On March 19, 2024, K-pop solo artist Jeon Somi addressed a contentious remark on her recent TikTok post. In the video, she participated in a popular dance challenge, prompting a user to comment on her perceived decline in career momentum.
The user expressed sympathy for Jeon Somi, claiming that she had “rushed”through her high school years to achieve fame as a K-pop idol, only to find herself inactive during what they deemed the peak of her career. The comment further criticized her for appearing to rely on “explicit TikTok dances”for engagement. Although this criticism has since been deleted, the core message remains troubling:
“I feel bad for Somi she rushed high school to be a K-pop idol, and now she sits in Black Label building for her peak years waiting while all she amounts to are explicit TikTok dances.”
In response, Jeon Somi clarified that her career in the industry began at the age of 12, long before her high school years, though she admitted that the comment still had a painful impact on her.
“To be exact at the age of 12,”she stated.
“But yeah, ouch.”
This exchange sparked widespread outrage among her fans and the online community. Many argued that, while criticism of her agency, The Black Label, for not properly utilizing her talents was justified, the derogatory nature of the comments regarding her dance content was unjust and misogynistic.
Fans rallied to defend Jeon Somi, denouncing the negativity surrounding her online presence. Here are some reactions reflecting the sentiment among the community:
“Yeah, but the ‘all she amounts to are explicit TikTok dances’ is so unnecessary and misogynistic,”tweeted a user on X.
“Why is it so normalized to be this cruel to her? F*ck y’all,”commented a fan on X.
“This sh*t still p*sses me off. Your male idols and other female idols may have a s*xy and mature concept, but she can’t dance whatever she wants?”wrote another supporter.
“Jeon Somi danced to a song on her own accord, and K-pop stans feel they’re entitled to say anything to her because of it. Even if she agrees with half the statement, there is a better way to go about it,”added another netizen.
Continued discourse centered around the disrespectful nature of the original comment on Jeon Somi’s platform:
“That ‘explicit TikTok dances’ comment was so weird??? Like, be serious for a second, why would you even say that? But yeah, Somi deserves so much better,”a fan expressed.
“The way they’re discussing her is so disgusting,”chimed in another supporter.
“Sh*t talking her on her own account is disrespectful on so many levels…,”said a netizen.
“I’m glad people are starting to see how mistreated Somi is, but are we just ignoring how misogynistic that comment is?”commented another online observer.
An Overview of Jeon Somi
Jeon Somi, also known as Ennik Somi Douma, is a dual citizen of South Korea and Canada, recognized for her work as a singer-songwriter under The Black Label, a subsidiary of YG Entertainment. Born 24 years ago, Jeon Somi first gained public recognition in 2013 through the South Korean variety show, Let’s Go! Dream Team Season 2, where she showcased her skills as part of a Taekwondo demonstration team.
In 2014, she made a brief appearance in the film Ode to My Father, directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, alongside her sister. This same year, she successfully auditioned for JYP Entertainment’s trainee program with a powerful rendition of 2NE1’s “Lonely.”However, her real breakthrough came in 2015 when she competed in Mnet’s survival show, Sixteen, aimed at forming a new K-pop girl group (which later became known as Twice).
Although she did not win in Sixteen, she persevered and appeared in another survival program, Produce 101, in 2016, where she secured first place and debuted with the project girl group I.O.I. Following the group’s disbandment in 2017, Jeon Somi signed with JYP Entertainment.
In 2018, she made the pivotal decision to leave JYP and join The Black Label, a move that allowed her to release her debut single, “Birthday,”later that year. This track received significant acclaim, paving the way for further releases such as “What You Waiting For,””Dumb Dumb,”and “Outta My Head.”
Most recently, Jeon Somi launched her summer single titled “Ice Cream”in August 2024, though she has since stepped back from public performances and music releases.