BTS’s V, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, and other Kpop idols who are dubbed the “secret weapon” of their groups
Top Kpop idol groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, aespa, and Red Velvet all consisted of different members with their own unique colors, who stand out amid the high-competitive idol industry.
Entertainment agencies always have under their hands a huge number of idol trainees, making it hard to pick those with the most potential. However, some individuals are so exceptional, fans have dubbed them the agency’s “secret weapons”, and considered their debuts to be like the release of a deadly weapon into the entertainment world.
V (BTS)
It’s no surprise that a BTS member is on the list; for fans, V stood out immediately among the group. Before their debut in 2013, the other six members communicated with fans through vlogs and social media, but V wasn’t revealed as a member until 11 days before – he was literally kept secret.
Though he had trained with all the other members before their debut, Big Hit Entertainment decided to hide him until the last second, leading fans to speculate that this was to prevent other companies scouting the idol away.
V himself has spoken about his feelings regarding this. According to the idol, he felt upset and lonely having to watch the rest of his members vlog without him. He also revealed that often, even though he wasn’t in frame, he was actually in the same room. Big Hit never openly explained why they did this, but the addition of the alluring and talented V is undeniably a smart decision.
Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Singer, rapper, fashion icon … Jennie has been given hundreds of titles, but there was a time when she was known simply as “YG’s mystery girl”. In 2012, her photo was uploaded to YG Entertainment’s blog with no further explanation, and she quickly became a hot topic, leading people to start searching for the identity of this “mystery girl”.
Even before BLACKPINK debuted, Jennie had featured on songs by popular artists including Lee Hi and G-Dragon. So, when BLACKPINK finally entered the stage, netizens were super excited to finally learn about this “mystery girl”. With her cutie sexy vibes, musical talents, and massive accomplishments, Jennie is often considered a “secret weapon” of YG Entertainment.
Yeji (ITZY)
The leader of ITZY has drawn attention since pre-debut, after she appeared on the 2018 reality show “The Fan” and was introduced as “JYP’s secret weapon” by 2PM’s Junho. Although her performance didn’t end up winning, it caught the eyes of many viewers, leading her to top the Korean search engine Naver in terms of real-time search.
At the time, Yeji’s talent drove the public mad with curiosity about JYP’s next girl group. And two months later, ITZY made a successful debut with their hit “Dalla Dalla”.
Winter (aespa)
aespa’s Winter started to catch the attention of K-pop fans when her photos got leaked before debut. The idol’s natural beauty, which some compared to actor So Yoo Jin, already had people excited about her future role.
When aespa was finally announced in 2020, fans noticed that Winter was the only one not showing off her skills, making her all the more mysterious. It was not until aespa’s first performance did Winter finally get to demonstrate her outstanding looks, her amazing voice, as well as eye-catching dance skills that make it impossible to not fall for her. Now, Winter is a prime fan-attracter of the group.
Seulgi (Red Velvet)
After 7 years of training, Seulgi got to debut as the “Ace” of Red Velvet in 2014. Alongside being Red Velvet’s main dancer, Seulgi is also a talented vocalist and plays a handful of musical instruments.
Seugli also shines on variety shows, and with her unique and attractive voice, she often assists the main vocalist Wendy during tough parts of their song. All of these are why fans consider the idol to be one of SM Entertainment’s “secret weapons”. But it is not just fans who think that, ând the magazine Star1 and variety show “Radio Star” also use this title for Seulgi.
