ISAAC Voo’s stubbornness is unmatched. For one, this character trait is what brought him to the stage of the most influential entertainment scene in the world, South Korea.
Since his schooldays, the Sabah-born singer has been active in dancing and took part in several competitions and auditions.
Isaac’s passion for pursuing big dreams would eventually lead him to Kuala Lumpur. There, he continued to cultivate the determination to become a K-pop star and decided to fly abroad at the age of 21.
But the artist’s savings could only allow him to survive for three months. So like it or not, hard or easy, he must pass at least one audition organised by any agency.
From Sabah to South Korea
The industry in South Korea for the business of K-pop is intensely unique, “You can say that agencies or companies conduct open auditions for artists almost every day,” said Isaac.
“I went to more than 10 auditions from all agencies – Big Hit Music, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment to small companies. But it didn't work out.
"I almost got it once, when I passed the first round of auditions organised by SM Entertainment. But I didn't make it to the second round because my Korean wasn't fluent enough and I wasn't able to sing songs in that language well," he said.
But Isaac did not give up, every day he would go to the dance studio and practice with his friends there. Nevertheless, he did feel like time was running out.
"One day my mother called me, she thought what I was doing was crazy.
“She once wanted to come to Korea and drag me back to Sabah. But I explained about my dream and asked her to give me time. If it doesn't happen, I will go home myself," he said.
While practicing in the dance studio once, Isaac filled out the form for a popular South Korean talent search programme called 'Boys 24' by Mnet. It's a reality show that looks for the 24 best talents who have the potential to debut as a K-pop group.
"It was my last attempt and I remember feeling very determined but I made the call that if this opportunity doesn't float, I will go back to Sabah," he said.
However, because he filled it in a hurry, Isaac just realised that the link was stuck and couldn't be sent. After realising the application date had expired, he felt his dream ended there.
At this point, Isaac was spending whatever was left of his time in Korea without much thought.
“One day while on the train, I received a phone call from the production team informing me that I was selected to take part in the show.
"Of course, I was very happy and felt like shouting out loud. But because there were so many people there, so I had to hold back my feelings," he said.
After eight episodes aired, Isaac successfully debuted together with the other members of the IN2IT group namely Yoo Ji-ahn, Jung Yeon-tae, Hwang In-ho, Han Hyun-uk and Lee In-pyo. Not only that, Isaac became the only non-South Korean member in the group.
The K-pop reality
"Imagine, all of a sudden artists that I used to see on television like BTS and EXO can walk around in front of me. I was very young at the time and always felt insecure, so I didn’t even dare make many friends," he said.
That said, Isaac’s successes didn’t happen overnight as many would think after penetrating into the scene.
Speaking of the true reality of the K-pop entertainment industry, it is normal for new artists not to receive payment or salary from their sponsoring agency. In return, the company will provide many facilities such as food, training, and accommodation.
"Before the debut (during the competition) we had a salary per broadcast. But after the group’s debut, there was no source of income.
“While meals were provided, the company usually chose one restaurant and we had to eat three times a day at the same establishment every day.
"Sometimes we couldn’t stand it either, so we opted out," he revealed.
“Not only that, South Korea has its own beauty standards, especially for the title of 'idol'. It is not surprising that many people do plastic surgery to fit into that image. If not, be prepared to face criticism and comments.
"Many people want to be a K-pop star. But it's not easy especially for women because they need to be slim and have a certain body shape. Men may not face as much stress as women. Fortunately, my company is lenient with that condition on us.
According to the singer, some companies impose strict conditions on training. Sometimes to the point of not getting enough sleep.
“But in our company, that only happens if we're going to launch a new song," said Isaac, revealing he used to sleep only two hours to practice.
Going back to whether he was OK with not getting paid for years: "It's actually a normal thing in South Korea. Some have not been paid for four years.”
“Groups as big as BTS have also faced the same phase at the beginning of their emergence. I'm fine because – on some level – I am living my dream," noted Isaac.
Going local
IN2IT announced to leave their agency MMO Entertainment in 2020 to move independently.
Coupled with the pandemic and other members of the group undergoing in military training, Isaac decided to return to Malaysia and intend to enliven the music industry of his own country.
Not many artists in Malaysia can sing and dance well at the same time, and he wants to bring K-pop elements into his songs from now on.
About to release his first Malay song titled 'Time Bomb,' Isaac hopes that this piece will be accepted by listeners in Malaysia.
"'Time Bomb' is about a man who loves a woman even though the feelings will harm him. He is willing to do anything for her.
"It's the same with us, when we love someone too much, we are willing to sacrifice everything," he said.
The pop (genre) record took four days to complete. The singer admitted it to be very challenging because he is still learning to speak Malay fluently.
"But I want to get out of my comfort zone and sing this song entirely in Malay. After all, I'm a Malaysian.
“To my fans, this song is for you. To the new fans, welcome to the world of Bang Jek. This is just the beginning, I have a lot more to offer!” he said in closing the interview. – The Vibes, August 2, 2022
This article first appeared in The Vibes' Malay language sister portal Getaran.
