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Charlotte
Student
Knoxville, Tennessee
2
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I don’t have any Asian blood, I’m completely American, but it’s always been my dream to be a K-pop idol. Is it possible for me to be in a K-pop group that isn’t global?
I’m in 7th grade right now but I’m hoping to be a K-pop idol in my future, maybe late high school years, I’m just not Asian at all
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Michelle M.
Actress
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello again, Charlotte !
As I've mentioned in your previous post, yes, you can be in K-Pop if you're not Asian.
As you probably already know, the K-Pop genre is centered on East Asian aesthetics and identity. Although it is possible for a Caucasian person to be in K-pop, it is extremely rare and faces significant challenges. That's not to say that you couldn't start a trend for it in your local city.
The group O My Jewel is Caucasian. Some agencies such as JYP Entertainment's A2K provide training to Americans who want to go into K-Pop, so it's slowly growing for non-Asian performers. The obstacles faced would be that critics have pointed out that the inclusion of non-Asian members can be seen as a form of "whitewashing" or a strategic move for commercial gain rather than genuine inclusivity. The flip side to that, which I tend to agree with is that talent, dedication, and performance ability should transcend ethnicity, and that K-pop, as a genre, is not inherently exclusive to any race. These are concepts that you may understand once you obtain more life experience, but it might pay to take some of the dance lessons I referred you to in your previous post. Connect with the organization I also referred you to and get a feel for how receptive they are. I say go for it, for now, locally.
As for your concern about not wanting to perform globally, that will be up to your Manager or the person who obtains work for you. As previously mentioned, a performance career is very much one that may involve travel. You would have to obtain work where the work is.
The more you are around K-Pop for training and performing, the more you research this online, you will see some successful Caucasian K-Pop performers as well as criticisms by people who think it should only be Korean based. Read up on it more to get a clear picture of the subject and come to your own conclusions. My motto is: Never say never. Talk about this with your parents and let them help you with learning more and with training which you can begin at any age - both singing and dancing.
If it is that you love singing and dancing, branch out to other genres too in order to do the performances of all styles. To be honest, it's not very productive to focus on one dance or singing style if you are serious about the work which is singing and dancing. You have a lot of time to think about this, obtain more knowledge about it and that will help you make a decision to be a K-Pop performer or a professional Singer and Dancer.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN K-POP PERFORMER https://www.vice.com/en/article/alex-reid-kpop-black-idol-rania-race-experience/
As I've mentioned in your previous post, yes, you can be in K-Pop if you're not Asian.
As you probably already know, the K-Pop genre is centered on East Asian aesthetics and identity. Although it is possible for a Caucasian person to be in K-pop, it is extremely rare and faces significant challenges. That's not to say that you couldn't start a trend for it in your local city.
The group O My Jewel is Caucasian. Some agencies such as JYP Entertainment's A2K provide training to Americans who want to go into K-Pop, so it's slowly growing for non-Asian performers. The obstacles faced would be that critics have pointed out that the inclusion of non-Asian members can be seen as a form of "whitewashing" or a strategic move for commercial gain rather than genuine inclusivity. The flip side to that, which I tend to agree with is that talent, dedication, and performance ability should transcend ethnicity, and that K-pop, as a genre, is not inherently exclusive to any race. These are concepts that you may understand once you obtain more life experience, but it might pay to take some of the dance lessons I referred you to in your previous post. Connect with the organization I also referred you to and get a feel for how receptive they are. I say go for it, for now, locally.
As for your concern about not wanting to perform globally, that will be up to your Manager or the person who obtains work for you. As previously mentioned, a performance career is very much one that may involve travel. You would have to obtain work where the work is.
The more you are around K-Pop for training and performing, the more you research this online, you will see some successful Caucasian K-Pop performers as well as criticisms by people who think it should only be Korean based. Read up on it more to get a clear picture of the subject and come to your own conclusions. My motto is: Never say never. Talk about this with your parents and let them help you with learning more and with training which you can begin at any age - both singing and dancing.
If it is that you love singing and dancing, branch out to other genres too in order to do the performances of all styles. To be honest, it's not very productive to focus on one dance or singing style if you are serious about the work which is singing and dancing. You have a lot of time to think about this, obtain more knowledge about it and that will help you make a decision to be a K-Pop performer or a professional Singer and Dancer.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
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Thank you so much again! I understand that not performing in Korea would be a problem and I would be up to doing it because I do want to learn more about the Korean culture and be apart of that life. Again, I will look into theses suggestions and thanks so much for taking the time to help me understand my questions!
Charlotte
You are very welcome, Charlotte ! Have an awesome day !
Michelle M.