So you want to become a Kpop Star? We hate to say it.. but good luck! We think you’d have just as good of a chance if not a better chance of becoming a pop star in your own home country.

The list of qualities that you have to have are extensive. You need to be young. You need to be able to sing on key and carry harmonies. You need to be fluent in Korean. You have to be extremely in shape without being overly muscular (especially girls). You have to really be able to dance (and in freakishly high heals ladies). You have to have the physical looks and style to stand out. You gotta have a perfectly clear history and background with nothing that could cause any sort of scandal.

And you have to really want it. Kpop stars live, sleep, eat Kpop, and everything in between, especially when they are starting out.

I watched the first episode of the KARA reality TV show when it first came out a few months ago. Even from the first episode you could see that it’s not easy. They chose people who were already long time trainees who were pulling extremely long hours trying to memorize songs and dances, and new ones everyday. They were getting critiqued and criticized on their performances. Some Kpop stars are in high school, and they either have to put in the work around their class schedule (which in Korean high school is insane), or in some cases drop out of school.

A lot of your big groups share an apartment together where their management companies can take control of their schedule, their activities, what food they eat and their diet. I’ve heard many stories and read where people (even beautiful people) are forced to get plastic surgery. It’s a cut throat industry.

As we saw earlier with Chris from EXO, getting out of a contract is not a very easy thing to do. That could potentially ruin your career.

And then you have the fans, and the anti fans. We experience a little bit of it (the negativity) because we do YouTube regularly and we all know about trolls. But I’m not stalked by paparazzi like a lot of the big Kpop stars are. Gossip magazines have to be filled with photos of celebrities after all. And while I get negative comments from time to time, I don’t have people attacking me, trying to ruin my reputation and messing with family members. Lest we forget one of the members of EXO’s family was getting married and thousands of fans caused havoc at the ceremony.

Did you know one of TVXQ’s members was poisoned by an antifan? That’s cray cray people!!!

If you really want to be a Kpop star, there’s some pointers here to help you get started. If you want to sing however, just start locally. Do it because you love it. The best that you see on TV and on YouTube work their butts off, and it’s not a route everyone can take long term.

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