Amid concerns about child labor in K-pop, K-netizens and K-pop enthusiasts were perplexed after knowing that THIS idol is only '12 years old.'
JYP Entertainment Launches American Girl Group VCHA With '12-Year-Old' Member
On September 22, JYP Entertainment led by producer J.Y. Park introduced its new global girl group VCHA based in the U.S. with its pre-debut single, "SeVit (NEW LIGHT)"!
VCHA is a girl group produced by JYP in partnership with the U.S. Universal Music-affiliated label Republic Records. It comprised six members including Lexi, Camila, Kendall, Savanna, KG and Kaylee who were selected through the American localized girl group audition project program "A2K (America2Korea)."
ALSO READ: JY Park To Produce New Girl Group With Members in Their 50s
During the selection process which took place from July to September 22, they were evaluated based on four categories such as singing, dancing, star quality and personality.
They are composed of members ages 18 and below, the youngest being 12 years old is Kaylee, an American-South Korean member.
During the survival show, Kayleigh was highly recognized for her excellent leadership and vocal skills to the point where she was the leader of the "A2K" program.
However, some are expressing concern that a member who is "too young" will debut.
When the media reported this, fans of the show clarified that Kaylee was only 12 years old when the show was filmed, but she was 13 years old now, turning 14 in November.
They then continued that there are also idols who debuted as young as her and who are well-known as top idols now.
Fans Worry About VCHA Kaylee Debuting at Young Age for THESE Reasons
While fans continue to defend Kaylee, internet users and other K-pop enthusiasts explained that the reason they are worried about Kaylee debuting a a "too young" age was because of the pressure and restriction that the music scene might instill on her, when she should be enjoying her teen life more.
In the past, numerous idols who debuted at a young age complained about not being able to enjoy their youth as much as normal kids. Aside from being unable to have their freedom, it also takes a toll on their physical and mental health in the long run.
don’t play dumb. there’s so many people concerned for kaylee’s age. the only difference here is they haven’t been given a song with a sexual innuendo (for now) so that’s probably why there’s a *little* less outrage. https://t.co/vGX2KcucQz
— multi stan (@nabinabng) September 22, 2023
if kaylee wasn’t in the group (she’s adorable don’t get me wrong) they’d be able to transition to a more general/mature sound eventually & become more popular in the west bc the others are 16-18 already but they’ll be stuck doing this kind of music for a while bc of the age gap
— miya💞🌐 (@blinkingzenzy) September 23, 2023
kaylee is a 10 LINER,,, THINK ABOUT HOW INSANE THAT IS THAT SHES DEBUTING AT THE AGE OF 13,,, WHILE SHES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
— momo 🍉 (@wistfulspace) September 22, 2023
jype you are letting Kaylee go on the industry at that age??? you are just weird bro https://t.co/yih8G7B0T3
— tina ☆ (@spookedstar) September 22, 2023
Meanwhile, VCHA's pre-debut single name "SeVit" means "new light." At the same time, it has a strong organicity with the team name VCHA, which means to shine light in Korean.
It is said that talented writers, including JYP's representative producer Park Jin Young, Grammy-winning Sam Smith's "Unholy" producer Cirkut and BTS' "Dynamite" producer David Stewart, participated in the song to raise the level of its completion.
Attention is focused on VCHA's future moves.
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
