I don't know if it's just me, but I'm always really happy to hear idols talk about their experiences in the industry and opinions about their work as artists. I bring up older Gen Z idols (1997-2003) more generally because they're around the age/seniority to start releasing solo work. Although I've been a K-Pop fan for a while now and have heard idols talk about their work, I'm in this older Gen Z age group. So, it's more interesting for me to hear about the experience of making music from people around my age. However, I am especially interested in these perspectives from the idol industry because: It's pretty strict and many idols tend to keep things private, so when they do speak more frankly it feels refreshing. Many idols don't get to make solo music, let alone have any production influence over what they put out. I started thinking about this while watching Mark's Muk2U episode for his first album. His behind-the-scenes stories were really interesting and gave a lot of insight into what his solo release means to him personally. I also saw his mukbang with Charles Entertainment and enjoyed that because he briefly got to talk about his religious faith and how that shows up in his life and work. I thought all of this was very vulnerable and it has made me appreciate his album a lot more. I feel similarly about the way Stray Kids talks about their music. They have an "INTRO" series where they describe the album-making process and reasoning for choosing certain songs or lyrics. I've also been really interested in hearing how one of their members and producers, Han, incorporates his emotions into his music. He and the members have been vulnerable about his previous mental health struggles (something I thought they'd never mention) on their show 2KidsRoom. He has also released solo music like "Alien" and "Human", which reflect his journey towards a sense of belonging. I know that not all idols want to put themselves in their art in the same way that Mark, Han or other artists do. For some, being a pop star is just a job or their persona is seperate from who they are. Still, for those who want to be vulnerable, I wish we got more of this artistic insight and analysis from idols. I remember Jennie*'s interview with Dua Lipa from a couple years ago where she talked about her about her Korean identity and wanting to make future idols feel more comfortable expressing themselves through their art. I hope she and other idols are able to express themselves through their music and talk about what they perform with more depth. * I know Jennie was born in 1996, but my point is to talk about the autobiographical components of idol solo music right now, so that's why I bring her up. submitted by /u/bananasnalmonds [link] [comments]
