", "I love Bryanah and Monroe; I'd love for them to win, because I'd know I was safe then—but at the same time, I don't think it's even reasonable for me to even believe that...", "Once they sent it over to Yellow, we had that game sealed; we had it won right there. I'll just miss waking up to see it all. Alex was first seen in the Casting Special when the casting crew went to Dallas to find potential contestants. For international fans of K-pop who aren’t East Asian, it can be difficult to find an idol they can deeply relate to, seeing as Korea, like most Asian countries, is largely racially uniform. Alex believed the Green-Yellow-Brown alliance was meant to win until Vanetta gave the power back to the Orange Team. “I am cheering on everyone who auditions, so I hope they really get out there and go for it.”. default will be dominated by East Asians. Submit, © 2011- 2020 Pana Genius. From that point on, she dedicated her whole life to a career in the industry, which meant spending less time with family and friends, and no chance for a serious relationship. Her first track with the group, "Demonstrate", was released on November 4th [1]. 1 fan. had been a longtime fan of K-pop but didn’t pursue a career in it because I Asian Lifestyle “It is completely honest and sheds a lot of light on what really happens behind the scenes. She believed that Lindi gave herself a bad reputation by stealing Chris from Bryanah, not really realizing that Lindi and Chris intended to become each other's partner. Alexandra Reid was a former member of the kpop girl group Rania (formed in 2015), and she was probably one of the first (if not the first) African-American and non-Asian idol in the kpop industry. Asia Travel I have mainly been focused now on writing a book about my struggles as a Black, non-Asian K-Idol.

Pretty much a big deal. Alex mentioned that having a great work ethic balanced with the passion and drive for the work  will eventually feed into the much desired success any aspiring idol hopes to get. SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia. From viral YouTube star to bonafide music star! Following a hiatus spanning a year, Reid released a stand-alone single, "Want Me Some U", on February 14, 2014.[15]. — Fairy Godmotha Reid (@thealexreid) January 30, 2017. [28], On December 9, 2017, Reid announced the upcoming release of "East West", which was initially intended for the Hex sub-unit, although a time frame was not provided. It means like, hey, it’s not weird to be into this type of music just because I happen to be black. She believes every situation has its upside no matter how devastating some may be. Practice consistently to learn the kind of discipline it takes. [21] Reid then revealed her promotion as the leader of the group. [3], Reid was introduced as one of the sixteen cast members of the third season of Discovery Kids' reality television children's program Endurance in 2004. Especially in Korea, in such a homogeneous country, where beauty standards are so fixed and rigid. I plan to release the album and book together because they give context to one another, and the emotional place I was in while creating the music.”. [8] The lyrics of the song were penned by herself, while the instrumental was produced by Dru Castro and Phil Margaziotis. She had focused much of her efforts on maintaining her long life and returning home. As a result, in Bagging on You, Alex was pessimistic about Yellow winning that day's Temple Mission, despite really being close to them. Especially in Korea, in such a homogeneous country, where beauty standards are so fixed and rigid. K-pop is a genre of music that is finding its way into the world of music and most non-Asian fans love it because of its catchy tunes and enormous talent. “It was so cool to represent something for them that I never got to have as a fan myself- someone who looked like me to make my dreams feel possible,” the singer told us. Audiovisual Cultures is powered by WordPress at Duke WordPress Sites. She competed alongside her partner, Bjorn Leum, as the Green Team. Because of this, the Green Team was spared from the Temple of Fate. However, the Yellow Team surprised everyone by winning that day's mission, and Alex was shown jumping happily when she noticed that. You start to accept things you would never accept in real life because you are so passionate about what you are working towards… and that can be a slippery slope.”. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Search By breaking out of cultural and racial stereotypes and challenging the underlying racism present in Korean society and the kpop community, Alex Reid demonstrates how powerful music can be in sparking conversations regarding these important issues. However, when Reece gave the turn to the Yellow Team, the latter gave a turn to the Green Team, and they helped target the dominant alliance. Plastic surgery is pretty standard and sometimes even encouraged by parents. Her personal life and relationships had to take the fall for her dreams. Beauty standards favor the pale and the pretty. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-the-first-black-k-pop-idol-alexandra-reid Through the tough moments, her adoring fans cheered on to keep her going. [29] The single was ultimately released on March 19, 2018. Reid has Swedish, African American and Hungarian heritage. I plan to release the album and book together because they give context to one another, and the emotional place I was in while creating the music.”. She was partnered with Bjorn Leum and competed together as the Green Team, ultimately placing seventh overall in the competition. Miss A's Suzy’s ‘Yes No Maybe’ is unexpected and underrated. Being a black woman from Kansas, Alex Reid shook the kpop world. Subscribe, Join the conversation Share your thoughts, Enter Email Address If it stops making you happy, then it isn’t worth it.”, Featured Images via Instagram / thealexreid (Left, Right), Asian-American News She initially could not appear in the music video due to visa issues, but she eventually got into South Korea and now is a full member of the group. Technology News. The next day, like the other contestants, she was shocked about the twist that the next mission was another Temple Mission. RaNia's latest recruit is creating waves for being the first African-American member in a K-pop group. In the mission that followed, the Green Team was eliminated by the Blue Team in the third round, not getting a single sandbag onto their platform. With her new platform, Alex was able to pave the way for future non-East Asian idols and inspire K-pop fans who are deemed to be different and oftentimes excluded from the spotlight. “I am just as passionate about the sacrifice as I am the payoff.”. former BP RaNia band mate enjoyed her time in the Korean music industry. didn’t see any idols who looked like me, so it seemed like an impossible Reid joined the Korean girl group BP Rania (previously known as Rania) in 2015 and became the first-ever African-American K-pop girl group member.