‘K-pop Idols’ documentary looks at how the K-pop industry is embracing diversity

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Apple TV+ documentary collection, “Ok-pop Idols,” premiering Friday, gives an intimate take a look at how the Ok-pop business is embracing variety whereas grappling with challenges in a area that calls for perfection.

The six-part collection options Korean American star Jessi and up-and-coming Ok-pop bands like Cravity and Blackswan, documenting the highs and lows of their careers.

Ok-pop is thought for its mix of vocals with exact choreography.

Blackswan members Fatou and Nvee instructed The Related Press they apply as much as 10 hours every day, together with choreography and vocal periods earlier than the “comeback” season which refers to a string of occasions to advertise their newest songs.

The grueling apply begins early.

As soon as underneath contract, Ok-pop trainees enter a system that features courses in manners, language, dance, and choreography. As of 2022, there have been 752 Ok-pop trainees underneath leisure labels, in keeping with a Korea Inventive Content material Company report.

Regardless of current pushback towards the perennial “darkish aspect of Ok-pop” narrative, the documentary reveals that some business issues persist.

Former Blackswan member Youngheun mentioned members had a curfew and weren’t allowed to drink or date. “We even needed to report once we had been getting our nails executed and going to the comfort retailer in entrance of our home,” she shared within the documentary.

Inflexible management extends to food plan.

Blackswan member Gabi is seen consuming a meal of egg, hen breast and what resembles candy potato sticks throughout her trainee interval. “I’m weight-reduction plan as a result of Mr. Yoon (the label’s head) instructed me I have to drop extra pounds,” Gabi mentioned.

The strain applies to boy bands, too.

Cravity member Wonjin shared that he was given two weeks to drop extra pounds to hitch the label. “I might eat like one egg a day (…) I misplaced about 7kg,” he mentioned within the documentary.

Bradley Cramp, considered one of government producers of the documentary, famous that such restrictions exist in different aggressive industries as properly.

“I truthfully don’t know one idol or elite sports activities athlete or entertainer that doesn’t cope with the problem of food plan and self-image and psychological well being to some extent or one other,” he instructed The Related Press.

The documentary additionally touches on Ok-pop’s new problem: embracing variety.

Following BTS’ worldwide success, Ok-pop labels have been actively recruiting overseas skills, which generally brings unfamiliar challenges.

Within the documentary, Yoon Deung Ryong, the founding father of Blackswan’s label DR Music, struggles to settle inner conflicts amongst members, which later escalated to on-line clashes between followers.

“If the corporate says, ‘don’t combat,’ they gained’t combat,” he mentioned, referring to conventional Ok-pop teams. He added that he can’t management a “multinational group” the identical method due to language and cultural variations. There are at the moment no Korean members in Blackswan after member adjustments.

With Ok-pop’s international growth, basic questions in regards to the essence of Ok-pop stay.

“In a Ok-pop group, if there are not any Korean members, I really feel prefer it’s only a Ok-pop cowl group, isn’t it?” Blackswan’s former Korean member Youngheun mentioned within the documentary.

Nevertheless, Cravity’s Hyeongjun disagrees. “If foreigners come to Korea and sing in different languages, I’m not positive if I can name that Ok-pop, however since they (Blackswan members) are energetic in Korea and use Korean, they’re Ok-pop.”

Cramp mentioned social media has impacted Ok-pop’s ecosystem in numerous methods, together with making a “symbiotic relationship” between Ok-pop stars and followers, and forcing stars to stay their lives “underneath a microscope.”

“There’s a want to be actual. However then again, you must clearly preserve sure issues sort of out of the general public highlight,” he instructed the AP. “You wish to be well-known, however but on the identical time, you continue to need your privateness and also you need to have the ability to go and have dinner with your mates and have an excellent time and never be filmed doing it.”

“Ok-Pop Idols” is now out there on Apple TV+.