For example, Natty from Kiss of Life made her debut in a medium-sized agency after leaving big companies and still rose to the top level of idol groups.
G-Dragon recently made his solo return with the single “POWER” after a seven-year hiatus. He debuted under YG Entertainment 18 years ago as a member of BIGBANG, a group that led the K-pop wave in the mid-2010s. The LA Times once described BIGBANG as “the most successful band in K-pop in the past decade,” with a global influence comparable to artists like Adele, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
Although G-Dragon is known as a YG artist, he revealed that he was initially a trainee of SM Entertainment. On “You Quiz on the Block,” he shared, “Not many people know this, but I was an SM trainee.” He explained that while acting as a child, he joined a dance competition where Lee Soo-man was the host. After five years at SM, he felt it wasn’t the right fit, so he left, learned to rap, and was eventually discovered by YG.
TWICE’s Jihyo, a JYP Entertainment artist, also started as an SM trainee. He revealed this on the YouTube channel “Hyo’s Level Up”, saying: “Before training for 10 years at JYP, I spent a year at SM.” She explained that the person who chose her transferred to JYP and she followed them.
Since she was a trainee before Girls’ Generation debuted, some fans wondered if she could have been part of the group. However, fans mostly believe that debuting with TWICE, which helped define the third generation of K-pop, was a better achievement.
TWICE, which debuted in 2015, continues to be loved globally as they approach their 10th anniversary. Last year, they reached No. 84 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Moonlight Sunrise” and topped the Global 200 with “With YOU-th.”
Natty from Kiss of Life showed the “miracle of medium-sized agencies”. A former trainee at both SM and JYP, she first joined SM after passing the global audition in Thailand in 2013 and lived with Red Velvet members Joy and Seulgi.
Later, she joined JYP after being accepted there, inspired by her mother, a 2PM fan. After leaving JYP in 2017, Natty pursued his dreams through several companies. He eventually debuted with Kiss of Life under S2 Entertainment, reaching #3 on Melon’s TOP100 within a year of its debut. Fans praised Natty for his perseverance, admiring his honed skills after years as an apprentice.
Source: Naver
