K-Pop Explained
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K-Pop solo artists: unique talents in the spotlight

K-Pop Solokünstler: Einzigartige Talente im Rampenlicht

When we think of K-Pop, we think first of all the boy and girl groups who thrill us with synchronized dance moves and dynamic performances. But of course, K-Pop also has plenty of solo artists, some of whom are members of idol groups who started a solo career on the side.

What sets solo artists apart from groups? Why are they generally less popular? Do members of boy and girl groups debut solo more often these days than they used to? We asked ourselves these questions and found answers that we would love to share with you.

  • Solo artists
  • Why do members of idol groups start a solo career?
  • Why are solo artists less popular?
  • Are solo artists on the rise?
  • Do idols debut solo more often than they used to?
  • Our favorite solo albums from 2022 & 2023

Solo artists

IU album 'Love Poem' concept photo

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

The artists listed above have all released their own songs, but their paths to their solo debut differ from one another:

Artists like IU and Eric Nam started their careers on their own, while Sunmi and Chungha were originally active in a girl group. Sunmi was a member of the Wonder Girls for three years before she left 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 the others are still part of their respective groups and only release solo albums in between.

Why do members of idol groups start a solo career?

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 out on their own. For example, they can realize more of their own ideas and also try out music genres that don't fit the group. So it gives them the chance to express their personality and to be seen even more as artists than usual. With their own songs, they are also more likely to get the opportunity to write lyrics themselves or to take part in the production. Perhaps they also win new fans as solo artists, who then discover their group through them too.

For boy groups in particular, having members who also have a solo career on the side is a special advantage. The reason for this is the military service that all men in South Korea have to complete.

Taemin (SHINee) 2 Kids concept photo

While Key, Onew and Minho of SHINee were in the military, their bandmate Taemin released several solo albums. That way, he made sure that SHINee stayed on fans' minds the whole time (about two years). In addition, many new K-Pop fans got to know SHINee directly through Taemin during this period.

When Key, Onew and Minho returned from the military, Taemin was only 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 rarely happens that all members of a boy group go into the military at the same time, they can keep being there for their fans through solo activities. We can see this especially well with BTS:

BTS 'Butter' group concept photo

When the group announced their hiatus, many fans feared they would have to get by without the boys for a long time. But thanks to the solo projects, BTS is still on everyone's lips, making headlines, and the members are defending 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 in such high demand, there simply was no time for a long while to think about solo activities. Now that a few members are away anyway, the others can focus entirely on themselves.

Why are solo artists less popular than idol groups?

Yena performing

With idols who are both active in a group and pursuing a solo career, it is easy to see that they are generally not quite as successful solo as their group. Of course, that doesn't mean that solo artists don't win awards or top the charts. They just usually sell fewer albums than groups and appear in the charts less often by comparison.

K-Pop is known for elaborate and synchronized choreography. Solo artists often have backup dancers, but since they are the only one in the center, they can't offer the same synchronized and dynamic performances as groups. In addition, groups can balance out their weaknesses. There are members who can sing well but aren't gifted dancers, and vice versa. Solo artists are in the spotlight nonstop, so their weaknesses stand out more.

Beyond that, groups have many different members with different personalities for fans to fall in love with.

New Jeans at Inkigayo Music Show (2023)

We love watching how they interact with each other and how their friendship grows stronger. And groups more often have their own reality shows, through which fans can get to know them better. Finally, groups more often try out new music genres and so appeal to a larger audience.

Of course, there are exceptions

Stars like Taemin, Sunmi and above all IU regularly top the charts, win over fans' hearts with viral hits, and even put some popular groups in the shade.

Are solo artists on the rise?

In recent years, members of many famous groups such as Twice, BTS and Blackpink have started a solo career. With every new album, they break records and regularly outdo each other!

The best example of this is BTS

Jin (BTS) 'The Astronaut' concept photo

In October 2022, Jin debuted with his single “The Astronaut”. 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 this record, as his debut album “Face” sold over 1.021 million copies on the first day. This makes Jimin the first solo artist in the history of the Hanteo Chart to break 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 example and also topped the Global Spotify Chart with his digital single “Seven” in July 2023. He even did one better: While Jimin entered the chart at number 2 and later worked his way up to number 1, Jungkook took first place right away.

What's especially impressive is that Jungkook was even able to match a record held by BTS as a group:

Jungkook (BTS) 'SEVEN' concept photo

“Seven” entered the UK Singles Chart at number three. That is also BTS's best result so far. Three songs by the boy group - “Dynamite” (2020), “Butter” (2020) and “My Universe” (2021) - have debuted at number 3 so far. They haven't managed to place any higher themselves. Jungkook is so far the only Korean solo artist to have entered the chart this high.

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

Of course, Jimin, Jungkook and the others on their own don't yet match the success of BTS as a group, but they are steadily working their way up!

As you can see, solo artists keep reaching new milestones in recent months and years. We're curious whether they will keep improving in the future and come out on top against groups more often!

Do idols debut solo more often than they used to?

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

Does it seem to you that lately a particularly large number of idols from groups are debuting solo?

It has long been normal for members of idol groups to start a solo career a few years after their debut. That doesn't always mean they release their own music. Some act in series instead or work as entertainers on the popular Korean reality and variety shows. A few act in K-dramas and additionally release solo albums.

Fans are often already looking forward, when a new group debuts, to seeing the best singers go solo one day, because then they can show a new side of themselves. Sometimes that happens after two or three years, sometimes it takes five years or longer. With a few of our favorite groups, it even took longer than that:

Nayeon (Twice) The 1st Mini Album 'IM NAYEON' poster (POP version)

BTS debuted on June 12, 2013, and only eight years later did the first member of the boy group make his solo debut. J-Hope released his first album “Jack in the Box” on July 15, 2022. It also took a very long time with Twice. The girl group released their first album “The Story Begins” on October 20, 2015. Nayeon, the oldest, was the first to start her solo career: On June 24, 2022, her debut album “IM NAYEON” came out, almost seven years after Twice was formed.

Back to our question of whether idols debut solo more often than they used to:

We would answer the question with “No”. As mentioned, it was already common early on for idols from groups to debut solo after a certain amount of time. It may seem to some people, though, that it's happening more often now, because in recent years many members of especially well-known groups have started a solo career.

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

These are our favorite solo albums from 2022 and 2023:

Which solo albums do you have in your collection?

Sources: Hanteo, Billboard, karchives, NME