𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗬 ▹ BTS 8TH MEMBER ✔️

WOULD MAEUM BE BETTER IN A GIRL GROUP?

I tried to do something different with this chapter. For those who don't know internetsnathan is a YouTuber who focuses on kpop content. He has a "what happened" series which focuses on the history of groups and see their rise of their falls. This chapter is inspired by that but instead of "what happened" its "what ifs".

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Would BTS' Maeum be better fit in a girl group?

How's it going everyone I'm internetsnathan and this video is a little bit different compared to my usual videos. As you all know I have an ongoing "what happened..." series but this one is going to change things up a bit. Instead of looking at the history of a kpop group, in this video we'll be looking into what ifs possibilities. What if Maeum wasn't placed in BTS but debuted in a normal girl group? Would she be fit in one or is she better fit as she is?

As I always like to do, before looking forward, I always like to look back.

Ki Maeum joined BigHit Entertainment 2008 long before the idea of BTS was even a thing. At the age of fifteen she began her training alongside others with the idea of being placed in a girl group, which would later become known as Glam.

Maeum stated that she was originally dissatisfied with being placed in a girl group, she felt subpar compared to the others and didn't connected with them feeling as she was just there and not part of a group. It was because of this that she was pulled away from the concept and set up to become a solo artist. She continued on training until 2012 where she was intended to debut before Glam but complications got in the way.

Dancing was a concept Maeum struggled with despite the years of training. She felt that compared to her singing, dancing wasn't at the level she was confident in. That is where future member Jung Hoseok came in, assisting in helping her and thus pushing back her debut and having Glam debut in her placed.

It was said that with the help of Hoseok, Maeum's dancing improved significantly, so much so that her debut was set up before debuting a male rap group that would be BTS.

It wasn't until Glam's scandal that any idea of debuting was halted. In order to save face and Maeum's potential career, her debut was pushed back again.

Maeum's solo album was her first interaction with her future members, vocal training and time together create a mingle or sorts. BangPd stated that "within the group Maeum fit well, vocal wise and filled in a role that lacked if it were only seven." So blind to the eyes of everyone else, Maeum became a secret member, her vocals being used although as backup vocals and her solo debut being pushed back indefinitely. For a year she remained as nothing but a vocal until 2013 where she was seen in the boy in luv era and the rest is history.

But what if it didn't happen that way? What if she debut in a girl group?

For the sake of continuing on in her career she wouldn't be placed in Glam but transferred to SM or YG.

Would Maeum be better suited for a girl group? In simple terms, no, she would not.

For this type of scenario I'd compare her to if she joined a group like Twice and Blackpink.

Maeum faced a lot of backlash at the start of her career for taking a different concept unlike the girl groups before her who kept to cutesy personalities and concepts. Maeum isn't comfortable in doing that sort of thing, she's abrasive and tough and sexy so being placed in a group like twice wouldn't fit. But it's a possibility that in order to debut JYP Entertainment would most likely force her into it which would make her look bad and not authentic. And its not just concepts but members in the group.

While her voice may fit well with the rest of them, Twice has nine members. It's common knowledge that Maeum doesn't have the greatest friendships with female idols and its one of the reasons why she could not fit in with Glam. It's a possibility that she would feel like an outsider within her own group and end up the weak link in Twice.

Well if not Twice then how bout Blackpink? Compared to Twice, Blackpink shys away from other girl groups in terms of concepts. They're bold and intimidating, their songs aren't all cutesy but can be harsh and aggressive, much like Maeum. And unlike her seven members, Blackpink has five so numbers wise it wouldn't be a problem. In fact i can see Maeum being the leader despite Blackpink not having one, Maeum holds an authoritative aura to her as stated by her members. BTS themselves call her the second leader so seeing her as their leader isn't far off. She as well already has a friendship within the group, Rose. It's likely that she could form friendships with the girls but there's one thing standing in the way of it being a successful girl group—YG.

When the rumor back in 2018 hit of Maeum possibly leaving BigHit and BTS, companies left and right didn't shy away from trying to poach her, YG being one of them.

Would a Jennie incident happen where one member favored over the other happen with Maeum? It's possible, especially the lengths YG went so far as contacting her multiple times and even contacting BangPd himself. If Maeum were to have been set up within Blackpink, the group would've been used solely to push Maeum farther than the rest of them. And knowing Maeum who votes for love for all members in BTS, that would transfer from them to Blackpink.

The lengths YG go would end up with Maeum frustrated where she would end up leaving the group and going solo.

And rather than being in a girl group, Maeum if not for BTS would fit becoming a solo artist. After all she was trained to be a solo artist, with no other members to rely on or watch over, Maeum would thrive under her own company as seen with her own solo album. Not only beating her own group's record but setting records not even seen with any other generation in kpop. So yeah, if not a girl group then definitely as a solo artist.

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I hope this chapter wasn't terribly short. I was in the mood to post something since I'm currently in class and watching people present so I had time to post something. Don't worry to those who requested I'm in the processes of outlining all request and have half of a request done which hopefully be up tomorrow!

QOTD: learning from my girl -shisui I'm in the process of planning a girl group and soloist stories but I'm indecisive and can't decide which to post first so I'm curious as to which you guys would like to see first.