#id.ha sooyoung

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON HONEY’S SUB VOCAL JUDY…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 22 DEBUT AGE: 18 SKILL POINTS: 15 VOCAL | 10 DANCE | 06 RAP | 14 PERFORMANCE SECONDARY SKILLS: Visual art

INTERVIEW

hyein - with her big, bambi eyes, gentle smile, and a talent in the visual arts - was branded early on as the “elegant beauty” member. she was meant to smile, hold back, act shy and embarrassed when asked to do show something, stay more restrained as other members got to show off their extroversion and their aegyo. msg’s ceo went so far as to personally choose a stage name for her that was meant to suit this image: judy, an english name that was old-timey and remniscent of hollywood and the golden age and garland. this countered just about every element of her outspoken, brash, enthusiastic personality, but as a trainee and then as a rookie she had no power to fight it. even four years after debut and despite honey’s massive popularity she still does not, as their image has been so carefully calibrated and controlled that hyein is afraid of deviating from her company and the public’s expectations, at the risk of causing a scandal, and/or being kicked out entirely.

at first, when honey’s songs were cute but a bit gentler, this elegant image suited their concept really well - hyein, as directed by msg, fit the dreamier music they were putting out. so unbelievably cute and so innocent, they seemed ethereal and unreal. when honey made a slight shift into more playful music with 2015′s release of ooh-ahh, hyein’s quiet elegance no longer fit the group quite as well. msg then allowed her to slowly break out of this, ever so slightly, giving her opportunities to establish herself and her personality in a more vocal way. fans viewed this as her “coming out of her shell” and becoming more comfortable with celebrity and cameras - which was completely wrong, there wasn’t much hyein liked more than celebrity and cameras. and she was good at talking - good at working the audience, good at selling herself as something she’s not, good at making others feel included in the conversation even if she truly does not care about them. in late 2017, she booked a hosting gig at mbc music premier and has held it since, comfortably straddling that line between restrained elegance and fun chatter that the role required. her judy and her hyein personalities have begun to merge, and though they are still vastly different - but she is still working to show more of herself, her true self, on the stage she loves.

BIOGRAPHY

joo hyein was born in jeju to a 19 year old single mother. while her mother worked as a maid at a hotel on the island and studied hospitality on the side, hyein lived with her grandparents and her uncle. during those early years, she only saw her mother late at night or in the early morning, when she was returning from a long shift and hyein had successfully kept herself awake long enough to peek at her tired, dragging feet as they shuffled to the bedroom. in the absence of her mother, however, her grandmother, a retired art teacher, would spend the mornings showing hyein calligraphy, watercolours, pastels, pottery, anything she could get her hands on - all of which the young girl eagerly absorbed and imitated.

doted on, loved, and the youngest of anyone living nearby, hyein never had any reason to think she wasn’t talented. she won art contests at the local school, and once even won a contest and got her charcoal drawing published in a seoul-based children’s magazine. she sang in the school choir and was praised by mom, uncle, grandma, grandpa, classmates, teachers, neighbours alike. she was sheltered, safe from criticism thanks to her distance from the mainland, the island’s separation from the real world.

it did not take long for hyein to decide she wanted to be an idol. more than she loved to paint an draw, she loved to sing - she was much too in love with attention and praise to want to do anything off the stage. at age twelve she declared her intention to go to seoul during her summer break and audition at any company that she could get a slot for. her grandparents were hesitant to allow such a young girl go so far to pursue such a lofty dream, but her mother - whose own dreams had been more or less restricted by her pregnancy at a young age - encouraged it, and arranged for hyein to stay in a close family friend’s apartment. after failing ten auditions, her eleventh was with msg entertainment - then still a small company, having no debuted artists - and, after a long process, she was offered a contract. she immediately flew back to jeju to pack up her things.

hyein quickly went from the most talented person in her circle to the bottom of the barrel. she worked hard, and excelled in some elements of training - she had charisma, did well in acting courses, and was a solid dancer. but her voice, her pride and joy, was not of the same caliber she thought it was. even up until she was placed in the debut group, she had hopes of at least becoming a lead vocal. instead she was put squarely in the sub vocal spot, given the least amount of lines, feeling all attention and cameras usually off her and on the flashier and more talented members. the image assigned to her by the company did not help, and for a long time following her debut hyein continued to feel ignored, unpopular, forgotten, even as her group skyrocketed into huge levels of popularity.

