How to become K-Pop Idol?

Let’s find out together what is the way to become k-pop idol and what happens until the post debut.

Since the Kpop and the idols have entered the lives of many young people around the world, attracted by the talent of the artists and the colors of this glittering world of entertainment, Many people are wondering what is the path that leads young people to become great artists, even internationally renowned.

The road to becoming a K-pop idol is not easy and we believe that it is well known by now, there are many articles released in recent years that tell how complicated it is to enter agencies, more or less famous, and how hard is the path from apprentices even just to receive the final ok to join a nascent group.

Being a k-pop idol is not a thing for everyone, not all people are able to withstand such a constant pressure and reach skill levels imposed by third parties but they are the only way to get to this coveted title.

Let’s see together now what is the "standard" path that a person must take to achieve his dream and, perhaps, arrive with their albums and Merch even in our homes. We will see it together, taking as an example the various testimonies that the idols have told over the years.

1. You must be discovered

It seems ridiculous as a first point but it is the truth: someone must discover your skills, your skill or in some cases as happened even just your good looks focused by a camera.

There are various ways to be "discovered" participating in auditions or television shows aimed at becoming idols are perhaps the most direct, but they already require excellent foundations of singing, dancing and acting. A kpop artist is in fact a multifaceted artist who will also have to know how to act for commercials, be present on tv shows and much more besides being able to sing and move on a stage.

If you decide to attend auditions, you must collect as much information about the agency, the type of contracts and their restrictions before submitting your application. It is useful sometimes, even take information about his CEO.

Nowadays, thanks to the worldwide spread of kpop, it is possible to audition online or in several major cities around the world. The important thing is to be informed about when the hearings are opened and where or how.

There is also a more direct way to reach the role of Trainee, but certainly less easy if your facial features are not Asian, and it is to be literally stopped on the street by agents of a company.

It is rare that you are taken at the first audition unless your skills are already excellent or stand out especially in something. The important thing is not to give up if this is the path you want to take. A single "No" received does not affect future outcomes, indeed in some contexts it could emphasize more your stubbornness.

2. Passing the audition: you are now a Trainee

Once you pass the audition you have the opportunity to enter the agencies as Trainee but this does not automatically give the certainty of being able to see your dream come true.

Being Trainee is like having a sort of apprenticeship contract where (for a period, more or less long) learn and practice all the disciplines aimed at making you a complete idol.

It is not easy especially if we think that the Trainees often find themselves still within the compulsory school period and therefore we find ourselves having to manage the school career and the future of their career.

Also for foreign Trainees it could be more complicated because the pressure of having to be on a par with Korean colleagues is a lot and above all you will have to be able to reconcile the study of the Korean language and culture with your own path.

According to some statistics on 100 Trainee only 4-5 will then really be able to debut, in some cases it will be the Trainee to decide to end their journey while in others it will be the agency itself to decree the end.

In many agencies, often the largest ones, the trainees are subjected to monthly checks to understand what and how much progress the individual has to evaluate when he can debut or in some cases end his career.

For this type of evaluation there are also showcase forms where Trainees will have to perform, often on the agency’s flagship tracks, to demonstrate their progress and be able to continue this path.

3. From Trainee to Idol

When the big day has arrived you will be told the group with which you will debut and all the features of it from the concept to the stage name (if you did not have the opportunity to choose), the name of the group and much more. However, months or years can pass from the announcement of the debut to the real first internship and all the information received until then must be kept secret, often even with parents and friends.

4. The Debut

The debut of a group is often announced months in advance or after the release of a date for it to the entire entertainment industry and fans. This will start the various promotions, teasers and trailers for each member and group. Then comes the release of the song and the first live stages in front of an audience.

It’s all wonderful to see it this way but the workouts and study will not decrease, the agendas will become increasingly thick and the pressure on their shoulders, if not properly prepared could crush you. For this reason we often see idols withdraw from the scenes shortly after the official debut.

5. The first year since debut

Once the career of the group has started there are many goals to achieve and the important among them is certainly the fame.

It may seem obvious but it is not, every agency in fact (in most cases, but naon in reality) creates a sort of "set of goals" for each group that must absolutely reach to avoid risking the dissolution. It’s bad to think about it but as much as the dream of any person who wants to become an idol is to be able to exercise such activity, often it has to clash with the harsh economic reality of the kpop industry: if you do not bring profits you are not useful to the agency. Cruel of course, but let’s not forget that the entertainment world, especially in South Korea, is today one of the major driving factors of the domestic economy (to vote also external) of the country.

Often then will be required to the group, which will find itself most often helpless in front of this, to win a certain number of Music Show, to achieve a certain number of MV display can also prove economically that what the agency has done for the particular group/ idol has really brought profits. When this unfortunately does not happen, we are faced with the premature dissolution of a group that may or may not be declared by the agency.

6. Passing the first year

If the economic goals of the first year have been exceeded the life of the group can continue and with it all the activities of the case such as promotions, fan meetings, appearances on TV Show and much more. They will remain however the economic objectives to reach but to this point they will not be not only to load of the group but also of the agencies. The more the notoriety of the group, however, will grow less will be the risk of dissolution, especially when even large brands will begin to consider the group as the face of their products and it is here that often the actions of fans really allow a group to survive.

The more a group is loved, the more it will be talked about on social media, the more it will increase the viewing of television programs or videos and the presence at concerts, tours and much more.

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We have come to the end of this article which has perhaps been less happy by its title. Becoming an idol is definitely the big dream of many but it’s not just being with fans, dancing or singing. Every person on an internship, who more or less, really carries the weight of their agency and to date there are very few Korean agencies that behave differently from what explained above.

We hope that anyone who has this dream in the drawer can have the opportunity to realize it, but we want to highlight that not everything is always covered with gold or happiness as it may seem. It is a slippery and difficult road where external factors are ready to make you fall.

We hope to have given with this article a vision a little different from the usual "manuals I have to be/ how to become" that are online. A version more raw and less happy perhaps, more firmly planted to reality, but aimed not to crush the dreams of someone but to make that someone more aware and, in small part, also to appreciate further the hard work (which we have explained in this article reducing it to the minimum terms) of those idols that we all follow and love every day for more or less time.