idol

The track — which has almost 120 million streams on Spotify alone — was a huge moment for the group as it further showcased its versatility with the unexpected help of K-pop idol G-Dragon.

For example, many artists have been vocal about the stress caused by "sasaeng fans", who are overly obsessed with their idols that would stalk and harass the artists.

“Most gay boys I knew tended to fawn over other divas of the era, but my chosen idol was Merle.”

In South Korea, it is "extremely tough" for artistes to recover when they do something that puts a crack in their "idol" image, says K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin.

At age 13, she joined the agency’s training program, moved to South Korea and began her journey to becoming a K-pop idol.