No More K-Pop Trainees?! Companies Have NO ONE To Debut Anymore!

K-Pop industry has reached a point when fewer and fewer Koreans want to dip their toes in it! The companies have registered a very few new trainees and it looks like the idols' image has lost its original prestige.
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#kpop #kpopnews #KOOKIELIT

[@illBEit0301]

Maybe debuting minors have caused this decline in K-pop trainees

[@dianaosazenaye1313]

They do not need to wait anymore

[@Allure.Entertainment]

Girl what? This had been happening since 1st generation

[@messymess7822]

​@@Allure.Entertainmentthere use to be only one or two members who were minors but now the whole groupe is made up of kids, even a 20 year old debuting now is considered old

[@HipHopLuv22]

Maybe... that's why they're debuting minors cause, cause they don't really think things thru and its better for companies to push someone who's unprepared as long as they listen to everything the company says...

[@Grand_Finale-jh5kh]

if they debut 20 years old and above you blah blah blah...when they debut under 19 you still blah blah blah...this kind of people are the reason...why kpop is declining...

[@inimmz]

the fact that companies are asking for trainees under 15 yrs old and how obviously toxic the industry is. its no wonder they have no trainees because what parent would send their child into work like this. maybe they should focus on debuting adults in a healthier industry to solve their problem.

[@EmelyPhan]

Also, I feel like a few idols who started their careers at a very young age have baiscally said they don't wish it on anyone, especially if they are very young.

[@user-yj9ke7nb7f]

some of underage idols also decided to drop school. That's bad

[@TEAM__POSEID0N]

It's really always been like that. It's funny seeing people acting like it's something new. Only the very most successful and popular groups actually can remain active when the members are in their late twenties. Kpop's core demographic audience in the past was almost entirely middle school and high school aged kids and the idols ages have always mirrored that. 1st gen groups and 2nd gen groups often started with very young members. Two of the S.E.S. members were around 16 when the group officially debuted, meaning that they were probably around 14 or so when they started training. Minzy of 2NE1 was 14 or 15 when the group debuted, but she was still in elementary school when she joined YG as a trainee. G-Dragon was actually a trainee at SM Entertainment when he was 8 years old...and then transferred to YG when he was around 13.

[@alifahhafizahyasmin1484]

0:02 ​@@EmelyPhan

[@WanglembaElangbam-xj7yl]

The thing is we fans can't relate with older people. We want to be represented. So we will naturally give more attention to young idols since most kpop fans are young as well

[@pyrofreezer]

Working 24/7 and get cancelled by anything and everything? No thanks

[@vixxexo6855]

They still get paid a lot. Most of the newer gen especially the girls are not even talented. Just look at New Jeans and Illit who have no talent and debuted. They look like a kindergarden show. New Jeans and Illit gets paid a lot for doing nothing.

[@Fearless.cat1209]

​@@vixxexo6855who told you they get paid a lot? Most of the money goes to the label unfortunately

[@aricalay9962]

@@vixxexo6855 and what are the chances of becoming as big as illit at debut? Actually, even BEFORE debut! The chances of even getting passing the audition process is low these days - unless you’re got connections or exceptionally talented. But even if you aren’t talented, don’t worry! Because netizens don’t care about talent anymore, only your face card. Talent died with the 3rd Gen. 😊

[@ThishsitwontgetmynameFoFF]

​@vixxexo6855 "paid alot"? You serious? That's the reason ceos walk in million+ $ cars, it all goes to company did you know they get like 5$ for musicbanks? In fact they're in debt to their agency cuz when they there trainees agency gave them clothes food rooms....untill they're like bp they're not that rich

[@raven3moon]

​@@vixxexo6855You didn't watch the video.

[@greensleeves8095]

Imagine spending your youth training to then not even debut. Why would you even bother.

[@Sophie_lane7]

True

[@mdr8062]

I think if it's an extracurricular I honestly would do it , even if it's extremely competitive and intense lol. People do competitive athletics in the west starting from their youth. Just as time competitive and intense, as well as extremely high competition for very limited spots. However, I am sure these same athletes learn life skills beyond their respective sport such as efficiency in learning new skills, Hard work ethic etc. Ideally you debut but I've have many friends who worked hard to play competitively in their respective sports but never made it pro. They are all still very successful and go to top universities. I'm sure the skillset helped them in many other aspects of their professional life.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

That is so true!

[@Kazuma_kiryu311]

​@@mdr8062 I'd rather not risk getting into depth thank you very much

[@mikayla9146]

I always wondered why anyone would sign up to be an idol, it has always been a horrible existence. Not to mention all of the unalive yourself by idols due to the stress and guidelines.

[@lu5423]

Its hard but im pretty sure there’s enough idols who still like their job

[@mikayla9146]

@@lu5423 maybe, I watched an interview with Jessi recently, and she said if she could do it all over, she would not ever have gotten into K-pop.

