A rookie girl group with former trainees of YG and JYP causes controversy over ill-chosen outfits

dhanJanuary 8, 2022Last Updated: January 8, 2022

2 minutes read

Having both visuals and talent, this rookie group, however, disappoints netizens for the inappropriate concept.

aespa, IVE and KEP1ER now have a new competitor when another potential rookie girl group has officially debuted. H1-KEY, the 4-member girl group from the company Grandline Group (GLG), has a rather unique name. However, the most notable highlight is that there are 2 former trainees of two major companies JYP and YG in H1-KEY’s lineup.

Athletic Girl MV – H1-KEY

H1-KEY debut — *4 girls appeared with a sporty concept at their debut showcase on January 5th.*

The 4 members appeared at the press conference and on the debut stage in skin-tight and sporty outfits. With an average height of up to 1m7, many netizens even think they look more like aerobic trainers than idols. This is also the reason why their outfits spark controversy:

Their outfits make them look like aerobics trainers.
Why are the outfits so basic for a debut stage? At least they should have added some glitter or something!
Are these the only outfits the company can prepare…
Those outfits look like gym clothes.
This is proof that wearing designer clothes doesn’t necessarily mean beautiful…
The girl with long hair will definitely be popular if she is dressed a little more casually. She looks like The Heirs’ Yoo Rachel, and also has Lee Se Young’s vibes.

The group explains that these sporty outfits were picked because they match the concept of their title track. The girls also said that their role model is MAMAMOO and shared their determination to become the next-generation global girl group.

In the H1-KEY lineup, besides Seoiri and Yel who are former trainees of YG and JYP, netizens also pay attention to the Thai idol Sitala. Many fans notice that the company tries to orient Sitala’s image towards senior BLACKPINK’s Lisa, who shares her home country.

However, before her debut, she took the flak from Thai fans for a family-related issue. Specifically, Sitala’s father has controversial political views towards Thai people. At the press conference, Sitala also opened up about the scandal and hoped that the public wouldn’t give too many negative remarks on the issue.