Exclusive: Blackswan on the harsh reality of the K-pop industry
Behind the glitz and glamour
As the K-pop industry only continues to grow and thrive globally, the pressure for ambitious and wide-eyed K-pop idols to succeed has never been greater. Entertainment companies hope to continue their upward momentum while new record labels want to get in on the action. The result? An overwhelming and dizzying flurry of debuts that can make even the most seasoned K-pop fan’s head spin.
In 2022 alone, a whopping 63 groups debuted on the scene, followed by 61 debuts just last year. This year, over 50 groups are also expected to debut. With so many fresh-faced talents cropping up, fans are spoilt for choice in deciding their next favourite group. But debuting is just the first hurdle in the battle for eyeballs. To avoid fading into obscurity in this fast-paced and competitive music industry, creating a loyal and steady fanbase is key to longevity.
This is a reality that Blackswan knows all too well. Having previously been known as Rania, the girl group recently underwent a complete rebrand in 2023 and introduced three new members to its lineup. Joining pre-existing member Fatou, a Senegalese rapper and first African-born K-pop idol, are Gabi from Brazil, Sriya from India and NVee from America.
As a multinational K-pop group with no South Korean members, Blackswan is a welcome anomaly that only signals K-pop’s ever-increasing globalisation. Their summer comeback, Roll Up, has received generally positive reviews, with fans praising the current lineup’s impressive talents in singing and rapping in Korean.
The rising girl group stars in AppleTV+’s documentary, K-pop Idols, alongside Jessi and Cravity. The docuseries will give audiences a backstage pass into their lives as they give everything they’ve got to an art form that demands nothing less than perfection.
Ahead, we sit down to talk to Blackswan about the harsh realities of the K-pop industry and what sets them apart—read the exclusive below.
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What first inspired you to become a K-pop idol?
Fatou: For me, I think K-pop has a different type of charm compared to other music industries. Something about it just sucked me in. I love the group dynamic, I love the training process—even though I won’t deny that it is very hard! [laughs].
K-pop comes with a whole package: there’s the comeback process, learning choreography, getting ready for stages, thinking of concepts, writing music, and interacting with fans at fan signs and fan calls. It’s all just very alluring to me.
NVee: Personally, what really inspired me and made K-pop different was the amount of passion and hard work that idols put towards their music and stages. It’s a feeling that I can’t put into words but I had a huge love for K-pop and knew that I had to be a part of it, which was what pushed me to debut as a K-pop idol.
Sriya: They both said everything I wanted to say! [laughs]
Gabi: The producing part attracted me a lot too. I would also like to add that what made me want to be in this industry was when I first heard the Korean language in music. To me, it all matched so well and it made me really want to learn and sing in Korean.
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As a K-pop group with non-Korean members, do you feel like this makes it harder or easier for you to transition into the K-pop scene?
Fatou: To be honest, it’s not that different compared to other K-pop groups also face. It depends on how people think K-pop is. But it is a fact that we are a K-pop group. Some people will accept and get it and others won’t but it is what it is [shrugs]. It won’t change the fact that we are a K-pop group.
Gabi: Yes, I don’t think it’s easier or harder. We receive a lot of good visibility and sometimes, bad publicity too just like any other K-pop group.
There is a girl group boom in K-pop right now. Having said that, what are some unique qualities about Blackswan that set you apart?
Sriya: Firstly, we’re all from different countries and this is an aspect that is important to us. When we make music, we put a little bit of each of our cultures in it. Through this, more people will be able to relate to us and our songs.
While we may not look like the traditional K-pop group, I hope that people will feel inspired by us to chase their dreams and know that it is possible. I hope that they can see themselves in us. We’ve also bonded together really well and I think our chemistry shows!
What was something interesting you discovered after debuting as a K-pop idol?
Nvee: Before I debuted, I researched what a K-pop idol’s work would typically entail so I kind of had an idea of what we needed to do. But one thing I didn’t know was the amount of camera work involved and the tight schedules at music shows.
For instance, at Inkigayo, you would have to be on stage multiple times. There are dry rehearsals, camera rehearsals, pre-recordings and so many more. That was something that I didn’t know about and it was interesting to see the whole process of music shows that fans watch.
Fans are calling this era of K-pop the 4th/5th generation. In your opinion, how has the K-pop industry evolved and have expectations from the fans changed over the years?
Fatou: I’ve been a fan of K-pop since the 2nd generation. I was about 15 so it’s been 14 years now! Looking back at everything, I feel like the 2nd generation was way more free and open. Boy groups and girl groups could interact very easily so it was really fun to watch all of that.
Coming to the 3rd generation, there were still some interactions but it was dwindling. Blackswan is part of the 4th generation of K-pop. We can’t even interact or look in the direction of a boy group! You just can’t, you have to look forward. [laughs] It was also around this time that the choreography started to become more advanced and intense.
In this current state of K-pop, I feel like the focus is very much on the choreography and performance instead of the vocals when it used to be the opposite back then. I hope we find a good middle ground where both the vocals and choreography are being prioritised.
Nvee: Yes, we want there to be a balance. Ultimately, we listen to music because it’s satisfying to listen to. When I first got into K-pop, it was all about the music. I didn’t see the performances, I fell in love with the music and that’s what got me into it. I’m not saying there’s a problem with how it is now, but I think we should get back into the music side of K-pop because that’s the most important part.
What aspects of the K-pop industry are you hoping to shed light on in the K-pop Idols documentary?
Fatou: I hope that people really get the reality of what it’s like being in a K-pop group and trying to succeed in this industry. There’s so much hard work that goes into it: the dance practices, vocal classes, and song recordings on top of other things.
Another important aspect we want to show is the relationship and dynamics within the group. Because we are together 24/7, there are bound to be good and bad days. I hope audiences can see the human side of us because it’s not always rainbows and sunshine. That’s just not real.
K-pop Idols is available to stream on AppleTV+ here.
For more K-pop reads, head here.
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