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| Blackswan, a K-pop girl group without any members from Korea |
Four young women can be seen dancing enthusiastically at a temple while decked out in sari-inspired attire and elaborate jewelry. Then, gulal, a vibrant powder used in rituals, is sprinkled over their faces and dispersed throughout the sky.
This is the newest song video by the K-pop girl group Blackswan, not a Bollywood film.
Blackswan is now the first K-pop girl group that has debuted in South Korea without having any Korean members. Exp Edition, a K-pop boy band made up entirely of Americans, made their debut in South Korea in 2017, but they are no longer active.
Foreign members, usually from other Asian nations, are common in K-pop groups. Blackpink, one of the biggest girl groups in K-pop, includes a Thai member.
But none of the other band members are from Asia, with the exception of Blackswan member Sriya, who is from India. Gabi is Brazilian-German, Fatou was raised in Senegal and Belgium, and NVee was born in the United States.
The girl group has joined a growing discussion about the definition of K-pop and whether they fit under it as the genre continues to become more international.
One reviewer suggested they should be classified as K-pop because "they are affiliated with a Korean entertainment company, debuted in South Korea, and sing in Korean."
However, other Koreans are less optimistic. "They are just a pop group without [being] Korean," the speaker said.
Such remarks don't faze black swans.
They claim to sing in Korean and to identify as a K-pop group.
The government aims to provide a two-year "K-culture training visa" that will allow foreigners to receive training in K-pop, so this debate is likely to continue to divide Korea.
Blackswan's unusual lineup was not initially intended, and it illustrates how the genre has evolved.
Rania, a group that debuted in 2011, was the organization's forerunner. Six Koreans and a Thai made up its membership, though this has changed significantly over time.
The music label DR Music opted to rename Rania as Blackswan in 2020, keeping only Fatou from the previous lineup.
In response to the group's lack of Korean members, Philip YJ Yoon, managing director of DR Music, warned the BBC that some people would find it odd and even despise the group.
But we recognized the chance in the growing K-pop market.
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| In just three months, Karma, the newest music video by Blackswan, has received over 6.5 million views. |
But there are several difficulties with this extension.
The first hurdle is language because K-pop stars are expected to perform and converse in Korean.
Depending on the listeners' age, social standing, degree of closeness, and the context, Korean has a variety of speech patterns. The language relies heavily on honorifics.
You shouldn't address someone by name or use the pronoun 'you' in Korean. But you always use it in a sentence in Portuguese and English. My brain had a tremendously difficult time processing it, so says Gabi.
Korean is still difficult for certain members.
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| Dance classes, according to Blackswan members, present some of the biggest difficulties. |
They all agree that dancing rehearsals are the most difficult because they generally last all day.
"When they keep saying, 'No, it's not right. Do it once more. Nvee, who studied acting and musical theatre, says it was frustrating.
Gabi believed dancing would come naturally because she had experience performing in a cover dance ensemble back in Brazil.
Oh my god, I didn't know anything about dance when I first arrived here, she laments.
Additionally, trainees share a dorm and are prohibited from dating or going out. They are also urged to be in shape and maintain a flawless appearance. Given that the Korean public holds celebrities to high moral standards, scandals of any kind are not acceptable.
independent casting manager In Ji-woong, a choreographer for K-pop groups for eight years, claims to have heard of international trainees sneaking out of their shared residence to hit the clubs. "Urgently deployed" to fetch them back were their managers.
Working with trainees from other countries can be difficult, according to Mr. Yoon: "They frequently question the rules and are very straightforward."
The K-pop business is experiencing a mental health crisis as a result of the industry's tight training schedules and intense competition.
Fans were horrified in April by the untimely passing of Astro member Moonbin. He was discovered unresponsive in his apartment in Seoul's Gangnam district. Both Sulli and her close companion Goo Hara died in 2019; it is believed that they committed suicide.
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| Members of Blackswan admit that K-pop idol training can be demanding. |
Fatou, who has had depression symptoms since a young age, says dealing with mental stress was the most difficult part for her.
She claims that occasionally she thinks to herself, "I can't sing, I can't rap, or dance. Why am I doing this?
Since February, Fatou has been taking medicine while consulting with a psychiatrist. She has never before sought medical attention for her symptoms, and her organization is covering the cost. However, she claims that K-pop is what she enjoys the most.
More and more entertainment businesses are now giving trainees and superstars more individualized attention. Additionally, some of the guidelines have been loosened.
The members of Blackswan are sure that they stand for K-pop's future.
According to Gabi, "K-pop will become more globalized, so that there are more international groups being trained and debuting in the international market."
"Everyone can do it... because skin colors don't define anything," Sriya said, putting it in clearer terms.
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