India’s first K-pop star: Shreya Lenka is fifth member of girl band Blackswan
- The 18-year-old from Orissa was picked following months-long global auditions that began in 2021
- Lenka said she was introduced to K-pop by a friend a few years ago which piqued her interest in the ‘beautiful genre’
Music agency DR Music announced last Thursday that Lenka, a trained dancer from the eastern state of Orissa, was picked following months-long global auditions that began in 2021 after singer Hyeme left the group. Brazil’s Gabriela Dalcin, who also took part in the contest, was chosen as the band’s sixth member.
Blackswan’s other singers include Fatou, Leia, Young-heun and Judy.
DR Music welcomed the newcomers in an Instagram post, saying “with their debut, we will be back with the new Blackswan”.
Elated at her new-found fame, Lenka, 18, said “it was like a dream”, but the path to success was not easy as she was rejected in multiple auditions.
“I never gave up as I really wanted to become a K-pop idol,” she told the music label in an interview in February, adding she improvised herself inspired by Koreans who are passionate about their dreams.
