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Ever since PENTAGON’s Hui was reported to be a participant on Boys Planet, an idol survival program, the K-pop fandom has been in disbelief. The latest episode showed the 29-year-old singer finally talking about his reason for joining the show despite being an experienced and popular K-pop idol.
Speaking about his participation, Hui broke down. He shared that there were many reasons, but the major one that pushed him towards Boys Planet was realizing how PENTAGON did not have much appeal after being discharged from the military.
Over the duration of his enlistment, from February 2021 to November 2022, the idol returned to see that the K-pop industry had moved on too quickly. He shared that several of their songs were getting rejected, which made him believe that the group had lost its appeal:
“It even became harder for us to choose who we work with. It was the first time that we got rejected so much. The thought of us not being appealing enough made me very sad.”
What did PENTAGON’s Hui say in the latest episode of Boys Planet?
The Boys Planet’s participant teaser left many surprised when it revealed Hui, PENTAGON’s leader, as one of its participants. Debuting in 2016, Hui was touted as one of the all-rounder idols who produced famous songs for groups such as WANNA ONE.
Many tried to speculate on the reason behind the 29-year-old experienced idol joining newcomers. The answers came from Hui in the latest episode of the show.
In a video released on February 9, when the judges asked Hui why he chose to participate in the show, the PENTAGON leader opened up about his honest thoughts and life behind the cameras.
The ever-demanding fast-paced industry seems to be the major reason behind Hui’s feature on Boys Planet. He shared that the “situation” after returning to PENTAGON from his enlistment was quite different.
He also revealed the difficulties that he and the group faced while working, which led to many rejections. He felt helpless as the group leader and believed that the survival show was the only option available to revive their career.
Hui gets emotional seeing Boys Planet trainees cover PENTAGON’s 2018 hit track, Shine
PENTAGON is one of the many third-generation K-pop groups who enjoyed mainstream success a few years ago. Their 2018 track Shine is still counted as one of the most memorable songs of the group, and was released at a time when PENTAGON was at their career-high peak.
Years later, in the latest episode of Boys Planet, when Hui watched contestants cover Shine, he broke down in tears. He mentioned that he was reminded of the good times PENTAGON enjoyed with the success of the track. He thanked the trainees for covering the song he worked hard upon, all the while being emotional.
After enlisting during the pandemic, Hui returned to being an ordinary citizen in November 2022 and saw a drastic change in the K-pop industry. 2021 and 2022 saw the rise of new girl groups dominating the music charts.
With Hui showcasing his talent on the survival show, it remains to be seen if he can shine more of a spotlight on PENTAGON and bring it back to mainstream conversations.
