Why can't many idol female soloist seem to make it big?

Well K-pop as an industry is designed for groups, solos are rather secondary.

Reasons,

#1. Companies can better control the brand of a group than an individual,

#2. The chances of a group going viral is more than that of an individual.

#3. Group dynamics offer more content for fandom.

Solos abound in non K-pop and successful within Korea.

But it is not easy for soloists to expand across cultural spectrum into other markets. They have to focus on lyrics to engage and that's more culturally rooted.

While K-pop groups with their synch choreos, boppy dance music etc. can achieve that better.

But within soloists you perception is incorrect, female soloist actually are more relevant than male.

In the top tier, probably only Kang Daniel exist in Kpop. Rest are all group members doing parallel activity.

Whereas there are far more female soloists whose groups have gone inactive.

3rd gen GGs are winding down and we will see more like Nayeon.

Whereas BGs tend to have better longevity, so fewer from them.

Groups are more sustained by fandom, while solos more by GP. The difference between physical and digital sales indicates that.

And fandoms aren't effective with soloists, even when group members become soloists, only a lesser part of the fandom continues with them.

Besides in Korea, male or groups, you have one female soloist utterly ruling the roost for a decade now.

Nobody has gotten as big as she has and so consistently.

Quote from Daileemidzy

There are only two consistently relevant female idol soloists, Taeyeon and IU. There was Chungha and Sunmi but both seem to have fallen off with Sunmi's new song barely charting and 2020-2021 being rough for Chungha. The only post Iz*one member that's doing decently is Yena despite how many debuted as soloists. I'm just wondering why there are so few female soloists lately that have consistent popularity.

Wut? Only 3 Izone members debuted as soloists out of 12, it's not that many. And both Yuri and Eunbi outsold 90-99 percent of all female soloists on Gaon. Yena is also literally the only relevant 4th gen soloist, she's doing way better than decently lol. 120k sales and a top 10 hit.

Check these threads

Thread

Kpop Male Soloists

Se7en, Rain, Psy - Whatever happened to male soloists who are/were not part of any groups.

There are many balladeer type male soloists, but the Psy type dance bopping soloists seem to have vanished.
It is all some group or ex-group idols who are doing some solo stints.

Kang Daniel seems to be the closest, but he too was a part of a pretty successful, even if short lived group - the Produce alums have a different dynamic altogether.

To an extent it is true of women too.
Lee Hi, Chungha, Somi - all…

bbgc

Jan 20th 2022

Thread

Why IU is not relevant to K-pop?

No I am not writing for @WhyKnock . But against his constant doomsaying about how IU will destroy K-pop.

IU for all her impressive achievements in S.Korea is actually not relevant to K-pop as an industry.

When was the last time a K-pop agency debuted a solo "idol" (not other genres), who already hadn't been a part of group or had some TV fame etc.?

Most agencies would have multiple trainees, with definitely good vocals and distinctive tones, under training etc.
But why don't we see a spate of…

bbgc

Jul 2nd 2022