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The Korea Times

By Dong Sun-hwa
While fans of Nayeon worldwide were electrified by the news that the member of K-pop girl group Twice was making her solo debut on June 24 with EP IM Nayeon, many wondered why it had taken nearly seven years for her to go solo, after her group debut in 2015.
Nayeon is not alone in having a belated solo debut. D.O. of boy band Exo rolled out his mini-album Empathy in 2021, nine years after his group debut in 2012, while two of his bandmates, Kai and Baekhyun, went solo in 2020 and 2019 respectively.
Some stars embarked on their solo careers after quitting their group activities, such as GFriend’s Yerin and Lovelyz’s Baby Soul, who is now known as Lee Su-jeong. It took them seven to eight years to debut as soloists.

Fans like to see singers pursue a solo career as they often get to experiment with their music in a way they do not get to do while in a group. A lot of them play a more active role in producing their albums, giving fans insight into their preferred music styles when they don’t have to accommodate the tastes of their bandmates.
However, K-pop record labels are unlikely to advance the dates of solo debuts any time soon, according to music critic Jung Min-jae.
“For many labels, releasing a solo album for each group member is not their most urgent task,” Jung says.
“The growth of K-pop globally has extended the lifespan of most K-pop groups. Surviving for more than seven or eight years [used to be] a daunting task, but today, many can enjoy popularity for more than a decade thanks to their international [fans] and the many different platforms where they can showcase their music and content.
“So K-pop management companies, which often put more emphasis on group activities, will seek to make the most of this.”
K-pop’s Twice are proving girls can tour in America just as well as the boys
The fact, too, that a group guarantees more stable profit than a solo singer can generate on their own means few companies are enthusiastic about debuting soloists.
Although some K-pop group members, like Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation, Taemin of Shinee and Baekhyun of Exo, have successfully positioned themselves as solo artists, they are exceptional cases that prove the norm.
Baekhyun became the first singer to sell more than a million physical albums, both as a soloist and as part of a group, since Seo Taiji of Seo Taiji and Boys did the same in 2000. That South Korean boy band was active from 1992 to 1996.

“Even if K-pop labels come up with decent solo material for a popular group member, this does not guarantee them success because not all fans of the group will give unwavering support to that member,” Jung explains.
He adds that producing an album for a solo singer requires far more technique and energy than one for a group.
“When launching a group, a label can combine different members with different appeal, but when it comes to a solo artist, he or she should be an all-rounder and excel in both singing and dancing,” he notes. “This makes it more difficult for a company to decide on the songs to include and which concept to try [to make them a success].”
But some labels have bucked this trend. One of them is YG Entertainment, home to groups such as Blackpink and BigBang; Blackpink’s Jennie, for instance, made her solo debut with single Solo in 2018, two years after her group debut.

Jung explains that YG has long been building strong personal brands for each member in a group.
“From BigBang to Blackpink, YG has attempted to brand each member – especially in the field of fashion,” he says. “Many YG singers became the ambassadors for labels and, in the case of Blackpink, YG’s effort has led all members to establish a loyal fan base as an individual, allowing them to go solo faster than other K-pop stars.”
Still, most K-pop singers will only get to forge their solo careers years after their group debut, Jung says.
“Girl group IVE, for example, are [popular] these days, but their management company Starship Entertainment is unlikely to have members release their solo albums within two to three years … in fact, it is often more challenging for a girl-group member to go solo compared to a boy-band member, as a boy group usually has more powerful fandoms that will support its members.”
Read the full story at the Korea Times


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K-pop

Why K-pop stars like Twice’s Nayeon, Exo’s D.O. and GFriend’s Yerin must wait so long for solo careers - but not Blackpink’s Jennie

Nayeon (centre) of Twice is releasing her first solo album seven years after her group debut. The long wait K-pop fans endure for their favourite group singers to go solo will not get any shorter, says one music critic. Photo: Getty Images

Nayeon at Twice’s seventh mini album Fancy You release showcase in 2019 in Seoul. Photo: Getty Images

Twice debuted in 2015.

Twice during MBC’s Show Champion live broadcast in 2020 in Goyang, South Korea. Photo: Getty Images

Will Lay still be in Exo? He quits their label on K-pop group’s 10th anniversary

Chinese pop star Lay, a member of K-pop group Exo, has announced he is quitting the outfit’s music label, SM Entertainment. Photo: @layzhang/Instagram

Lay thanked his fans, SM staff, and his Exo brothers in the note on social media. Photo: Lay Zhang

Lay has worked infrequently with Exo in recent years. Photo: Lay Zhang

K-pop boy band Nu’Est announce split, but members Baekho and Minhyun to renew contracts with label Pledis Entertainment

K-pop boy band Nu’Est are to split just weeks before their 10th anniversary. Photo: Pledis Entertainment

GFriend’s Yuju launches her solo career with album Rec., and the Korean singer is ready to be the star of her own show

K-pop singer Yuju. The 24-year-old has released her debut album. Rec. - a five- song EP that shows off a new side to the former GFriend member. Photo: Konnect Entertainment

Yuju’s Rec. is bold and assured. Photo: Konnect Entertainment

Yuju’s album dropped on January 18. Photo: Konnect Entertainment

Yuju’s Rec. is the first solo album from any of the members of GFriend since their disbandment. Photo: Konnect Entertainment

K-pop singer D.O. from Exo debuts first EP ‘Empathy’, the latest in the group’s stellar line-up of solo releases

K-pop star D.O. from Exo has dropped his first solo EP. Photo: @kyungsoosofficial/Instagram

D.O. is one of Exo’s primary vocalists and a popular actor. Photo: SM Entertainment. Photo: Facebook @weareoneEXO.

BTS’ Suga produces and features on Psy’s new song That That – lead single of Gangnam Style singer’s ninth K-pop album

Psy (left) and Suga of K-pop boy band BTS. Suga is the featured artist on – and producer of – Psy’s new song That That.

An illustration of Psy (right) and Suga of BTS on “That That”. Photo: P-Nation

Lifestyle

K-Pop

Bands


Long waits to go solo in the K-pop industry are not uncommon - Nayeon has gone seven years since her debut, D.O. waited nine
A music critic says there are reasons for this: groups are seen as more profitable and universally appealing, though there are exceptions like Blackpink



While some performers like Blackpink’s Jennie go solo quick, others like Nayeon, Exo’s D.O., Kai and Baekhyun, GFriend’s Yerin and Lovelyz’s Baby Soul must wait years longer.


Why K-pop stars like Twice’s Nayeon, Exo’s D.O. and GFriend’s Yerin must wait so long for solo careers - but not Blackpink’s Jennie

Long waits to go solo in the K-pop industry are not uncommon - Nayeon has gone seven years since her debut, D.O. waited nine A music critic says there are reasons for this: groups are seen as more profitable and universally appealing, though there are exceptions like Blackpink

Long waits to go solo in the K-pop industry are not uncommon - Nayeon has gone seven years since her debut, D.O. waited nine

A music critic says there are reasons for this: groups are seen as more profitable and universally appealing, though there are exceptions like Blackpink