Be a K Pop Trainee
Before K-Pop Singers were stars, they were trainees. Trainees are K-Pop artists in the making who live, train, and perform together starting from ages as young as 9 or 10, all while kept under the tight supervision of their music label. See Step 1 below to start learning how to become a trainee yourself and begin your journey to K-Pop super stardom!
Steps
- Understand what becoming a Kpop trainee really means. Expect to work extremely hard, perhaps for 10+ hour days. Even though it seems like a lot of fun when watching your favorite singer or group, being a Kpop star (the word "idol" is more widely used) is a lot of work. Although many believe that becoming a celebrity automatically makes a person a millionaire, the Korean music industry doesn't always pay their artists the wages they deserve. The vast majority of fans--and even the people signing up as trainees--are unaware of the conditions that a few idols before them have been subjected to, such as a low salary and poorly-kept dorms. However, there are also many positives, especially if you feel connected to Korean culture, the language, or are passionate about music and dancing. Before you audition for a company, double check that none of its talent has ever filed a lawsuit for issues such as unfair treatment or poor living conditions.
- Also, be aware that getting a career isn't guaranteed even after you have become a trainee. You may train for years and never have a chance to debut.
- Learn to sing or rap. In order to become a K-Pop trainee, you must be able to sing (or rap) well, as your main job will be creating music with a heavy emphasis on vocals. If you are a good singer already, that's great. If you think your singing skills are lacking, go to a singing school, hire a voice coach, or search online for some good vocal practices to do every day. If you aren't an amazing singer but have the right charisma and look, you may be picked to be trained as a rapper.
- Other musical talents, like knowing how to play instruments, can be handy, but a good voice is essential.
- Note that many companies will teach trainees to sing, dance, and sometimes even speak foreign languages to communicate with their audiences. So if you haven't been formally taught but show some adeptness for the first two skills, that may be all you need to pass your audition.
- Work on your dance moves. If you audition to be in an entertainment company such as SM Town, JYP, or YG, you will be asked to dance. If you can't dance, be honest and upfront about it. Some K-Pop artists, like Lee Hi, don't dance at all. However, being a great dancer is always a plus, so if you have a natural talent for dance, work with a coach or on your own to hone it into a marketable skill.
- Learn to act. Lots of K-Pop stars eventually do some sort of acting - either in music videos or in actual dramatic productions. While your singing and dancing talents should come first, a strong ability to act can be a serious boon during your audition. Consider hiring an acting tutor or getting involved in local theater productions to nurture your budding acting talent.
- Learn Korean! K-Pop singers often sing English lyrics without having a fluent understanding of English, but the same can't be said for K-Pop's mother tongue. For a realistic chance at becoming a K-Pop star, you'll need, at the very least, a passable knowledge of the language. This will take lots of time and effort if you're starting from scratch and may require you to spend money on a tutor, various educational computer programs, or language courses. At first, you may be able to get by knowing only some basics and a few songs.
- Choose a company to audition for. There are many companies active in the Korean entertainment industry that boast their own K-Pop stars, but SM, JYP, YG, Cube, LOEN, Pledis, Woolim and BigHit are among the most famous. All companies have their own goals that can differ from who gets a callback and who doesn't. For example, SM Entertainment is colloquially said to to look for people who are pretty or handsome, JYP chooses based on looks and talent equally, and YG chooses based more on talent than on looks. You may want to take these rumors into account when scheduling your auditions.
- Audition! Believe it or not, K-Pop auditions occur throughout the world. Most are traditional - that is, you perform in front of judges - but you can even get noticed with a YouTube audition! Additionally, there are talent shows like K-Pop Star (a show where, appropriately, three judges find a K-Pop star) that may allow you to audition.
- Understand that while it's not essential to have Korean or even Eastern-Asian heritage, the vast majority of artists are actually Korean. However, whether they were actually born in the country or not doesn't matter so much. This preference isn't due to racism, rather it's because Korean beauty expectations are usually fulfilled by, of course, Koreans. Perhaps a more likely explanation for the lack of non-Asians is that because Kpop is a relatively new industry and has only picked up Western attention in the last few years, not many Westerners have ever tried to get into the industry.
- Get the right style for your audition. Presentation is everything! When you audition, don't wear clothes that are bizarre or off-putting. For instance, you shouldn't wear the types of clothes that you might wear to a rowdy party. Instead, wear something elegant and dignified that compliments your natural good looks. Something as simple as jeans and a normal shirt can be enough if you look good in it!
- Use light makeup if you plan on wearing any. The judges want to see your natural beauty, so don't go overboard!
- Be persistent. Success can be elusive, but don't be discouraged! Keep going to auditions until you make it if you're passionate about getting into Kpop. Don't let a few fruitless auditions dissuade you. Persistence pays off.
Tips
- Be respectful at auditions!
- 15-16 years old is the best age to go and audition or even younger, but if you are older than that, then that's okay! Many people have gone on to become successful even when they audition in their late teens of even early 20's.
- Exercise! Health is important and you must lose some pounds if you're overweight. They often are looking to find thin people who are in good shape.
- Be sure this is the life you want; with fame also comes many negative things, such as the paparazzi and obsessive fans. Laws have been passed in South Korea because of the stalker-ish fans.
- Understand that audition process will be short; it may not be longer than a minute
- Look into the company you want to go into; make sure they have a good reputation with their trainees.
- Do not strain too much when you are singing. Majority of the company are looking for people who sing easily and smoothly without straining their voice and facial expressions.
Warnings
- If you passed the audition, you might have to move to South Korea to train.
- Your schedule will be packed, you won't have time to sleep, and there is harsh training. Think twice before being a trainee.
- You might not have time to see your family or friends that much anymore, so again think twice.
- While Kpop looks fun and nice, the industry has a dark side too. There has been cases of companies abusing their trainees and artists, such as forcing them into prostitution or doing sexual favors for important people. Be careful.
