K-Pop solo artists: unique talents in the spotlight

by Helen BoschJul 28, 2023

Yena performing 'Hate Rodrigo' at Inkigayo (Music Show)

When we think of K-Pop, we think first and foremost of all the boy and girl groups that thrill us with synchronized dance moves and dynamic performances. But of course, K-Pop also has a lot of solo artists, some of which include members of idol groups who have launched solo careers.

What makes solo artists different from groups? Why are they generally less popular? Do members of boy and girl groups now debut solo more often than they used to? We asked ourselves these questions and found answers we'd like to share with you.

Solo artists
Why do members of idol groups launch solo careers?
Why are solo artists less popular?
Are solo artists on the rise?
Are idols debuting solo more often than they used to?
Our favorite solo albums from 2022 & 2023

Solo artists

Which solo artists do you like to listen to? Our favorites include IU, Sunmi, Chungha, Eric Nam, Taemin from SHINee, Nayeon from Twice, the members of BTS or Bambam from GOT7 or ... The list is long, so we'll leave it at a few examples.

The listed artists have all released their own songs, but their way to solo debut differs from each other:

Artists like IU and Eric Nam have already started their careers on their own, while Sunmi or Chungha were originally active in a girl group. Sunmi was a member of Wonder Girls for three years before leaving the group in 2010. Chungha first debuted in the project group I.O.I, which disbanded in January 2017. Taemin, Nayeon, Bambam, J-Hope, Jimin and co. are still part of their respective groups, releasing solo albums only in between.

Why do members of idol groups launch solo careers?

SHINee 8th Studio Album 'Hard' Group Concept Photo

Idols who are mainly active in a group can show a different side of themselves when they go solo. For example, they can implement more of their own ideas and also try music genres that don't fit the group. So it gives them the opportunity to express their personality and be perceived as artists even more than usual. Often with their own songs, they are also more likely to get the opportunity to write lyrics themselves or participate in the production. Perhaps they also gain new fans solo, who also discover their group through them.

Especially with boy bands, it has a special advantage if the members have a solo career on the side. The reason for this is the military service that all men in South Korea have to complete.

While Key, Onew and Minho from SHINee were in the military, their bandmate Taemin released several solo albums. By doing so, he made sure that SHINee stayed in the minds of fans all this time (about two years). Moreover, during this time, many new K-pop fans also got to know SHINee through Taemin.

When Key, Onew, and Minho returned from the military, Taemin was just getting started. Because the three of them didn't want to be active as a group without Taemin, they worked on their own projects instead. Minho and Onew, for example, made their solo debuts during this time, while Key continued his already existing solo career.

Since it's rare for all members of a boy band to be in the military at the same time, solo activities allow them to continue to be there for their fans. We can see this particularly well with BTS:

When the group announced its hiatus, many fans feared they would be without the boys for a long time. But thanks to solo projects, BTS continues to stay on everyone's minds, writes headlines, and the members defend their place at the top of the charts.

For BTS and other groups, military service may even be a welcome opportunity. Especially for BTS, a group that is so in demand, there was simply no time to think about solo activities for a long time. Now, with a few members missing anyway, the others can focus entirely on themselves.

Why are solo artists less popular than idol groups?

Especially with idols who are active in a group as well as pursuing a solo career, we can see that they are usually not quite as successful solo as their group. Of course, this doesn't mean that solo artists don't win awards or top charts. They just usually sell fewer albums than groups and appear on the charts less often in comparison.

K-pop is known for elaborate and synchronized choreography. Solo artists often have backup dancers, but since they are the center of attention alone, they cannot offer the same synchronized and dynamic performances as groups. In addition, groups can compensate for their weaknesses. There are members who can sing well but are not talented dancers and vice versa. Solo artists are in the spotlight non-stop, so their weaknesses stand out more.

In addition, groups have many different members with different personalities that fans can fall in love with.

We like to see them interact with each other and their friendship grow stronger. And groups more often have their own reality shows through which fans can get to know them better. Finally, groups tend to try new genres of music more often, appealing to a wider audience.

Of course, there are exceptions:

Stars like Taemin, Sunmi, and especially IU regularly top the charts, capture the hearts of fans with viral hits, and outshine even some popular groups.

Are solo artists on the rise?

In recent years, members of many famous groups such as Twice, BTS and Blackpink have launched solo careers. They break records with each new album and regularly outdo each other!

The best example of this is BTS:

Jin debuted with his single "The Astronaut" in October 2022. According to Hanteo, the single album sold 700,000 copies on the first day after its release.

Five months later, in March 2023, his bandmate Jimin broke that record, as his debut album "Face" sold over 1.021 million copies on its first day. This makes Jimin the first solo artist in the history of the Hanteo chart to crack the million mark on the first day! He also became the first Korean solo artist to top the Global Spotify Chart with his song "Like Crazy".

Jungkook followed Jimin's lead and also topped the Global Spotify Chart with his digital single "Seven" in July 2023. He did even better: while Jimin entered the chart at No. 2 and later worked his way up to No. 1, Jungkook took the top spot directly.

Most impressively, Jungkook even matched a record set by BTS as a group:

"Seven" entered the UK Singles Chart at number three. This is also BTS's best performance to date. Three of the boy group's songs - "Dynamite" (2020), "Butter" (2020) and "My Universe" (2021) - have debuted at number three so far. They haven't made it higher than that themselves yet. Jungkook is so far the only Korean solo artist to chart so high.

Just recently, Jimin and Agust D (Suga) also placed in the list of best-selling albums in the U.S. in the first half of 2023, ranking close behind the most popular K-pop groups worldwide: TXT, Stray Kids, Twice, and Seventeen.

Of course, Jimin, Jungkook, and co. alone still can't match BTS's success as a group, but they are steadily working their way up!

As you can see, solo artists continue to reach new milestones in recent months and years. We're excited to see if they can step it up and compete against groups more often in the future!

Are idols debuting solo more often than they used to?

Kim Sunggyu (Infinite) performing 'Small Talk' at Inkigayo (Music Show)

Does it seem like a lot of idols from groups are debuting solo lately?

It's long been normal for members of idol groups to launch solo careers a few years after their debut. It doesn't always mean they release their own music. Instead, some star in TV series or are entertainers in popular Korean reality and variety shows. A few star in K-dramas and also release solo albums.

Fans often look forward to seeing the best singers solo one day when a new group debuts, because then they can show a new side of themselves. Sometimes it's two or three years away, sometimes it's five years or more. For a couple of our favorite groups, it's taken even longer:

Nayeon (Twice) The 1st Mini Album 'IM NAYEON' Poster (POP Version)

BTS debuted on June 12, 2013, and it wasn't until eight years later that the first member of the boy band made his solo debut. J-Hope released his first album, Jack in the Box, on July 15 2022. It also took a long time for Twice. The girl group released their first album "The Story Begins" on October 20, 2015. The eldest Nayeon was the first to start her solo career: her debut album "IM NAYEON" was released on June 24, 2022, almost seven years after Twice was formed.

Again back to our question if Idols debut solo more often than before:

We would answer the question with "No". As mentioned, it was common early on for idols from groups to debut solo after a certain amount of time. However, it may seem to one or the other that it happens more often now, because in recent years many members from particularly well-known groups have started a solo career.

Within the last year and a half, six members of BTS, a member of Blackpink, Nayeon of Twice, Miyeon of (G)I-DLE, and Seulgi of Red Velvet, among others, have made their solo debuts. And in June, Jihyo of Twice also announced her first independent album.

These are our favorite solo albums from 2022 and 2023: