NEWJEANS
K-pop is generally reserved for artists under 30, one of the dictates of the industry.
Every time the years pass (see the months), kpop fans discover new groups, new artists. These are recruited, trained to meet certain standards and one of them is age.
Indeed, the various Korean entertainments rely on youth. But why ?
Each young artist is recruited, generally quite young, in order to be able to have the necessary energy to overcome the difficulty of the various trainings that he will have to perform and to be able to be modelled. At the end of these, for some, they will be able to start and age will be one of the determining criteria, because the artist will have to correspond to the new generation of fans, those who have not chosen their ” bias”.
But let’s not dwell on that and see earlier, what we discover on the spot in South Korea which also affects foreign fans.
For some time, South Korea has been trying to put forward and break certain codes, certain dictates, including that of age. In recent years we have seen several programs highlighting artists who have passed the threshold of their thirties, who have had children and who have created their adult and family life.
Let’s talk right away about the show that revealed the group “MAMADOL”, these former KPOP group members who in a show and a clip swept the airwaves and smartphones of every kpop fan. Showing that you can be a mom and succeed in being a kpop artist.
For other artists, going from adolescent to adult improves them and more and more fans like their visuals, as if there was a search for solidity, well-being, that they don’t find not in the ardor of young artists.
We can see that in many actors, the thirties are highly appreciated for their acting, such as SONG JOONG KI, LEE MINHO, GONG YOO, LEE JONG SUK… Both by the spectators of their age, but also by the younger generations.
KPOP group artists, keep their charisma or even amplify their sex appeal with age, and assert more naturalness such as SIWON from SUPER JUNIOR, LEE HOWON (HOYA) from INFINITE, LEE MIN HYUK from BTOB
Could all these changes, which were less numerous 10 years ago, be the beginnings of a change in Korean society, due to foreign influence?
Each generation of fans find their favorite artists and follow them faithfully. Asian fans often have a group, a favorite artist who belongs to their generation, while foreign fans, who are more open, do not hesitate to go and see what is happening in the different generations and do not fixate themselves on one necessarily alone.
Will we see, one day, a group of more than 25 years old make their debut, there is still work to do, but nothing is impossible.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS Artistes
