5 days ago
i-dle's juniors named XOGEANS? Cube Ent's trademark on word sparks allegations of copying EXO and NewJeans
CUBE Entertainment, the agency behind i-dle recently trademarked the word XOGEANS and the phrase New GG (interpreted by fans as New Girl Group). It led to speculations of the agency being in the process of naming the juniors of i-dle. It generated immense buzz online, not because of the trademarking, but due to his similar XOGEANS sounded to EXO and NewJeans. Fans criticised CUBE for the unexpected move.
i-dle's agency trademarks XOGEANS and New GG
CUBE Entertainment recently submitted a trademark application, which was discovered by some fans. As they shared the information online, many people expressed their opinion regarding the word XOGEANS (엑소진스) and the phrase New GG. They believe it could be indicative of an upcoming debut of i-dle's juniors. Despite the lack of an official announcement, fans are eagerly anticipating more information about the possible new group.
Fans criticize CUBE Entertainment's trademark of word XOGEANS
Fans expressed disappointment on two aspects of the formation of the word XOGEANS. The first was that XOGEANS sounded like "exo+newjeans mashup." As per fans, the company tried to ride on the success of the two K-pop groups of SM Entertainment and ADOR to make sure their upcoming girl group gains traction.
As XOGEANS contains key syllables of EXO and NewJeans, many feel that it was a marketing ploy rather than a genuine attempt to create a unique identity for the group. "if this is true... the downgrade from the name lightsum to xogeans is insane," a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another point of contention among fans is CUBE Entertainment's alleged lack of support for lightsum. Many feel that the agency is neglecting its current artists in favor of new projects, which has led to widespread criticism. "maybe treat lightsum better first???," an X-user wrote. CUBE Entertainment is yet to respond to the backlash, however, the trademark filing for XOGEANS suggests that the company is moving ahead with plans for the new group, with speculations of a potential debut in late 2025 or early 2026.
With controversy already brewing before the official announcement, concerns are rising about how the public will receive the new girl group upon their debut.