[@PlatyMadness]

Some are rich and was just in for the challenge

[@nesrin6165]

money.

[@stvrnightcvt]

money.. fame..? idk girl use your brain

[@chaeripie2422]

1. The toxicity has finally FULLY come to light (mental health, physical health, drama, corruption, etc) 2. Survival shows makes trainees realize they don’t really need to train and just go attend survival shows to get a better chance of debuting 3. Considering the declining population combined with the first 2 points, leads to less potential trainees 4. Companies only debut people under 19, meaning if you’re 19 and older you have no chance or is seen as old. People naturally will train at a young age and leave as soon as they hit 19 realizing they’ll never debut. 5. Unfair wages as the way companies pay idols is not a base salary or hourly salary on each idol but instead, they pay a total amount to the group and split it amongst the trainees. Meaning if you have $100 to give a group and your group consists of 5 people, you’ll each get $20. However, if your group has 10 people, you’ll only be receiving $10 each 6. Influencers such as Song Jia makes younger demographics understand that being a idol is no longer the ONLY way to being famous

[@chaeripie2422]

I hope this was a detailed enough breakdown!

[@nevergoingtochange6126]

Companies don't only debut people under 19, take a look at bad villain for example. Obviously the chances of debuting after 19 are much more slim, but it's not impossible.

[@Music-vr7sz]

That's actually fair wages not unfair. And it's a lot more than a hundred dollars. Also being an influencer is extremely low chance of success and far less rewarding even if you succeed.

[@Fearless.cat1209]

19? You mean 15yo lol now some labels don't even accept 2007 nowadays

[@chaeripie2422]

@@nevergoingtochange6126 never said they don't. Just saying that since it's rare, it pushes people away from wanting to become a trainee which was the point of my comment

[@CrashOverride332]

All this means is that they'll have to actually invest in the trainees they get. They treat idols horribly and don't invest in their health and success.

[@RedFro95]

Behind all that makeup, flashy costumes, and beauty is a truly evil industry and a horrendous way of life for those young people who are just trying to chase a dream. People are finally realizing more and more that the toxicity and potential health risks just aren't worth it. And I'm really glad about that, honestly.

[@mistyvlogz]

I went to an SM audition in Seoul mid march this year and it was emppptyyy 💀

[@kRYSTALMODIFER-yf3ob]

That's like.... embarrassing😯😳

[@BELIEVER78989]

Oh no😂😂

[@sumandutta4834]

Really? That's unbelievable.

[@TaylorLeeKnow]

Omg so Kpop culture gonna disappear in like 2 decades

[@irenesara455]

​@@TaylorLeeKnow with the population decline, yeah there'll be a few

[@yiv2997]

since people are finally waking up and seeing how difficult being an idol is. they no longer follwed the trend of being a kpop idol, all they wanted was to see their faves, most even feteshized koreans lol

[@OYJluv]

Fans and companies treat idols like shit. Companies should invest in better comebacks for the groups they already have.

[@bpavilion8994]

Agreed! Waiting forever to see older artists make content, like they just put them on the back burner. Can't f's with that.

[@DerekLaugann]

TOO MANY GROUPS!!!! That's the problem. Supply and Demand!

[@lepunksmoothie]

Agree! KPOP has reached its saturation point. It has already reached its peaked and is on its plateau, and it won't be long before it reaches its decline as the demand for its consumption is fast gone. While they are trying so hard to rebrand the industry by renaming it as "Global POP" using the tried-and-tested KPOP idol training system to train non-Koreans alongside Koreans, the public that consume KPOP entertainment and productions has already seen it all and most likely will not take the bait anymore. Entertainment that's heavily focused on quantity, visuals, superficial art, and manufactured artists instead of raw talent, creativity, constant innovation in artistry, relatability (alongside work ethics and character), all the fame, fortune and success will quickly die just as fast as it was achieved.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I agree and when they debut too many groups, they become excess.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@lepunksmoothieYup and that goes for most if not all trends in the entertainment industry.

[@My_kpop_Staniel-]

I always wonder what kind of parents these idols have? How can they literally let their 10 - or 12-year-old kids enter this cruel industry? I have heard that NewJeans is not hyein's first group like seriously ? She was just 14 when she made her debut in NewJeans!!!

[@sumandutta4834]

They follow trends. K-Pop is hot globally. Plus teens are die hard fans of this genre. Maybe parents see some value of their child becoming kpop idol. Making it big means lot of global exposure in media and entertainment industry plus the money it brings to the table.

[@yasminchan7425]

I think it's great that more and more kids are choosing to focus on school and education instead of becoming kpop idols, so many kids and teens are having their childhoods taken away from them bc of the kpop industry and it can, and most likely will, damage their mental health severely

[@user-tg4pm4il5h]

How are they prepared for a career after their showbiz careers is finished? Must be very hard.

