Every year, it’s normal to see millions of youngsters determined to pack their bags
and go pursuing the dream of being idols. However, it’s even more common to see most
of them go home half-way for the overwhelming heat and pressure that not only come from
the management company, the peers but also from the trainees themselves.
While everyone knows that to become a KPOP star, stand under the limelight, and practicalize
the dream of singing and dancing on stage, all idols must have gone through a rigorous
process beforehand, are you confident that you understand exactly what they have to undergo
from start to finish? Not letting you wait any longer, let’s continue
with the video to see the entire process that has always been used to create an all-rounded
idol that we usually see. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1. The preparation The very first stage of this journey is, of
course, practicing hard for the audition. As the saying goes: “Practice makes perfect,”
in the fiercely competitive environment like the KPOP industry, literally all trainees
must start the preparation stage from a very young age to ensure that they are in the best
condition when presenting to the future company. However, as different companies have for themselves
a distinguished check-list that their idol must have, resilience and talents could never
guarantee a soft spot for any person. Take EXO’s Sehun for example. Even when he was
street-casted by SM Entertainment, he still had to audition for 4 times before officially
signing the training contract with the company. Obviously, he had the look, the talents and
the vibe of an idol but none of that ensured him a ticket to thrive in the stringent KPOP
industry.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2. The audition
Then comes the audition. When one feels that their preparation is good enough, they will
come to the audition, either public or private depending on each person’s capabilities,
to seek a chance of signing a training contract. While the typical number of rounds for an
audition is 3, it’s also normal to see a person enter up to 30 rounds when different
opinions are raised about their capabilities.
That’s why it’s often said that becoming an idol has never been an overnight success.
Even IU, the digital music monster, had also faced multiple rejections, including JYP Entertainment,
before ending up being a superstar at Loen Entertainment.
A fun fact that could be withdrawn here is that, if you still think Big3 always knows
for sure who will be a successful idol then I’m sorry, you’re wrong. Just look at
the way JYP lost IU and EXID’s Hani, things aren't always as clear as black and white
and whether one has the capabilities to lead a sounding career has never been an easy question
to answer. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3. The practice room Even though you could get a little closer
to the idol dream by signing a training contract, ahead is still a long series of days where
you would be buried in the practice room.
On the journey, this period is most intense since it’s where most trainees drop half-way
for the overwhelming pressures and working schedules. However, it’s also the right-or-die
moment that will determine the winners of this game.
A typical day of a trainee would evolve around two activities only: learning and practicing.
If you think that these companies would teach only vocals and dancing, then you’re totally
fooled. Unlike most music industries where performers are only trained to perform, KPOP
idols not only have their musical qualifications cultivated but also their personalities, eating
habits and manners. They are even taught about body management so as to not gain weight and
receive backlash from the public.
Though most idols are still in puberty when joining the management company, they must
always follow a strict diet to achieve the standard skinny figure. For example, the diet
of SNSD used to make tons of headlines for its stringency. Specifically, the girls were
only allowed to take in 1500 calories per day and the range of food must always include
brown rice, grilled chicken drumstick, cabbage, green vegetables and almond. To ensure that
SNSD could always pull off close-fitting garments, this diet even extended for years after their
debut.
Because there are so many things that need teaching, entertainment companies, especially
those in the Big3, are always keen on scouting young faces to make sure the final line-up
turns out exactly like what they want. Specifically, by supervising these baby trainees in their
puberty, the agency will be able to come up with different methods that could mold them
into whoever the future concept may require.
On average, the amount of time a trainee must spend practicing ranges from 16 to 18 hours,
which basically means that they will start at around 9 or 10 A.M and end at 2 or 3 of
the following morning. As the former member of After School, Behak, once shared, she used
to sleep for only 30 minutes per day due to the packed schedule and the fear of being
left behind.
Besides the intense frequency of practicing, the type of sessions that KPOP trainees take
is also a literal nightmare. To ensure the future idols have the iron will and good health
condition to put up with restless promotions, many companies even apply the training program
where idols are forced to hold their breath underwater for minutes. Some agencies even
push the bar by pounding a volleyball on the trainee’s belly while singing as a method
for a stable vocal.
Besides the huge amount of physical efforts, trainees also need to pay for the “training
fee” whose range also varies depending on each company. Usually, this will be around
500.000 to 2.000.000 won per month, equivalent to $448 to $1.800. However, if a trainee’s
financial condition is not so good but they have the skills, talents and aura of a successful
idol, the management agency will let the person pay back that fee after they debut.
