Korean pop culture wave is spreading across the world with K-pop and K-Dramas becoming increasingly popular. K-pop groups like BTS, Blackpink, TXT and Korean actors like Lee Min Ho, Ji Chang Wook, Lee Dong Wook have become a rage in India
Last year, an 18-year-old girl from Odisha named Sriya Lenka became the first Indian to be a K-pop idol. Now, 20-year-old Aria from Kerala has become the second Indian to debut as a K-pop group member
Born as Gauthami in Kerala, India, Aria joined GBK Entertainment and became a trainee on their online training platform Universe with the name Ami. In November 2022, she took up the name Aria, and was supposed to debut in GBK's upcoming girl group MEP-C
In early 2023, however, Aria was officially revealed as the fifth and final member of the group X:IN. Apart from Aria, X:IN has two Korean members Roa and Chi.U, a Korean-Australian member E.Sha, and a Russian member Nova
Aria is the youngest member of X:IN. The other members of the group are all born between 1994 and 2003, according to reports. Aria speaks English, Korean, Malayalam, and Hindi
X:IN debuted earlier this week on April 11 with their first digital single, Keeping the Fire. The group performed their debut song at Korean music show Inkigayo, where their talent was widely appreciated
“Hello everyone, this is Aria. We performed on Music Core for the first time!! Thank you to MBC Music Core and all the staff. Our CEO, producer, staff, hair, makeup, the stylists and teachers who take good care of us. Thank you everyone,” said a X:IN Instagram post
Before Aria, 18-year-old Sriya Lenka from Odisha was chosen as a trainee member for the K-pop group Blackswan. She became the first artist from India to make a mark in the Korean music industry and get selected as a K-pop idol
Sriya was influenced by BTS. "The kind of effort they put in while making a song really shows their love and dedication to their art. I feel really inspired by BTS and their songs have lifted my spirit many times when I was down," she told in an interview with India Today
BTS is all set to release a new OST for an upcoming animated series, Bastions. This will be their first release as a group post Yet To Come, which was released in June last year. The new OST will drop on May 14, 2023