KPOP Star or Koreaboo? - The First "White KPOP Idol", Chad Future

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Can non-asians be KPOP idols?
Well, today we will be talking about the fascinating life of Chad Future (a.k.a. David Lehre). Chad was the first white KPOP idol ever, beating out Oli london, EXP edition, Kaachi and other familiar names. But aside from his KPOP career, he also lived an extraordinary double life as a professional music video director, actor, KZbin content creator (he once had the most watched video on the entire website) and he even had connections to many of the top music industry professionals! So why would someone so accomplished choose to make himself a living KPOP meme? Watch this video to find out!
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Credits:
- Research by: Evangeline
- Editing by: Evangeline

[@Sugarglidergirl101]

I don’t find him near as cringey as Oli London. He seems pretty genuine in his interests. Not really any different from us that made kpop dance covers with our friends or cosplayed our favorite anime characters back in the early ‘10s. He just had courage to go further than we did lol.

[@heav3n777]

Ikr he could have just continued with yt or like production

[@zarav731]

I don't know this guy but I would not compare him to Oli London. Oli London is high level cringe, he's pushing a very problematic narrative and looks like he has an ulterior motive but I wouldn't say the same for this guy, at least from watching this video

[@DrDiborane]

True I always thought he was super into kpop and the type of person to put 100% into something. He always made me cringe but I never thought of him as malicious. Maybe extremely privileged though

[@lindaleeikun1632]

@@zarav731 definitely I agree with you.

[@JiaPia3]

Not even close. He just has more money and connected to really produce songs that sound professional. I think that’s why he gets the hate. He would get praise if it was super amateur, ironically.

[@BuhnyINSANITY]

Chad wasn’t even that bad, in fact I thought his songs and all sounded good! I think he was too ahead of his time tbvh! I remembered everyone bashing on him and I (an Asian) just went “well it could be worse” and years later Oli London appeared 😭

[@godslittlecrayola]

Yeah his covers were very decent. I like the overdose and growl ones the most. His songs were okay/average but had some effort put into them unlike oli.

[@pashav.8597]

Exaaaaactly.

[@agentapple2674]

His cover of "One Shot" by BAP was the one for me.. Idk about his own songs but his covers were amazing

[@mirandaandrews2872]

Daaaang

[@ADeeSHUPA]

@@mirandaandrews2872 댕

[@JadestonePony]

You know, the fact that he managed to make so many connections and convince all those people to work with him makes me think that he must have really impressive charisma or an appealing personality, or something of the sort, behind the scenes. Or why else would so many people choose to work with him?

[@lilacbuni]

well idk if he used it but he comes from a rich suburban family

[@malloriemusic1]

He had the money and that talks. Especially at the time when K-pop was trying to break through to the US music scene (before BTS). I remember that dude. He was very invasive with the idols even when you could see the uncomfortableness from them during interviews and what not. That guy used to annoy me because of his lack of awareness to other cultures, but rich white kids usually do that

[@JadestonePony]

@@malloriemusic1 Oh was that it? I wonder how much of it was him being able to pay them though. At least if it was finances alone, he'd have to have been able to pay them enough to compete with the other gigs that kpop artists could participate in. I have no sense of how much his productions would have brought in though, but it's unlikely that he could pay them so much that he'd repeatedly take losses on his earnings. If they saw him as a way for Kpop to break into the western market though, I could see why they might have agreed to work with him, even if was the case that he wasn't able to offer as much compensation. I suppose another thought might be that he was able to establish good relationships with some key influential people in the Kpop industry. That could be a possibility too.

[@malloriemusic1]

@@JadestonePony in the business you have to spend money to make money. I know the dude used to buy views when he was in that boy band and started doing his English covers. I’m sure he made profit off of them because back then they weren’t copyright on most of these Koop songs like nowadays. So he made money off his KZbin to help balance out. But I know to have the video production he had, he spent money. And depending on the artists (US wise) they can be 4k to 20k for just a feature. Which is why most of his features were with not as well known artist, at the time. The more popular the artist, the higher the price would be to get them to be featured in the track. Not to mention he has to give percentage to the company from the profits of each MV and song downloads. He eventually gave up on kpop to focus on other stop and he started losing followers for it

[@hxcneeey3604]

Probably was paying them good .. there is no way that those idols or the company found him appealing

[@KpopStan2009]

Finally someone talks about him, he was definitely one of the first ones. But I feel like most people forgot

[@tiffanykim2773]

meh

[@HopeeInk]

I did, I saw his face on the thumbnail and went like “nooo way”

[@lilacbuni]

thing is i respect him the most, he is the only one of these others that specified he is not an idol but does kpop inspired music. the other just tried to come in the industry their own way and call themselves idols which is where most of the problem lies, he admitted that hes not an idol but just used inspiration and enjoys kpop

[@forthewin4063]

I like the fact that you seem relatively objective. you're not just bashing him aimlessly and you even showed some of his accomplishments even if you didn't agree with him, great job!

[@KatBlaque]

Strangely enough... I find him less cringe-y after this. ahhaha. You can't deny that he works hard!!

