Trot-Singing Alter Egos: The Double Lives of K-Pop Stars

[Anchor]

A member of a globally popular K-pop group has unveiled a trot song under an alter ego completely different from their existing image.

Reporter Kim Gyeong-hui takes a look at why idol singers are broadening their horizons with such unique transformations.

[Reporter]

Having debuted in 2015, SEVENTEEN is one of the leading K-pop acts, having placed no fewer than six albums in the top 5 of Billboard's main album chart.

However, earlier this month, Dino, the youngest of the 13 members, released a solo album featuring a trot song.

Rather than SEVENTEEN's Dino, he stepped forward under the alter ego "Pi Cheol-in."

[Pi Cheol-in / Dino, member of SEVENTEEN: (Pi Cheol-in) has a strong mindset that "we all live the same way, so let's just live happily and have fun." Even though I wrote the lyrics myself, I found myself getting comforted by them. I wanted to take on a fresh challenge. The very fact that an idol promotes with an "alter ego" is a platform that has never been tried before.]

He explains that among the various genres of songs he participated in writing and composing, he chose trot as the title track because he wanted to reach a wider audience.

[Pi Cheol-in / Dino, member of SEVENTEEN: Rather than just a simple "trot," by mixing in EDM to blend the modern and past eras together, I thought I could show the identity of a (generation-bridging) "Gilboard" album.]

For his first solo concert held this week, he is also preparing performances that oscillate between his "main character" Dino and his "alter ego" Pi Cheol-in.

While members of groups like BIGBANG, such as Daesung, have previously showcased trot music, introducing a distinct alter ego is quite unusual.

[Mimiho / Pop Music Critic: Because they have different musical directions, they separate their personas. When tackling something with a vast genre difference, it can deliver an unexpected twist to the public and generate a lot of fun...]

[Lim Hee-yoon / Pop Music Critic: Because the status and interest in Korean pop culture itself have grown, when they show something a little different (like trot), it's something that especially international fans can enjoy...]

The fact that some members of Girls' Generation recently showed off unexpected charms through the "Hyo-ri-soo" project is also analyzed as a differentiation strategy utilizing alter egos.

(Photo: Yonhap News / Video reporting: Kim Hak-mo, Video editing: Kim Yun-seong, Video source: Pledis Entertainment, SM Entertainment, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.