Category: VARIETY

South Koreans love YouTube—so much so that they spend an estimated 25 hours and 40 minutes on the platform every month. In recent years, the number of YouTube creators—from home-based business owners promoting their products to cat owners uploading their pets’ adorable antics to mukbang stars hosting live broadcasts—increased exponentially, giving audiences in Korea and around the world endless content to dive into.

Even idols are quick to set up their own channels as a way to showcase their interests and express themselves. These days, we’ve got idols uploading song covers, vlogs, cooking tutorials, Q&A sessions, and more!

Previously, we’ve featured the male idols who are showing off their charms in their respective YouTube channels. Now, it’s time to take a look at female idols with YouTube channels that are worth watching!

GIRLS’ GENERATION

Taeyeon

In Taengoo TV, Taeyeon has uploaded a mix of vlogs featuring her travels, concert rehearsals, and random moments in her daily life. It’s been two years since her last video, but SONEs everywhere are looking forward to the day Taengoo TV becomes active again!

Watch Taeyeon run errands for her mom:

Yoona

Yoona’s So Wonderful Day is just the ray of sunshine you need when you’re feeling down. In her channel, Yoona shares snippets of her wonderful days on and off work.

Learn how to bake lemon cake with Yoona below:

Sooyoung

Sooyoung shows off her quirky personality and tells stories through her vlogs in her aptly-titled YouTube channel The Sootory. In her channel, she documents her travels, food trips, conversations with fellow idols, and more.

Watch Sooyoung celebrate Girls’ Generation’s 14th anniversary by baking a cake:

Yuri

It seems the members of Girls’ Generation really love to cook! Yuri’s channel, Yurihan TV, features the idol’s kitchen adventures. She also uploads exercise vlogs, as well as behind-the-scenes footage from her dramas and photo shoots.

Check out her latest video, where she cooks and shares a meal with fellow member Yoona:

BLACKPINK

Jennie

Blackpink’s Jennie celebrated her birthday in January this year by launching her own YouTube channel, Jennierubyjane Official! In her intro video, the star says that she opened her channel to give Blinks everywhere a glimpse of her daily life. She even included a cover performance of Mandy Moore’s “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled!

Rosé

Like fellow member Jennie, Rosé just opened her own channel, ROSÉ Official, earlier this year. Her first video is an interview film where she shares stories from her childhood up until her preparations for her solo debut.

Lisa

Want to see more of Lisa’s show-stopping dance moves? Head over to her Lilifilm Official channel! Aside from her performance videos, Lisa also uploads vlogs from Blackpink’s concert tours and her travels.

Lisa recently debuted as a soloist with LALISA, and in her latest video, she gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at her album jacket shoot.

MAMAMOO

Solar

Mamamoo’s leader Solar shows off her bright, cheerful personality in Solarsido. In her channel, she shares how she spends her weekends, takes on various challenges, and goes on mukbang battles. She also uploads quick exercise routines that Moomoos can follow!

Follow her Solar Fit 10-minute hip workout below:

OH MY GIRL

Hyojung

There’s something about idols cooking and eating that makes it interesting to watch—and Oh My Girl’s Hyojung does not disappoint in her Jjungi eonni channel. Her videos are pretty chill, even when she holds eating broadcasts! Fair warning: do not watch while hungry!

GIRL’S DAY

Hyeri

Girl’s Day Hyeri has also jumped onto the YouTube train! Her channel, I am Lee Hyeri, has a wide variety of content that fans can watch. Watch her fun and healing solo trip to Jeju Island below:

APINK

Bomi

Bomi’s Bbom Bbom Bbom channel is a mixed bag of treats that can keep fans entertained for hours on end. The Apink member uploads vlogs of her daily life, travels, mukbang, and snippets of her broadcast activities. She also does beauty tutorials and game and product reviews. Watch Bomi drive away the heat with her cold noodle mukbang:

AKMU

Suhyun

Lee Suhyun from the sibling duo AKMU is not just a soulful singer; she is also a well-known beauty YouTuber! Her channel features beauty product reviews and makeup tutorials.