[@Fearless.cat1209]

Frr the huge problem is that they're left with no diploma nor graduation once their career is over. Not to mention that a kpop career is very short. It lasts a few years until they hit 25yo

[@Scion141]

I mean, Korean school children don't have much of a childhood to begin with.

[@samdg4322]

Meanwhile, some kpop companies started to debut virtual idols as well😆

[@K-Blubberop]

There’s so many disbanded groups under 25 years of age you can easily make great groups if you want

[@TEAM__POSEID0N]

The core target audience for Kpop groups is still K ~12 kids. Although some older people are now paying more attention. It's always been focused on very young fans and very young idols. G-Dragon was in show business when he was 6 years old, went to SM entertainment as a trainee when he was 8 and transferred to YG when he was around 13. The entertainment companies are looking at a business cycle for their groups that pretty much ends around the time the idols are in their mid to late twenties. Only the super successful and super popular groups ever keep going when the members are in their thirties. it's nothing new. Michael Jackson, the Osmonds, Boyz II Men and many other western idol groups started out with very, very young members.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I am sure many trainees who were not able to debut should be given another chance.

[@Cynalittle]

This is a very weird situation, imagine having it in mind that your career is just for 10 years, even as a westerner if my kid wants to do music he/she has to have a plan b, go to college or something which is practically impossible in kpop debuting at 15 and your career is over before you get to 25 that’s wild

[@EthanTucky16]

The future of kpop is not looking good, more and more idols debuting younger and younger, their schedules are becoming longer, fans are getting crazier and crazier, music is becoming shorter, idols being compared 24/7. I could go on and on about all the things wrong with kpop recently and things are only getting worse and worse, I wouldn't be surprised if kpop has a massive downfall in popularity. Although I'm still into kpop I'm starting to become less and less interested in it since things are only negative these days.

[@snow_lightxx]

saaaaame ... ._.

[@MC-gl8ob]

You're right on the spot 💯

[@gial5338]

This has always happened, is just that now there's Internet, ex idols can tell their stories on their personal social media and people all around the world listen to them. Before, all idols who pass throught exploitation in anyway was bash by the media of their own country, especially women who were called prostitutes, instead of having the help they needed.

[@dontcrosstheline-oneus-skz-zb1]

wrong accusation of idol

[@EthanTucky16]

@@gial5338 yeah Ik it has its just its getting worse due to more Internet

[@Shirma85]

That's child labor

[@leyanamze09]

Louder !

[@yasminchan7425]

Finally someone else than me said it!

[@TEAM__POSEID0N]

Sort of. But show business isn't really the kind of "child labor" that people worked hard to discourage or make illegal, such as very dangerous work and very long hours in factories, mines, food processing plants and so on. People seem to see things in very simple terms. Going to school as a kid is wonderful. Being a trainee is horrible. But situations can be quite different for different people. More school kids unalive themselves due to bullying and pressure IN SCHOOL than happens among trainees. Also, it depends on the entertainment companies. Many of the top companies are quite reasonable, allow the trainees to train part time (which is an education itself), while going to school or provide tutors. Other companies are horrible and are run by scammers. It makes no sense to lump everything together.

[@teekay851]

@@TEAM__POSEID0N by number of people more school kids unalive themselves than idols? ... sure obviously, there are a million times more kids in school than are idols. More people PERCENTAGE WISE?...not even remotely close.

[@repeatingawesomeness]

People realize how miserable your life will be if you become an idol. It's really that simple lol

[@justinnyugen7015]

Spending years in a program being away from family, not eating like a regular human being, training full time, owing the company increasingly more debt, and having a looming threat of never debuting…then if they DO debut having the public scrutinize every move like how they eat, how much they weigh, their stage outfits, if they so much as make eye contact with another opposite gendered idol…yeah, sounds super appealing to become a trainee

[@startrilogy]

Maybe if agencies treated their idols better, didn't overwork them, paid them correctly, the exigence wasn't that high, idols were protected of online netizens, didn't receive death threats and didn't get cancelled for anything and everything, weren't forced to go on crazy diets nor give up on their romantic life and both debut age and retire age literally weren't as of a fetus then there would be way more trainees

[@mazdarxvin1]

Good bring back debuting adults. And maybe we can get kpop to where it needs to be again. 😊

[@theycallmeaster]

Exactlyyy, Kiss of Life is one of those examples!

[@gial5338]

​@@theycallmeaster the reason KOL work is not because they are legally adult, but because they are actively participating on the group concept and songs. The problem is not the age, but forcing girls and women to performe a song or concept that doesn't make them feel confortable. There're many ex idols who left the industry because they were force to make sexy concept even when they didn't wanted.

[@bearic_o]

Being idol pretty much being toxic fans' and company's hostage. 😢

[@sachisas]

Idols are paid like 6 dollars per music show, why would anyone even bother to be an idol for such a low pay?

[@vixxexo6855]

Idols from big companies like Hybe and YG gets paid way more.