[@ripitupbreakitdown]

omg hii Kat! Love your content 💖

[@FTKComputer]

omg kat, do you remember the "Facebook Official" music video when he had that kpop boys group?! XD

[@NaudiaVillalba]

He is incredibly cringy but you have to admit he's super hard working!

[@yo._yo]

And he's a real talent for montaging video's! I feel like he could be a good kpop mv director or something like that

[@0_base1]

I agree. He’s really cool though :) I applaud his hard work

[@FlyxwhitxmeXx]

Dude definitely is hardworking, also knows that better artists improve the quality of his content, but he also knowingly works together with an "alleged" p3dophile tho. Used to love David/Chad when I was younger bc I adored Drew & they're friends....until a lawsuit from Drews former (then) minor(!) Band Member was made for all the worst reasons. He knew. More allegiations from minors & adults came to light last year and yet David gave Drew a Platform again after we managed to silence Drew. Fuck him

[@liyana_sadalee1662]

And he is not crazy... he just doing something he love

[@y.a.4464]

I get the sense that he’s purposely cringe

[@campbellk9742]

Ploopy you just pulled a core memory from my brain. I completely forgot about this man.

[@classychicforever]

Me too! I completely forgot this man existed lol

[@carrieheartsmusic6797]

Same!

[@Jules.Rae.Author]

Same!! I love his cover big bang loser

[@masuprod4526]

Me too!!

[@mermaidprincess27]

sometimes I forget just how long I've been listening to kpop until someone brings up stuff like this

[@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii2458]

I don't see the problem with people from other countries embracing and enjoying Korean culture as long as they are not hurting anyone. Live and let live.

[@p0rnany0ne]

part of the problem is he was marketing it as something completely new. people can't seem to just embrace and enjoy other cultures, they have to profit off of them without acknowledging where they got their influence. it's disrespectful

[@gmmartines7331]

@@p0rnany0ne but kpop itself isn't even new or original. It's very heavily influenced by western, specifically black American culture and is rarely if ever acknowledged

[@alisonjoseph450]

What is the point of it being kpop if your not even Asian

[@alisonjoseph450]

@@alalakakk1762 there's literally only one and that's fatou

[@AnotherOpinion695]

@@alisonjoseph450 Not anymore...

[@ploopy678]

UPDATE: Guess what? @David Lehre / @CHAD FUTURE (Yes THE CHAD FUTURE I covered in my last video) actually ended up reaching out to me!!! 😱 He said he wanted to get to know me and clarify a couple of points from my video, so we ended up having a super long Zoom call! I've uploaded the call to my Patreon (You can watch a recording of our Zoom call here: www.patreon.com/ploopy678). We discussed tons of juicy things like where David got the money to do his Chad Future Music videos, and we even ended up having a mini debate about several topics! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabi (a Brazilian) just debuted under Blackswan! I used her footage as an example of a "white person" who actually trained like a normal KPOP star, and now that she has debuted, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her on stage! Could she be the idol to finally break the stigma of "white people" in KPOP? Ps. I hate categorizing people as "white", but just bear with me for the sake of this video ahahah (I can't find a better way to word it)

[@bassplayermaster11]

You said because they are white. No ones not going to call you asian

[@soshicity]

Nah

[@sierra2137]

@@dantarctica9430 no not all white ppl are caucasian. you don't know the meaning of caucasian then

[@nadinedavison8237]

You can say Caucasian instead of white! :)

[@bassplayermaster11]

@@nadinedavison8237 same thing

[@ad_kk16]

I mean, kpop was "copied" (influenced) from American/British guy/girl groups. It's just that, kpop/Jpop was able to accomplish more than what the Western did, able to keep it around for many years, and it became more popular and successful in Asia. It was smart for Asia to implement dance routines, fashion styles, and unique music production, and have the idols showcase their personalities, be on variety shows, and even have a lot of idols in 1 group Korean rock music was influenced by British/American rock. It goes back to the Korean War.

[@Katcom111]

Well yeah the concept of American boy bands from the 90s. Plus strict rules for no dating. This whole idea was came up by Lou who was a manager for Nsync, back street boys and Otown. But the Koreans take it way way way too far with the concept and the ideology.

[@ad_kk16]

@@Katcom111 For sure, I agree. Fortunately, there are idols that were able to break those norms and went against those rules. Slowly paving the way.

[@theworldisquiethere]

Actually kpop was mainly influence by Jpop (Japanese). I don’t know what Jpop was inspired by but it’s been around for a long time

[@ChrisKobraLA]

@@ad_kk16 To me, the whole concept of "Kpop" is really weird. As you have said, the very own concept was copied from western artists, yet any western artist who has tried to become a "kpop artist" has been blatantly rejected (there have even be claimis that those westerners are just "mocking the culture"). I mean, using that same logic, we can say that kpop artists that have had eye surgeries are also "mocking western culture" or "culture appropriation", when they try to have more westernized looks when they have their eyelid surgeries (trying to look "more western") this is all so weird really...

[@ilysukiluv]

@@theworldisquiethere jpop was inspired by western/black music and western music in general from the 60s-70s

[@jessymfwilson]

I will accept and appreciate someone as a non Asian/white idol if they truly push themselves to learn Korean and work just as hard as other idols.

