Emerging in the late 90s, K-pop has now become one of the biggest powers in the international music industry, generating millions of dollars annually and attracting a legion of fans.
Within this universe, it is also possible to check out some trends that are not so common in the world of Western pop, such as the famous photocards, dance practices, or the beautiful lightsticks, responsible for representing each artist.
However, these trends did not emerge along with the style, and began to emerge in the industry over the years, with the help of the idols themselves. With this in mind, RECREIO separated some K-pop groups and idols who were responsible for creating memorable trends. Check out!
Virtual Fansign
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, many common k-pop events had to be cancelled, such as fansigns, a type of autograph session where fans and idols have the opportunity to interact in person in a more intimate way.
Therefore, in 2020, Suho, a member of EXO, started a trend that is extremely common today: online fansigning. With the event held virtually, international fans also had the opportunity to participate, something difficult before, as everything was done in person. Now, even with the improvement of the pandemic, all groups and soloists maintain the practice of carrying out online fansigning during their promotions.
Foreign members
Nowadays, the vast majority of K-pop groups are formed with at least one foreign member. Groups such as TWICE, BLACKPINK, GOT7, ENHYPEN, IVE, Stray Kids, and more, are some examples of formations composed of members from different countries. But the presence of non-Korean idols is not something that has existed forever.
As reported by the Café com Kimchi portal, “multinational” groups emerged thanks to the Super Junior, which was the first to have Chinese members in its composition. The member Hangeng was part of the original lineup and, at the time of their debut, ended up being the target of a lot of xenophobia, something that Henry It is Zhou Miwho entered later, unfortunately also passed.
The portal also comments that, at that time, South Korean TV had a rule stating that foreigners were only allowed to appear on three stations. If this was not complied with, they ran the risk of being fined, or even deported back to their countries.
Members with different companies
In the year 2017, Tiffany Young, a member of Girls’ Generation, left SM Entertainment, the company responsible for creating the group, but did not leave the formation. The act was unusual at the time, as, in numerous cases, when a member left the company, their activities with the group generally also ended.
Nowadays, groups where members are from different companies have become extremely common. In Girls’ Generation itself, currently, only four members remain in SM: Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Yuri It is Yoona. Another example is MAMAMOO, where only Moonbyul It is Solar are at RBW, the agency responsible for creating the girl group, while Hwasa It is Wheein signed with other companies for their solo careers.
Source: Recreio
