What’s hot in K-pop: BTS members before the fame, why Blackpink are the new Spice Girls, and when diehard K-drama fans turn sour

Nov 6 , 2020

BTS have become a worldwide sensation, but do you know what they were like before they were famous? Photo: Handout

This week, we took a nostalgic trip down memory lane here at STYLE. In fact, we went pretty far back, to a time when the BTS boys were actual little boys, to discover where they started out before hitting the big time. We also reminisced about our love for the iconic girl group the Spice Girls, and discussed how Blackpink are following in their footsteps.

Here’s STYLE’s top K-pop stories you might’ve missed this week.

Why K-pop sensations Blackpink are the new Spice Girls

Are Blackpink the new Spice Girls? We think so. Photos: Handouts

Blackpink’s “The Album” is setting the charts alight in every territory imaginable, the Blackpink: Light Up the Sky documentary is No 1 on Netflix, and their high-end fashion campaigns are raking in millions of likes on social media – and in an ideal, non-coronavirus world they’d be on a sell-out tour. The worldwide Blackpink craze is inescapable.

But it’s not the first time a girl group has taken the world by storm. Back in 1996, the Spice Girls were the biggest band in the world, and they continue to be the best-selling girl band of all time.

Will Blackpink be able to emulate the Spice Girls’ musical and cultural impact, and be celebrated for decades to come? Here’s why we think they’re well on their way.

BTS members before the fame

The seven members of BTS during their childhoods. Photos: Instagram

BTS’ far-reaching fame goes without saying these days – the supergroup’s latest single Dynamite peaked at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart. But what were the members like before they became household names? Further your BTS expertise by taking a glimpse at each of the seven members’ lives before the fame.

When K-pop and K-drama fans turn sour

Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation, Lee Do-hyun, and Chen from Exo. Photos: @taeyeon_ss; @ldh_sky; @chen.exox/Instagram

Lee Do-hyun’s fans were in an uproar this week because he didn’t say thank you for a gift, but this isn’t the first time a South Korean star has faced a social media backlash.

K-pop and K-drama fans are particularly supportive of their idols, buying up concert tickets, albums and merchandise and even splurging on extravagant gifts for idols on their birthdays.

But while fans’ support is a blessing, provoking fans’ disappointment or anger can be a curse. Here are four other times K-pop and K-drama fans felt wronged by their favourites, and how they responded.

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K-pop idols

Before hit single Dynamite topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and before Blackpink’s The Album and Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, there were seven supergroup hopefuls, and there was the Spice Girls