Suhyun announced on her channel that she would be taking a break from YouTube to recharge. Fans don’t need to worry, though because she has promised to return to creating content—so do not press unsubscribe! In the meantime, catch up on her videos, such as her holiday makeup video with LeeHi:

DARA

Dara TV is just as colorful and quirky as Dara herself! In her channel, she uploads everything from song and dance covers, to local and international trips, and even the secrets to her ageless beauty!

It’s been a while since her last upload, but now that Dara has joined a new agency, fans are hoping she will be back soon for more entertaining content! In the meantime, watch her hunt down her birthday ads on the subway in the vlog below:

IU

Check out IU’s official YouTube channel if you want to know more about what the soloist does off-stage. In her channel, IU posts behind-the-scenes clips of her in concerts, album recordings, and fan meets. She also uploads interviews with other celebrities in her own web talk show, IU’s Palette.

Watch IU sit down for a chat with ITZY below:

HYUNA

Here’s something not commonly seen among idols’ YouTube channels: idol couple videos! In HyunA’s official YouTube channel, the idol posts her vlogs with her boyfriend of six years, Dawn.

The couple recently released a new song together. Watch their behind-the-scenes album photo shoot:

There’s something for every fan on our list, so make sure to check out these ladies’ channels! We know there are more female idols who have their own channels—but we’ll never get to the end of this article if we include them all (so maybe we’ll do a part two!). Which female idol YouTuber do you like most?

Name it, Super Junior has done it: they’re accomplished singers, amazing dancers, star movie and drama actors, and incredible musical actors. They are also excellent MCs and variety show aces. Now the men of Super Junior have added one more talent to the long list of things they do extremely well: content creators.

Nine out of 10 current SJ members now have their own YouTube channels, and their content range from song covers, life vlogs, gaming streams, live chat with fans, and more. E.L.Fs are definitely well-fed despite the lack of live concert opportunities due to the pandemic.

Make sure to hit the subscribe button on their individual channels so you never miss any SJ content!

Leeteuk 

Super Junior’s leader and oldest hyung Leeteuk is the undisputed king of talk among all the members. He relives his radio MC days (he was a former host of Super Junior’s Kiss the Radio, a.k.a. Sukira) on his regular live streams, which he named Kiss the YouTube. He also shows off his cooking chops—complete with easy-to-follow tips—on the channel!

Heechul

The “Universe Big Star” Kim Heechul’s colorful personality is at full blast in HEEtube. In his channel, fans can see gamer Heechul, adorable pet parent Heechul, celebrity friend Heechul, singer Heechul, and more!

https://youtu.be/m1Nmj7USRG8

Shindong

Super Junior’s resident techie, Shindong, gives fans in-depth reviews of games and gadgets in his Shindongdengdong channel. He also uploads clips of Super Junior’s concert rehearsals, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of his directing projects.

Sungmin

Sungmin might not be participating in Super Junior’s group activities for now, but he is still a member of SJ! His LIUstudio channel is like a diary, featuring videos of his daily life as a singer, musical actor, and husband. He also uploads mukbang vlogs and song covers.

Eunhyuk

The latest Super Junior member to join the YouTube bandwagon is main dancer and rapper Eunhyuk. His channel, 1LDAN EUNHYUKEE, contains vlogs of his life away from the spotlight—from driving around Seoul to hanging out alone at an Airbnb. His vlogs have a chill and relaxed vibe, a complete contrast to his bubbly character on variety shows. As a newbie YouTuber, Eunhyuk is still adorably awkward. But E.L.Fs everywhere can’t wait to see him show off his many charms!

Donghae 

Donghae’s YouTube channel name might be basic—Super Junior Donghae LEE—but his content perfectly shows off his quirky and lovable personality. He loves going live on the channel just to chat with fans—isn’t he the sweetest? More recently, Donghae has been uploading more videos containing behind-the-scenes clips from his solo activities, as well as from Super Junior’s concerts and shows. He also shows off his “SJ’s genius composer” side through his jamming sessions in the recording studio.

