Back in the day, although not many, there were still K-pop idols who debuted in their early to mid-20s, and they would still be widely accepted and loved by fans. However, nowadays, these superstars are getting younger, with ages ranging from 13 to 16. With that in mind, it’s now very rare for an idol group to debut with older members.
This new girl group, however, is breaking the norm by debuting with two members in their mid-20s, making them two of the oldest idols of the 5th generation to debut. Although KANDIS (캔디스) has been active since 2022, they made their official group debut with the release of their single “Playground”, along with a music video earlier this week. Here are some fun facts about Hello and Venny, the two older members of the group:
Hello (헬로)
- She turns 26 this year (22nd June 1999)
- She was a contestant on the JTBC reality show MIXNINE
- Graduated from Hanlim Multi Arts High School
- She acted in a web-drama called “Luv Pub” back in 2018
- Her nickname is Stitch Min (스티치민), a combination of Stitch from “Lilo & Stitch” and her birth name (Jimin).
Venny (베니)
- She turns 25 this year (11th October 2000)
- She is a former member of FANATICS
- Her audition song was Blackpink’s “Whistle”
- She’s a huge fan of BTS’ Jungkook and has attended his solo showcase in Times Square NYC
- Kaya (카야) and Cain (카인) were other stage names she considered before settling with Venny
KANDIS also consists of members Nine (나인) and Looky (루키), who are 22 and 19, respectively, making them the maknaes of the group. If the quartet manages to achieve global success in their career, like their seniors, then perhaps companies will consider debuting more adults rather than teenagers. What do you think? Should the Korean idol industry continue debuting minors, or should they start forming idols who have already come of age?
While you give it some thought, check out KANDIS’ debut single below:
Sources: YouTube, Instagram, K-profiles
