Jeon Soyeon vs Lee Chaeyeon. What went right and what went wrong?

  • Both Jeon Soyeon and Lee Chaeyeon were known to have great talents but underrated visuals. They have both competed in survival shows after their seasons of Produce.


    While Soyeon didnt make it into the final lineup of I.O.I she went on to lead a successful girl group of her own, and often were praised for her talents in producing and rapping.


    Chaeyeon was able to debut in the final lineup of IZ*ONE, and also went onto a popular survival show of Street Woman Fighter. However her debut track did not capture the hype and popularity people initially expected. While her dancing skills were often hyped, it seems to be a little underappreciated as time went on.


    So what went right for Soyeon, and what went wrong for Chaeyeon?

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  • If we’re comparing solos, did Soyeon even do well with her solo?

  • One is talented and fights with her entire being to create a life for herself the other has been praised by others and got embarrassed on a show which showcases a skill which she had been praised her entire life for.. lol

  • Soyeon went to unpretty rapstar to compete and showcase her rap talent, fought with everything she had got and absolutely slayed over there


    Chaeyeon went to street woman fighter to compete and showcase her dance talent but got absolutely demolished over there and started crying

  • I don't know much aboout Lee Chaeyeon but I think being known for your dancing skills first and foremost can only bring you so far. It's like the least relevant talent for a solo idol singer. And I'm not saying it's the only thing she's good at; but it's what she's known for primarily.


    As for Soyeon, she found success not as a solo but in a group. Despite being the creative mind behind (g)i-dle, she doesn't have the same appeal on her own (which is true for most idols going solo anyway).


    So it's hard to compare.

  • Soyeon isn't the ugly poor duck that nevies want her to be, she was pretty since day 1 and obviously was going to be in a better position than the Chaeyeon

    Soyeon was completely singled out and harshly spoken about all during P101 for her visuals. Constant comments by Koreans saying she wasn't pretty enough to make the group (when she was ranked 10) and it got to her, she spoke about all the hate she got during her run though UPR3.


    She received an absolute avalanche of negative comments in Korea during P101 for visuals.

  • I don't know much aboout Lee Chaeyeon but I think being known for your dancing skills first and foremost can only bring you so far. It's like the least relevant talent for a solo idol singer. And I'm not saying it's the only thing she's good at; but it's what she's known for primarily.


    As for Soyeon, she found success not as a solo but in a group. Despite being the creative mind behind (g)i-dle, she doesn't have the same appeal on her own (which is true for most idols going solo anyway).


    So it's hard to compare.

    I agree with this person with groups success > soloists success


    Also, Chaeyeon just debuted (and IDLE debuted in 2018), so isn't it early to say she doesn't seem to be doing well? The question should be "How did (G)I-DLE become above-average successful?", not "What went wrong for all post IZ*ONE debuts who aren't as successful as IDLE?"


    Personally I agree the debut song is meh. But then you can't compare a group (I-DLE) with a style that has mass appeal and pressure to continue being a top group. Versus a soloist (Chaeyeon) that chose music without mass appeal for the art or something. I mean one of them cares more about making a song with maximum likeability and one of them obviously cares less.

  • I agree with this person with groups success > soloists success


    Also, Chaeyeon just debuted (and IDLE debuted in 2018), so isn't it early to say she doesn't seem to be doing well? The question should be "How did (G)I-DLE become above-average successful?", not "What went wrong for all post IZ*ONE debuts who aren't as successful as IDLE?"


    Personally I agree the debut song is meh. But then you can't compare a group (I-DLE) with a style that has mass appeal and pressure to continue being a top group. Versus a soloist (Chaeyeon) that chose music without mass appeal for the art or something. I mean one of them cares more about making a song with maximum likeability and one of them obviously cares less.

    It's beyond just Chaeyeon's debut. It's the way she had no activities after Iz*One's disbandment other than Street Woman Fighter, which frankly killed all the hype on her and her main talent of dancing.

  • Being only talented in dance isn't enough.

  • It's beyond just Chaeyeon's debut. It's the way she had no activities after Iz*One's disbandment other than Street Woman Fighter, which frankly killed all the hype on her and her main talent of dancing.

    Ok I see. I guess all the other members re-debuted earlier than her.

  • first of all, debuting in a group is always going to make you more popular than debuting solo. second of all, chaeyeon's song was really bland tbh nothing stuck out about it so nothing was going to catch the GP's eyes. She can dance but thats about the only standout talent that she has (and being a good dancer is pretty common in kpop anyways. and she also didnt even showcase it in her debut). Soyeon was a breath of fresh air because she was a standout rapper and producer who made her group's entire debut. Not many idols can claim that. I love chaeyeon but shes not gonna make an impact unless she finds a niche and even then i think shes fighting an uphill battle

  • I only know her through street woman fighter where her dancing wasn't that impressive.

  • Soyeon solo flopped tho and Soyeon even up to this days has the smallest fanbase in gidle


    group success =/= solo success

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