[@sachisas]

@@vixxexo6855 probably, yet the majority of kpop idols are not in hybe or yg

[@klasiktawanan5300]

The dream of every Kpop idols' are Global Stardom. Performing in Music Shows is just their way to promote their songs to people 🤦

[@sachisas]

@@klasiktawanan5300 and? That doesnt mean humans should be paid that low for doing their job regardless its just for promotion or not, especially in a developed country like skor

[@klasiktawanan5300]

@@sachisas It is what it was from the start. Aspiring idols are aware of that thing but despite the situation they still push themselves to become an idol because they are aiming for global fame and If they aim for the best many sacrifices are needed That's my answer on your main question as to why koreans are still pursuing Idol career despite getting paid less in music shows 🙂

[@Fearless.cat1209]

I think people realise that the huge problem is that they're left with no diploma nor graduation once their career is over. Not to mention that a kpop career is very short. It lasts a few years until they hit 25yo

[@kimjong-inismysoulmateexoi8136]

Or they’re group disbanded and they have nothing

[@ST4R4LIF3]

They lost trainess? This is my time to shine

[@SsmilingSsmile]

please look in the mirror

[@aish_verma_94178]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@pyrofreezer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH7JkotprLehhbcsi=wq2CMkZ5M5YoVSAE More trainee like this will occur 🎉

[@herdarkesttdesire]

yesss😂😂

[@IcePrince9876]

Well, good luck...

[@PinkMang0]

It’s scary to be in the industry!! Controversies turn into bullying. Sasaengs infiltrate idols privacy. Toxic fan stans hate other idols because it’s not their bias! Being an idol, you have to have a lot of mind power, self-love and self-worth!

[@coolgirl312]

I think with the growth of social media people have become more aware of the level of toxicity in the Kpop industry and also because Idols often interact with fans through social media, they're also exposed to a lot more toxicity because people would spam idols with malicious messages and comments. The industry in general is just over saturated, debuting does not guarantee success and in general, an idol career has a short shelf life. It's easy to look at a group like New Jeans or Zerobaseone or Aespa and think "As long as they debut, they're set for life!" But more and more fans now are aware that that is not the case for most idols. Like, amongst the pool of trainees, only a handful of those actually end up debuting. Amongst the groups that did debut, only a small handful of those end up being at least moderately successful and survive their full contract period. And amongst those few successful groups, a few will survive past their initial contract period, and amongst those few groups, only a few members end up having lasting careers. So the odds aren't great. People aren't lured in as easily by the promise of becoming a star since they know putting years of grueling training only MIGHT result in debut and stardom. It's not worth it. And don't get me started on cancel culture and online bullying and spread of false rumors. Any time any possible rumor comes up for an idol, people suddenly flood them with hateful comments, whether the rumors are true or not. And it very quickly derails in to something much worse than the inital accusation (Like an idol laughing at classmate when they tripped suddenly becomes Idol tripped the classmate, pushed them down the stairs then assaulted them). A rumor can undo Years of hard work and end an idol's career overnight. Making an already unstable career even more unstable. An idol can do 100 good things and people will still continuously bring up the one bad thing they may have done. Even if a rumor is proven false, never confirmed in the first place, or never looked in to further past Twitter banter, there will still be hateful comments following them for the rest of their career. It's brutal.

[@odo23]

preachh esp the internet toxicity it’s gotten so much worse now esp with more people, and younger ppl specially (and i’m saying that as someone younger myself). idk how idols survive mentally when ppl r overanalysing every breath they take.

[@nicatina]

So that may also explain why they want to go for Global Groups, not Kpop groups and because not many minors in South Korea as the company is looking to debut want to audition so they turn to minors outside of South Korea as a rebound (and to bring back 90s/Y2K Western b/gg group concept) and hoping they do want to debut to earn cash by going to the Western English market. 💰 💰 💰

[@theycallmeaster]

I agree, & call me crazy for this but I think this policy appears to be a calculated response to both the declining birth rates in Korea and the profit-driven motives of these agencies & affiliated music labels.

[@nicatina]

@@theycallmeaster No no, you're actually right! That is also another factor as to why they're trying to debut Global Groups. I actually thought the same thing too. Though If I'm being honest, I don't see the appeal of these global groups, but, it does bring back memories to when I stan other groups like Little Mix, Fifty Harmony, and Citizen Queen.

