I was the first Black woman to join a Korean girl group… here’s what a day in the life of a K-pop star is REALLY like

by

An American woman who was a member of a South Korean girl group for nearly two years has shared her experiences about what it’s really like to work in the K-pop music business.

Alexandra Reid made history in 2015 as the first Black K-pop idol. She joined the girl group Rania after being discovered at a songwriting session in Los Angeles. She is currently 36 years old.

Reid was writing songs and recording demo tracks for K-pop artists when a music industry representative suggested she join the group. They were hoping to refresh their image by adding an American member.

Reid explained to the Daily Mail that she was told her role would be similar to Nicole Scherzinger in the Pussycat Dolls.

I had a Skype audition with the company’s head, and he immediately asked when I could start working.

Just ten days later, Reid flew to South Korea to officially become a member of Rania and start his career as a K-pop star.

Reid was thrilled to become part of the group and hoped to build close bonds with the other members. However, there was a significant challenge: she didn’t know any Korean.

She explained to Daily Mail that the true frustration of a language barrier hit her when she found herself in a K-pop dance class – surrounded by people who didn’t speak English and with no Korean language skills of her own.

Reid’s record label didn’t provide a translator, leading to a really uncomfortable first meeting with the members of her new band.

Reid explained that physical displays of affection like hugging aren’t common in that culture. He realized he should have shown respect by bowing and removing his shoes instead.

In Korea, people usually show respect by bowing deeply to those above them. Since Reid was the newest member of the K-pop group Rania, she was considered the most junior member and had to show respect to everyone else.

She remembered they were nice enough, but the interaction felt uncomfortable. She said she got the impression they weren’t interested in connecting with her.

Reid learned the group would now be called BP Rania, with ‘BP’ representing ‘black pearl’. This name was chosen to honor Reid’s diverse background, reflecting her Swedish, African, and Hungarian roots.

Reid remembered his manager saying, “You’re the one! You’re a rare find.” He didn’t take it as an insult, and actually found it amusing.

Mentioning Rania’s race, as she was the only non-Asian member of the group, helped her get attention in the very competitive and crowded K-pop industry.

Even before her official debut, Reid’s arrival in the K-pop scene created a lot of excitement in the media, as fans eagerly anticipated how the first African-American K-pop idol would be received.

Despite the excited anticipation from fans waiting for Reid, things were falling apart behind the scenes.

Reid faced a double challenge: she couldn’t easily communicate with her bandmates because of the language difference, and she didn’t learn the dance moves for their performances until just five days before their new song, “Demonstrate,” came out.

Because of this, her part in promoting the song was limited to a brief appearance. She would come on stage to rap the beginning of the song, then leave while the rest of BP Rania finished performing it together.

Reid expressed frustration that she wasn’t fully involved in rehearsals and recordings with BP Rania, claiming the group’s choreographer often left her out.

Things finally came to a head, and Reid had a heated argument with the choreographer during a tough dance rehearsal.

Reid explained that a major disagreement occurred because of something someone did that was deeply offensive to another person, though not to her directly.

‘I ended up having the girl’s back and protecting her,’ she added.

The experience actually strengthened Reid’s bond with her bandmates, particularly Kim Jiyoo. Jiyoo had joined the group’s new lineup just before Reid did, and she could also communicate in English, which helped bring them closer.

We became close, I think, because I was the first person to publicly support another team member – something they hadn’t experienced before, she said.

It helped us reach a point where people realized she wasn’t just supporting Alex, but the entire team.

Now that the members of BP Rania were finally working well together, they released their new single, ‘Start a Fire,’ which marked the beginning of a busy period for Reid.

Each day usually started very early, around 3 or 4am. The group would then go to a salon to get their hair and makeup professionally done, ensuring they looked their best for the day’s schedule and activities, fully embodying the K-pop aesthetic.

Reid frequently had to do her own hair and makeup because the Korean stylists working with the group weren’t experienced with her hair type or makeup looks common for people with darker skin tones. Her bandmates, however, had professional stylists who were familiar with those needs.

She explained that if they had to be ready by four, she’d start getting ready at two – washing and drying her hair – and then spend three hours at the salon while others had their hair styled with a K-pop look.

After finishing up, the group would move on to soundcheck and work out the camera angles for their performance on that day’s K-pop show.

Rather than taking a lunch break, the group would immediately move on to a fan event, such as meeting fans in person or hosting a live stream online.

