What happened to non-idol korean artists dominating Korea?

maybe they just didn't release much music?

2010s you got some non-idols that dominated only digitally for a short period of time. Nowaday, maybe Lim Young Woong?

Seo Taiji is not an idol.. interesting given that he is credited as the founder of Kpop.

But regarding your question, non-kpop/idol artists continue to do very well in Korea. This year itself - Be'O, Lim Young Woong, Melomance/Kim Minseok etc., are doing extremely well in the charts.

Kyungseo is the darkhorse among the new entrants, again charts in top 10/20s.

In 2022, the most digital points on Circle are by LYW and Be'O ahead of IU, BTS or any Kpop idol/

Just that forums like AKP rarely discuss these artists and are fixated only K-pop idols.

But the actual chart data, the non-Kpop folks are doing very well indeed.

But yes, there isn't a perceived domination, mostly because Kpop has definitely grown its market in Korea.

I mean, is IU considered even an idol?

Quote from Ramasson

I mean, is IU considered even an idol?

That is an endless debate.. but in her recent documentary, she said she considers herself to be an idol and does not differentiate that from artists etc.,

And Korean awards like KMA etc., put her in the category of pop along with idol groups.

So what are random netizens to question that anymore.

As the article said, she is 'liminal', stands on the threshold of both idol and non-idol, kpop and non-kpop.

Or at best we can say - "She is still Kpop, she was an idol earlier, but now is an icon".. something of the sort.

But if IU is removed from kpop, then easily 10% of songs on the charts pretty much every week since 2011, would no more be Kpop.

Even now, when her last release is 8-9 months old, last feature is 6 months (?) old, she still has 6-7 songs in the top 100 of Circle Digital.

Give Joosiq some love juseyo.

SHAUN, and his still best song (at least for me):

Of course, DPR Ian with his latest bop:

And this latest SMF bop:

Quote from bbgc

That is an endless debate.. but in her recent documentary, she said she considers herself to be an idol and does not differentiate that from artists etc.,

And Korean awards like KMA etc., put her in the category of pop along with idol groups.

So what are random netizens to question that anymore.

As the article said, she is 'liminal', stands on the threshold of both idol and non-idol, kpop and non-kpop.

Or at best we can say - "She is still Kpop, she was an idol earlier, but now is an icon".. something of the sort.

But if IU is removed from kpop, then easily 10% of songs on the charts pretty much every week since 2011, would no more be Kpop.

Even now, when her last release is 8-9 months old, last feature is 6 months (?) old, she still has 6-7 songs in the top 100 of Circle Digital.

Display More

Ok, I don't really care about that debate. For me she pretty much is not an idol- which doesn't mean that her music isn't kpop

I think she shows pretty well that non-idols/ non-"typical" idols can be sucessfull

Quote from Ramasson

For me she pretty much is not an idol

So let's hear it.. what is your definition an idol? and we can test it against many cases, including IU.

Quote from bbgc

So let's hear it.. what is your definition an idol? and we can test it against many cases, including IU.

Idols go through training at a company, right? Thought IU didn't have that, but I just googled and she had apparently a few months- so yeah, she is an idol then.

It's all about that "manifactured career" for me.

Quote from Ramasson

Idols go through training at a company, right? Thought IU didn't have that, but I just googled and she had apparently a few months- so yeah, she is an idol then.

It's all about that "manifactured career" for me.

Then we are on the same page. I also think the defining characteristic of K-pop is LSM's idol trainee model.

Where unlike other industries where talented private individuals train themselves or via schools etc., and then a company discovers and debuts them.

Kpop has agencies identifying potential candidates, putting them through a rigorous training program which could last months or many years and then debut them. - "manufactured" is indeed correct.

Of course Kpop is also changing, new acts are coming from TV competitions - AKMU, Lee Hi or found on SM - BiBi. But still the 'idol trainee' model is the most significant.

So IU is an idol and her career too was manufactured for the initial years. But then she moved beyond, by taking creative control over her career.

But that is also true of others. G-Dragon, he also took creative control of not just himself. but his group as well. Soyeon actually has from the start itself has creative control on GIDLE.

Yes, IU seems to have far greater autonomy, but that is only a difference in extents.