not all idols has the IT factor to become a soloist
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It takes alot of things in order to succeed as a solo; talent, ability to compose/produce songs that gp can relate to, have many hit singles ( otherwise you fade away), stand out..
So overall Its much more hard to succeed as a solo than in groups. You need "gp" if you want a long lasting solo carreer.
And only afew have actually succedded to create such a relevance outside their group; such as Lee hyori, Tayeon, Chungha, Zico, GD.
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Wut? Izone soloists have all matched or massively outsold the IOI soloists. Chungha averages like 20k on Gaon, Somi got around 50-60k on Gaon last i saw. Depending on whether youre looking at Gaon or Hante0, Yena doing 110-130k, Yuri doing 75-90k, Eunbi doing 40-60k, even Chaeyeon doing 35k on Hanteo.
If you're talking about digital relevance, then sure, Chungha has outcharted them all easily, with Somi and Yena the only others to have a top 10 hit.
Digital is more relevant to long-term performance, and Izone disbanded April 2021. Still too early to judge Izone soloists. IOI disbanded Jan 2017. By about the same time after disbandment Chungha had a major hit with 'Roller Coaster', Sejeong had hits with 'Flower Way' and 'I Like You, I Don't' and Somi still hadn't released anything.
Somi had a hit 5 years after disbandment, Chungha is still relevant despite falling off a bit, and Sejeong would probably do well if she released new music. They have proven that they can maintain a solo career that isn't dependent on group fans.
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They have proven that they can maintain a solo career that isn't dependent on group fans.
I don't think IOI can even be considered as having group fandom.
Too short, no offical fandom organization etc.
Yet the top ones have done very well to build popularity with GP.
Izone had far more advantages in duration, in fandom etc.
Even so, once disbanded the dynamics aren't going to any different.
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I talk only digital relevance, because Physicals are purely fan driven.
Izone obviously will have more on that scale because they were a group for a longer time and are more recent in the past.
Physicals are irrelevant to the context of the post, soloists can't succeed without winning over the GP and rarely have they managed to grow fandoms to rival the groups.
ex-group soloists start with the group fandom, but that only shrinks over time and individually they don't grow much either.
Even the exception to most K-pop trends, IU is no exception to that. It took her almost 12 years to get an album bonsang, despite being the dominant digimonster.
Silly arcane way of thinking lol of someone stuck in the past. If you’re able to sell and tour that’s more than enough to succeed. Digital relevance that’s not accompanied by sales and touring is far more useless.
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Spot on.
That is why I dismiss all the hype over BP, BTS or Twice solos. The true test is when the group has gone inactive with no promise for the future and then still the solos succeed.
It is a matter of extents, but IMO only Taeyeon has built that kind of a career, in the recent past. And of course Hyori in the 1st decade.
Others aren't that consistently successful - Hyuna, Sunmi, Chungha, Somi etc., a mix of hits and misses.
And BGs EXO, Bigbang - there has not been enough distance from the groups.
But G-D can make it, I don't see him trying much though.
Baekhyun, DO maybe. We will have to see.
Izone solos may not even do as well as Chungha or Somi.
As to pure soloists, it is even worse. Heize, Lee Hi, BOL4 (now), Ailee - they are in the gray area of Kpop. Bibi seems to one doing the best recently.
The only exception to all that is IU.
My analogy is that Kpop soloists are like Doubles players in tennis. Never mind their achievements, they will be ignored mostly.
If they are successful singles players as well, then they may get some attention, but only as long as they are ranking high in singles.
So in a weird reversal
Kpop to Tennis: Groups = Singles & Solos = Doubles
To be fair Hyuna has held her own for 10+ years as a soloist. It makes sense her hype has been fading now but that's the reality for a female in kpop, she did well enough to make a mark on the Korean soloist world. Hyuna was overexposed post her CUBE exit and part of the reason she's not doing so well is because she's choosing to make unconventional music. She deserves to be up there with Taeyeon imo because she basically pulled Cube from the trenches. (even if Taeyeon is doing better now, she debuted far later as a soloist and with more company backing).
