Aria from Kerala is now the second Indian K-Pop idol, but what does it take to become one?

K-pop is more than just a "fad" now. Groups like BlackPink and BTS are topping international music charts, performing at global events like Coachella and more. Of course, India has also long caught the K-pop and K-drama fever. So much so, there are now two K-pop idols from India.  

After Sriya Lenka, Aria (real name Gauthami), a native of Kerala, has debuted with girl group X:IN under GBK Entertainment. The five-member girl group also performed their debut song, "Keeping The Fire" at the music show Inkigayo. 

Aria is not the only non-Korean member of the group. Apart from the two Korean members, Roa and Chi.U, X:IN has one Korean-Australian member E.Sha and a Russian member Nova. 

But what does it take to become a K-pop idol? 

While Sriya Lenka and Aria have both successfully debuted (which is an achievement on its own) in a largely homogenous industry, the road ahead is still pretty tough for these young talents. 

Auditions:

• According to GQ India, Blackswan's Sriya Lenka was selected from 4,000 girls from a global audition by DR Music. Alongside Sriya, Gabriela Dalcin from Brazil was also selected. 
• Auditions are tough and it is said to be tougher to get into the top 4 K-pop agencies - JYP, SM, YG AND HYBE. 

 

 

 

 

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Training:

• It is said that in the K-pop industry, the competition begins the moment a person signs up with an agency and starts training. 
• Fatou Samba, who became K-pop's first black idol debuting with Blackswan alongside Sriya Lenka, told Rolling Stone that K-pop isn't for the faint of heart.
• Most K-pop trainees start young, very young, some as young as eight. And while some trainees debut after months or a year of training, for others, it can take a good decade before they debut. 
• Some aspirants sacrifice their childhood and even drop out of school to pursue their K-pop dreams. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by X:IN (@x.in_official)

The debt and contracts:

• K-pop contracts were infamously known as "slave contracts" as they used to be 7-15 years long. However, now the situation is said to be improving, with many companies signing their trainees on shorter contracts. 
• Some companies also make their trainees payback for the training period and other costs. But this can be different for each company. 
• Usually, producing an idol group in the Korean music industry is seen as a "high-risk" endeavour. 
• Soompi estimates that the cost of producing an idol group can cost anywhere between $1.3 million to $1.8 million. This includes making a music album, booking entertainment shows and performances, and boarding and training costs of the idols. 

How much do you make as a K-pop idol?

• Well, members of BTS or Blackpink or other famous K-pop idols are millionaires, but it isn't true a large number of other idols. 
• Former K-pop idol turned YouTuber, Grazy Grace once explained how much she made as a K-pop idol in three years. The short answer is less than $500 (Rs 41,000), this is combining all entertainment events and appearances. 

• Grazy Grace also says that she never got to see how much money she actually made for her company, but personally, she only got $500 in three years as a K-pop idol. 
• Contracts can also make it difficult for K-pop idols to make any personal money in the first years after their debut even if they are successful enough. 

A gruelling industry:

• K-pop is notoriously known for pushing idols to their brink, mentally and physically. K-pop idols have to adhere to strict physical standards, which has been called out more often than not. 
• Usually for K-pop girl groups, the ideal weight is (height in centimetres) - 120. And you are likely to get an underweight standard. 
• Then there is the infamous IU diet. It became popular after solo artist IU talked about it. It involves eating one apple for breakfast, one sweet potato for lunch and a protein shake for dinner accompanies by lots of water throughout the day. 
• Some trainees and idols are often body shamed by their agencies to lose weight within days. This includes surviving for days, even a week, only drinking water and eating some red bean jelly. 
• Plastic surgery is so rampant in South Korea and the K-pop industry, no one really blinks an eye. Nose jobs, jaw shaving, and double eye surgeries are all too common.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by X:IN (@x.in_official)

Colourism and Trolls:

• Aria, Sriya Lenka and Fatou Samba's debut as K-pop idols also break through the barriers of colourism in the K-pop industry, which favours pale white skin tones. 
• Among Korean idols, Hwasa is famously known for breaking the K-beauty standards with her naturally darker skin tone. 
• These standards are not just upheld by K-pop agencies, but the fans are just as ruthless when it comes to tearing into idols. Idols often have to put up with trolls, online hate and a lot more from the crazy K-pop fandom which even breeds stalkers.     

But of course, every day, many aspiring K-pop idols beat every odd to emerge above the competition.