Hello Asia! Opinion: 5 Idol Group Members We Want to See Go Solo in 2015

It’s been a huge year for solo debuts in K-Pop with SHINee’s Taemin, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun and Super Junior-M’s Zhou Mi, Block B’s Zico, T-ara’s Jiyeon and Hyomin and After School’s Raina all breaking out on their own. SM Entertainment have been particularly zealous on this front, with f[x] member Amber and SHINee’s Jonghyun apparently next to take on the solo debut stage (and take the heat off their controversy-ridden sunbaes and hoobaes). We can’t wait to hear what they have to offer, but it got us to thinking - who else would we like to see make a solo debut in 2015? Here are five idol group members we’d like to see go solo.

SHINee’s Onew

Fair enough, if the rumours about Jonghyun are true then SHINee will already have two members with solo debuts under their belts, plus Key’s subunit ToHeart with Infinite’s Woohyun, but the leader, chicken-addict and vocal powerhouse that is Onew deserves some of the spotlight for himself. He has made strong solo appearances on OST songs for dramas To the Beautiful You and Miss Korea, and we feel he’d be the perfect candidate - as long as he has well and truly recovered from his throat surgery, of course!

f[x]’s Krystal

Sticking with the SM Entertainment train, we hear Amber’s solo debut is on the cards for 2015, but we’d be just as keen to see Krystal given a chance to shine. She had us mesmerised with her flowing blonde locks in "Red Light” back in June, somehow managing to pull off the half-makeup look with style, and has proven her acting skills in High Kick 3, The Heirs and My Lovely Girl. She’s up for anything SM throw at her - a solo debut is the natural next step.

VIXX’s Leo

There is so much more to Leo than a pretty face and powerful voice. Already making waves outside of VIXX, Leo held his own with ease in “Blossom Tears”, the collaborative track with veteran singer Lyn earlier this year, despite Lyn having nine years on him, and then took it one step further by appearing in the MV as a disturbed and psychotic but undoubtedly romantic killer - and still had us all sympathising with his character as he took his girlfriend’s heart (literally) and locked it away in a cabinet. You can’t deny it - the boy has skills.

B1A4’s Jinyoung

Jinyoung is already B1A4’s primary songwriter and lyricist, having written their title tracks “What’s Happening”, “Lonely”, “Baby Goodnight”, “Tried to Walk” and the recent “Solo Day” as well as a list of other album tracks. We’d love to see Jinyoung put his guitar skills to use in a solo debut and pursue a more mature sound as a soloist - but we do love it when he dances too.

B.A.P’s Bang Yong-guk

Technically Yong-guk has already released a solo track - “I Remember” featuring Beast’s Yoseob in 2011 - but we need more. Always driven, Yong-guk was part of an underground hip hop group in 2007 and appeared on a track with Song Jieun in 2011 that received critical acclaim, so we know he has what it takes to fly solo like his influences 50 Cent, P. Diddy and Pharrell. With his lyrical prowess and passion for activism he has the makings of greatness, and unlike K-pop’s standard sappy love songs, something important to say.

Who would you like to see go solo in K-pop in 2015? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

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