[@aesyamazeli8804]

I don't care how hard or how lazy they are, if they are ugly, can't sing, can't dance then I don't care about them. There are a lot of things in this world you can't have even with all the hard work you have. It's like being short and dreaming of going into the NBA. Not gonna happen.

[@jessymfwilson]

@@TabeaSerenety Hell yes! Some of the greatest Opera singers in the world are Korean! I love watching Korean Opera and Theater

[@jessymfwilson]

@Ivana Ivana Exactly thank you

[@kaotao1005]

I absolutely loved Chad’s cover of Next Level. I got confused as to why he got so many hate comments back when I didn’t know about his past.

[@regenbogen_sim]

Honestly, I really respect the amount of work he put into this. And his collaborations aren't even that bad, as are his solo covers. Not great but also not terrible.

[@shellyb3127]

This guy lived such a ridiculously crazy life! I don't even know if I like or dislike him. He is definitely cringy but also a genius!

[@mysticwolf46]

he's just enjoying life lol it kinda inspires me to do a bunch things😂😂😂

[@yeaesthetics3195]

@@mysticwolf46 ikr, he's so brave what a person of inspiration 😂 gained my respect 👏

[@hotsexyangel]

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if non-Asians actually moved to Korea, trained, and learned the language and culture. People trying to make kpop outside of Korea and the Korean language is just cringe and makes no sense. Kpop comes from Korea, i mean hello what do you think the K stands for? For me, white people becoming idols isn’t a problem if there’s a genuine love and respect for kpop and korean culture. Unfortunately there’s people like Oli London who ruin the image of white kpop fans which just utterly sucks. Chad doesn’t seem like a bad guy, he was just a guy with an infatuation. And although I don’t agree with everything he did, you have to admire his work ethic, perseverance, and how he managed to get in contact with huge names in the industry.

[@user-cn3gd7gf7v]

Then at that rate kpop wouldn't be special anymore and it wouldn't be as unique. Will people from the different ethnicities even can fit the standard. No Offense Kpop is marketed for the general korean public. It's just due to the rise international fans are a extra income. But if you loose the heart of the korean public then companies wouldn't try doing that in the first place. It's in Korea and marketed there for a reason. Kpop was for the korean public till it hit world wide People with different race will not suit the general beauty standards or East Asia way of culture, manners and everything else. And marketing other race wouldn't be worldwide famous rather only for the person's respective country. The sole reason kpop was famous was east Asian faces, standards and their culture. That was the whole point. If we try to market other race that wouldn't be kpop anymore

[@mindyabuisness4813]

@@user-cn3gd7gf7v I agree but it’s still kinda messed up especially because there are people of different races who live there and not just cause they wanted to but because there families were sent to live there for jobs and other things and they’ve been there all their lives but because they don’t fit the standards they don’t even have a chance to accomplish their dreams and yes this is a minority but it is still present.

[@itsjustsuna]

i agree with all of this except that kpop didn’t come from korea. it was heavily influenced by many western music style such as pop or hip hop. so no it doesn’t come from korea. if you weren’t talking about that then just ignore me 💀

[@katelady1370]

Kpop is just a mashup of stolen genres created by other races. So Kpop can take hip hop and rap but then say black people cant do Kpop? Sounds suss to me. Also, it’s cringy when other races sing in Korean but I guess it’s ok for Kpop idols to sing in English? Keep it consistent if a point you are trying to make.

[@hyukalvr2222]

and where do you think the pop comes from

[@sieraminton2440]

Chad was actually decent, and he made a LOT of really good connections. He's had a lot of things going on but he does great work and he came out just as I was getting into Kpop. I think he was a lot more respectful of the industry and the work that goes into it, more so than a lot of people that just try to come into Kpop because it'll give them some clout or shock value. He seemed very genuine and hardworking. I still like to listen to some of his songs from time to time if I'm feeling super nostalgic!

[@lindaleeikun1632]

Same here!!!!!! He is very hard working and he has a lot of achievements and accomplishments.

[@Passions]

Chad was simply ahead of his time. He should definitely audition for JYP's A2K.

[@_twinklesprinkle]

A2K is only taking auditions for girls born between 2005 to 2010. X.x

[@NyappiCat]

Seeing the first few clips I was worried you would talk about UHSN as part of the ”white kpop idol” phenomena, but of course watching the whole video it’s well researched as usual! Many thought we actually debuted as a girl group when we just made the MV as project for our reality show. We got a lot of hate when the video first came out but then started being seen as good by comparison once KAACHI came out, which honestly breaks my heart thinking about what they’ve been through. And then once Oli London garnered more and more traction, once again KAACHI was seen as ”not as bad”. It’s a vicious cycle.

[@MikaMoonlight]

I had the same worry, I really loved the whole UHSN project and kept on wishing there was more. It's also terribly sad how Kaachi went through so much hate :(

[@randomkid4783]

I really wish the UHSN project was continued with boys and back and forth like Produce, it was such a great idea. It's kinda sad that the UHSN project and Kaachi went through hate although I definitely remember when Kaachi first released their music. Kaachi has really gotten better tbh... oh and if you guys could idk I would just love to see a reunion if that's possible at all because I really liked everyone's personality. Especially the dancing in the living to Wannabe lol... and the moment when you meet Izone, and creating your own choreos. I had fun with the show lol

[@shanetrevyllian2950]

You girls HAVE to get back together and drop a comeback. Your song was so good, you deserve it.