Siwon 

“No challenge, no change!” Siwon Choi definitely succeeded in taking on the YouTube challenge! In his channel, fans can watch videos of Super Junior’s visual and center hang out with his bandmates and other celebrity friends, and provide updates on his “No challenge, no change” project. Siwon is also known to be very religious, and he has recently taken to uploading Bible reading videos on his channel.

Ryeowook 

Super Junior’s eternal maknae Ryeowook is an adorable bean in his channel, Ryeowook’s Agit (Ryeowook’s Hangout). In his channel, the idol shares videos of him going about his daily life—recording sessions, music video shoots, online fan sign events, and more. He also uploads song covers, and like Donghae, Ryeowook also regularly goes live on the channel to chat with fans.

https://youtu.be/FpfYoDOIS5Y

Kyuhyun 

Kyuhyun’s KYU TV is like a bag of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans—it has a little bit of everything! A well-known idol gamer, SJ’s maknae holds live streaming sessions of him playing his beloved Starcraft, as well as other games. He is also a budding cook, so his stream highlights often feature cooking segments as well. Of course, he’s not about to let E.L.Fs forget his amazing vocals, so Kyuhyun also uploads cover songs and holds live mini-concerts in his room at the Super Junior dorm!

Almost all of Super Junior are now on YouTube! Have you subscribed to all of them yet? Also, maybe E.L.Fs can convince main vocal and selfie king Yesung to start his own channel?

Enlistment. The dreaded E-word for K-pop fans everywhere. Every year, fans go through the painful process of sending their idols off to serve in the military. South Korean law requires all able-bodied Korean men aged 18 to 28 (or 30, according to the revised military enlistment law that will allow entertainers to apply for deferment, if they are recognized by the government to have elevated South Korea’s image globally) to undergo mandatory military service. 

Most 1993-born idols—who are or will turn 28 this year—have already enlisted, but there are still quite a few who have yet to enter military service. Here are some idols born in 1993 that are due to enlist this year: 

Block B’s P.O. (born 2 February 1993) 

P.O debuted with Block B as one of the group’s rappers in 2011, and in the group’s first sub-unit, Bastarz, in 2015. He is also an actor, making his acting debut in the 2017 SBS drama Temperature of Love. He has since landed roles in other dramas such as Encounter, Hotel Del Luna, and more. 

P.O is also a variety show regular. He has been a fixed cast member of New Journey to the West (NJTTW) with his best friend, Song Mino, Great Escape, and Amazing Saturday since 2018. He is also on Kang’s Kitchen, a NJTTW spin-off program. 

Winner’s Mino (born 30 March 1993)

The rapper and producer has been active as a member of Winner since 2014. Following his runner-up finish on Show Me the Money season 4, Mino has since released numerous singles. He also debuted as a soloist in 2018 with his first studio album, XX. Mino has been a fixed cast member of New Journey to the West since 2017, which his best friend since high school P.O. joined in 2018. He also has his own web variety series on YouTube, Mino’s Pilot. Later this year, he will be appearing as a producer on Show Me the Money season 10. 

Mino made his official debut as a painter at the Special Exhibition for Emerging Artists (SEEA) 2019 art exhibit at the Seongnam Art Center’s 808 Gallery. His works were also displayed at London’s Saatchi Gallery in 2020 as part of the Korean Eye 2020: Creativity Daydream exhibit. 

VIXX’s Ravi (born 15 February 1993)

VIXX’s Ravi has had an active career both as the group’s main rapper and as a solo artist. The group known as the “Concept Kings” may be on hiatus due to military enlistment, but Ravi has made sure that he and his group stay firmly on top of Starlights’ radar. He has released several solo EPs and mixtapes since 2016; in 2020, he released his first full-length album. He has also been busy collaborating with various artists as a featured rapper, songwriter, and producer. Ravi is currently a regular cast member of the popular travel-variety show 2 Days 1 Night and has guested in other TV and web variety shows.

