The secret to PRODUCE 101's continued success after four seasons

PRODUCE 101 was first launched by CJ E&M and was broadcasted on Mnet in January 2016. It was a mega success in South Korea and has created a new market of supporting 'temporary groups' such as I.O.I, WANNA ONE and IZ*ONE. It was almost as if that any group produced out of this survival show is bound to succeed in the entertainment industry. As a long-time avid viewer of this survival show series from the beginning, there are a few major points that have allowed for the success of Produce 101.

1. Wild cards

One of the key reasons was the fact that Produce 101 generally selects its contestants from a large pool of trainees outside of the Big 3 companies (SM, JYP, YG). This means that no one would have heard of these trainees before, and probably have not seen their talents or visuals on most public broadcast and online channels. This creates a sense of mystery for many K-pop fans as a wide-range of trainees were revealed on the pilot episode of each season, and was previously teased only through the title song (Pick Me, Nayana and Nekkoya) on Mnet's official channel; of which the main subscribers of the Youtube channel were the K-pop fans themselves.

 

Rumors about the trainees were also brought to light as prominent trainees such as Kim Se Jeong from Jellyfish Entertainment who was previously prior-known to be very talented since her trainee days. This creates many hype as casual fans, both the Koreans and the international supporters, tuned in to the first episode of the survival show. Trainees from individual agencies such as Kim Jae Hwan who was in the final lineup of WANNA ONE were also given a golden opportunity to have a shot at stardom among the various companies in this competitive industry.

2. The voting power lies with you

Gone is no longer the power of the entertainment companies, the power to let your favorite trainees now lie with the fans themselves. For years, concept directors and trainee managers decide the fate of the trainees. All this changes when Produce 101 allows the fans thenselves to choose their most favorite trainees to debut. Labelled as 'National Producers', fans hold the power to produce the group that they wish to see. It is as if that the fans have the greatest say in deciding the fates of the trainees, instead of the entertainment management. Voluntary participation thus becomes the main trend in connecting more K-pop fans and the artists in K-pop.

3. Relevance of themes

For one who watches the show, we know that the survival show goes by a strict thematic concept: 1) Grading through first audition, 2) Performance of popular idol groups' songs, 3) Position evaluation through vocal, dance and rap and finally, 4) Concept evaluation. This tree of categorizing the trainees and highlighting them on the show is in fact, not new. When someone first auditioned at a particular agency, they are first graded according to their skills where through the performance of songs allow for their evaluation of their skills according to their strength in vocal, dance and rap. Thereafter, with the various trainings in their company, the agency will formulate a group and decides if you fit the overall debut concept of the group. By utilizing these four ways of categorization, it allows for fans to know the hidden strengths and weaknesses of their idols.

For example, AKB48's Takeuchi Miyu was able to showcase her vocals and her song composition skills through performing BTS' 'The Truth Unfold' on Produce 48. Formerly MMO trainee, Kang Daniel was also able to show his leadership skills in 'Get Ugly' team where he stepped up as the leader of the group. There is always something new that you will find out about the trainees after each episode. It was almost like a treasure box, and the ones who shine the brightest after each round, tend to make into the final lineup of the debut group.

4. Star-studded mentors and composers
Finally, one of the biggest highlights of the series is definitely the mentors of the show. Featuring the nation's top artists such as Jang Geun Suk, BoA, Lee Seung Gi and Lee Dong Wook, the National Representative spot was always highly anticipated by the fans of the show. Mentors such as Bae Yoon Jung and Cheetah were also very much well-loved by the viewers for their strict and professional criticism and feedback towards the trainees.Moreover, the composers for the Concept Evaluation round were equally star-studded where every season of the show has produced one of the most catchy K-pop songs of its time such as 'In the Same Place' composed by B1A4 Jinyoung in the first season, 'Never' by Pentagon Hui and ex-member, E-Dawn in the subsequent season and finally, 'Rumor' by Score & Megatone in Produce 48. These songs have remained as classics in K-pop and it was a feat by Mnet that could not be easily achieved by any entertainment company in the industry.

With the current broadcast of Produce X 101, the question awaits yet again: 'Will the debut group be as equally successful as the past three seasons'?' It is a tough call and I think fans are more looking forward to the creative production of the fifth season, if Mnet wishes to continue its legacy in idol-production.