Part of the power of the Korean idol aesthetic is in the sheer number of young men who are polished and strategically coordinated in a way that rarely exists outside of solo acts. Bowie and Prince were singular performers, and their aesthetics were contingent on only themselves. But encountering a K-pop group is often like seeing seven, or even 13 Bowies, who are styled to intentionally compliment or match each other’s clothes and makeup, likely fit into an “ ideal face shape, ” or even sport variations of a similar haircut. Seasoned fans are used to it — every time a group comes out with new music, it also comes with a new visual and creative “concept,” much like Lady Gaga’s Joanne or Artpop “eras.” Some newcomers to the Korean ideal aesthetic, let alone the traditions of K-pop, have found synchronization to be off-putting . It plays into the common stereotype that K-pop is “engineered” or a “machine,” which is largely rooted in racist tropes. So while Western boy bands like Backstreet Boys and One Direction may have technically been “manufactured,” there’s a difference in perception between bands that were “made” in the West and in the East. Thus this hang up — that people can train to be pop stars just as athletes train to be Olympians, and prefer to look like a unified team than a rag-tag crew of individuals — is reflected in K-pop’s beauty.