in more recent times, she has grown into her role more comfortably, and now forces attention when she can get it. although still officially a sub vocal, she has slowly been able to negotiate a few more lines per song, or at least some of the catchiest ones. her role as an mc has allowed her to put herself on more of a map. she speaks up more on vlives and variety shows, and spends fansigns and concerts pandering to the fans as much as possible. she craves attention, acceptance, and validation, and she’s learned it’s not easy to get any of it - but she’s not going to sit back and wait for it anymore.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NEON’S MAIN DANCE AHN SUA...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 23 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 20 COMPANY: Midas SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): N/A INSPIRATION: after many short-lived gigs in the modeling industry and too many low ranks in dance competitions and beauty pageants, she decided to stop trying to carve her own path to fame and seek the proper guidance within an entertainment company SPECIAL TALENTS:

flexibility: she’s been in gymnastics and ballet since she could walk, although su-a likes to claim that she’s just “naturally flexible”. she can put her feet behind her head, do a perfect scorpion, and bring her arms over her head when holding them behind her.

freestyle dancing: give her a song and she’ll make choreography for it right away. su-a’s favourite challenge is trying to make choreography better than the song’s original dance.

dance covers: she has the memory of a goldfish in all aspects except for dance. her memory is rather epidetic when it comes to dancing and she can memorize them in less than a day. she’ll certainly be a natural at relay dances and speed dance challenges when her time comes to be on variety.

NOTABLE FACTS:

took lessons and competed on competitive dance teams at a prominent dance studio in seoul, and also competed in beauty pageants as a child.

modeled for a clothing website in seoul, although her face wasn’t in many pictures and she quit about six months after she was hired as a model.

due to her time as a (somewhat) model and a pageant contestant, she walks as if she’s on a runway, out of habit. but it makes her appear twice as confident and alluring, so she doesn’t try to stop herself. she’s an expert at posing and is quite photogenic.

has an exceptional knowledge of fragrance and can often tell you the notes in a fragrance immediately, or identify the fragrance someone near her is wearing.

she’s not an expert yet, but during her time as a competitive dancer, she learned how to dancing styles like waacking and popping.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

her short-term goal might be a bit obvious: she just wants to debut already. you could call her selfish or call her impatient, since she’s only been a trainee for a short amount of time, but she’s itching to be performing and not in the comfort of her dorm or the practice rooms at midas, but to be performing for the public as a proper idol.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

she seeks prominence and longevity in the industry, above everything else. she doesn’t want to be apart of a group that fizzles out and disbands after an unsuccessful debut, or apart of a group that fades into the background and releases mediocre comebacks. she wants to be apart of a group that skyrockets her to fame: a group that could earn her spot on a dance competition show, whether it’s as a contestant or a judge or a trainer, or earn her the right to her own solo career. she wants to be known for her dancing, above all else.

IDOL IMAGE

su-a hopes that midas paints her as the “mature” (in lewder terms, the sexier) member of neon. being one of the older members and one with experience in modeling and pageantry, she’s angling to monetize on the experience she has marketing herself visually. because even in korea, sex sells. her history as a dancer grants her the confidence to dance with (albeit, rookie) power and she has the confidence to commit to fanservice, no matter how sexy (or painstakingly cute, but that’s an act she’ll get through with gritted teeth) they ask her to be. she’s gifted with demure, cherubic features and a curvaceous, yet small figure: features that were strong enough to get her into a major beauty pageant, at least (even if she ranked poorly, in her mother’s eyes — just below the top 20).

her personality is coquettish and confident: she’d best excel in variety shows where she can have witty banter with the hosts. she has a charisma that is almost infectious — if it didn’t intimidate you first. an over-the-top, bubbly, and witty personality would pair perfectly with the sexy image she wishes so desperately to have. with such charisma, she can easily turn the aegyo on at the drop of a hat — although she isn’t a fan of being seen as “cute”, she recognizes just how charming aegyo can be to fans and to show hosts, and she’d do just about anything if it meant securing a name for herself.

she’d prefer to be painted as powerful and seductive; someone who is a force to be reckoned with. not just because of her dancing and her looks, but also with a boisterous and fierce personality. but she’d settle on a sweetly sexy, “lite sexy” image, too. what matters to su-a the most is being known for the talent she’s so confident she holds.