Whereas with Sunmi she should be doing way better than she is now because her music is still very GP-catered but she's not.
Hyori I would say is probably the biggest brand of female soloist in kpop.
Even the strongest soloist will have a waning period, unless they choose to take breaks themselves or branch out in different career fields. This is true in the Western World too - why is Harry Styles trying to act? Why are Bad Bunny and Maluma acting? Why is Shakira on TV shows ie the Voice?
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To be fair Hyuna has held her own for 10+ years as a soloist. It makes sense her hype has been fading now but that's the reality for a female in kpop, she did well enough to make a mark on the Korean soloist world. Hyuna was overexposed post her CUBE exit and part of the reason she's not doing so well is because she's choosing to make unconventional music. She deserves to be up there with Taeyeon imo because she basically pulled Cube from the trenches. (even if Taeyeon is doing better now, she debuted far later as a soloist and with more company backing).
Whereas with Sunmi she should be doing way better than she is now because her music is still very GP-catered but she's not.
Hyori I would say is probably the biggest brand of female soloist in kpop.
Even the strongest soloist will have a waning period, unless they choose to take breaks themselves or branch out in different career fields. This is true in the Western World too - why is Harry Styles trying to act? Why are Bad Bunny and Maluma acting? Why is Shakira on TV shows ie the Voice?
Of course. Hyuna has her own successes. No denying that.
It is all relative measure.
The most successful soloist in K-pop is IU, who so far hasn't waned at all. But she played it differently than others focusing on creative control and lyrical appeal. And also diversified into acting etc.
But she isn't ex-group. So not relevant to discussion.
Hyori is pre-digital era. Too distanced in time to use as a model for Izone cases.
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To be fair Hyuna has held her own for 10+ years as a soloist. It makes sense her hype has been fading now but that's the reality for a female in kpop, she did well enough to make a mark on the Korean soloist world. Hyuna was overexposed post her CUBE exit and part of the reason she's not doing so well is because she's choosing to make unconventional music. She deserves to be up there with Taeyeon imo because she basically pulled Cube from the trenches. (even if Taeyeon is doing better now, she debuted far later as a soloist and with more company backing).
Whereas with Sunmi she should be doing way better than she is now because her music is still very GP-catered but she's not.
Hyori I would say is probably the biggest brand of female soloist in kpop.
Even the strongest soloist will have a waning period, unless they choose to take breaks themselves or branch out in different career fields. This is true in the Western World too - why is Harry Styles trying to act? Why are Bad Bunny and Maluma acting? Why is Shakira on TV shows ie the Voice?
Interesting.
Whats your take on male soloists?
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Of course. Hyuna has her own successes. No denying that.
It is all relative measure.
The most successful soloist in K-pop is IU, who so far hasn't waned at all. But she played it differently than others focusing on creative control and lyrical appeal. And also diversified into acting etc.
But she isn't ex-group. So not relevant to discussion.
Hyori is pre-digital era. Too distanced in time to use as a model for Izone cases.
Technically Boa is still counted as a strong soloist. Kpop does not care for older females but she still had hits like Only One at an older age and dominated as a teenager. She wasn't far off IU in her prime.
IZ*One soloists are doing fine. Nothing horrible, but nothing big enough to "breakout". I have a feeling Yuri will have a breakout hit soon but again, probably not to the level of being a super relevant soloist.
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Technically Boa is still counted as a strong soloist. Kpop does not care for older females but she still had hits like Only One at an older age and dominated as a teenager. She wasn't far off IU in her prime.
IZ*One soloists are doing fine. Nothing horrible, but nothing big enough to "breakout". I have a feeling Yuri will have a breakout hit soon but again, probably not to the level of being a super relevant soloist.