[@BELIEVER78989]

It won't work in the long run

[@seulgaebaerene]

this is so true ! that's why so many companies nowadays (especially the Big3 + Hybe) wants to debut a global group (or specifically american group and british group but follow the kpop system). tho, i don't agree with it because i feel like kpop is kpop. i don't like when western people wants to be in it because they have their own industry which is so so big already in the world. and kpop is specifically for asians to show off their talents, visuals and performances but yeah, kpop industry is a business after all, no surprised if they want more than it already be. SERIOUS NOTE : i'm NOT being a xenophobic towards western people, i respect them. but it just feels unfair for me as an asian (south asian specifically) :((

[@nicatina]

@@seulgaebaerene As a Westerner myself (and btw I'm not white lmfao, so I'm not offended for this take at all, unlike those sensitives) I don't understand why those Americans want to go too far to debut under a harsh Korean music system to become singers and part of a group that has history of starving and grooming their idols and unless they're being treated differently it still awful, I'll never work for an industry that put these Asian singers through so much suffering and be treated differently for being American too if i found that out, even though, they could just take their talents to The Voice, The X factor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and etc to gain any form of recognition and none of those require horrible training at all, just a simple audition, and even if you lose, any music label will still want to work with you anyway unlike the Kpop system, where it all over for you if you don't win the competition or pass the audition.

[@SaltySTAY]

Theres so many trainees that joined as young as literal kids but like once they get closer to 18 and they still havent debuted, ofc they are gonna quit. And considering such basic living needs that you have to give up, nobody is willing to hurt their own lives like not seeing family for years just to become an idol. It makes sense and people probably saw that coming. Unless they go back to old methods line debuting adults again or put less pressure, kpop is actually dying.

[@MissJhane]

Mamamoo is one of the exception. Over 30 and STILL moomoos asking for more ❤

[@tenz9675]

I laughed at 5:34 when she said to be a Kpop Idol you need to be good in both singing and dancing. Maybe dancing but I definitely seen lots of Idols that can’t sing well. Isn’t auto-tune, backtracks, and lipsync so prevalent and the norm now in Kpop e

[@SJMimi]

even after watching this im still gonna persue my dream of being an idol

[@L-Light1]

You can do it !

[@abiyeideriah1757]

Me too❤

[@NonstopFFriday]

Says “lower expectations” while showing a clip of Ariana Grande who has more singing talent than 99% of kpop idols. 💀

[@kyungsoosings2362]

I'm feeling it too as a kpop fan...it feels like I've had a great run of 12 years with Exo and surrounding groups, I feel like I've grown up and am happy Exo are older and hope that things are happy in their lives too...but those rollercoaster years I don't have the energy to invest in again with anyone else....but of course I will always welcome music from them anytime, their my favs... but it's not do or die anymore...my life feels so much more better not caring whether anything charts anymore or feeling polls and awards are important, or streaming...it's so laughable that at one point I felt deeply that all that was so important...now I just love and listen to music I enjoy without a second thought about the next guy....we all have different lives now and young kpop will soon be a fading fad....I think the best have come and gone, and Exo have already become legends in the game....and it would quite literally be impossible now days to invest 10 years of your life and have the staying power Exo still has, WITH the talent that got them there. The Western scene definitely doesn't have to go through all the crap kpop artists do, it's incredible....

[@darkking9800]

i suggest to explore more globally, make a global pop group. kpop is already diluted and too much in market

[@ssectorlap]

Well since KATSEYE is a global pop group we'll see how that goes :)

[@Sakura_uchiha_elite]

Honestly that sounds good. That industry is toxic as fuck and dangerous for minors.

[@CARL_093]

kpop before and now is very different at same time kpop without trainees who will replaced the disband or retired groups? what about the culture who will continue it? it there is no more group ?

[@cvyyjg]

Don't be overdramatic. There's always going to be someone who will want to debut.

[@chezm356]

You should be worrying about yourself if you believe even half the crap this channel puts out

[@nama1243]

Western market is not competitive ? Sure although they might not compete, but to stand out among other big artists and keep the popularity is hard. Some artist that from my country try jump into western market and didn’t make it, even though they are very popular in my country…. i think because they are simply just singer and not a songwriter, might different if someone is both singer and songwriter…

[@HauMun_1lovetacos]

I don't think it is that people are going away from it, i think it is that compqnies have such high standards now

[@hyunlix.18]

it’s sad seeing them debut younger than 15 or 16 because they give up having friends, having to drop out of school to focus on their training and so much more

[@gabs3096]

I'm genuenly happy this is happening, kpop really needs to chill like A LOT, companies stopped focusing on training talents and nurture them even after debuting, now you only need to be pretty and become everyone's puppet, behave how they want you to behave, to me it almost sounds like pr*stitution wich makes being an idol sound even worse

[@Trusfrated91]

They're finally opening their eyes to the harsh bitter reality. Nothing is worth your health both physically and mentally.

[@moonchild4689]

May be that's why they're going for those chaebol kids wanting to be idols . Makes a lot of sense because so many times ex trainees have admitted that money always play a huge role in making debut lines.

[@BubbyNoo]

The trainee system is abusive and dark. And they now target minors. Being a trainee is immediate Debt. And once you debut that debt will eat away at your earnings. So you're basically broke. Then there's the health issues, extreme dieting, the constant bullying from fans Like?!?! Why would anyone want that??