IDOL HISTORY

act i.

ahn su-a was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, swaddled in lush hermès blankets the moment her parents first held her. her father was a successful businessman, while her mother came from a wealthy family. everything she could have asked for was provided to her from the moment she entered the world. but the taste of such luxury felt sour when unconditional love and gentle pampering were never a reality for su-a. they were more like a myth.

the pampering su-a received as a child was something more like grooming. her mother, a mediocre former model tossed away by her agency as soon as she fell pregnant with su-a, always held a certain bitterness towards su-a (and her father) for her failed career. but ever concerned about appearances, she started to groom su-a to follow in her footsteps.

su-a has always been beautiful. round cheeks compliment her cherubic features, and she has delicate, doe-like eyes — that are both inviting and intimidating. her build is small, but she has somewhat of a natural curve — clear, defined hips that are enticing to watch as she dances, and long legs that simply captivate. that’s why her mother was quick to shove her into pageants as a child. she was beautiful, and she was charming, and her mother planned to enroll in her sopa or hanlim as soon as she was of high school age. toss in gruelling ballet lessons that began after her fourth birthday, and gymnastic lessons to help with her shine during talent segments — she was sure to be a pageant queen, one day.

at least that’s what her mother thought.

act ii.

she stopped competing in pageants when she was eighteen.

it was after she placed 24th in a major beauty pageant in korea. it was hard enough to get into, being so young compared to other contestants, and su-a thinks she deserved praise for getting into the competition in the first place.

but her mother was furious. she always was.

su-a had success in winning smaller pageants, throughout her childhood and her years as a teenager. of course, this was thanks to her mother’s heavy grooming. strict dieting has been forced upon su-a since she was a young girl, and her mother made sure her appearance came before all else. she made it clear with the expensive and extensive skincare routines, the constant stress about wearing make-up, and the slaps on the wrist if she ever picked at her face — su-a knew from a young age her beauty is what everyone cares about.

but somewhere along the line, su-a began to blend in with the other contestants. judges no longer saw her as a remarkable beauty, and while her dancing was always praised and marveled about, it wasn’t enough to declare her a winner.

su-a was, simply put, boring.

she wasn’t her own person and the judges could see that. she was bland, and she was manufactured to a serious degree. a carbon copy of her mother — poised and perfected, but lacking personality.

she lacked individuality.

act iii.

her mother is an expert in the art of damage control.

shortly after su-a’s loss at miss korea, her mother landed her a modeling gig. it was for a small brand, and su-a knew she wouldn’t make waves modeling mediocre clothes aimed at young adults, but it was a job. a job to keep her mother off her back, even if it was only for a little while.

but su-a was unhappy. she’s always been unhappy. although her mother’s fixation on appearances left su-a with the same mentality, her mother’s criticism and nitpicking left her sour, and insecure.

she quit after about six months of modeling for the site. she did hundreds ( if not thousands ) of exhausting, but beautiful, photoshoots, but she was unhappy. she wasn’t sure what to do next. still under her mother’s roof, she knew her next course of action had to be something her mother would agree with — even if it was begrudgingly, and through gritted teeth.

so, she proposed to her mother that she should focus on her dancing. it was what she was most praised for, after all, and she knew she had a greater chance at being successful in dancing than she did as a model.

her mother agreed, eventually.

act iv.

a few months shy of her nineteenth birthday, su-a was approached by an instructor at her school, encouraging her to look into taking lessons at a more prestigious dance studio in seoul — one that specialized in more than just ballet, and often competed in dance competitions. su-a’s mother was enamored with the idea — wanting more than anything for su-a to be on a stage again.

