Everybody Wants To Be A K-Pop Star
2012-04-12 03:52 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
chibi-rei.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
omonatheydid
With South Korea a newly anointed pop hot spot, thousands of teenagers audition for a shot at fame.
In December, Claudine Ebeid talked about the explosion in popularity of Korean pop groups in the United States. We can't stop watching Girls' Generation and 2NE1 videos on YouTube, and we're not the only ones. Reporter Doualy Xaykaothao says that K-Pop is also spreading like wildfire in China. These groups are often huge — Girls' Generation includes nine members, Nine Muses confusingly includes eight — and to stoke the flames, South Korea's suddenly in-demand pop factories are looking to the country's youth.
(this is the transcript if you can't listen to the audio)
Inside a nondescript building on Seoul's Rodeo Drive sit dozens of teenagers, some with their parents. They're taking part in open auditions held by entertainment giant SM. "The Boys," a giant hit by SM's own Girls' Generation — recent veterans of The Late Show with David Letterman — is playing over loudspeakers.
Girls' Generation is idolized by the assembled hopefuls. "When I see Girls' Generation, I think they are so pretty and so cool," says Young-eun Park through a translator. "I am going to be just like them."
She has zero formal training, but she's hoping to wow the judges by singing "Ballerino,' by Leessang, another K-Pop group. It's her third audition, and she's hopeful that this time she'll get a callback.
"I live only to sing and dance," she says. "If I don't become a singer I won't be happy in my life. I want it so bad." She's almost tearful, but looks up in determination and says she's going to give it her all.
A few famous K-Pop stars are actually from China, Thailand and the United States. And more hopefuls, like 19-year-old Rebecca Chiu, from Taiwan, are here to try out. She especially likes the dance moves that go along with just about every K-Pop hit.
The fact that she doesn't understand the words in the songs — "I can read and I can pronounce, but I don't know the meaning," she says in broken English — isn't necessarily a cause for worry. If the top entertainment companies like her, they'll invest in her study of the Korean language and will spend up to $3 million or $4 million on years of rigorous training in song, dance, acting and more. If she makes it through that, then she might have a shot at contracts worth millions.
Hong Ki-sung, the CEO of BORN Startraining Center, a company in Seoul that trains people to become K-Pop stars, says it's worth the investment.
"There are so many young, talented people in Korea," he says through a translator. "So many that I can't even count them, and they're better singers than a lot of the stars out there now."
Some K-Pop groups have even more members than Girls' Generation, but Hong says not all the performers have good singing voices. "Appearance is important too," he says. "That's why there are so many pretty girls and stylish boys in K-Pop bands."
There may be slots for aspiring K-Pop stars with different talents, but most won't make it. The young people at these tryouts are well aware that thousands and thousands of South Korean kids are trying to get into the K-Pop business, and most will fail.
Only on her third day at the training center, teenager Lim Ji-hey is still optimistic. "I'm going to do my best and train hard to become a great performer," she says through a translator. Even if she doesn't succeed in the music world, she says, she'd love to be an actress. Then she can play any role she wants, including being a K-Pop singer.
source: NPR
I'll admit I went to an audition once, but it was just for kicks. I knew I wouldn't get a call, but it was kind of interesting.
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Date: 2012-04-12 10:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 10:37 am (UTC)But to each their own career preferences. :)
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Date: 2012-04-12 10:49 am (UTC)I know everyone wnats to be loved and being/wishing to be an idol is that in a certain extent. I can understand. But knowing the price that is behind, I don't get it.
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Date: 2012-04-12 10:53 am (UTC)That's probably because I'm a very practical person, but you never put all your eggs in the same basket and you don't push your happiness on just one entire life-consuming goal. I always wanted to work with books but I knew I could love to work with childrens as well or in turism. Options, keep them open.
Also it's so weird to me to have only one real "hobby" (though it's more than a hobby here of course). Idk.
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Date: 2012-04-12 02:50 pm (UTC)I love singing and performing too, but I know I wouldn't be able to stand the kind of BS stars (especially K-pop ones) but up with. Also I love sleeping >.>
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Date: 2012-04-12 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 03:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 09:18 am (UTC)This is so me, quite generally sadly.
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Date: 2012-04-12 04:28 pm (UTC)You aren't that old though, you could be the next Bom...just not plastic I suppose
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Date: 2012-04-12 11:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 12:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 12:16 pm (UTC)For some reason Heechul came to mind.
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Date: 2012-04-12 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 12:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 12:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 02:53 pm (UTC)I went to JYPE auditions in Chicago for kicks just to say I went. I wouldn't say I lack talent (not stellar. just okay), but I'm pretty white >.>
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Date: 2012-04-12 03:01 pm (UTC)But idk if I want the fame tbhno subject
Date: 2012-04-13 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 09:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 01:41 pm (UTC)This.
Especially when the spotlight was solely on you. And afterwards when people say how good you were. XD
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Date: 2012-04-12 01:45 pm (UTC)Maybe I should just walk around seoul and hope to get noticed. lolno subject
Date: 2012-04-12 03:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 07:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 09:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 02:02 pm (UTC)It's good and important to have a dream, but you always need to have a Plan B.
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Date: 2012-04-12 02:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 02:55 pm (UTC)Also I wouldn't be able to stay nice all the time. If fans/managers/whomever pissed me off I'd tell 'em off.
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Date: 2012-04-12 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 03:37 pm (UTC)Plus, I have never wanted to be famous. I don't know why anyone would want to be. Rich...yeah...I can work with that. lol. But I don't see the appeal of being famous. To many people in your damn business and giving opinion when you did not ask them. You can't even get some coffee in peace without someone taking your picture. I want to be flithy rich...and no one knowing who the hell I am. That is the life!
I for one..never wanted my 15minutes. I'm good.
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Date: 2012-04-12 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 04:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 04:34 pm (UTC)It has lots of rounds and in the last round, you perform in front of scouts and record labels etc.
I got to the very last round and they wanted me to sell tickets to my friends/family etc and see how far I could raise hype for myself and show initiative.
It was too much effort which I cba to do so I got to a couple of days before and called them saying I had severe tonsillitis. Oop.
I would love to audition for YG because I adore singing/acting but I'm black so...
and even if I did get in (lol) I would want to do acting since there seems to be more freedom there.
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Date: 2012-04-13 07:27 am (UTC)I hate to say it, but you probably wouldn't make it very far as an entertainer in xenophobic South Korea.
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Date: 2012-04-12 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 05:55 pm (UTC)And while yeah you don't sleep, don't eat, hardly any privacy at all...I'd still do it just because it's something I really want to do with my life -shrug-
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Date: 2012-04-13 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-13 01:28 am (UTC)other than that, it would be nice to have the talent to become famous but idk, the lifestyle is very hard. when thinking about it, i always have to give kudos to those who are doing so well in it and still manage to smile.