While that might sound like a super-duper good deal, there is actually an exorbitant
price hidden underneath. Since the company had initially paid for the trainee’s training
programmes, music productions and daily life expenses, idols must then spend a long long
time working without salaries. As to groups that unfortunately can’t attract enough
public attention, they will probably need to spend the rest of their life working just
to erase the training debt. One of the most typical cases is that of Lovelyz, the girl
group debuting under Woollim Entertainment in 2014. According to the members, no one
was paid a penny despite having worked in the industry for four years. Since the amount
of investment poured into the girls was way too big, Lovelyz was still in the process
of “debt deduction.”
Ironically, despite the endless list of things that a trainee must sacrifice in exchange
for the idol dream, nothing about their future is guaranteed. Take TWICE’s Jihyo for example.
Despite having the visuals, the vocals and especially the resilience to stay at JYP Entertainment
for 10 years, she must still sit and watch Wonder Girls and MissA debut before it’s
finally her turn. If you have watched the survival show SIXTEEN, maybe you would know
how miserable and depressed Jihyo had been. Because of anxiety, she was diagnosed with
eating disorder, which then led to her gaining tons of weight before entering the show.
However, there are also many stars who are scouted in the street and just trained for
a little while before kicking off the idol career. For instance, EXO’s Baekhyun was
not only street-casted by SM Entertainment but also had an incredibly short period of
training - 4 months only. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
4. The elimination Though it’s not 100% necessary for all idols
to undergo this stage, due to the packed schedule at the company, most of them would opt for
dropping out. Obviously, this is a relatively rational decision because who could spend
time studying when 18 out of 24 hours are already set out for practicing? No one, for
sure. Besides having to halt the academic path, this decision also leads to many other
adverse consequences related to the idol’s family, friends and even themselves.
Hoya, the former member of Infinite, once shared that when he decided to quit school
at 10th grade to be a full-time student at a dance institution in Busan, he was kicked
out of the house by his father. Or for the case of SHINee’s Taemin, since he managed
to be so famous at a very young age, he used to be a victim of bullying due to others’
jealousy. The situation was so terrible that four members of SHINee had to take turns to
take him to school so that no one could beat him along the way.
Seungyoon, the leader of WINNER, also shared that he used to be super jealous of the normal
life that his friends led. “We can’t even do some most basic tasks like booking a hotel
room or buying a transportation ticket because our manager will always do everything. That’s
why we always feel so outdated compared to our peers at school.” The idol also expressed
his discomfort about the way he was managed: “We have never been allowed to keep our
passport, so freely traveling here and there was always in our wildest dreams.”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5. The exhaustion
Even when a trainee makes their way onto the final line-up and debut, they are still yet
to taste the sweetness that they deserve after all those ups and downs. Every year, KPOP
welcomes an endless list of new faces but sadly, it also witnesses the farewell of many
rookies due to the fact that they couldn’t handle the terrible pressure of this industry.
To compete for the attention of the public, idols would continue the restless lifestyle
where they will have their head buried in work. In 2012, SHINEE’s Onew once shared
that during their promotions, there were countless nights where they could just close their eyes
for a few minutes on the car when it traveled from one workplace to another.
In exchange for all the flashy images, explosive reputation and piles of money, many idols
have tortured themselves to the point of collapsing on stage. That also explains why for a long
time, the soulless pictures of many famous idols at the airport have never been a big
deal for the public.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6. The victory
Of all the stages on the journey to become an idol, this is the only period where idols
could enjoy the fruits that they have been catering for ages: earning the public recognition,
becoming famous and rich. When an idol manages to come this far, there is literally nothing
on Earth that they couldn’t get their hands on. Thanks to the whopping number of valuable
contracts, filming invitations and music awards, they can now buy cars, mansions and even open
themselves a chain of business.
After seven years, SHINee successfully held a concert at the “cathedral of music”
Tokyo Dome, Japan with 50.000 spots filled just by their fans, Shawols.
Or take 2NE1’s Minzy for instance. Debuting at the age of 15 under YG Entertainment, she
quickly gained a huge amount of love from the public and managed to buy her parents
a house at the age of 19.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Though the journey to become a successful
idol is full of thorns and thistles, as one could turn their life onto a new leaf once
managing to take off, there will still be tons of youngsters willing to sacrifice their
life in exchange for what this occupation brings about.
How about you? Will you do the same, regardless of all the dark sides exposed by insiders?
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