It is common knowledge that one must endure adversity and put in a lot of work in order to make their debut as a K-pop idol. Even after they make their first appearance, they will still have to work hard to stay alive and famous.
Since their debuts five years ago, numerous idol groups have been forced to struggle mightily to maintain a presence in the face of intense competition within the K-pop business. There are individuals whose fame is skyrocketing, while others are fighting for their lives to stay alive. Who are these people?
1. Dreamcatcher
In 2016, five of the seven members of Dreamcatcher made their debut as part of a group called MINX. On the other hand, Happyface Entertainment revealed in 2016 that MINX would make a comeback, but this time under the name Dreamcatcher.
Handong and Gahyeon are the names of the band’s newest recruits; they have joined Dreamcather. Last but not least, on January 13, 2017, Dreamcatcher released their first single album, which was titled Nightmare.
It’s hard to believe that Dreamcatcher is already five years old. Insomnia, the fandom for Dreamcatcher, joined Dreamcatcher on the 13th of January, 2022 for a live broadcast on VLIVE to mark the fifth anniversary of the show’s premiere.
2. A.C.E
A.C.E., also known simply as ACE, is a boy band that made their debut on May 23, 2017. The five-person team has just finished celebrating their five-year anniversary in the year 2022.
Not through the use of a live broadcast. A.C.E marked the first anniversary of its debut by publishing a film on YouTube that detailed their professional path from before they made their official debut. The ups and downs, both painful and joyful, that A.C.E. experienced while working with CHOICE were detailed in the video.
3. ALICE
The group that was signed to IOK Company first made their debut under the name ELRIS before changing their name to Alice. On June 1, 2017, they made their debut with a little album titled We, First.
Then, in April of 2022, ELRIS underwent a rebranding and became known as ALICE. In addition to this, there was also a change in position within the group, in addition to a change in stage name.
Despite this, they have not had a break in their professional path. In addition, Alice held a straightforward celebration to mark the 5th anniversary of their debut. Alice has published on its official Twitter account a photo of the band members posing with a cake in the shape of a heart.
4. KARD
In the year 2022, KARD also celebrated the 5th anniversary of its launch. The group that falls under DSP Media includes a total of 4 members, including 2 males and 2 females.
Until September 1st, 2022, KARD will continue to perform live across North America as part of their current tour. In addition, KARD will go to Indonesia on September 16 in order to provide a performance at the K-POP LAND 2022 event.
5. ONF
ONF made their public debut on August 2, 2017, with a total of seven members at the time. In spite of this, in 2019, Laun made the decision for himself to part ways with both the group and the agency that had helped him elevate his profile.
In 2022, ONF will have been around for 5 years. Regrettably, this year’s debut anniversary celebration can only be enjoyed by U, ONF’s maknae, who is Japanese, since she is the only one who can celebrate it. Since 2021, the other five members have all joined the military.
6. Weki Meki
Weki Meki was previously known under the moniker i-Teen Girls prior to their debut. They also took part in the first season of the reality show Produce 101, which was shown on MNet. Elly, Yoojung, Doyeon, and Sei had not yet made their first appearances at that point in time. During this time, Yoojung and Doyeon made their debut with the group I.O.I. to much acclaim.
They made their debut on August 8, 2017, as soon as Yoojung and Doyeon had completed all of their promotions as I.O.I. Up to the year 2017, Weki Meki had already reached the age of 5. In addition to that, they commemorated the first anniversary of their debut with the Ki-Ling by holding a live broadcast on VLIVE.
7. Golden Child
On the same day (August 28), Golden Child, who was born in 2017, will also turn 5 years old. The group, who are managed by Woolim Entertainment, made their debut with the mini album Gol-Cha!, and the song “DamDaDi” was selected to serve as the album’s title track.
It would appear that Golden Child’s birthday will have to be celebrated with only eight of its members this time around. Woolim Entertainment announced that TAG will be going on pause because of his health issues with his liver.
8. Hash Tag
The 11th of October 2017 marked the debut of the girl group Hash Tag, which is managed by LUK Factory. Hash Tag is still active and, up to this point, has released a lot of work, including a total of two mini albums and one digital single. In addition, one of the girl groups that will be celebrating their fifth anniversary this year is called Hash Tag.
9. IN2IT
In2it is a successful K-pop group that competed in and won Mnet’s BOYS24 competition. Initially, there were eight people in the band when it first performed on October 26, 2017. Still, two other members, Jinsub or Riho and Sunghyun, decided they wanted to leave the group.
Riho herself departed the group because of health issues in her inner ear that induced dizziness and made it difficult for her to balance. During this time, Sunghyun revealed little more than the fact that the reason for his departure from IN2IT was personal issues.
You are probably aware that this band has also been in the public eye in 2019. At that time, cameo appearances were given by four members of IN2IT in the drama Her Private Life. The story about them was told in the context of them being in the White Ocean group, which Cha Shi An, who was played by rapper ONE, was a part of.
10. THE BOYZ
On August 16, 2022, The Boyz made their return to the music scene with the release of the little album titled BE AWARE. It was decided that the song “Whisper” would serve as the album’s title track.
On December 6, 2022, the band, which is currently managed by IST Entertainment, will also reach the age of five for the first time. The Boys continue to create new songs to this day. In fact, they were just in Jakarta not too long ago as part of their world tour, which you should be aware of.
It is not an easy career path to follow in order to become a K-pop idol. However, the actual maintenance of the career is a great deal more challenging. Even so, the 10 groups above have done well despite the fierce competition in the K-pop industry. They will soon be celebrating the fifth anniversary of their first releases.