Ravi has also been busy as the CEO of his own hip-hop label, GROOVL1N, which he set up in 2019. This year, he set up The L1VE, an agency that supports artists across different genres. 

B1A4’s Gongchan (born 14 August 1993) 

Singer and actor Gongchan has been active as the maknae of B1A4 since 2011. He debuted as an actor in the web drama Delicious Love in 2015. His most recent dramas include Lonely Enough to Love and the web series Mokkoji Kitchen. 

Gongchan has also been active in the variety show circuit, appearing as a guest on shows such as Celebrity Bromance and Knowing Brothers. He also hosted the music variety show Global Request Show: A Song for You season 4 with former Super Junior Kangin and f(x)’s Amber in 2015.

DAY6’s Young K (born 19 December 1993) 

Young K is a member of the pop-rock band DAY6 as the group’s bassist, rapper and vocalist. He is also part of the group’s first sub-unit, Even of Day, with fellow members Dowoon and Wonpil. The sub-unit debuted in 2020. 

Young K is enlisting as a Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldier on 12 October. Before his enlistment, he will be releasing his first solo EP Eternal in September.  

Of these ’93-liners, who will you miss the most?

Featured image: Best friends Mino and P.O. in New Journey to The West. Photo: tvN Asia/YouTube

Since we’ve already covered some iconic performance stages from boy groups, it’s just right for the ladies to get some attention. Here are a number of performances that prove that girl power is indeed alive and well in k-pop. 

SNSD Grants Wishes From a Helipad

There was a time (c. 2009-2012, to be exact) when the music show Music Core blessed fans with “outdoor performances,” which for the most part… worked in their “fresh” approach. Infinite danced on water to their debut song Come Back Again (probably a tribute to their MV where the boys danced in the rain?), Rainbow sang To Me with colored fountains as background, SISTAR sang Push Push in a waterpark (yes, Music Core producers had a water fixation for a time), A-Jax in a clearing in the middle of a field, APink in what looked like a countryside garden with white statues guarding them. And who can forget the iconic Sunny Hill performance of Midnight Circus in a condemned garage with flattened cars piled on top of each other serving as their background? But that is totally dangerous and deserves its own article. 

We are here to talk about the Nation’s Girl Group singing Genie, wearing their navy uniform costumes in a skyscraper rooftop helipad! As the girls were in their sexy navy garb, one would expect Music Core to exploit that element to their advantage, bringing the SNSD live performance to a marina maybe, or an oil tanker? But no, they opted to have the girls sing while kicking imaginary dirt (that choreography actually has a name – leg beauty dance) in a helipad.

And in an era where drone videography was still an alien concept, the show used actual helicopters to circle around the rooftop, with cameramen taking overhead footage of the performance. Actual helicopters and rooftop rental – that should have cost a leg! Fortunately, the show’s efforts paid off as the SNSD performance holds the record as the most-watched performance in Korean television history, with 8.6 million viewers.

Red Velvet Kills It in Hostile Territory, Twice!

Be warned: This is definitely not your usual live stage. 

It was April 2018 and for the two Koreas to show a warming of their relationship, South Korean musical acts went to Pyongyang to stage a two-day concert entitled “Spring is Coming” . Among those acts was Red Velvet. Yes, Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Yeri went north of the 38th parallel to spread some happiness, and how! Before you complain, Joy had to finish filming scenes for her drama, so her schedule did not permit her to visit Kim Jongun. 

To say that the performances were scary is an understatement. Take note that North and South Korea are still technically at war and are only enjoying an extended ceasefire, so just thinking about that should scare the living hell out of any performer. The girl’s first performance in the 1,500-seater East Pyongyang Grand Theatre was Red Flavor. Song – perfect, outfits – honestly, I was scared for Seulgi and Yeri who were wearing shorts but with knee-length boots, audience – stoic throughout except for this one lady who smiled during Seulgi’s first lines. Seriously, watching that stage made me want to pee in my pants. 