[@_twinklesprinkle]

@@randomkid4783 KAACHI has improved *so much* since debuting. Their music is a lot better produced, the mixing fits top agency standards, the styling is more personal to the members, the pronunciation is more relaxed, and the group has since traveled to Korea! :)

[@chuuu4610]

People need to stop giving Oli London a platform.

[@_twinklesprinkle]

Agreed. It frustrates me that people think hate-watching isn't contributing to Oli's platform when it infact is, and all those hate-views go straight into Oli's wallet.

[@benedict6437]

bruh your videos are so underrated. they’re so well edited, researched and entertaining. you should be a journalist or something

[@iloveskz495]

People when they hate on kpop= bad People who appreciate kpop= bad Are kpop fans ok with anything?

[@lunarlino]

I really like Chad's cover of 'Loser' by BIG BANG. His raps were pretty cool and Preston Knight had a stellar vocal performance. The English lyrics were deep and emotional in a way that I personally enjoy.

[@lindaleeikun1632]

Same here!!!!!! I love his cover of big bang loser!!!!! 👊

[@tinyprettymoon]

Oh my god as soon as I heard the name Heart 2 Heart, I thought it sounded familiar but I didn’t know why until I realized my bf showed me that song because somehow it had come up in a conversation and I had never heard of it before. That’s crazy lol I love Teen Wolf and I really liked Cody in that, crazy that he was involved in that group. AKPOP absolutely sent me though ngl. Shocking and kinda cool that he covered a B.A.P song 🥺 they’re the only bg in kpop I like but they disbanded the year before I got into kpop sksksk

[@mochiyeosang1908]

OMG CODY WAS IN THIS DJDHDJS THE WAY I SIMP FOR THIS MAN HAHA

[@tinyprettymoon]

@@mochiyeosang1908 lmao I feel you. Personally, Cody Christian is the one I simp for the most

[@-_lol_its_jam_-4396]

I hate to say it but when I first started listening to kpop I genuinely liked his songs, I felt like he had the best English covers at the time

[@escritora84]

Thank you for this video! Although his stuff is very cringy and gives some Koreaboo vibes, it seems his love for kpop was genuine to a point. He liked the music and the aesthetic without understanding fully how competitive the music landscape is. And I don't want to say white privilege played a role in his approach, but it's telling how he expected to have a music career in Korea based on enthusiasm, sheer confidence, and connections without understanding the industry or going through the idol/trainee system. Without training or being "vetted" by a reputable entertainment company in Korea, he would never be taken seriously, and it's sad he found this out the hard way. By comparison, EXP Edition were trained, but were not at a level (language skills, singing, or dancing) that Korean or international fans could take seriously either. Non-Asian idols absolutely can and should get into kpop - Korea has a long way to go when it comes to understanding and respecting diverse cultures, and non-Asian idols will be helpful in preventing cultural faux pas and appropriation. BUT all idols should go through the system, learn the language and culture, that is essential. You can't have k-pop without some form of Korean involvement, especially at the training/management level. You can like and appreciate Kpop and Korean culture and people without being weird or disrespectful, and Chad is a very mild case compared to Oli lol.

[@katelady1370]

Just because he is white doesn’t mean his confidence is a result of that. If you “don’t want to say it” then don’t even mention it. Just say he was cocky…as all races can be. Honestly…saying his arrogance is because he is white or even suggesting it is racist. It’s not ok to be racist towards white people. It’s not ok to be racist. So stop.

[@bishopman2308]

How was he doing kpop? Kpop owns everything it is to western groups like The Jackson 5, New Kids On The Block, Boys 2 Men, New Edition, N'sync, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, TLC, Destiny's Child and so many more. Plus western rap and hip hop. I like alot of kpop, but people in the west have been doing it for alot longer.

[@_twinklesprinkle]

He worked with dozens of people in the K-Pop industry. Not only that, she mentions that he wanted to pursue K-Pop, so he did what he could to recreate it.

[@cursedwyvern3044]

Kaachi definitely don’t deserve to be compared to Oli London. Oli fetishises Asian people and takes attention away from the actual struggles of trans and actual transracial people. Kaachi are overall pretty unproblematic, and genuinely like kpop and are working hard. They’ve improved a lot and received way too much hate for issues that their company were responsible for.

[@mintykoi17]

Finally someone mentioned this-

[@cursedwyvern3044]

@@mintykoi17 I don't think I'd call myself an Uni-K, but they definitely get way too much hate and have improved exponentially. Oli - not so much.

[@mintykoi17]

@@cursedwyvern3044 I am not a fan of them (not yet) but I just finally found someone point this out and I was so happy because I feel like Oli only does it for the clout and as for Kaachi it seems like they geniunely would like to perform for everyone

[@cursedwyvern3044]

@@mintykoi17 Absolutely!

[@titididi9]

"Actual transracial people", What do you mean by that? I'm confused (genuinely asking)

[@HopeeInk]

Ngl Chad‘s songs ain’t that bad, they really hit the mark of the time. Y’all would have eaten it up if he was Korean or just Asian. Side note: with me being a kpop stan since 2008, I witness a lot of nonsense in this sphere and it’s kinda fun and borderline traumatic how this KZbin channel cut open memories I literally forgot I had. Like Chad’s existence in the first place or the missable story of Baby Vox 😂.

