It was a dream come true for 18-year-old Shriya Lenka when she was cast as a trainee member for K-pop group Blackswan. Currently, the global passion for K-pop groups and their music is quite high and this is quite evident from the regular trending hashtags and posts shared on social media. Shriya became the first artist of India For making his mark in the Korean music industry and getting selected as a K-pop idol.
Shriya, who hails from Odisha, got selected for BlackSwan on 26 May. Blaxwan was launched in 2011 by DR Music. Currently, it is a four-member group consisting of leader and Korean singer Go Young Hyun (Younghyun), Belgium-based Senegalese singer Fato Samba (Fato), Korean singer-dancer Kim Dae Hee (Judy) and Brazilian-Japanese singer Larissa Ayumi. Cartes Sakata (Leia).
In an exclusive interview with Indiatoday.in, Shriya talks about the challenges she faced while training for auditions. He also shared his love for K-pop supergroup BTS and their incredible chartbuster songs.
Read excerpts from the interview here:
> How did you prepare for the K-pop competition? What special training/diet/schedule did you go through to win the competition?
We had to go through many challenges and exams. And at the end of every month, the training we were taking were song classes, rap classes, and of course, lessons to learn the Korean language. We were on a strict diet to stay healthy and gain stamina for our performance.
To prepare for the audition, I started training in Hindustani classical music to improve my singing. As far as dance is concerned, I used to record my practice sessions to correct my mistakes and improve my steps.
Question. When and how did your love for K-pop develop?
When I saw the music video for Groll by K-pop band EXO, I fell in love with dance, culture and everything.
> Did any particular group influence you to pursue K-pop?
not one but many; EXO, BTS, Stray Kids. I used to watch his videos on loop and those music videos were one of the reasons I started pursuing my dream of becoming a K-pop artist.
Q. K-pop group BTS is currently a globally known band. Have they influenced you too?
Yes, definitely! The kind of effort they put in while making the song really shows their love and dedication towards their art. I really feel inspired by BTS and when I was disappointed their songs got me excited at times.
> We came to know that you were passionate about dancing since the age of 12. Did learning Indian classical dance help you learn Korean dance easily?
I started dancing at a very young age. Actually, when I started walking, I started dancing. My parents noticed my passion for art and enrolled me in dance classes when I was 12 years old. Even though Odissi is different from the genre of K-pop, learning classical dance helps in many things. For example, I learned to tell stories in songs through my body language, gestures and steps.
> What was the reaction of your parents after your victory?
My parents were overjoyed when I told them that I had made it to the Blackswan team. My mom and dad started crying and told me how proud they were.
> What are your future plans with BlackSwan?
Our immediate plan is preparing for BlackSwan withdrawal. And then, hopefully, go on a world tour, maybe!