BoA was indeed a phenomenon. But again being a pure soloist like IU and further away in history like Hyori, may not be useful to analyse for this discussion.
Izone soloists are doing fine, better than 90% of other acts - solos or groups.
But the question is, whether they will hit Taeyeon levels of success or not, with the GP.
If they are only Wizone dependent, good physical sales, but poor digital charting, they will wane over time.
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BoA was indeed a phenomenon. But again being a pure soloist like IU and further away in history like Hyori, may not be useful to analyse for this discussion.
Izone soloists are doing fine, better than 90% of other acts - solos or groups.
But the question is, whether they will hit Taeyeon levels of success or not, with the GP.
If they are only Wizone dependent, good physical sales, but poor digital charting, they will wane over time.
No way. Taeyeon levels of success I don't think will be replicated for a while. Sunmi/Hyuna maybe, but Taeyeon's solo debut was a cumulation of her SONE popularity [was literally top 3 most-biased female idols in 2nd gen], being hated on for so long, debuting later than her main vocal peers, having a popular song, and a very likeable voice.
The top 3 most biased female idols are probably Lisa, Jennie and probably like Sana or something for 3rd gen.
For 4th gen...Wonyoung only hit max popularity a year or so ago, the rest are too new to have that kind of impact Taeyeon accumulated over 5-6 years.
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No way. Taeyeon levels of success I don't think will be replicated for a while. Sunmi/Hyuna maybe, but Taeyeon's solo debut was a cumulation of her SONE popularity [was literally top 3 most-biased female idols in 2nd gen], being hated on for so long, debuting later than her main vocal peers, having a popular song, and a very likeable voice.
The top 3 most biased female idols are probably Lisa, Jennie and probably like Sana or something for 3rd gen.
For 4th gen...Wonyoung only hit max popularity a year or so ago, the rest are too new to have that kind of impact Taeyeon accumulated over 5-6 years.
I am not sanguine that BP or Twice solos will do any better, once their groups go passive, at least not with Korean GP.
Internationally is a different story.
And if the trend holds even BTS.
But if they have parallel group activity, even at a lesser frequency, then it is better
Most of the ex-group idols don't continue with active music though, they pivot into acting and other stuff.
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Silly arcane way of thinking lol of someone stuck in the past. If you’re able to sell and tour that’s more than enough to succeed. Digital relevance that’s not accompanied by sales and touring is far more useless.
I think the point is that the sales are due to the Izone fandom which will fade over the next 1-2 years. If they can't appeal to the GP then they are done.
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Well of course that’s a separate discussion lol. But loads of idols have a very strong solo fandom that barely support the group.
Esp ones with solo C bars.
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Digital is more relevant to long-term performance, and Izone disbanded April 2021. Still too early to judge Izone soloists. IOI disbanded Jan 2017. By about the same time after disbandment Chungha had a major hit with 'Roller Coaster', Sejeong had hits with 'Flower Way' and 'I Like You, I Don't' and Somi still hadn't released anything.
Somi had a hit 5 years after disbandment, Chungha is still relevant despite falling off a bit, and Sejeong would probably do well if she released new music. They have proven that they can maintain a solo career that isn't dependent on group fans.
Chung Ha has fallen off a bit but I blame that entirely on her company and their poor promotions. In this current kpop climate, you need more than 1 comeback a year (one that is promoted on music shows). Blackpink are the only exception to this rule right now. Groups used to do well with only 1 release a year but now you need to have between 2-3 a year to keep up with the current market.
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Chung Ha has fallen off a bit but I blame that entirely on her company and their poor promotions. In this current kpop climate, you need more than 1 comeback a year (one that is promoted on music shows). Blackpink are the only exception to this rule right now. Groups used to do well with only 1 release a year but now you need to have between 2-3 a year to keep up with the current market.
Somi had a hit after releasing nothing for 2 years and then 1 single per year for two years. It's possible, but probably wont work.
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