Following Kep1er's debut, many are debating on who the actual center of the group is. Is it Kim Chaehyun or Shen Xiaoting?
Discussion Over Who Kep1er's Center is Sparks Following Debut
Kep1er is one of the most highly anticipated K-pop rookies of 2022. Due to the girls' popularity through the Mnet survival program "Girls Planet 999," Kep1er is already off to a good start, amassing a large fanbase and attaining media attention.
Recently, Kep1er made headlines for breaking the record for highest first-day sales for a girl group debut album in Hanteo history.
Among the members, Kim Chaehyun is the most discussed in the K-pop community. She first gained fame as a former SM Entertainment trainee. She was a potential aespa member with visuals similar to Red Velvet's Irene.
Chaehyun won first place in the show's finale, officially adopting the center position.
However, many are stating that Kim Chaehyun is not being treated like a center.
Since the teaser images for Kep1er debut were released, many were bewildered and surprised when they saw Shen Xiaoting — who ranked ninth and was the last member to be named as part of the group — in the center.
In photos and videos, Shen Xiaoting is often in the center.
When the group debuted with "WA DA DA," Kim Chaehyun's supporters expressed their annoyance over the idol's lack of screentime and lines. They noted that Shen Xiaoting seemed to have more stand-out scenes, more times in the center and was overall given more focus.
When the group held their debut show with Mnet, they performed three songs: "WA DA DA," "Shine," and "MVSK." It was soon noted that Shen Xiaoting was the ending center for "Shine" and "WA DA DA." They also stated that for "Shine," Shen Xiaoting was also the first center and received the most center time.
Meanwhile, Kim Chaehyun was the final center of "WA DA DA."
Korean internet users are unhappy that a Chinese idol is being favored so much, stating that a Korean member should be the center of a K-pop group. Others pointed out that Kim Chaehyun is the real center of the group, so she should be pushed out more.
Others argued that Shen Xiaoting is the visual of the group, so it is natural that she is pushed more.
However, as Kep1er is a group formed through fan votes, they should consider who the most popular member was in the show.
In the history of Mnet survival shows, the center position was always given to the first place winner. Because of that, fans do everything for their favorite contestant to rank first. Therefore, Kep1er's center is not clear, causing the fandom to be divided.
Discussion Over Who Kep1er's Line Distribution Sparks Following Debut
However, discussions over the group's center are not the only problem the fandom faces. Many are also unhappy with Kim Chaehyun and Huening Bahiyyih's number of lines in "WA DA DA."
In the title song, Kim Chaehyun had ranked second in the line distribution despite being the center and main vocal. Huening Bahiyyih, who ranked second place, had the least amount of line. The member who had the most lines is Kim Dayeon, who is neither a man nor lead vocal. In fact, she is considered the group's main dancer.
The fact that both first and second place did not rank high in the line distribution caused outrage, with many wondering why fan votes even matter in the first place.
ALSO READ: Kep1er's Fandom Colors Draw Mixed Reactions Due to Similarity With Jeong Sewoon's Official Colors
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Written by Alexa Lewis
