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Fran Lu

K-pop fans in China are paying for the immersive experience of being an idol for a few hours and getting closer to the dream life of their favourite stars.
Idol experience studios have sprung up in first and second tier Chinese cities in recent months.
They offer classic costumes worn by famous K-pop idols, and provide authentic-looking scenes such as production studios, signing events where the “idols” meet and greet their fans, and JYP entertainment’s famous dance practice studio with star-shaped lights on the ceiling.
The studios also provided a famous photo backdrop, the plum-coloured wall at MBC TV where many idols take portraits after taking part in the programme Show! Music Core.
The studios usually charge between 200 and 500 yuan (US$28 and US$70) for a three-hour experience.

The price varies according to the number of costumes the customer tries on and takes photos with, and whether they need to hire a photographer or a make-up artist.
From picking the costumes to striking poses for photos, the studios prepare a set of idol photos for customers.
One person who bought the service said she felt like the studio was like a production line that compresses the life of idols into a few iconic scenes, and mass-produces fake idols.
The person said putting on a costume was very difficult because their original wearers were usually skinny.
The owner of an idol experience studio in Shanghai said most of their customers were secondary school students, who were “more obsessed with stars”.
The business is adapted from the once trendy selfie studios, which offered differently themed costumes and captivating scenes for young people to take photos in.
The selfie studios went viral in China during the Covid-19 pandemic, and suffered a slump when people became bored of the fake, and sometimes tacky settings as tourism resumed.
The idol experience studio is considered as a more evergreen model.
“People who are really into K-pop might revisit the studio as long as their idols keep shining on the stage,” the Shanghai studio owner said.

The business is also said to be an opportunity for students and workers to liberate themselves from their mundane daily life, even if just for a few hours.
Many shared their photos at the studios on social media accompanied by the text “Check out my day as a K-pop idol”.
K-pop has a large fan base in China. News regarding idol groups often sparks heated discussions on social media.
On one fan forum platform in China the idol group Blackpink has 2 million followers and boasts 35 billion views. Seventeen has 1.5 million followers and 44 billion views.
In comparison, Chinese celebrity Angelababy’s Supertopic has 3 million followers and 62 billion views.


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