Blending In vs. Standing Out: Soloists and Group Idols

Being a soloist vs being in a group

Being in a group is very different from being a soloist. First, group members need to be able to blend in with everyone else, while soloists need to be able to stand out. I want to use Ahyeon as an example when she was getting hate for looking like she had “too much energy” while dancing. She is a great performer, and this would be great for a soloist, but the criticism makes sense when you realize that she needs to be able to blend in with the rest of the members. Especially, if she is not the one who is the spotlight at the moment. Second, they need to be an all rounder. Take Lisa for example, she is an amazing dancer and a great rapper, but if she wants to be a soloist, she needs to improve her vocals. Alternatively, she could just focus her songs on rap, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. In a group, it is okay for an idol to have a specialty, because the whole point of groups is that each member has a specific role that they play. Vocalists sing, rappers rap, dancers dance, etc. But when an idol is a soloist, they need to be all of those things because there is nobody else to carry the vocals, or the dance. 

Impact on survival shows/when companies are making a group

When creating a group, companies have to consider a lot more than just talent. First and most obvious, the members need to get along, so if it is clear that two trainees are beefing, they are likely not going to put them in the same group because they would likely be a liability, potentially getting the group into controversy. Additionally, one of main things that make kpop stand out from other music industries is that they lean heavily into marketing idols as personalities. Its why their marketing styles always involve lots of lives and variety shows, so that fans can get to know idols (or at least their manufactured archetype). Therefore, one of the things they need to consider is having a mix of these archetypes. For example, I heard somewhere that the reason Sunoo was picked over K for Enhypen was because they wanted someone with a cute vibe, to break up everyone else’s “brooding badboy” looks. Second, they need to consider their ability in each skill. Like I said earlier, a group is made of members that should be able to balance out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Meaning, they can’t have a group of mediocre vocalists, but amazing dancers. They need a balance of vocalists, rappers, and dancers.  Third, they need to consider nationality (other than in some rare cases). A group needs to consist of at least a couple of Koreans, and likely a couple foreigners to strengthen the groups chance at popularity globally. They also likely want an English speaker now that kpop is so popular in the western world. What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of things that companies need to consider when choosing idols for a group. This is why sometimes on survival shows their are eliminations that people get mad at because yes, sometimes they were more talented, but it was also lowkey justified if you consider that they are trying to make a cohesive group. They are trying to check off a lot more boxes than “they are talented" when making a group. There are also times when a trainee could be eliminated not because they don’t fit well with the group they are trying to make, but because they would be better as a soloist. This brings me to the last thing companies need to consider which is star power. Does everyone remember Yoon Minseo? She was the girl everyone was comparing to Kelly Kim. People were trying to show how rigged survival shows are (which is true) but in this case they were from different shows, and I haven't actually seen Girls on Fire but I heard that everyone on the show was very talented. Anyways, that's not the point. What I wanted to say was that, i’m not saying this is why she got eliminated because I haven’t actually seen the show, but she is someone who would be so much better as a soloist. Then in a group. Unless everyone in the group is on her level (which is the case with vocal groups like Mamamoo and Nmixx) she would be called a “try hard” and people would say that she is “showing off” and “overshadowing the other members for attention”. As a soloist however, she would be able to experiment and explore her vocals. She would not be tied down to having to blend in with other members. I also think this is why vocalists from popular groups often go solo. They’ve already made it in the industry, and now they can just do what they want, and experiment with their music and vocals, and create their own style apart from their group. 

When idols go from a group to being soloists

This brings me to the last topic I wanted to discuss. There are various factors that need to be considered when a group member goes solo. First of all, popularity among the members. If an idol does not have a large enough solo fandom, even if they come from a popular group, they are not going to be able to sustain a solo career. Second, is skills, but especially vocal ability. Like I said earlier, they need to be all rounders. They need to be able to command a stage on their own during dance breaks, and do their own rap sections. But most importantly, they need to be able to sing, and sing well. This is why vocalists of a group are often the ones to have successful solo careers. They are also the ones who are able to veer away from a “generic kpop sound” and have more interesting songs like balades, or explore new genres.