How to be a K-pop idol: a day in the life of an aspiring star juggling endless practice with school
- Jeon Sung-won’s dreams of K-pop stardom see him practising up to 50 hours a week in his spare time, a routine both physically and mentally exhausting
- With so many aspiring singers in South Korea, the probability of success is incredibly low. The key, one teacher says, is often in creating their own style
By Dong Sun-hwa. Video by Lee Min-young and Kim Kang-min
Aspiring K-pop singer Jeon Sung-won, 19, is a busy young man. On weekdays, he spends five hours after school taking vocal and piano lessons. On weekends and holidays, his practice begins at 10am and continues until midnight. Jeon has been repeating this routine for more than a year.
It is physically and mentally exhausting. But Jeon cannot ease off, knowing how hard it will be to achieve his dream to be a K-pop star given the number of aspiring singers in South Korea, which is estimated to be more than a million.
“As a hopeful K-pop singer, I know nothing is guaranteed in the future,” Jeon says. “So I am always uneasy. Endless practice is the only way to get rid of anxiety.”
Even on the day of the interview, Jeon danced to K-pop boy band Exo’s latest release Love Shot until he dripped with sweat, and sang the solo song Beautiful Goodbye by Exo member Chen until his voice cracked.
Jeon says he is not the only one going through tough times – hopefuls with obvious talent were also struggling.
“Even they rarely pass the auditions held by record labels,” he says. “Many of them give up their dream on the way, after making several attempts.”
Audition applicants face odds of about one in 1,000. Actress Goo Ha-ra, who passed an audition with SM Entertainment – one of the “big three” music powerhouses in South Korea, along with YG and JYP – revealed she had to compete against 8,000 rivals.
Jeon says most aspiring singers are teenagers who are also preparing for their college entrance exams, just in case. “We want to pursue our dream, but do not want to starve,” he says. “A college degree may help us get other jobs if we cannot become singers.”
This is why most South Korean parents are reluctant to support their children’s dreams.
“My parents convinced me to give up the dream initially, suggesting I first get a stable job,” Jeon says. “But I persuaded them, telling them how desperate I was to work in the industry. In the end, they changed their mind and began supporting me.”
Jeon eventually wants to reward his parents for their support as they have also been paying for his training. According to a spokesperson for a music academy, the monthly cost for vocal, choreography and composition lessons is about one million won (US$840).
“This is all quite a burden, but it drives me to work even harder,” Jeon says. “In the future, I want to be a successful singer and pay my parents back.”
Many agencies have been looking for foreign talent to target international markets. For instance, if a group has a Chinese member, it will be easier to set their sights on the Chinese market
Although he looked exhausted after practice, Jeon did not lose his smile.
“Music is what I truly love, so I think I am lucky to be doing this,” he says. “Later, I want to become a singer who can console people through music.”
And what do teachers at such academies think of the prospects of these youngsters?
“Hopeful singers must navigate a rocky path, because they have to stand the test of time despite the low probability of passing an audition,” says Noh Young-joo, president and CEO of music academy Power Vocal. “I cannot give the exact figure, but the probability [of success] is extremely low. The hopefuls should create their own style of music and be diligent to increase their chances.”
Noh has taught a number of prominent K-pop stars including former Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon and Choi Ye-na of K-pop girl band Iz One. Noh established the academy in 2009 in central Seoul and it is now one of the most country’s top musical institutions.
“Nevertheless, I hope my students do not abandon their dreams. They can still get music-related jobs because of what they have learned. This creativity can be applied to various areas,” he says.
“The students chose what they wanted to do and are happy doing what they love. I am more proud than worried to see them living a busy, but dream-driven life.”
Noh advises all hopefuls to become more confident.
“Students who grow up only in Korea generally lack confidence and are too humble,” he says. “I hope they become bolder because confidence is a crucial quality. But they better bear the hard times with perseverance and always strive for perfection.”
More foreign K-pop-star hopefuls are also coming to the academy, Noh adds.
“Most of them hail from China, Japan and Thailand,” he says. “Many agencies have been looking for foreign talent to target international markets. For instance, if a group has a Chinese member, it will be easier to set their sights on the Chinese market in terms of language and sentiment. Agencies these days are releasing content for people worldwide, so they are keen to discover foreign talent.”
What about criticism that K-pop idols are now being churned out of training academies just like products?
“Some agencies want their stars to follow their strategies and ideas, while others prefer having more individualistic artists,” Noh says. “So aspiring singers have to analyse themselves first and decide which style they prefer. I do not think this is a matter of what is good and what is bad.”
