All You Need to Know About KPOP Idol Survival Shows
In the K-Pop industry, Idol survival shows are a place to look for idols as desired by the public. Some television stations in South Korea compete with each other to make shows about K-Pop Idols and some even collaborate with well-known agencies. The shows also bring up to a lot of people’s favorite Idols that they would choose to debut as part of a group or as a solo artist. Auditions are open to anyone who has aspirations as a K-Pop Idol. A group that’s chosen to debut gets as lot of the fans’ attention because every idol on the show had their own characteristics. Let’s find out more about some of these popular shows!
Produce 101
Produce 101 is a reality television talent competition franchise created by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, based around the formation of a K-pop girl-group or boy-group. The format is noted for having no panel of judges, employing audience participation to make decisions, and for starting with a very large number of competitors, 101, narrowing that number down to a final 11. The franchise began in 2016 and has since expanded to China and Japan. More than 10 million people cast votes during the finale of Season 2 in 2017, equivalent to a fifth of South Korea’s population.[1]In 2018, the eight episodes of Produce 101 China attracted more than 4.3 billion views on Tencent Video.
Season 1
Produce 101 was a 2016 reality girl-group survival show on Mnet. It was a large-scale project in which the public “produces” a unit girl-group by voting for their favorite members from a pool of 101 trainees from 46 different entertainment companies.
The Contestants
101 Contestants came from other agencies in Korea
The results
The name of the group was revealed in Episode 11 to be I.O.I.
I.O.I Debuted
A girl-group was formed by CJ E&M. The group was initially composed of eleven members chosen from the pool of 101 trainees from various entertainment companies: Lim Na-young, Kim Chung-ha, Kim Se-jeong, Jung Chae-yeon, Zhou Jieqiong, Kim So-hye, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kang Mi-na, Kim Do-yeon and Jeon So-mi. They debuted on May 4, 2016, with the EP Chrysalis and actively promoted as a whole and as a sub-unit for less than a year. They released a second album called Miss Me?. They officially disbanded at the end of January, 2017, and returned to their respective agencies, I.O.I plans to return in 2019.
Season 2
Produce 101 season 2 was a 2017 reality boy-group survival show on Mnet. It was a large-scale project in which the public “produces” a unit boy-group by voting for their favorite members from a pool of 101 trainees from 54 different entertainment companies.
The Contestants
The Results
The name of the group to be Wanna One.
Wanna One debuted
After Produce 101, Wanna One signed with YMC Entertainment. Unlike their predecessor, I.O.I, Wanna One was not permitted to participate in other group activities while they were promoting as Wanna One. Wanna One officially debuted at their event Wanna One Premier Show-Con on August 7, 2017. They released their extended play, 1X1=1 (To Be One), the next day with the title song Energetic. On November 13, 2017, Wanna One released their repackaged album, 1-1=0 (Nothing Without You), with the title song Beautiful. With the combined sales of their first album and its repackaged edition, Wanna One became the first K-pop group to sell a million copies of their debut album. Wanna One’s management confirmed that the group would disband on December 31, 2018.
Season 3
Produce 48 was a 2018 reality girl-group survival show on Mnet. It was a large-scale project in which the public “produced” a temporary girl group by voting for their favorite trainees from 96 Korean and Japanese trainees from different entertainment companies and groups.
The Contestants
The Results
The name of the group was revealed in episode 12 to be IZ*ONE.
IZ*ONE debuted
IZ*ONE (Korean: 아이즈원; Japanese: アイズワン; Stylized as IZ*ONE) is a group of the 12 highest-ranking members from the finale of Produce 48. IZ*ONE debuted on October 29, 2018, with their first extended play (EP), Color*Iz.
Upon its release, the group received immediate commercial success, selling over 225,000 units and peaking at number 2 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart. In addition, both the EP and its lead single La Vie en Rose charted on Billboard World Albums and World Digital Songs respectively.[6] The early success subsequently led them to be hailed as the New Artist of the Year at several awards shows, including the Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards. The group’s Japanese debut single, Suki to Iwasetai, was released on February 6, 2019, under UMG’s EMI Records label. Peaking at number 2 on the Oricon Singles Chart and with over 250,000 unit sales, the single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)
Season 4
Produce X 101 is a 2019 reality boy-group survival show on Mnet. It is a large-scale project in which the public “produces” a unit boy-group by voting for their favorite members from a pool of 101 trainees from different entertainment companies. This is the 4th season in the South Korean franchise.
The Contestants
X1 debuted
X1 (pronounced “X One”; 엑스원) is an eleven-member boy group made of the 10-highest ranking trainees, plus the “X” trainee from the finale of Produce X 101. In August 2019, they will release a debut mini album and this time they are filming MVs and reality shows that don’t know yet.
The Results
The name of the group was revealed in episode 12 to be X1 (X One).
