Status of “Audition Survival” Emerges While Established Artists Feel the Pressure
Despite Rising Popularity, Challenges Remain in the Broadcast Trend Genre,
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| Some rising stars who have ranked high through survival competitions are receiving public love and support from a fandom that surpasses idols. Winners of ‘Mr. Trot 3’ Kim Yong-bin and ‘Current King of Singers’ Season 1 Jeon Yu-jin. / Kim Yong-bin’s Instagram, Jeon Yu-jin’s Instagram Capture |
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[The FactㅣReporter Kang Il-hong] The status of a popular star ultimately depends on popularity. Popularity plays a crucial role in every assessment. The interests of fans often do not fall outside this realm. Popularity does not distinguish between new, mid-range, or veteran artists. Ignoring popularity in favor of experience or credentials can lead to embarrassment. In this sense, the entertainment industry can be seen as a place where hierarchy by age is rather cumbersome.
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The place where the flow of popularity and status has changed the most is in the trot music sector. The trend changed as trot audition programs became a key part of broadcasting. Some rising stars who have entered the top ranks through survival competitions are receiving public love and the support of a fandom surpassing idols. This change has also altered existing perceptions of trot music, establishing it as an indisputable trend genre in broadcasting.
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Considering that trot was once even neglected on broadcast shows, the current situation feels truly transformative. No one can dispute that Creas Studio CEO Seo Hye-jin contributed to promoting trot as a killer content in TV Chosun with ‘Miss Trot’ and ‘Mr. Trot.’ These shows rediscovered trot’s charm, increasing public interest and attention. Artists have welcomed and embraced this change in status.
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| While some star-level singers appear to maintain face by being packaged as ‘legend’ judge guests, a self-deprecating comment about the ‘breakdown of the middle tier’ is heard among established singers. From left: Nam Jin, Seol Woon-do, Kim Yeon-ja, Jang Yoon-jeong. / The Fact DB |
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◆ Long-Time Established Singers ‘Reduced to Watching Young Junior Singers’
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In the past, trot singers appealed to terrestrial broadcasters asking for interest in the trot genre because the disappearance of stages made survival desperate. Despite holding seminars at the National Assembly and picketing, things have changed quickly through survival auditions. Everything in the world comes with two sides. Just as there is good and bad, positive and negative coexist.
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As young rising stars emerge from trot auditions and dominate broadcasts, established singers face even greater crises. Except for a few legendary singers, most broadcast appearances are monopolized by audition-born singers. Even if they have no hit songs, being popular just by performing cover songs poses no problem. That’s because they gained high public awareness due to the intense interest they received during survival competitions.
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| As rising stars from trot auditions dominate broadcasts, established singers face greater crises. Apart from a few legendary singers, most appearances are dominated by audition-born singers. /TV Chosun ‘Love Call Center’ |
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◆ Regional events diminished further by COVID-19, now virtually ‘disappeared’
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“If a popular singer can’t perform on stage, their existence becomes meaningless. The prevailing view was that without hit songs, one would inevitably be eliminated. However, the emergence of audition-born juniors has changed this convention. Maintaining long-standing popularity by singing others’ songs based solely on public awareness now seems surprising. Initially, no one expected this structure to last this long, but now it’s accepted as fate.” (A 30-year career mid-tier singer C)
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Veteran singers initially applauded the activation of trot but are feeling the crisis as the situation becomes entrenched. Particularly, mid-range singers find themselves with nowhere to go. Despite having widely recognized hit songs, they cannot compete in popularity and awareness. Not being featured on broadcasts reduces their exposure, leading to fewer regional event appearances, creating a vicious cycle. Event appearances diminished during COVID-19 have not returned to normal and stages have disappeared entirely.
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A few years ago, rising stars who were once unknown found it hard to even look at established senior singers. They naturally bowed to the ‘aura of popularity’ generated by multiple hit songs and public applause. However, now even legendary singers find themselves needing to consider the juniors’ reactions. Rising stars continuously emerge, with more audition programs scheduled for later this year. The lament of singers wondering, “How did it come to this?” seems to be growing louder.
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