[@jeniii97]

When you said Pete was Logan Paul I almost fell out of my chair LMAO

[@Free_Palestine_75]

People need to realise there's a difference between being a Koreaboo and just loving k-pop and Korean culture. Tbh a lot of these people k-pop fans label "Koreaboos" are doing the same thing as a lot of these Japanese/Chinese/Thai idols but y'all have no issue with them. People's skin colour shouldn't be a reason for people not to follow their dreams and if you have an issue with non-koreans in k-pop you should keep the same energy for non-korean asian idols, otherwise it kinda comes across as ya'll having some weird Asian fetish kinda thing it's... odd and hypocritical

[@deluxis4991]

I think it's easier to accept idols from other asian countries because they have been there before kpop became a wolrdwide fenomenon. Western white people want to be a part of whatever music is trending. When kpop will slowly lost intrest and something else will be trending poeple will go there.

[@Free_Palestine_75]

@@deluxis4991 Then what about the white people before it was trending? You know many of these other Asians joined K-pop because it's trendy right? If you're mad at non-asians (not sure why you said white people specifically) for doing it you should be mad at the Chinese/Japanese/Thai idols for doing the same otherwise you're a hypocrite. There's no reason fans shouldn't accept non-asian idols

[@naofumi9980]

This man has my utmost respect. Did not give a sheet about those disgusting toxic beaches calling him ugly and making fun of him. He was brimming with self-confidence and just did what he wanted to do irregardless of what others said about him. Never letting the opinions of others influence his life choices. Truly a courageous protagonist. He is my role model and I wish I was braver like him when I was younger.. instead of easily getting hurt like the pathetic masses who are too scared to take control of their lives.

[@minjiu__u]

True.

[@helpraznidentitystopanti-a3946]

Real inspirational, let's just skip past the racism he displayed though, mocking Korean accent in Korea while trying to make it in Asian pop media smh... Glad the racist is gone fuck him and anybody that supports him or finds this racist clown inspirational.

[@yeaesthetics3195]

Exactly. Now that i know it, i have respect for him he's so cool

[@spudssnowdrops6286]

Race should be entirely irrelevant, however culture should not be. If a non-Korean wishes to become a kpop idol, they should definitely try their utmost to understand, appreciate and partake in both Korean culture and the kpop subculture. I think so long as put in the same amount of effort to debut as idols do, on top of at least trying to learn Korean (I don't think they need to be fluent upon debut, provided they continue to improve), then it's nothing but discrimination to want to ban them from a sphere of entertainment.

[@PlanetTokki]

Thank you for clarifying in middle. But the thing is, Koreans are very picky with their idol…the non-Korean idol will get hate no matter what. Good thing Fatou from Blackswan didn’t get hate though

[@gmmartines7331]

@@PlanetTokki Fatou DID get hate though mainly from international fans

[@PlanetTokki]

@@gmmartines7331 yeah ofc she did but she doesn’t now

[@_twinklesprinkle]

@@PlanetTokki She does though? She stated that she's "not going anywhere" in response to the hate she got.

[@PlanetTokki]

@@_twinklesprinkle this was two months ago, plus all I see is love going towards Fatou so idk where y’all are getting this from

[@user-ip3yu9db6k]

I pretty much agree with what you said at the end. I'm not Asian, but to me it seems more disrespectful that they don't have the intense training background that Kpop idols have but still insist that they're on the same level. I would be a bit taken aback if I'd busted my ass from age 10 to break into the industry and then had to watch some rando act like they deserve praise. Considering the fact that a bunch of Kpop producers/composers are non-Asian westerners and that Kpop music is and was always heavily influenced by the multicultural mish-mash that is mainstream American pop (and hip-hop), I don't see any real issue with non-Asians wanting to become Kpop idols. It's just super weird to me that people with zero connection to South Korea and zero desire to _actually_ engage properly with Korean culture want to slap a Kpop label on themselves. Like that's just pop. (I also think that 'I want to do Kpop' attitude and the backlash non-Asian aspiring idols recieve from western fans has a lot to do with how (East) Asians are fetishized in western pop culture but that is a can of worms I am unprepared to fully open in a youtube comment)

[@purplequi9962]

Chad's never been a bad guy - he's always been pretty chill and he joined the game before k-pop was as close to mainstream as it currently is. Given that, his interest in the genre feels a lot more genuine and like he actually appreciates the culture/media. You can't give him too much crap for "cultural appropriation" (it's not like he ever claimed he was Korean), but can definitely critique his work haha

[@Passions]

Kpop was huge way before Chad, don't make fake news.

[@purplequi9962]

@@Passions kpop was not nearly as mainstream in the west until 2018+ lmao it's not even mainstream now beyond BTS

[@shardeabre]

It’s definitely not enough to have a flashy music video you have to train your voice practice your lyrical abilities and learn the language to even begin a process like this. But he was definitely ambitious😳

[@rexgavin5406]

Didn't become a fan of Chad Future, but i'll admit...that song of his called Rock the World became a one time guilty pleasure of mine.

