5 challenges Twice’s Nayeon faced before her solo debut, chart-topping ‘Im Nayeon’: a K-pop bullying scandal, an Instagram ‘ban’ … but did JYP really force her to sing all the high notes?

Name: NAYEON
Uploaded: 2022-07-05T09:11:38.000Z
Description: NAYEON

STORYEunshol Yang

Jul 5, 2022

Twice

After surviving the ‘seven-year curse and JYP reportedly banning solo music from the group, Nayeon made history with her debut EP ‘Im Nayeon’, whose single Pop! passed 57 million YouTube views

Her EP also became the first K-pop solo release to enter the Billboard 200’s top 10 – but this success only comes after bullying, streaming and voice-cracking scandals

Nayeon is officially the first member of beloved nine-piece K-pop group Twice to drop a solo release, unveiling the eponymous “Im Nayeon” EP on June 24. The music video for catchy lead single Pop! amassed 16.6 million views in 24 hours, and had passed 57 million views on YouTube at the time of writing. But she didn’t do it alone – many K-pop celebrities are taking part in the #PopPopPop challenge on Instagram to promote her song.

The drop has made history, with “Im Nayeon” named on July 3 as the first K-pop solo release to enter the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 album chart after clocking record sales in its first days of release.

NAYEON

Among K-pop fans, Nayeon is referred to as a “hexagonal idol”, a term for a group member who exceeds in six aspects including their appearance and personal characteristics, as well as the core performance scores of singing, dancing, rapping and acting. But while her remarkable abilities have been well noted, her role in Twice may have held her back from opportunities that could have boosted her fame.