In a recent interview, Ryu Sera, formerly of K-pop act 9MUSES, said that she was ousted from the group for calling out ‘too much sex appeal’.
In a recent interview, Ryu Sera – formerly of K-pop group 9MUSES – has claimed that she was kicked out of the group for protesting against the use of too much ‘sex appeal’. Ryu, most commonly known as Sera, was part of the group for four years, from 2010 to 2014.
Sitting down with The Korea Times for a chat, Sera opened up about the circumstances that led to her dismissal from the group.
“I was kicked out of 9MUSES, because I openly vented all my grievances about our excessive use of sex appeal,” she said. Sera’s concerns also stemmed from the fact that she was quite young during her stint with 9MUSES.
“In hindsight, I was a bit immature to do so, but back then, putting on skimpy outfits was extremely distressing to me. I could not help thinking that I was what I wore.” she continued, before pointing out that her resolve to call out the group’s ethos of being ‘sexy’ was solidified after the success of their track ‘Dolls’.
“Thanks to ‘Dolls’, I realised that 9MUSES could also pull off a different style without highlighting sexiness. The popularity of the tune ― which rose to the top spots on multiple music streaming charts ― made me think about why we had been clinging to a sexy image.”
The star – who has been open about her diagnosis of depression and ADHD – also said that her departure from 9MUSES made things worse.
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“After leaving 9MUSES, I could not even turn my TV on for a while. Since the pains of the celebrities on the shows were visible to me, I could not watch any program.” she said.
“In particular, in the case of music shows, I thought about how some girl group members would be scolded after their performances and how they would be nagged at for being ‘overweight.'”
Since leaving 9MUSES, Sera has transitioned to a successful YouTube career, although music is never off the table.
“As of now, I am not sure what my dream is. I will take some time and just go with the flow. Maybe I will work to enhance the current conditions of the K-pop industry.”
You can read more about this topic over at the Asia Pop Observer.