[@dariusrodriguez9079]

I gotta say you did great with this. Your research, and way you present it. It is splendid. Keep up the good work, Ploopy.

[@newroses]

it's always a good day when ploopy uploads

[@doedside]

His music may be cringy but I actually really appreciate how much work he put into his interests and hobby. Tbh I feel bad for him receiving so much hate for doing what he loves, especially since he has never claimed to be Korean or to be the same as kpop idols. He actually tried to do something in between kpop and pop. I think if he trained like an idol for at least some time and improve his dancing and singing skills, he would be able to achieve his dreams (at least to some degree)

[@dreamcatcherismylifesuppor2348]

When it’s Black it’s „cool and revolutionary diversity“ when it’s white it’s „Cringy and Koreaboo cultural appropriation“ Make it make sense

[@ploopy678]

I try not to subscribe to that double standard. I mean. Nico in Heart2Heart is black, and people still felt like he was cringy, for me it's the training and skills that count!

[@charlottewise490]

Yesss new upload 💗💗

[@kyokugo6460]

He's amazing and all but this 30 min vid and our dear trying not to break character feels like a FEVER DREAM. Thank you tho cuz your channel is the best of all the docu-info kpop channels in KZbin.

[@icedcoffeecube]

Thank u queen for another great upload ❤️

[@kseniagolubkova6548]

I just love that you find such interesting themes for your videos, mind-blowing.

[@ancientmingyu0604]

Couple things I wanna say: I remember this dude. I really liked the cover of VIXX' "Error" and I loved Ravi in the feature. That was about it. Everything else I checked out, as far as I remember, made me come for the features and leave for Chad. Second of all: discouraged or not, the fact that he didn't continue his language studies and the way he behaved in South Korea shows very blatantly that he wasn't nearly half as interested in the country and culture as he was in the "glamour", success and fame of being a kpop idol in my opinion, which honestly was to he expected.

[@sunnypop2583]

Ploopy content is my happy place. 🥰 Thank you.

[@bunnyXdoll]

He just posted a mv 5 months ago. He is continuing his idol dreams.

[@nniieemmaanndd]

Oh dang, I'm literally watching this video on Opera, so that sponsor spooked me lol. Get that bread, Ploop!

[@aal1yah17]

Thank you for a new video Evangeline 😉☺

[@ehrenschnitzel]

Holy shit, I remember him collabing with RAVI, I think, but i was and still am a huge B.A.P fan and saw his cover back then! It's insane that the guy who made that cover has such a crazy backstory! Thanks for the video :D

[@haliee]

i remember when this guy's english remix videos were always in my recommendations years ago

[@danterpan]

HES THE GUY WHO MADE MYSPACE THE MOVIE?? omg i loved that video so much as a kid lol legit did not recognize him when he came back as chad future… wild

[@purpleunicornqueen8066]

Hii, I love your content so much. I hope you best of luck and i hope you keep continuing what you do

[@thalia3902]

I don’t listen to Kpop music but your videos on these stars are so interesting! I’ve been watching since last night 🥰

[@lmnc113]

Evangeline just letting you know that I really love your videos, your researching skills are always over the top 🤝

[@idris2485]

why did u jump scared us with oily london😭

[@luu0w0]

Omg he was my idol back then XD Like in 2014 people didn't call others out so quick for being a kboo. I liked his covers and collabs!

[@Shimo2130]

I love when you post I wish you posted everyday but I know it ain't possible cuz you work hard

[@shovelfvce3781]

new ploopy video, let's goooooo

[@mermaidnott9713]

I feel like a white person can be a K-pop idol as long as they audition and train under a company and debut that way. Getting a group together under a label with no training period is not a K-pop group but rather just a normal girl group especially when only one line of there debut song is in Korean.

[@user-cn3gd7gf7v]

White person? That wouldn't be kpop anymore

[@midnight3946]

@@user-cn3gd7gf7v But what if it was one white person in a group full of asian people? Does that make the group "no longer K-Pop", because there's one non-asian person in it? It seems kind of gatekeepy to try to limit access to K-Pop in that way. I also don't feel like allowing one hard-working non-asian person, who actually makes effort to integrate into Korean culture, would open the floodgates to the point, where no asian person would create korean music. As someone from a country that's less homogenous than Korea, I would find it horrible if we limited other "races" from doing traditional music. Now, that obviously still happens (i.e black people being rejected from rock, despite having created it in the US) and its a load of bs. People who love a countrys music scene, who have studied it, especially immigrants, can contribute greatly to the development of said music, without taking away its distinctive features. K-Pop isn't just K-Pop, because there's only Koreans doing it. Like why does the inclusion of Thai, Japanese and chinese idols not take away from the culture of Korean music, but having a white or black idol would?