[@Riu-bw4bl]

I remember in 2nd gen staning idols and hearing what they had to go through to get popular… one of the things that stood out to me was once they debuted a group, even if they were a flop, they would stick with that group they invested in and kept pushing and trying. Different concepts, award shows, shows, they tried for years to get the group popular. I remember noticing in 3rd gen with CLC that they did not even try beyond their first 3 comebacks to push the group to either a niche fanbase or try to get them more popular with the public. They gave up on them and went onto debut a new group. I kept seeing this happen over and over. I think kpop needs to put in more effort… everywhere. They need to stick with and invest in a one or a few groups instead of whatever situation hybe is doing or other companies just giving up or not putting on any effort for a group they trained and debuted. they need a healthier and more rewarding industry to entice more talented people in. They need to focus on quality of music that will get more respect from the public. They need to stop debuting kids.

[@blarfroer8066]

There are innumerable small artists in the West. Making it big is usually a matter of money, and sometimes just sheer luck. There are very few new artists who grow big naturally.

[@HeavenlyLove47]

true, there is only a handful of huge artists in the western market, it’s definitely a lot harder to break through to the mainstream. but i think in the western market, indie artists or at least smaller artists still can survive. i’ve seen lots of smaller artists be able to go on tour at small venues and have a good size fanbase. sure they’re not huge or performing on SNL, but they seem pretty happy and have fans who support them. whereas kpop they HAVE to have some sort of mainstream success to even last more than 3 years it seems

[@blarfroer8066]

@@HeavenlyLove47 true, but the video is talking about reaching the absolute heights of fame. Which those smaller groups haven't. From my experience in organising small shows at a local venue, very few artists can actually live from their music. Most still have a normal job.

[@DonutsForever24]

The birth rate has alot to do with it too

[@nishantweeb2356]

shading westerns artist that they don't require much efforts to become famous/debut is the funniest statement i have ever heard . kpop is literally stealing/sampling their original work speaks for itself that how much originality westerns artists have . do you guys even realise how hard it is to create original music??? . side quest efforts like diet, private life restriction doesn't matter if in the end all you do is stealing music. we don't care about ur weight or whatever ur doing with ur personal life. audience just wants original authentic music from artist. we all know idols life is tuff but u don't need to shade westerns artist (both have different beliefs; one cares about outer beauty and other one cares about actual music)

[@KatieGeorgieva]

You know, in my country there is a saying "sour grapes" - the meaning is that you pretend you don't want something because you CAN'T get it! 😂Yes, you don't want to be an idol because YOU CAN'T! And then there are a bunch of mean k pop bloggers who pour scum on the idols because they want to be in their shoes but they can't!😂

[@lisettes.9598]

Can we please just get some male idols with tans, muscles, and no ridiculous lip stick colors? I bet more would go worldwide if they do this.

[@sun3at3r50]

Being a k-pop trainee, and an idol in general, has become a high-risk low-reward place

[@user-kt8fd1zw8z]

대기업에서 데뷔시 엄청난 부와 명예가 따라옵니다

[@JustCasual]

Kpop idol hybe era until their age almost/reach 30 years old. Some getting forgotten after several years and have to compete with new group. Without large fans base, idol career mostly gone.

[@yes_hunny]

"companies have no one to debut anymore" GOOD. it seems like we've gone from 4th gen to 5th gen way too quickly, idols debut at such a young age, they are treated like slaves, really it's a good thing that kids nowadays have common sense and don't want to be trainees

[@hh552]

its funny how people dont want to become idols bc of things like dieting, yet they still judge idols who debuted and went through these horrible things for gaining weight

[@GelelaBashaw]

Not even not debuting imagine debuting and being in debt

[@blaackberry]

Did you say the western market is easier!? Lower standards!? 😂 Whew thats really funny

[@SamCal]

Compared to the Korean market? It’s absolutely way easier! And even doing it so independently is not so far fetched either. Not saying it’s easier, but more like, more probable to become somewhat successful.

[@tzuyu9283]

@@SamCalI feel in some ways it is and other ways it isn’t. Record labels won’t sign you unless you already have a following, and have polished skills. they refuse to invest in singing/dance or rap lessons. The artist should already come prepared to debut. And recently the artists contracts have become so predatory and unfair, you’ll basically be millions of dollars in debt unless you go independent

[@BELIEVER78989]

Majority of the kpop groups would embarrass themselves in western music market😂😂

[@mar1eru]

Lol I was looking for this comment. You can say different but to say they have lower standards is the one of the dumbest take ive heard from this channel 💀

[@Sisima13]

The Western market is brutal 😅

[@wintersui]

When it’s hard to even know if you’ll even debut and succeed, along with the gruesome hate, and all of those sasaengs, and most likely a decline in your mental health, of course you wouldn’t want to be a kpop idol

[@Idk0037]

Its never about talent anyways its just good looking people

[@holoinfinity4691]

i can understand taking away phones so they focus on training but to not let them contact their family/relatives??? they should let them speak to parents at least every now & then so the parents aren't left in the dark esp if they're enduring horrendous schedules

[@jeanmarietucker3832]

I agreed with you up until being a singer in the west is easier because it not it is a lot harder. This is the very first time that I have see on the channel an biased opinion.

