Abhiroop Das
Created by Sarah Haasz, ‘Gangnam Project’ follows two K-pop idol groups who are both competitors and the dearest of friends at Seoul’s OME academy. Astra, the institution’s leading girl group, is spearheaded by Chan-mi, with Mina and Sun Hee serving as the rap and dance specialists, respectively. On the other hand, the boy group, named X-Key, comprising Supreme, Auzzy, and Rook, is just as good a team. However, the arrival of the Shin siblings completely shakes up the two groups’ dynamics, as both Hannah and Leo prove to be equally deserving of joining the respective teams and living out their dream life as K-pop idols. While the climax of this coming-of-age music drama series brings together both Astra and X-Key, their journey is incomplete without taking into account Hot Boyz, the former K-pop duo that founded many of the craft’s signature elements.
Astra is a Fictitious Girl Group Which Loosely Resembles BLACKPINK
Astra is a fictional K-pop idol group created by the show’s writing team, led by creator Sarah Haasz. While it does not bear a direct resemblance to any real-life K-pop group, some vague parallels can be drawn between members of Astra and real-life K-pop sensations. In particular, the group’s lead, Chan-mi, might be a partial reference to Jisoo from BLACKPINK, and to Bae Suzy, who was formerly a member of the girl group Miss A. The possibility arises due to the similarity of their fashion styles and some personality traits to Chan-mi, but the bottom line still is that she is a fictional construct, whose story arc is directly tied to the broader narrative of ‘Gangnam Project’ Just like Chan-mi, other members of Astra, mainly Hannah and Sun Hee, are loosely reminiscent of BLACKPINK members like Rosé and Lisa, respectively.
While Lisa and Sun Hee’s overlaps mainly come from the fact that they are both charming and talented rappers, Hannah’s potential connection to Rosé is based on the fact that the latter is part Korean, which might have informed Hannah’s background as a part Canadian, part Korean singer. Still, as of writing, the creators have not commented on any such creation, and while popular groups like BLACKPINK indeed share some superficial traits with Astra, it is more likely that the fictional band is a composite of several iconic girl groups. Notably, Julia Kim Caldwell, who essays Hannah, is a real-life singer, and actor Kylie Haasz, who plays Mina, is a professional dancer with over 15 years of experience, but neither seems to be a part of a real-life K-pop group.
X-Key is a Fictional Boy Group That Channels K-pop’s Most Iconic Elements
Much like Astra, the boy group X-Key is invented in nature and is not connected to any real-life boy groups. While that may be the case, some of the actors who bring this group to life are trained music and dance artists themselves. Actors Joshua Hyunho Lee and Paul Seungbin Lee are singers and dancers in real life, and it is likely that their talent is key to making X-Key’s performances as realistic as possible. The creative team’s emphasis on real actors performing their own dance moves is what gives the show its unique edge.
Notably, many of X-Key’s characteristics appear to draw from the larger archetype of K-pop music, which has, over the years, given birth to special titles and positions that are common to boy groups. In particular, Auzzy steps into the role of the “Maknae,” which refers to the youngest or most affectionate member of a group. Similarly, Rook is aligned with the role of rapper, whereas Leo and Supreme alternate as the leads, taking charge of both the music and dance departments. As such, while X-Key most likely has no associations with real-life, it parallels the structure and style of the most popular boy-groups in the industry, such as BTS, Stray Kids, and SEVENTEEN.
Hot Boyz May be a Reference to a Real-Life Duo That Brought Rap to K-pop
Unlike Astra and X-Key, which do not have a direct real-life antecedent, Hot Boyz, an old-school K-pop duo comprising Ken Yoon and Hannah’s father, is possibly inspired by a real-life K-pop duo that was foundational to the industry as it exists today. Deux, a K-pop duo that emerged around 1993, is famous for being one of the first to introduce hip-hop into their music. Additionally, the duo, made up of Lee Hyun Do and Kim Sung-jae, was also influenced by the new jack swing style of music, and all of these incorporations are apparent in their musical productions, which took all of Korea by storm.
Much like the fictional Hot Boyz, Deux disbanded in a relatively short span of time, with the duo splitting around July 1995. In November of the same year, Lee Hyun Do tragically passed away. While Hot Boyz’s role and trajectory in ‘Gangnam Project’ is markedly fictional in nature, there is a good possibility that the creators drew loose inspiration from Deux, at least in its depiction of the Ken and Dae duo introducing Korea to hip-hop-driven rap. This is consistent with how the show writes Astra and X-Key, drawing some reference from the larger canon of K-pop music, while still retaining originality when it comes to the finer details.
Read More: Gangnam Project Ending Explained: Does Hannah Become an Idol and Win the OME Showcase?