[@user-cn3gd7gf7v]

@@midnight3946 because they're asians that suit the standards and have some Confucianism. Even if they are other Asian they're face suits the standard and fans are comfortable with it. The reason kpop was famous was because of east Asian culture and they're visuals. That's been the sole reason. They were able to let these people come because they look east Asian especially with plastic surgery and make the general public korean fans fine and comfortable. International fans might like the idea of diverse group because your not our race but do you think east Asia would like it. No they won't. East Asia is xenophobic for a reason and you'd be surprised many like it that way. Why would east asians feel comfortable if a foreigners show up in our TV and our country you think they'd accept or we like it. We don't

[@midnight3946]

@@user-cn3gd7gf7v Yeah, but xenophobia is bad, right? I'm aware that east Asia has problems with racism, but cultures can change, when exposed to new kinds of people, even though it would takr forever. Now that K-Pop is international, it would also be a good marketing strategy. I feel like Brazilians might enjoy seing a brazillian idol on stage, since K-Pop appears to be huge there. And correct me if I'm, because I am way out of my depth here, but isn't Confucianism a way of life that can be adoptef and followed? So if a non-asian idol were to adopt said principles, the only reason for not including them would be their features. Which would be racist and therefore bad and therefore something to push against. I feel like the idea of who gets to do K-Pop is ever-expanding: First, only being associated with Koreans, then with other east Asians as well. (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc.) If someone is talented enough, willing to learn language and culture, it would be a loss not to go for them. Blackswan is horribly managed, but they do fit the K-Pop aesthetic, despite having non-asian members. There's already mixed idols, so I do truly feel like one day, there will be more white or black idols. Now, since Korea is quite homogenous, I do not believe that I will ever see the music industry there being dominated by non-Asians. That would need a drastic shift in demographics and I cannot see that happening, unless the rest of the world gets submerged in water and is forced to flee to East Asia. P.S: I just want to make sure, you know, this isn't a critique towards you. You obviously know about Korean culture and its problems of xenophobia. My critique aims at attacking said xenophobia and wondering, whether it should be challenged by the inclusion of non-asian people. It is not supposed to accuse you of anything or take aim at you

[@user-cn3gd7gf7v]

@@midnight3946 I understand what you mean but even if people like kpop it was because of east asians a nd they're fetishization towards them. Some countries might have a huge love of kpop and that's worth a lot of money. But I think having foreign idols wouldn't erare anytime due to the general public not liking it simply some races really don't fit the aesthetic and for east asians some view kpop as their culture thing that only they can have and do. Some view kpop to have certain standards and imagining whites and blacks idols really don't suit the facial features or standards. If we think rationally hard fact of life koreans wouldn't be accepting non Asian kpop idols anytime soon. Even if they did make a group a international one like HYBE AMERICA did it would just be catered to international rather than Korea.

[@thewaitisogre]

i remember that myspace: the movie video. what a throwback.

[@cozydubu_2647]

Early! I can’t wait to watch the video

[@JAKESEOUL31tv]

In 2012 me and a friend moved to train in soul to become singers … it was a difficult time for foreigners but we busted our legs off and I was casted as a back dancer for a girl group but then I moved back to Italy … and my friend made a debut album and he was on several tv shows… now he make his first solo song … but the is foreign trainees always existed but the problem is bigger than that … we all trained like the Koreans with the Koreans ( no special treatment ) … but when you don’t actually look Asian might be a problem … by that I mean that is not a cultural appropriation type of problem but it’s the Asian way of wanting to look different and it could create problems with fans that wants to be like you in the future … I was told that I had the face that Koreans boys tried to emulate with cosmetic surgery … high nose , big eyes and slim face … and I would have been a problem opposite of oli london… I wanted to be a k-pop idol Because of the style of music … which basically mean k-pop is specific genre … and if I make a song in my language with the same style I consider that song beying a k-pop style song … in 2012 there were not that many foreigners in Seoulike there are now … so we all new each other in the industry… for example Carson Allen … a really good actress now ( she did the k-drama on Netflix ) used to train with me and my friend … and some others came and went … anyway I think that this guy actually liked the style and the music … so it’s actually respectable … he didn’t go around saying he is Korean …

[@xomuahriku]

When you said Pete was Logan Paul, I was screeching.

[@tracycraft2971]

So love your channel! So much great information!! Big hugs!!

[@angelxxsana]

omg i love your videos! keep going on bestie

[@imnotbonnie]

You're looking amazing!!

[@pinkvelvet6405]

This video just brought me memories. Completly forgot about him.

[@katiew532]

Dude I will never forget going to the first ever KCON and seeing Chad Future there. I was so shocked. I forgot he existed until just now.

[@charleneo1934]

Given his contacts he prob wouldve been better as a company ceo

[@smittythagreat93]

I like Chad. He's got that badass sound AND he doesn't try too hard,so definitely better than Oli London

[@lindaleeikun1632]

Yeah me too. I agree with you. It's sad how he gets compared to oli London and some people saying oli is better which is messed up. Yeah he works inanely hard and he has improved a lot on his rapping.

[@UncleMarco]

Girl I bet those other members of heart2heart never thought they’d be uncovered LMAO

[@katiekrazie]

I like how this is actually a Heart2Heart member exposure video 😂

[@elainelat8067]

I remember this guy's cover of EXO's Wolf. I was actually impressed.

[@2ne1usa]

Thanks for the video. Very interesting. Well Done.

[@AUSSIE.ZOE123]

I’m first. I can’t wait to watch the video!

[@jooheony5311]

His cover of big bang's "loser" was really great!

