Pardon me Mr. Scrooge, is that The Ghost Of SISTAR's Past?
Kim Dasom's interview for the South Korean television program "Nation's Best Family" didn't air until Sunday night, but when news of the SISTAR vocalist's comments regarding her near departure from her group were leaked online on Dec. 24, it prompted a fan discussion of what life would have been like for the K-pop icons as a three-piece, that lasted long after the presents were opened on Christmas Day.
"I was in my teens when I made my debut," the 22-year-old singer said in the "Nation's Best Family" interview.
"I entered the real world earlier than those my age and having encountered a lot of extremely malicious comments, I had a hard time emotionally...as SISTAR became more known, we had up to 50 appearances a month. There's only one me, but there were thousands of daggers flying at me. Those things became a burden to me, and every time I stood on stage, I often felt like, I'm not a person who is strong [at performing] in front of others."
When Dasom told her mother of the problems she was having with the group, who formed in 2010, her answer surprised the teen.
"I told my mom, 'I think I need to quit being a celebrity,'" said the SISTAR band member. "But my mom said, 'I like that I have a daughter I can be proud of, but why can't my daughter be happy?'"
Dasom knew then that quitting would be a huge disappointment for her mother.
"I thought if I just [hang in there], my whole family can be happy," she said of staying with the group. "I thought, 'maybe I'm only looking at the difficult reality in front of me right now. I've come this far gazing into the distant future and thinking I need to work harder.'"
Allkpop reader Kdrakent believes a performer's success can often hinge on the amount of support or encouragement they receive from their parents.
"Being an idol means you have to be strong enough to receive constant harsh criticism and still have to pretend to be happy a put on a smile, tough life," Kdrakent wrote on Friday. "These idols need strong support from each other and their families. Without that support, it's easy to fall into deep depression and be suicidal."
While a commenter using the handle B1a4lovelt3 feels the loss of Dasom would have been major for the Hallyu girl group.
"I'm glad her mom talked her into staying, SISTAR wouldn't be the same without Dasom," the fan wrote on Christmas Eve. "Even if people criticize her for not being the most talented member, I actually got into SISTAR because of her. Because she caught my attention [with her role on the South Korean TV drama] 'Melody of Love,' I fell in love with SISTAR."
K-popper Hellomellu agreed.
"She really has improved in leaps and bounds," Hellomellu wrote. "She has a sweet voice and amazing stage presence. If they had replaced her early on they might've been okay, but they ended up being a super popular group. With only four members, everyone matters. Her sweetness and her persistence to improve in order to do her absolute best is what makes her stand out to me."
And, although her mother's unabashed enjoyment of having a famous daughter may have taken Dasom off guard initially, now that she has a catalog of chart-topping hits behind her with SISTAR the pop idol realizes that it is all thanks to the woman who raised her.
"I'm thankful, because I think I'm here now because of my mom's words," she said.
