K-Pop singer Rain recently left netizens angered by his comments on a new survival show.
Rain
On November 25, the Hong Kong-based trainee survival show Asia Super Young premiered, introducing viewers to 65 young men competing to debut in a new 9-member group.
| Youku
Like other survival programs, the show has a host of industry mentors, including ex-WJSN‘s Cheng Xiao and a member of Yuehua Entertainment‘s NEXT, Zhu Zhengting.
Also included in the line-up of mentors is Rain, who is also one of the show’s executive producers.
Asia Super Young mentors | Youku
The show’s debut episode saw the trainees do their first performances in different numbered units.
Following Yuehua Entertainment’s boy group 8oYhood (also known as Boyhood) performance, the mentors gave their critiques. During this time, Rain turns to Zhu Zhengting and says, “If YUEHUA isn’t planning on signing them, I’ll take them. Is that OK?”
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Zhu Zhengting laughs before telling him, “Nope. That’s not happening.”
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Usually, these sorts of comments are done with some humor and often happen on competition shows, but Rain’s remarks were not well received due to his history with debuting groups.
Rain created two music labels during his career while also promoting as a solo artist. These companies and their subsidiaries debuted popular groups like MBLAQ, but Rain has continuously been accused of mismanaging and “abandoning” them.
Rain and MBLAQ
As CEO of RAIN Company, Rain debuted the boy group Ciipher, handpicking the group and even bringing them along to perform with him on Immortal Songs.
Ciipher released two albums in 2021 and one in May 2022 before entering a hiatus period with no more releases. Members Keita and Hyunbin participated in survival programs, making it to the final episodes of Boys Planet and Fantasy Boys, respectfully.
Fans of the group expected promotions to resume after this — instead, the silence continued until four members, Tan, Tag, Dohwan, and Won, announced their departures. This followed the announcement that Keita would re-debut in EVNNE, a Boys Planet spin-off group.
4 Members Of Ciipher Officially Leave The Group
The insinuation that he would take on more trainees after his “abandonment” of groups did not go over well with some viewers.
“if yuehua doesn’t want them can i sign them?” NO NOT YEW GET AWAY FROM THEMMM I KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO CIIPHER pic.twitter.com/VJXQyZmsYm
— (@wenhanbff) November 25, 2023
the audacity this man has is insane https://t.co/taxi8GWZig
— eri⁷ (@soonikeu) November 25, 2023
and ruin another group? no thank you https://t.co/hED2KuQKbz
— daniela (@Ohhhoko) November 25, 2023
Petition to ban Rain from EVER EVER making another group again https://t.co/T2zpGKzTUr
— Chae_Beret (@Naekkeoya97) November 25, 2023