[@lindaleeikun1632]

Yeahhh it issss awesome!!!! He was the winner of the competition of BigBang covers

[@swored.]

Hiii I missed your uploads yayayayy

[@InTheMourning421]

I was a fan of him and his group. I was hoping the group would have stuck around for longer.

[@tiffanykim2773]

Great video very informative.

[@bubbahatesmunchkin6180]

It's not really my place to say how I feel about non Asians trying to work in the Korean entertainment industry because I'm not Korean. But I feel like this: you have to know the culture and fluently speak the language to try to become a part of kpop. I think that applies to all aspects of entertainment though. Don't just try to become a kpop artist because it's popular or for a "social experiment". That's when it becomes cringy or looking a joke or even offensive. I love space but you won't catch me going to the moon without the proper training and knowledge!

[@tsukispigtails8750]

Love your videos and you kpop content

[@Zenguin1104]

I think “white kpop idols” are ok, as long as they’re respectful to the culture & don’t claim to be Korean. I don’t think we should cancel people for trying to make it in a certain industry. I think they’d receive a lot less backlash if they just said “kpop inspired” though…

[@georgedoesstuff3196]

Who else was excited that there was a Brave Girls tab when she was talking about her sponser

[@tiffanykim2773]

I mean it seems he had the same idea as some kpop idol companies do now. Doing collabs with western artists and in English to help boast them overseas idk again just saying.

[@Diana-mu7pc]

When you made that "Pete was Logan Paul" joke I almost did a spit take. I COMPLETELY believed you.

[@_twinklesprinkle]

I feel that K-Pop shouldn't be exclusive to just Asian people. Let's be honest- when a lot of people say K-Pop is only for Asian people, they're refering to East Asian people. For example, KAACHI's debut recieved an alarming amount of backlash because the group had only one Asian member... except there's actually *two.* Chunseo is Filipina. The only reason she chose to use a Korea stage name was because it's hard to pronounce "Ruth" in Korean, because there's no 'th' character in the alphabet. It's not fair to exclude people from certain genres of music just because they're a different race or ethnicity. That's like telling people they can't rap if they're not Black. Or telling people they can't make Latin style music if they're not of Latin descent. Music is something that should be shared an embraced. Anyone should be welcome to pursue a career in the K-Pop industry, if they take the time to learn about Korean culture, the language, and train in all the necessary skills it takes to become an idol. Chad Future did do a lot of things that are viewed as cringey, but his efforts to try all kinds of things is admirable! Not many people can network that well when they're trying so many things. I think we should stop debating whether or not K-Pop is just for Asian people. Because people spend so much time debating this topic, a lot of people who have the potential might be too afraid to try, because the same people will do anything to make fun of them just for not being Asian. If you want to become a K-Pop idol, do it. Practice all the skills you'll need, learn Korean and learn about the culture, and train under a K-Pop agency. Don't worry about the people that chose to spend their time hating on you, and instead focus on the people that will support you! :)

[@frankverisco4722]

I love your visuals!!!!!!

[@aimen87]

I'll definately be commenting about the video BUT when you said "I feel sorry for my past self for noy using OPERA soon" ISTG, I can relate to this line soooooooooo much....When I started using , and when I discovered the amazing features it has IT LEFT ME SHOOKED...Opera has been making my life sooooo easier...Now, I can proudly say that I ABSOULTELY love OPERA💙

[@blessedbeauty697]

This videos actually comedy gold but it also sheds light on the situation, ngl he looks exactly like a kpop meme, I’m not upset at some of these people who are genuinely interested in love K-pop and the lifestyle versus the others who are treating it as a joke or a quick way of getting fame, shout out to westerns doing amazing and hard kpop dances 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 happy I subscribed to you

[@jojol025]

Before seeing the video, I first saw the video title and thought: nooooooooo

[@brandon8910]

Always a good day when you see that notification for a Ploopy upload

[@ELmayberry]

true true 😌

[@AmberLizzieBow444]

agreed

[@lilaclullaby]

kind of iconic damn. appreciate you bringing this man to our attention.

[@foodse9737]

I literally watch your 19 video in one day this is my 20

[@melii0802]

4:08 This is Sriya and Gabi! They have officially been selected to join K-pop Group ‘BLACKSWAN’. Sriya is THE FIRST Indian k-pop idol! They are currently preparing for a comeback :)

[@DutchFemme]

Isn't there an idol from Zpop that is Indian?

[@melii0802]

@@DutchFemme yes but they are Z-pop which is only INSPIRED by k-pop. So it’s not k-pop, it’s Z-pop. Hope this helped :)

[@LunaMapping_KR]

3:00 Omg Ploopy is an insomnia

[@Blownsswan324]

I love how she mentions black swan 🦢❤

[@kpopluver0494]

Omg I remember this guy!!!! I thought he was so cringy at the time, but I guess he is good compared to oli London...

[@robertabrams8562]

Great video! I think you made a nice point by saying that: “ Chad never went through the Kpop trainee process”! As Kpop continues to be a Global entity, more and more ppl will try to latch on to this wave, but will not be as successful as real Kpop idols, bec they lack going through the trainee process! Here in America, we like to say that: “imitation is the greatest form of flattery”, but if you do it incorrectly, it can lead to your complete downfall!