K-Pop Explained: What Does “FOTG” Or “Face Of The Group” Mean?
One of the most widely beloved music industries in the world right now is the Korean music industry. As we speak, BTS has made history as the first-ever K-Pop group to win the coveted “Artist of the Year” award at the 2021 AMAs. With acknowledgment on a global scale, the world of K-Pop is facilitating a reverse globalization from the East to the West. Not only is this culturally significant but also a historical phenomenon.
If you’re just starting to dip your feet into the wondrous world of K-Music and are confused about certain lingo, whether that be official or fan-made, we’ve got the perfect guide for you.
Today’s topic is FOTG or “Face of the Group“.
You might have heard this term in Korean variety shows, interviews, showcases, press conferences, promotions and more. It is usually directed at one particular member of a K-Pop group/band/duo who is considered the representative of the group. However, this position is much different from the “Leader”. Similarly, the term “Face of the Group” might lead you to think that the member with the most impressive visuals is given this role. However, the “Visual” of the group and the “Face of the Group” are very different positions. As a matter of fact, these positions might overlap but they are not mutually related. In other words, a group’s Leader might also be the group’s Face but that does not imply that all Leaders are the Face of their group.
It is also important to note that “Face of the Group” is usually not an officially assigned position. While positions like Leader, Visual, Main Vocalist, Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Sub-vocalist, Sub-rapper, Sub-dancer, Producer and so on are official positions, “Face of the Group” is a position that, in most cases, is implied rather than assigned. It is very similar to the “Centre” of the group but once again, the “Centre” position is almost always assigned by the group’s agency.
You might be wondering that if a K-Pop group might not have an official “Face”, how is the “Face” decided on? Generally, the “Face” is the member who is invited to events such as variety shows, panels and so on, as a representative of their K-Pop group. For instance, (G)I-DLE’s SoYeon, BTS’ RM, EXID’s Hani, Red Velvet’s Joy, EXO’s Kai, Super Junior’s HeeChul, LOONA’s Chuu, BIGBANG’s G-Dragon, ASTRO’s Cha EunWoo and so on are often considered the “Face” of their group by netizens because of this reason. It is not necessarily determined by the popularity of the member but rather, by their ability to express the worldview of the group concisely.
In some cases, all the members of a group are considered the “Face” of the group and as such, there is no particular member who holds the position solely. Some examples of this are BLACKPINK, and TXT. Similarly, there might be two or more members in a group who are considered the “Face” of the group, such as in TWICE. Members Sana, Momo, and NaYeon are all considered the “Face” of TWICE. In addition, for some groups, the “Face” of the group keeps on changing.
In all cases, however, there is no solid unanimous choice when it comes to the “Face”. The industry might consider one member the Face whereas, the fandom might look to another member for the same. Either way, rather than being a position of privilege, it is more one of responsibility.
Who do you think is the Face of your favourite K-Pop group? Share your thoughts with Kpopmap in the comments section down below and let us know what you’d like us to explain next!
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