7 Idols Who Are Highly Underrated, Even Within Their Own Agencies
1. TWICE‘s Jeongyeon
Despite her powerful vocals, Jungyeon doesn’t get as many lines as other TWICE members. This might be because her ‘mature’ sounding voice doesn’t fit in with TWICE’s current cutesy concepts. Her visuals have also been overlooked, possibly due to her “tomboy” image.
When TWICE chose their leader, through anonymous voting, Jungyeon placed second. She has become one of TWICE’s parental members and, at home, she takes on the role of peacekeeper when her older sisters fight. It would be interesting to see Jungyeon’s leadership and peacekeeping skills in action, on a variety show like Real Men.
In addition to powerful vocals and a great personality, Jeongyeon can play the saxophone, guitar, and has expressed interest in learning the piano.
2. GOT7’s Youngjae
Youngjae is one of GOT7’s strongest singers yet, many Youngjae stans don’t think the singer’s fame is proportional to his skill. He hasn’t seen the spotlight nearly as much as his fellow members have.
Every GOT7 member has their “thing”: a marketable feature JYP Entertainment uses to promote the group as a whole. For example, Jackson’s martial arts prowess and “wild and sexy” personality led to his regular appearance on the reality show, Roommate.
Although every GOT7’s member is multi-lingual, it would be interesting to see Youngjae’s Japanese skills put to more use. Perhaps in a Japanese solo EP?
3. Holland
On January 21, Holland, the “first gay K-Pop idol”, made a splash with his debut single, “Neverland,” a love song about his romantic struggles. The music video received a 19+ rating due to a same-sex kiss between Holland and rookie model, Cho Young Shin. Holland’s debut definitely left an impression, yet so far not much is known about the LGBTQ+ star, besides his sexual orientation.
In comparison to many other rookie idols, Holland’s marketing has been weak. He has not made many, if any, variety show appearances or interviews. Unfortunately, as an independent artist without a major label, Holland is responsible for his own promotions. He is both artist and management; it’s a tough spot to be in!
4. BtoB’s Hyunsik
Fans can’t get enough of Hyunsik’s beautiful baritone but, as the group’s sub-vocalist, Hyunsik tends to get overshadowed by Eunkwang and Changsub.
Hyunsik’s vocals are no secret, but some fans might not be as familiar with his other musical talent: composition. Hyunsik produced and wrote lyrics for many BtoB songs, including, “I Don’t Know”, “I’ll Miss You” and “Swimming”. He also composed and co-wrote HyunA’s “A Talk”.
Hyunsik’s songwriting began pre-debut. In university, he composed this song, “The Most Miserable Man in the World”.
5. f(x)‘s Amber
Amber is a jack of all trades. Since debut, she has spent years rapping in f(x), despite also having an incredible singing voice. Her vocals finally got the chance to shine in her solo debut EP, “Beautiful”.
In addition to rapping and singing, Amber is a lyricist, YouTuber, and video editor. She has directed several music videos, including: “Borders”, “On My Own”, “Need To Feel Needed”, and most recently, “Lower” (featuring Luna). She has even been credited on IMDB as the composer for a little-known short film, Only Way Out. The more creative freedom Amber is given, the more she will thrive.
Watch her talk about her directing experience here:
6. AOA’s Yuna
Yuna is a jaw-dropping beauty, but fans think her vocals don’t get the attention they deserve. They would love to hear more solo songs, like “I’m OK”, a song she sang for the Marry Him If You Dare soundtrack. She has sung several solo songs for drama OSTs but has not yet released her own solo album.
Yuna has also led a promising, yet lesser known acting career. She played a lead role in the Summer Snow, a Japanese musical based on the J-Drama of the same name, and in the K-Drama Single Wife. Yuna has also appeared in the web-dramas Prince’s Prince, Hot and Sweet, and My Old Friend.
7. GFriend‘s Umji
When it comes to visuals, GFriend has received a lot of criticism from netizens. Of all the GFriend members, Umji’s looks are the most heavily criticized. However, in addition to being beautiful, Umji is bi-linguial. She is one of the group’s English speakers.
International fans would love to hear an English solo track from Umji, similar to this live cover of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.