After Red Flavor and a short talk came Bad Boy.. Song – scary. Choreography – scary, with the gun gestures.   And true enough, in an episode of Knowing Bros, Seulgi admitted to having agreed to change the rifle cocking move she was supposed to execute with something like her left hand cupping her mouth, like she was going to whisper something. Alas, during the performance, her nerves got the better of her, so she forgot the agreed replacement, though she had some sense to convert her rifle into a pistol just in time. Luckily, the audience still received it well and no wars were declared. Besides, various credible sources claimed that the supreme leader was so smitten by Red Velvet’s leader that those small incidents can be easily ignored.

GFriend Risks Life for Stage

Idol groups performing under the rain and consequently, a wet stage are not that rare, with countless members getting caught on fancams suffering from all sorts of accidents from small slips to face-first dives.  Examples of “accident-prone” idols include SISTAR’s Bora who famously fractured her thumb in the middle of singing Shady Girl as she used her hand to balance herself as she fell. The performance had to be stopped, the rapper’s thumbs had to be bandaged, and guess what, the group redid the entire performance before the injured member was sent to the hospital. For a group whose footwear options in their live performances were limited to stilettos and chunky platform heels (their choice), almost all members have been victimized by wet stages. 

Oh My Girl, WJSN, and LABOUM have also had a fair share of wet stages, with some performances having the members wear raincoats while dancing. How’s that for dedication?   

But perhaps the most memorable idol wet live stage in history is GFriend’s Me Gustas Tu performance at the 2015 Hyundai Eco-Driving Concert. From the start, you can already see some of the members kick water to the side in vain attempts to dry the stage. For a close to four-minute performance, main vocal Yuju fell not once, not twice, not thrice, not four times, but FIVE times, with the final spill only, milliseconds before she had to do a vocal run adlib. The other members also slipped at least once, but it was simply amazing how Yuju survived without injuries save for some minor bruises and a bit of trauma, for sure. 

Even if the audience cheered them on by chanting “gwenchana” (it’s ok!) as they exited the stage, you can’t help but feel sorry for the girls. But then, these stages give way to the birth of legendary groups, which begs the question, when should death-defying performances be acceptable and when should groups put their foot down and say no for their health and safety? .  

Oh My Girl Makes Destiny Their Own

In one of the most jaw-dropping reversals in Korean television history, the reality competition Queendom had participating girl groups perform trademark songs of their competition. (G)-IDLE performed 2NE1’s Fire, while Park Bom performed (G)-IDLE’s HANN. MAMAMOO went full-throttle sexy with AOA’s Good Luck, while usually-sexy AOA went full-on girl crush with their rendition of Egotistic. 

So, we were supposed to end up with the two remaining groups, Oh My Girl and Lovelyz exchanging songs, a scenario both groups wanted to avoid since their concepts are too similar. However, Lovelyz won a challenge, which rewarded them with their own say on what song they will perform in the next round. Thus, instead of singing an OMG track, they went with Brown Eyed Girls’ militaristic Sixth Sense. With no available options for them, Oh My Girl ended up signing the usually bright Destiny, but with a twist. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5BseJ4fxzA

Instead of doing a teenybopper version of the track as they were expected to do, the girls of WM Entertainment went the mystical route, giving the song an ethnic and mysterious feel with traditional musical instruments. With resident rapper Mimi adding an additional rap verse and the choreography undergoing a major do-over, the OMG is way distinct and unrecognizable from Lovelyz’s version. The performance received overwhelmingly positive reviews from viewers and even from the contestants themselves. Oh My Girl’s cover of Destiny went on to chart as one of the highest songs from the reality show. Not bad at all for a version of a song long identified with another group. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of iconic girl group stages. So, here’s hoping we can have more iconic stages in the future.

Featured image: Oh My Girl performs Destiny in reality show, Queendom. Photo: Mnet K-POP/YouTube