After that, they’d film the performance, usually needing several attempts to capture it from different viewpoints and fine-tune everything to make sure it was just right.

By this point, after lunchtime had already passed, Reid would finally have a chance to quickly eat something – typically a vegetarian kimbap roll.

When it came to getting food, Reid said that idols ‘are at the beck and call of their managers’.

She explained that you simply eat whatever meal they provide, which is typically a protein source served with rice.

‘And we’d eat jelly gummies all day to keep us going,’ she added.

The group typically followed up with another performance or promotional event in the evening, then spent several hours practicing and rehearsing to keep improving.

After practice, the team would usually stop at the convenience store for a snack on their way home. They’d then get to bed around midnight, hoping to get a few hours of sleep before another busy day began.

Beyond the demanding work, Reid was surprised by the limited personal freedom and privacy he experienced as an idol.

While promoting their work, the group always had a manager present, and the rules were very strict – they weren’t even allowed to use the restroom without supervision.

‘You don’t go anywhere without the manager,’ Reid said.

It wasn’t as simple as just needing to use the restroom. You had to ask the manager first, who would then check if anyone else needed to go as well. Then, everyone would go together, which surprised me when I first experienced it.

After getting used to the industry’s rules and expectations, Reid discovered ways to gain more personal freedom, including a secret relationship with another K-pop star.

It’s usually very difficult for idols from different groups to connect behind the scenes at music shows. However, Reid shared that a member of a well-known boy band secretly gave her a copy of his group’s CD, and included a note with his KakaoTalk ID – a popular messaging app in Korea, similar to WhatsApp.

They began talking using translation apps and eventually started meeting for secret dates whenever they had free time.

Their romance eventually faded, and after over a year immersed in the demanding world of K-pop, Reid began to feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

Problems with her record label, frequent changes in the members of BP Rania, and difficulties communicating due to the language barrier began to wear her down.

She explained that she was constantly worried and things had become overwhelming because of the language barrier. She felt like people were taking advantage of the situation, and she didn’t feel like she had anyone to support her.

Being alone can be frightening. When you’re in that position, you often have to depend on others, and I started to feel like I wasn’t liked by anyone.

Reid explained that she felt unwelcome at the company, and some colleagues seemed to be using the fact that she didn’t share a common language to portray her as the one who didn’t want to work there.

Despite some disagreements with her bandmates, Reid clarified that she didn’t hold anyone responsible for the issues within the group.

‘I think the girls themselves were manipulated more than anything,’ she said. 

Idols have very specific and strict guidelines they need to follow, and because I didn’t grow up in that system – I wasn’t trained and didn’t come up through Korean culture – I often find my own approach clashes with those expectations.

Looking back, I realize that even though I didn’t intend to be disrespectful, my actions often came across that way. I also understand now that I frequently defended things or took stances that weren’t appropriate for someone in my position as a public figure.

Even though Reid wanted to quit, she struggled to do so because she’d grown very close to the person in charge of her record label.

My boss was my greatest supporter and always had my best interests at heart. He encouraged me to embrace my natural curls and individuality, and he consistently stood up for me, she explained.

I was torn about leaving because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone – not him, not the fans, and especially not my parents, who were so supportive and loved following my work. It was a really difficult decision.

Reid went back to Los Angeles, and BP Rania’s company decided to revamp the group entirely. They relaunched as Blackswan with a new, international lineup that doesn’t include any Korean members.

The group now includes Gabi, who is from Brazil, Sriya from India, NVee, who is African-American, and Fatou, who has Senegalese and Belgian heritage.

Reid is seen as a pioneer for Black women in K-pop. Even though she faced difficulties in the industry, she holds no resentment towards her group members, her company, or K-pop in general.

She believes the quick release of her first project, combined with insufficient help navigating the language differences, led to the eventual problems.

Even though there have been some challenges, Reid is happy with her achievements and enjoys being involved in the K-pop world.

She’s currently writing a novel based on her experiences as a K-pop star, and is also planning to adapt it into a television series or movie.

Growing up, Reid said she was always branded a ‘weirdo’ among her friends for liking K-pop. 

She explained that she was surprised to discover a global community of Black fans who also loved K-pop and admired her work.

‘I love K-pop. I still love K-pop, and it’s definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever done.’

Read More

2026-04-14 09:21