If you’re a Korean pop music fan, you are probably no stranger to the world of K-pop idols and the intense journey they embark on as they try to make a name for themselves in a competitive Korean music industry.
Set to premiere on 30 August, K-pop Idols is a six-part documentary series that takes you backstage to give you an intimate look into the reality of K-pop stardom with K-pop.
The documentary features hip hop star Jessi as she embarks on her first solo tour without a music label; K-pop boy group CRAVITY as they navigate the pressures of living up to their label’s expectations; and K-pop global girl group BLACKSWAN, as they grapple with internal tensions and changes within the group.
The series not only shows you the personal and professional challenges the artistes have to face but also gives you a glimpse into the highs and lows of the K-pop world, from international performances and family connections to unexpected news and pivotal career decisions.
I was given an opportunity to watch the series ahead of its premiere and was surprised to find how eager I was to binge-watch all six episodes, especially when I am not a fan of music documentaries.
As the series was about K-pop idols, I had expected rehearsed interviews that were orchestrated in some way to sugarcoat the life of these individuals but what I saw was an unfiltered, raw and honest look at what comes with the price of fame in this industry.
Fatou, from BLACKSWAN, in particular, was someone who surprised me during her sit-down interviews because she wasn’t afraid to call out situations that did not sit right with her, and wasn’t afraid to be candid and honest about how she felt, even when it was about another member of her group.
Throughout the series, I found myself somewhat guilty of having put K-pop idols on a pedestal, often forgetting that underneath all the glitz, glamour and perfection is a human being who experiences the same struggles, anxiety and emotional turmoil as I do.
This series not only drove the point home but also reminded me that K-pop idols are more than just their tight choreography, gorgeous looks and catchy tunes — they are really just like you and me, working hard to achieve the goal they’ve set for themselves.
In addition to being one of the first to watch the series, I also spoke to CRAVITY and BLACKSWAN to find out more about their experiences and what they hope for the documentary to achieve.
Hi guys, thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Seeing that all of you are from different backgrounds, especially BLACKSWAN who comes from different cultures — what, in your opinion, makes a K-pop idol?
CRAVITY: A K-pop idol is music you can see with your eyes.
BLACKSWAN: A K-pop idol is someone who trains under a Korean system, is signed to a Korean company and debuts through a Korean company who speaks Korean and knows Korean culture, and who respects the Korean culture.
CRAVITY, each of you has had different experiences on your idol journey — was there any part of your journey that you wished to change if you could?
C: No, there’s nothing that we would change. We believe that everything happens for a reason so if something is changed, it will never be like this.
Now, each of you has had some really difficult moments on your journey as a group, where were some other stages or venues that were tough to perform at and why?
B: One of the toughest stages was when we had to perform in Belgium for the first time with the new members, who were not ready to perform on stage as they were still trainees.
C: We think music shows are very tiring because they are almost six times in a week and some other idols do seven days a week. It’s always the call time that is really fast, early, and it really ends late too. In addition to that, we also do some fan signing events in between so music shows are kind of tough.
The K-pop scene has definitely evolved over the years so what would you say are some of the newer challenges that this generation of idols have to face compared with those from 10 or 20 years ago?
B: Since it’s so global, everyone is expecting K-pop idols to be educated on every single thing, what they shouldn’t be doing or saying in different cultures.
C: We think that nowadays, every K-pop idol is doing the same thing with social media and utilising it to bring themselves closer to the fans and because of that, there is more competition and it’s way more intense these days for this generation of K-pop.
BLACKSWAN, I couldn’t help but notice that there were quite a few things about the idol life that turned out to be true like the dieting, packed training schedules, the no dating rule — do you know of other rumoured idol rules or regulations that you might have heard which you can debunk?
B: There was a rumour that we heard way before becoming an idol and that was the guys and girls idols can’t look or talk to each other. That’s not true! We’re friends — we can talk like every other human being.
Having done this for a while now, what has been your fondest memory of being a K-pop idol?
C: Because we made our debut during Covid, there were no events during the pandemic. So, when we were able to get our first win on a music show and our fans were in front of us, we were able to express how we felt and it was a very happy feeling that we really appreciate.
B: We will say meeting and getting to talk to our fans. It’s very touching and it’s very mind-blowing because they take time out of their days where they could have done something different, like spend time with their families, but they chose to take that time to watch our interviews and channel, and interact with us by leaving lovely messages on Instagram. It is also especially heartwarming when you realise that there are people inspired by you.
Finally, with the premiere of the series getting close, what do you hope for your fans and the audiences to takeaway when they watch the show?
B: They always portray idols as being perfect but that is not true. We are human beings, we have emotions, we have our ups and downs so take us as we are.
C: We hope that the series will show that idols are also people too and we share the same emotions. Generally, we also hope people can discover how charming, handsome and talented CRAVITY, and that we can reach more people throughout the world to share our music, our performance, and just bring them lots of positive vibes and positive energy.
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