top of page

K-pop idols with remarkable successful solo careers

Writer's picture: lewishooper1lewishooper1

From intense training to high fashion, K-pop comes in a variety of packages, here we are going to meet the K-pop idols who have proven their artistic versatility and carved out impressive individual careers!




K-pop is a platform to the dazzling stage and limelight, and many K-pop idols have since left the music industry and carved out impressive individual careers dabbling into music, fashion, business and entertainment.


Beyond your everyday K-pop groups, the artists that we are going to look at, have represented the evolution and growth of the K-pop that we know and love today. Their collective achievements and talents have allowed them to venture into other successful side hustles outside of music.



Lisa from BLACKPINK



Blackpink's Lisa is a fierce dancer with a sensational set of vocals. She has showcased them both in BLACKPINK and as a solo artist. As a solo artist Lalisa broke YouTube records with 73.6 million views in the first 24 hours!






Past music, Lisa serves as a global ambassador for luxury brands, which include Celine, BVLGARI, and Louis Vuitton, and she made history as the first K-pop idol to walk the runway for Celine's summer 2022 show. This led to her gracing other high fashion magazine covers, as well as gracing the stage in the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which is reported to generate $1.6 million USD in media exposure alone, just from one Instagram post!


That aside, she has established her own management company Lloud. This is an impressive skill set, wouldn't you agree?



Jessica Jung — Former Girls' Generation


Image: hype.my
Image: hype.my


Although Jessica Jung was born in the US, she was scouted by SM Entertainment while on a vacation in South Korea. This trip changed the singer's life forever and she was the first to sign with the K-pop band Girls' Generation. Having trained for seven years before her debut allowed her to gain a vast amount of invaluable skills, as well as allowing to gain a tolerance for the Korean work entertainment.






During her active Girls' Generation years, she also explored acting, playing the character Elle Woods in the Korean version of Legally Blonde in 2010, as well as playing a role in the 2012 K-drama Wild Romance.


Later, before she departed Girls' Generation she started her own luxury fashion brand Blanc & Eclare, in addition, she opened her first restaurant named Clareau which opened in 2021 in Seoul.



G-Dragon — BigBang




Known as the leader of BigBang, and the king of K-pop, G-Dragon has influenced both music, fashion and other related industries, and has a whopping net worth of around $30 million USD. His solo albums have without a doubt topped all the charts, and in K-pop history he has won multiple awards including eight MAMAs, most successful solo album on iTunes, and he has also won two Golden Disc Awards.






According to Hypebeast's list of the 100 most influential people in fashion, G-dragon is known for setting and influencing fashion trends. This might be, because he also has his own fashion line Peaceminusone which has collaborated with Nike, and the collection was showcased at Seoul Fashion Week. As well as all of these fantastic achievements, he was included in Forbes’ list of Power Leaders for three years in a row 2012 to 2014 and was named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.



IU


Image: Kpop asiachan.com
Image: Kpop asiachan.com


One of my favorite K-pop singers, IU, is a K-pop idol and actress, though her real name is Lee Ji Eun. She has an outstanding net worth of around $45million USD, and she is one of the most successful solo K-pop idols. Not only does she boast musical achievements, she also has built an impressive portfolio in acting, and she has bagged some leading roles in many loved K-dramas including Hotel Del Luna, Moon Lovers and Scarlet Heart Ryeo.






The infamous Rolling Stone magazine, named her the 135th greatest singer of all time in their 2023 ranking, and she has been included five times in the top 10 of Forbes. She really is a force to be reckoned with.


Let us know your favorite solo artist in the comments below.


Comments


bottom of page