K-pop: behind an illusion

Visual and artistic effects at the heart of ambitions, in-depth and song-specific choreographies, singular outfits, a mix of various musical genres (rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues…) and vocal performances out of the ordinary at the other side in Asia… Welcome to K-pop world a singular universe… with dark facets.

The K-pop band BLACKPINK, performing their song As if it’s your last

Originally from South Korea, this musical movement named K-pop (diminutive of Korean Pop) was created to provide economics resources for Korea during the economic crisis in the 1990s.

If this musical genre was used as an economic strength during that time, nowadays it is a real musical sphere of influence that has developed around the world particularly in the occidental countries. Solo or in a band up to nine members, K-pop was considered giving a perfect and idealist image of women. This hypothesis is nevertheless starting to disappear thanks to the thinking’s evolution and to the evolution of female’s conditions too, artists like Jessi or even CL are both examples of this evolution.

A feminist vision of various scandals which remain nevertheless…

Many are the people wishing of becoming themselves an idol (= terms used for k-pop singers) but they don’t have any idea of the amount of intensive and complicated work awaiting them.

After doing an audition in an agency, -if they succeed- they officially become a trainee and will learn to dance, sing and rap all of it simultaneously. These exercises are rigorous and strict; there is no place for laziness. Indeed, this training period can last over ten years and more. Many trainees had left their status because of the stress affecting them physically and morally. To shine in front of cameras, mistakes are not allowed and even the most determined one finished defeated.

Finally, when a trainee is called to sign an agreement to start a career solo or in a band, they become an idol. As much exciting as it may appear becoming an idol has its advantages and disadvantages.

JYP ENTERTAINMENT, YG ENTERTAINMENT, or even Bighit are famous Korean labels… of many scandals. The agreements imposed by these labels offer a unique opportunity for the idols but also constant control. It is them who dictate the life and image that their members must have. By even forbidding drinking and smoking and also driving because the idols obviously need to maintain an irreproachable image to the detriment of their personal life and liking. The labels are also the source of many scandals about idols’ diet. Pictures more and more disturbing showed that some idols had to lose more than 22lb to satisfy the labels’ image, meaning a thin body. On the contrary and less frequent some also had to gain weight in a really short time. Personal decision or not the labels’ involvement in this has also been confirmed many times. The health of the idols is then called into question when they lose weight each passing day. The various videos showing K-pop stars fainting on the scene have also stimulated the subject about their conditions, the dizziness too regular to be taken without seriousness. Dizziness then due to overwork or to the diets?

On top of the diets some stars see themselves changing their voices, their way of singing and their way of behaving to reach their superior’s expectations, and sometimes some members of a group are also put aside of their band outshining them of the projectors. All these elements can have a deep impact on their mental health. It can provoke an anxiety crisis, a common thing on scene where the idols have to overcome this in front of thousands of people.

A deadly… weak mental health

This October 14th, the announcement of the K-pop star Sulli’s death at the age of twenty-five shocked many of her fans. Found lifeless at her home by her manager she would have, for the investigators, committed suicide. Victim of depression and cyber-bullying she was known for her outspokenness and her feminism which caused her many critics.

She is not the only idol to have endured bullying or to have faced psychological aftermath from the K-pop industry.

Before her, we can also recall Kim Jong-Hyun, a member of SHINee and various other celebrities even actors who end their lives tragically. Many internet users stand up for these people saying that ʺthey did not commit suicide, but they were killedʺ by this artistic industry.

The K-pop world faces many international successes thanks to famous bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, EXO... liked by various public. Despite the image they reflect they have to face hard stress every day. They have to satisfy their label and above everything else, they have to do events after events without interruptions despite their personal conflicts and their health. The K-pop universe is in fact intransigent. However, even with all of this K-pop’s stars aren’t all unhappy and most of them get used really fast to their life –even if it may be hard- by making a break or also by leaving in ʺvacationʺ thanks to their label where they enjoy memorable times with members of their band who constitute an important strength.

This is the life they chose because they love singing and dancing and this is where they find comfort and happiness.

Don’t rely on the illusion, but try to see through it.

Quote: this article does not have in any case the goal to denigrate k-pop industry. It is more likely a testimony of an outside point of view to reveal the truth hiding behind the illusion of a world qualified most of the time as ʺperfectʺ. In fact, the things I said do not concern EVERY k-pop band but some of them. This article was written to remove the prejudices on this world but also to make you realize that k-pop singers also have emotions and feelings like every human on Earth and their life is not all pretty. Being a star asks for sacrifices.

Credits (pictures):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenchulichaeng/44390881651/in/album- 72157671911834408/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/kpoplove4ever/8057869354/in/photolist-dh3FPY-dh4qGk- 81J4JH-9L4DoX-dh41Eb-dfHaHy-dh3CzU-dh3Ceo-7W7ztU-bBGQao-8Ng3Dq-R2tsYb-N9j7z- arGSGa-6nWBCS-yE2Ns-TCN2j5-8Shx1f-N9nos-dKBSMS-YFkGuY-YZTCe7-hcVjfF-cPfAby- i7f8kh-f6BXn9-TuPmc1-dkJeRw-H5feZ-87cUiV-astNFB-7ggrSC-iJwAUf-6TJF9V-qGNagS- cw2RPU-9eg1m2-8HMugT-d493PA-cjutAh-Z2mcrs-jKxekQ-bxV7mj-anbLRJ-N9np9-5WMgyC- c9ptzU-jhu6dc-ikzSwb-ayN93U/ https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twice_(groupe)