YouTube is a platform where anyone can showcase their talent and gain fame overnight. Several K-pop idols grabbed this opportunity and decided to begin their music career online. Check out seven examples below.
7 K-pop Idols With YouTube Channels Before Their Debut
1. Ailee
"Korea's Beyoncé" Ailee is one of the best-known examples of YouTubers who turned into K-pop idols. The soloist first launched her YouTube channel "mzamyx3" in 2006, where she shared a cover of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing." She then opened her second channel, "aileemusic," where she uploaded cover songs such as Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" and Mariah Carey's "Hero."
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2. Red Velvet Wendy
Red Velvet member Wendy has loved to sing since she was six years old. She is also a talented musician who can play the guitar, piano, flute, and saxophone. One time, her friend posted a video of Wendy singing Beyoncé's "Halo," which immediately went viral. She then received encouragement from commenters, so she decided to launch her YouTube channel and upload more videos of her singing and eventually pursue a singing career.
Red Velvet Wendy's YouTube channel is said to have been deleted prior to her debut.
3. Eric Nam
Before gaining fame in the music industry, Eric Nam was a YouTuber who uploaded singing covers on his channel, "EricSinging," including a male version cover of 2NE1's "Lonely" (which unfortunately is already unsearchable on YouTube).
His cover of "Lonely," which went viral, landed him an invitation from MBC to participate in "Birth of a Great Star 2" in Seoul. He managed to make it to the final top 5, marking the start of his solo singing career.
You can subscribe to his new YouTube channel here.
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4. Former GFRIEND Yuju
Former GFRIEND member Yuju only has two videos uploaded to her YouTube channel, "Yuna Choi," but they were already enough to capture many people's attention. Her cover of "Let It Go" from the Disney movie "Frozen" has reached 1.33 million views to date.
5. KARD BM
KARD member BM showcased his raw talent through his YouTube channel "bigmatheww," which assumed to have been deleted. He used to upload videos of his freestyle dancing, which were filmed either in a dance studio or as on-the-spot dances on the street.
6. DAY6 Young K
Before he became popular as Young K of DAY6, Brian Kang was a member of a three-member band called 3rd Degree (alongside his friends Terry He and Don Lee). The trio performed around Toronto, Canada and was active on YouTube posting covers and original songs made by Young K himself. Most of their old videos are still available on Terry He's YouTube channel.
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In 2010, Young K and Don Lee received a call from JYP Entertainment and were both accepted as trainees. Don Lee, however, discontinued his training to focus on his studies, while Young K ultimately debuted in DAY6.
7. Ladies Code Ashley
Prior to debuting as a member of Ladies Code, Ashley Choi was a typical K-pop fan who shared K-pop dance covers to her YouTube channel, "ashleych0i." Her dance covers are no longer available, but her channel (now called "ashleybchoi") is still active and is now filled with vlogs and travel videos.
Do you know other K-pop idols who first showcased their talent on YouTube? Name them in the comment box below!
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Written by Maria Scott
