I just watched a youtube video from a big channel featuring USPEER and what life is like for them as a smaller group in the kpop industry. I knew absolutely nothing about the group beforehand, but I was completely invested from the first second to the last. The only clip I had ever seen of them before this was a member crying during a livestream because she was genuinely happy that around 400 people were watching.
The girls spoke about how difficult it has become for smaller groups to even get opportunities to appear on music shows nowadays. Apparently, their managers and even the CEOs are practically begging music show producers to give them a chance to perform and promote.
It was expected, but the segment about their financial situation was tough to watch. One member said she didn’t have a single cent or won in her bank account. Another said she had about a dollar, while another mentioned having around $70, which she received as an allowance from her parents. The company still provides them with money for food, but for many of their other personal expenses, they still have to rely on their parents.
Another interesting aspect I hadn’t really considered before watching this was just how insanely expensive styling can be for idol groups. I’m sure the cost varies drastically depending on the group, the concept, and the shops they work with, but the fitting USPEER went to apparently cost around $60,000 for just 15 outfits. And that’s not even including hair and makeup. I can only imagine how much higher those costs get for bigger groups with more elaborate concepts and significantly more expensive outfits.
They also talked about not knowing exactly when their next comeback would be despite only being a one year old group. They emphasized how important frequent comebacks are for smaller groups because there are simply so many idol groups these days. If you’re not constantly putting something out and keeping yourself in the public eye, it’s incredibly easy for people to forget about you and move on.
I think that’s what made the video particularly sad to watch. These are 16 to 19 year olds who debuted just a year ago with huge dreams and aspirations, and they’re already having to come to terms with the harsh reality that they might not even know when they’ll be able to come back next, or what their future as a group will look like. In their final interview, they talked about how their confidence has been diminishing more and more which was quite heartbreaking to hear.
One of the top comments really hit home for me: “A group next door is celebrating 2 million subscribers (Rescene woni’s youtube channel) while another one doesn’t have a single cent in their bank account. Life can be so fickle.”
Every time I come across behind the scenes stories like this, I’m reminded of just how difficult it is to survive as a small group in this industry. Not every group gets the lucky break that Rescene got. And I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to watch your friends (i say friends because apparently they’re friends with Rescene), become superstars overnight while you’re still sitting there with so much uncertainty about whether your own group will even have a future. With more active groups than ever before, surviving as an idol in 2026 is so brutal.
I’ll definitely be checking out their next comeback. This is the video link btw, though there aren’t any English subtitles. The video has already hit a million views in just 8 hours, so this has to be the biggest exposure they’ve gotten to date.
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