[@russenterprise6502]

Girls Day member Sojin debut at age 24, that isn’t that old but I think she was and still the oldest idol to debut at that age if I’m right, that was 2010.

[@user-kt8fd1zw8z]

2ne1의 산다라박, 박봄은 27살 데뷔

[@dababybirdy]

Tbh I’m about to go audition next month and watching this just discourages me from doing so 😢

[@spiceyhotpot]

Probably want to avoid the control, the lack of pay, and the time they need to spend training before debuting as not a minor, when they could just get a regular job without the stress.

[@priscillaferguson267]

That’s wonderful news 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@jazmintirado1993]

Yeah, I don't blame them for not wanting to be idols. I wouldn't be able to give up my life , I applaud those who can but me personally I don't like the absurd and high standards that K-POP idols go through. I'm to out spoken and blunt LOL

[@mazdarxvin1]

Im happy to see the old system starting to break down. If the big 4 was smart the world keep there older artists that already has a fan base. But unfortunately they are not smart. 😂

[@Sinordes]

Entertainment companies will then go back in scouting potential idols rather than assessing potential idols through training. The decline is mainly due to over saturated market. Plus less idols on trainee is not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is less talent for music creators.

[@spectral__]

I think it's a combination of many idols who entered the industry as children speak out a lot about how they regret it, the string of idol un-aliving incidents, many idols being cancelled over fake accusations related to their school days, many idols having to file lawsuits against their companies, the big companies refusing to debut adults (I've noticed most groups who debuted from smaller companies are mostly early 20s with maybe a couple older teens), etc. The industry takes your soul and you're lucky if you earn a penny from it. Also, Do Hanse's comments about being able to leave debt-free if you last 7 years through your contract make sense. That would explain why there's a "7 year curse." Idols are probably given terrible contract renewal terms, and that point have been through enough hell to know it's not worth it and choose to leave and start over. However, now that idols get to keep their name if all members leave the company upon contract expiration (this was made a law somewhat recently; it's why Highlight finally got the rights to use their original name "B2ST/BEAST"), that gives companies more incentive to offer better contract renewal terms or risk losing more money.

[@milkaauma3305]

This is soo sad

[@zibbitybibbitybop]

Kiss of Life is a perfect example of how you can take your time with trainees, wait for them to grow up and become properly skilled, and then debut them with great results. Hoping the rest of the industry figures that out ASAP.

[@DennisTheJuniorMenace]

Here in the U.S, We dont do trainiees (which is why i was shocked when i learned about it), If u have talent, U get signed. No slave training!

[@YojeongChangod]

That's why I noticed there are so many ongoing auditions in big and small companies

[@glowfly1000]

There has been an insane overflow of trainess and idols nobody knows, bc there's just so much of them. We as kpop fans probably only listen to 10-20% at max, bc most of them dont even make it that far to be recognized. That decrease is actually a good thing and theres still enough of people that enter. And enouth that will get exploited, hopefully agencies will reflect on their treatment. But not vey likely... Also society's pressure is insane and the standards are too, no wonder less people enter

[@theycallmeaster]

The recent developments in K-pop are not only surprising but also signify a critical moment that calls for immediate change in the traditional industry. There are numerous diverse pathways to becoming an idol, including virtual personas. These agencies must adapt to the times.

[@going_svt_13]

Thanx for keeping us updated!😇

[@bpavilion8994]

Yeah they throw their older artists away too fast too. There's kpop artists that I want to see rise higher but they don't focus on the older artists but they are always trying to bring in younger and fresher bodies and I don't like that. Doing this made me lose interests really quickly. Don't get me hooked on something and then take it away, that just makes me mad and not want to bother with you. Supply and demand, I demand a certain particular artist, and you are not supplying this particular artist, so I'm no longer interested...

[@kairiamane3058]

Although their careers as Kpop idols may only last 10 years. It will catapult them to fame enough that getting something like an acting gig or other opportunities wouldn't be too hard. It's mostly a platform to launch the artists, but most live good lives afterwards and get good opportunities due to their fame. As for it being tough, that's pretty much every industry. Nobody said life was easy.

[@lindseywong9667]

As long as kpop is popular, i dont think there will ever be a shortage of trainees. Its a good thing, how widespread the knowledge of idol struggles in the industry is. People can make knformed decisions

[@HispanicBlanca]

I think the reason why there are barely any K-pop trainees is because agencies are debuting idols too fast. For example, HYBE.. hybe debuted Le Sserafim and New Jeans ON THE SAME YEAR. They should've taken time to debut idols... also this whole debuting minors is crazy how it's being talked about just now since in past generations some idols were minors.

