A whole romantic plot and everything!
36 minutes ago
One of the arbitrary restrictions in the K-Pop industry, even today, is the prohibition on free mingling between male and female idols. Though in recent times, many male-female idol friendships have been able to break through this boundary, hints of romance or anything similar are still very much a stigma. So, when netizens saw a top boy group and a top girl group acting in a sexy commercial together, it was nothing short of uncanny valley.
The groups in question are 2PM and Girls’ Generation, two of the most top tier idol groups from second-generation K-pop.
Girls’ Generation and 2PM | SM Entertainment & JYP Entertainment via Last.fm
Back when the two groups were riding the peak of their popularity, the members frequently collaborated for variety shows, MC-ing, advertisements, and year-end stages. One of their most iconic collaborations was the “Cabi Song,” a promotional single by the two groups. Released on May 20, 2010, it was a promotional song for the Caribbean Bay water park at Everland Resort.
(From L to R) Changsub, Seohyun, Taecyeon, YoonA, Nickhun, and Yuri
The song came with a full-fledged music video featuring Girls’ Generation members YoonA, Seohyun, and Yuri, along with 2PM members Taecyeon, Nickhun, and Chansung. Shockingly, it featured some not-so-PG scenes, including Nickhun rubbing sunscreen on Yuri’s back and YoonA almost grinding on Taecyeon!
The video recently resurfaced after a netizen compared it to the Netflix dating show, Single’s Inferno.
무슨 정신으로 1군 여돌 남돌 불러서 솔로 지옥 찍을 생각을 한걸까 …… pic.twitter.com/UJYAULG7xn
— 323 … (@zzzxzcvv) June 4, 2026
Others got nostalgic over the clip, reminiscing about how different idol culture was a decade ago.
| theqoo
- “Wow, that’s something you couldn’t even imagine happening nowadays, lol.”
- “Aside from those commercials, there was actually a show where they gathered people for a real dating reality program, too. LOL.”
- “It’s literally Single’s Inferno Was Too Hot to Handle even out back then? I wonder what the reference was, LOL.”
| theqoo
- “I f*cking hated it, seriously. I was thinking, ‘My unnies are doing *this*?’ Now I look back and laugh about it though…”
- “Back then, idol culture wasn’t something enjoyed solely by fandoms; it was consumed by the general public—or rather, driven by them—so the prevailing attitude was simply, ‘If the public likes it, that’s all that matters.’”
- “That was huge back then, seriously.”
Would you want this era of K-Pop to return?