su-a, surprisingly, was aboard with the idea, too. but for reasons slightly different than her mother’s — sure, she’d grown rather comfortable with the idea of being the center of attention, after being thrust under burning spotlights and being spoon-fed superficial praises from ages six to eighteen, but su-a wanted more than anything to break out of this elegant shell her mother had shoved her into.

she wanted to let loose — to become her own person.

upon beginning classes at the dance studio, su-a began participating in classes that geared more towards sensual, and powerful choreography — k-pop songs instead of classical music, western hip-hop and r&b instead of jazz. she was determined to shed the elegant, swan-like persona her mother had crafted for her — and find her true self. somebody su-a knew was powerful, and bold, and sexy.

it took her a few, grueling months to completely shed that image. she was so used to being so fucking composed all the time. so used to keeping her mouth shut, to being put-together at any given second — so used to being ladylike, and not even a little about powerful.

but eventually, she started coming out of her shell. her moves became sharper and more alluring — she began developing a more powerful stage presence, with captivating glances and eye-contact and subtle, coquettish smirks. she had fire in her eyes, and a determination to be the best.

she started to participate in dance competitions with her studio, right when she turned nineteen. she earned a lot of praise during her time as a competitive dancer, but she always seemed to skate by — never really being noticed by the judges as a force to be reckoned with, but never being criticized, either.

she was always just okay.

act v.

although she skated by with mediocrity in both the pageant world and the competitive dancing world, it seemed as if her efforts weren’t entirely useless. her memory of the day she was scouted is crystal clear — she hasn’t forgotten a second of it.

she was approached by a talent scout after one of her last competitions — one competition her team managed to rank well in. mentally, she was exhausted, but she felt good. confident, powerful — and like an individual, instead of her mother’s clone. and su-a knew she exuded all of that and more in her performance that day — proving herself to all who had doubted her before. proving that she was a force to be reckoned with.

the offer to audition for midas media was something su-a leaped at immediately. leading up to the audition, she practiced, and practiced, and practiced until she had no choice but to conceal the bruises on her legs with old stage make-up — practiced until she bled through her pointè shoes, practiced until her body forced her to take a break by shutting down.

she passed the audition with ( nearly ) flying colours. she has a naturally pretty vocal colour, but she needed fine tuning and training, and she had no starting ability when it came to rapping — but she knew how to dance, and she knew how to dance with a serious stage presence. she’d become more fluid, and powerful in her movements, from the classes she took at the studio — yet still held onto the elegance and poise she’d learned as a ballerina. she was the best of both worlds. elegant and graceful — yet fierce and sexy. the perfect girl crush.

act vi.

she expected her mother to be happier. instead, she was hit with criticism when she’d told her mother she had been accepted into midas media. criticisms that ranged from “it took you this long?” to snide comments about how embarrassed she was that her daughter would be dancing in trashy clothes, to trashy music — to even worse comments about how she better start watchinfg her weight again.

su-a should’ve been happier, too. she’d been accepted as a trainee and she was confident in her chance of debuting. she knew when it came to dancing, she was a force to be reckoned with, and keeping her locked up would be a waste of sheer, raw talent.

but even with all the confidence in the world, with such a big opportunity at her fingertips — she was still unhappy.

she was lonely.

perhaps it’s why she found herself vulnerable to being swept off her feet so easily. she never had a strong urge to be romantic with someone before, since she’d always been so busy, and exhausted, and surrounded by so many people giving her praise. but as a trainee, she didn’t have the luxury of empty praises, or a spotlight shining on her head. she felt lonely, and she felt invisible. so when she found someone to pay attention to her, and to her alone — she was willing to sacrifice getting caught to spend as much time as possible with him. she snuck out of her dorm to be with him, and met up with him on days where her schedule was small enough to take a few hours to herself.

she got caught, and received a warning for ignoring the dating ban. she considers herself lucky to have just received a warning. she’s learned to be sneakier now, but now that she’s seen as a public trainee, she’s scared of getting caught a second time. but even for somebody as confident in herself as ahn su-a, the trainee life is a seriously lonely road.

she just can’t wait to be in the spotlight again. to feel at home again.