to anyone of the POWER they can wield if they KEEP GOING,” wrote another. “Whoever is reading this, no matter where you are in life, know that you have done exceptionally great at least once in the past. MAMADOL invites us to rechannel the strength we had and do BETTER.”

“MAMADOL is a group that Kpop desperately needed. The industry has always been unfair towards women” another one chimed in. “A female idol who wants to start a family is supposed to leave her group and stop being an idol… And MAMADOL is proof that female artists should be able to continue their careers even as wives and mothers because there’s no reason they shouldn’t do [sic] be able to do it.”

Featured Image via Stone Music Entertainment

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