Apple TV+ Takes Viewers Behind-The-Scenes With Latest Series, K-Pop Idols

To the thousands of dedicated K-pop fans around the world, it's a world full of fashion, incredible stage performances and charming performers known as "idols." But to outsiders, it's seen as a grueling industry full of inhumane training and a culture of overworking young idols. But what's really the truth? Apple TV+'s latest docuseries, K-Pop Idols seeks to answer this question.

(K-Pop Idols via Apple TV+)

The series takes viewers through the journeys of three different artists: seasoned soloist Jessi, the girl group BLACKSWAN and the boy group CRAVITY . Over the course of six episodes, we follow their lives from training to performances to spending time as a group and everything in between. It's a complete view of all the highs and lows that come with being a K-pop idol.

The first of the three to be introduced to the audience is the outspoken, female rapper Jessi. As an industry veteran, determination is not something new to her. When she was 14, she moved to Korea to chase her dream of becoming a star, but what followed was a series of failed attempts trying to make it. Right before she was about to give up, she received an invitation to compete on Unpretty Rapstar, a female rap competition show, and as luck would have it, her success on the show was just what she needed to propel her into the mainstream. After the show, she received offers from multiple agencies and ended up joining P Nation, founded by the legendary K-pop artist Psy.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

When the show first introduces us to BLACKSWAN, the lineup consists of Youngheun, Judy, Fatou and Leia. The group was created by Yoon Deung-ryong, CEO of the relatively small entertainment company DR MUSIC, with the intention of them becoming a global girl group as each member represented a different nationality. Fatou is Belgian-Senegalese, Leia is Brazilian and Youngheun and Judy are Korean.

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The last group we're introduced to, CRAVITY, is an interesting position when we first see them. The nine-member group is under the well-known company Starship Entertainment and is comprised of Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung and Seongmin. Despite being in their second year as idols when the show begins, they are in the process of rehearsing for their first live performance. Due to debuting during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not been able to perform in front of a live audience. As if that wasn't difficult enough, there's immense pressure on them as Starship's second boy group after the wildly popular MONSTA X to achieve the same amount of success.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

Although each featured artist has different levels of experience in the industry and various backgrounds, they all shed light on what it's like to be an idol.

"What's interesting about some of these stories is they're real underdog stories," said co-executive producer Bradley Cramp. "I would rather be with someone crawling up the mountain toward success as opposed to someone who's already sitting at the top. Being with them through these struggles and seeing the difference between a small company, family agency like DR Music versus a larger, more established agency like Starship you're seeing different facets of a hierarchical industry."

During the series, we see the challenges that each group and artist goes through such as being away from home for years on end, intense training schedules with little sleep and required diets, major scandals and tension among the BLACKSWAN group members, Jessi being stranded in a foreign city hours before a show and Leia's mental health struggles.

Committed to pulling back the curtain and showing everything about K-pop, the series doesn't shy away from emphasizing the fact that there is an almost obsessive need for K-pop idols to be perfect, not just from fans but from their own company too.

"At the end of the day, they're just human beings. We all make mistakes. We all have flaws. We all have self-improvement that we can do. Yet these folks are living under a microscope where, unlike in the West where you can make mistakes and recover in your career, here you're expected to be an example," Cramp said.

In fact, this standard of perfection is so high that when asked during an interview what he thinks makes CRAVITY special, their manager outright responds by saying he doesn't think the group is special. This need for perfection is once again on display during the filming of CRAVITY's music video shoot where at one point a timestamp shows that the shoot has been ongoing for 15 hours. It's also revealed that during the shoot there's only time for power naps and the boys must power through the hunger as they can't risk their diets.

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While following BLACKSWAN's storyline, we learn about an argument that caused a falling out and tension between Fatou and Leia. After the incident, Leia begin to struggle with her mental health. Ultimately, the tension between group members caused Youngheun and Judy to leave the group with Leia following suit shortly after. This allowed for the BLACKSWAN trainees who are introduced in the show, Gabi and Sriya, to become members of the group along with the last trainee to join, NVee. Thus, the current lineup was completed.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

BLACKSWAN's story shows a refreshingly honest side to K-pop as mental health is often a taboo topic in the industry. We see Leia's struggle with wanting to stay in the group but also wanting to prioritize her mental health and the stress Fatou endures when she has to assume the position of leader of the group and mold the newest members into a cohesive team. Through these scenes, the show pulls back the curtain to show that behind the pristine image of K-pop, the artists are real human beings who can't always be perfect. It's an authentic portrayal of not just the work that goes into preparing for performances, but building teamwork so the performances go smoothly.

In a way, the show confirms the ideas about K-pop that many people unfamiliar with the genre hold. It is an intense process that's physically, mentally and emotionally draining to endure, but the series makes sure to let everyone know that, contrary to these opinions, being a K-pop idol isn't pure torture as it's often portrayed.

"I think what captivated me about this world personally was just the incredible dedication that these young kids put into following their dreams. I think that's one misconception about "Are these people being forced into these 'idol factories?'" These kids love music, they love dancing, they want to be a celebrity," Cramp explained.

In between the hard times, we see heartwarming and downright domestic scenes such as Jessi spending time with her friends and family in her family home, Gabi and Sriya's friendship and excitement as they explore Korea together and CRAVITY's time spent living together in their dorm. These are intimate looks inside what an idol's life is really like that serve as reminders to everyone that, while idol life is hard, the triumphs and relationships that are formed make it worth it.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

However, for some in the industry, K-pop doesn't always end up being like the dream that was promised. A large portion of the show is dedicated to a Starship Entertainment trainee named Jiyong. We see what his schedule looks like that includes going to school, hours of intense practice and not going to sleep until two or three in the morning. Like most trainees, he's given up a lot just for the possibility of being in a group it isn't until the end that it's revealed that he still has not debuted. After seeing all the hard work he's put in you can't help feel bad for him but also a sense of pride after seeing how determined he is.

"The process of striving and going through intense scenarios is much more interesting and helps us root for characters and makes it so they're relatable to us and in all of our cases we have characters that mirror us," said co-executive producer Jack Turner.

Additionally, we get to see a glimpse of what life is like for former BLACKSWAN members Youngheun and Judy after leaving the group. In a bittersweet moment, they reflect on the almost empty feeling they have but the relief they feel now that they're able to go wherever they want and do whatever they want. The stories of Jiyong, Youngheun and Judy set up a unique juxtaposition that shows the duality of what life is like before and after being an idol.

Despite the abundance of challenges that are shown throughout the show, it's done in the name of authenticity. K-Pop Idols doesn't sugarcoat anything. It embraces the truth that being a K-pop idol is hard, but it doesn't come without it's triumphs that are shown in the final episode. Each artist's story culminates in a final celebration of their dedication and hard work from Jessi's performance at a festival in Cambodia to CRAVITY's KCON LA performance to BLACKSWAN's first performance with a new lineup. Over the course of the series, we see the special bonds that are built and the challenges that are endured thanks to the show's invitation to step into the world of K-pop.

Want to learn more about other K-pop groups? Click HERE to read all about the girl group cignature.