So during RaNia's comeback in November with title track "Demonstrate", they've added a new member. Seems normal, right? A new group member being added (ex. Yeri from Red Velvet) whether or not they're there to replace someone else (ex. Hyerim of Wonder Girls).
But she's just not any new member........ SHE'S AMERICAN. But wait......... there are American K-pop stars, like Amber of f(x) and Ailee.
But she's just not any new, American member....... SHE'S BLACK. But wait......... there are famous Korean singers who are mixed with African blood, like Insooni and Yoon Mirae.
But she's just not any new, American, black member....... SHE'S DOESN'T HAVE AN ASIAN BACKGROUND. Meaning, she's not of Asian descent, and/or raised in Asia, let alone Korea.
She's was also a friend of the late Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston (R.I.P).
As you see, Alex wasn't present in the MV due to visa issues, as she wasn't able to make it in time to fully prepare with the group. She was able to shoot her teasers in America, but when it came to choreography and MV, it lacks her presence. She actually wasn't supposed to join in this comeback, but RaNia as a whole was excited about finally performing together.
As a black person myself, you have no idea how excited I was when I found out that someone of race was going to join a K-pop group. Let's just say I was ready to invest A LOT of time into discovering RaNia. But slowly, I was becoming less and less enthusiastic. Why? I was a little disappointed. Alex isn't conversational/fluent in Korean, she's barely in the choreography (she starts the song off, goes AWOL, then comes back in the last 30 seconds), and she wasn't included in the album except for the title track. Even though Alex has proven her talents, she hasn't proven her ability to become a fully functional K-pop star. Her Korean has been getting better, she's a great dancer & rapper, has amazing stage presence, is an animal lover, and most importantly-- she gets along really well with her group members and they're SNS pictures are adorable. Even the header image of her Twitter is of RaNia's first live performance for "Demonstrate".
But naturally, my suspicions have risen and they refuse to spare anyone.
For starters, Alex didn't ask to join or try to force her way in and become the "savior of K-pop" like a certain someone (*cough* Chad Future *cough*). She was actually invited by RaNia's company, DR MUSIC. This information itself is a bit weird to me considering that it's already hard to debut in Korea as a non-Korean Asian, and the position was literally handed to her. After my excitement over her, my next thoughts were that DR MUSIC planned on sending RaNia over to America--again. RaNia has tried to break into the American industry a couple times and as you see......it wasn't working. It seems to never work with the K-groups. Wonder Girls. Flopped (but left a good impression). JYJ. Flopped. SNSD. (Horribly) Flopped. I guess they believed that if they added someone who wasn't of Asian descent, they'd be able to attract attention to their group. And they somewhat succeeded considering K-fans and I-fans are all like "who is she?". She might be able to get attention from actual fans of K-Pop, but other than that, she's still a Nugu in America.
On the more cynical side of things, I've read around on sites and there's some talk that Alex could potentially be used as a token for RaNia whether it's for popularity, possibility for success in America, or a prop. When I say prop, I mean like a keychain, dangling in the public's eye, almost like a pet. Black Koreans, people who have actual Asian in them, have been treated horrible since they weren't exactly the norm and I'm kind of confused on how Alex seems generally liked by the K-fans. She knows how to carry herself and seems intellectual as well, but so does Michelle Lee, and she was eliminated from Superstar K due to her skin color. The company hasn't even fully stated the reason, or even make up one, on to why Alex is in RaNia. It seems like the longer they keep us waiting, the more we'll speculate.
Still on the cynical side, some find Alex's entrance into the K-industry a little imperialistic considering she's not Asian, raised in an Asian country, and seemed to be doing just fine in America even though she doesn't have top-tier status like Beyonce. The main reason behind this is that Asian people are either misrepresented or have lack of representation in American media. Therefore, many Asian-Americans leave the U.S. in order to pursue their dreams in Asia. Ailee, a voice so beautiful she's named Korean Beyonce, wasn't able to make it in America and look where she's at right now. Korea. Alex is gorgeous, talented, and American, so I could see why her presence seems a little unnecessary.
Hopefully, Alex's stay in Korea will be enjoyable and comfortable. I'm really looking forward to her speaking Korean.
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