[@Gemineyestar]

Honestly, can you blame them for not wanting to be an idol? What they go through is insane.

[@vanshikapatkar]

Maybe it because korean beauty standard . And the diets it is so scary .

[@Pookasoul]

With the sheer amount of Trainees that get rejected and never get to Debut, it's actually a good Thing. It means more Kids will get to have an actual future, since a Lot of rejected Trainees end Up working at bakeries or McDonnalds.

[@Phd366]

They treat people like objects. I’m glad they are changing their career choices. It’s heartbreaking to see idols that can’t even afford a rent and companies not caring.

[@catherinethecatlike]

The ages of trainees has always been young, it’s nothing new. It’s just like how kids train for other sports. My brother started playing baseball at age 6 and was on his way to being in the major league at 19 when he got injured and needed surgery and he could no longer play. I started dance classes when I was 7 and started serious ballet training when I was 12. Long hours, late nights, doing homework between classes etc. to me the “debuting minors” thing isn’t an issue, the issue is the way people s*xualize them. I wasn’t “forced” to have a certain weight, but we definitely were conscious of our bodies. I’ve always been thin and could eat as much as I wanted and NEVER gained weight, so I was very lucky in that aspect. But I have some rare chronic conditions that made pointe extremely painful(didn’t hurt my toes at all, it was all my ankles from hyper extended Achilles from EDS). Physical I could do everything but my mind held me back because I was scared of frequent injuries. “My knee might hyper extend and dislocate during this pirouette” “my ankle might roll during this sequence” etc. fear of injury made me a weaker dancer than I should’ve been, even though I was physically stronger than anyone in my class. There’s nothing wrong with kids chasing their dreams from a young age. Instead of age restrictions there should be protections put in place for them to keep them safe and healthy.

[@lililalalulu]

The treinee numbers are declaning but they dont accept diverse types of people 😵‍💫

[@D.N.A.23]

To much competition and its hard live

[@dreinxoxo]

The market is overly saturated now. The industry could use a breather and current active groups need to shine.

[@jumpdumppyy]

Cause their scouts aren’t allowed in the Maternity ward 😅😅😅

[@sweet-18-tx3tm]

The training system is unfair for idols, they get idol debt they have to payback. They train for 3-5 years with no guarantee of ever debuting, they lose their childhood and have to follow strict rules

[@garyfleury3911]

Maybe cause so few actually get to debut, really what's the point. Like that 99 planet or something and few picked for a unit, what happened to the other trainee's.

[@user-oi8wt3rk6s]

K-pop trainees have discovered that they get paid almost nothing for all the hard work they put into this career, that they will have no personal life, and careers are short lived. They are used as cash cows for management companies, and held to unreasonable standards by fans. It’s a shame because K-pop is a unique music genre which requires talent in dance, singing, and charisma.

[@l3gartha987]

In western music , you have to be born into talent : yes, it's still a competition and not everybody makes it here either such as esmee denters who was founded by Justin Timberlake on yt for her voice did not make it in USA. Yes, there is no training , but there is market competition in USA. Not everybody gets to be stars.

[@freshstart0558]

Bruh when im my period and feeling the cramps to when im having a cold and sore throat, i always thought abt if i was idol and going thru this now what would i do? Bc being an idol is LEGIT A DAILY JOB like everything u do is critized whatever the age.and i get in a MOOD when im on my period and dont bother to wake up 6 so imagine if i was an idol and i had to film a music video or do a dance practice on my raining days? I wouldn't be able to live especially if i show that im not bothered neitzens may hit me with the classic hate train which would drive me into INSANITY 😭. Thats y i have RESPECT for Idols especially ones like hyein (who are similar to my age going through puberty nonsense).

[@lowvibrationplate]

Well considering South Korea has a declining population that means there’s less younger people and more older people. With kpop companies often having their cut off age to audition at 2006/7 adults, the majority of the population, don’t have a chance to audition and therefore can’t become trainees. Basically companies only pick from the minority group (younger people) which is decreasing as the years go on.

[@rayoriens1571]

Whoever follows any group in kpop will know that the number of trainees will decrease sooner or later if the industry still has so many problems unsolved. Why pursue a career with high risk, short life span, hellish training and oftenly abusive nature. Young people are just smarter these days.

[@mbo4950]

Isn't obvious why company has unrealistic age like bro you want 15 or even 12 trainee like even 05 or 01 is old now like wtf oh and not diversety in nationalities

[@FTnaririi]

Hmm will they finally debut 25+ that are mature enough for the industry? That would be nice

[@Sisima13]

I started listening to Kpop around late 2014-2015 and even back then I couldn’t keep up with all the debuts! So I ended up finding BTS and stayed listening to them for almost 10 years 🥹 I also still listen to other 3rd gen Kpop groups, but anything after 3rd gen, I dont know what’s been coming out since…apparently we’re already in 5th gen or something! Good luck to them 🫡