Here’s some exciting news from the land of catchy bops and addictive dances: an Indonesian singer-slash-dancer has just made her mark in the world of K-pop.
Twenty-three-year-old Dita Karang made her debut yesterday as a member of girl group Secret Number with the release of a track titled Who Dis?, which was previously delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Formed and managed by Vine Entertainment, the five-member girl group comprises multinational members — its leader Léa is Japanese, rapper Jinny and maknae (youngest member) Denise are Korean-Americans, vocalist Soodam is Korean, along with Dita, who’s set to become the group’s main dancer.
In an interview session during the group’s debut showcase yesterday, Dita said the now-disbanded girl group 2NE1 inspired her to become an idol herself.
“It feels embarrassing to say this myself, but I heard from my acquaintances that [my joining Secret Number has] become a big deal in Indonesia,” Dita said.
Secret Number’s debut track Who Dis? is an urban hip hop dance track produced by LA-based husband-and-wife songwriter and producer duo Melanie Fontana and Michel ‘Lindgren’ Schulz, who are behind some of the world’s most well-known pop songs. The list includes K-pop superstars BTS’ Boy With Luv and Good In Bed by English singer-songwriter Dua Lipa.
The MV for Who Dis? has reached over 1,89 million views at the time of publication, which may be considered pretty impressive as it was only uploaded yesterday, and not to mention that Secret Number’s agency is smaller compared to other K-pop companies. In the video, Dita is the slick dancer with the bangs and the first member to be singing:
Prior to her debut, Dita reportedly studied at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in New York City and had undergone training at a Korean entertainment academy called Born Star Training Center in the same city. Though her exact birthplace hasn’t been confirmed, some reports suggest that Dita was born in either Yogyakarta or Bali.
She was previously featured in a dance video by the famous 1MILLION Dance Studio in Gangnam, Seoul, and is the one in the white crop top in the clip below:
Dita is touted as the “first Indonesian idol to ever debut in a K-pop girl group,” although she wasn’t the first to debut in Korea.
Earlier last year, Indonesian members Vanya and Mavin debuted through groups Z-Girls and Z-Boys, respectively, which are managed under a management company called Zenith Media Contents. The groups claimed to be “K-pop-inspired” rather than being K-pop groups themselves, as all the members hailed from various countries, such as the Philippines and India.
It’s unclear if Z-Girls and Z-Boys are still active, however, as their latest singles were released in July of last year. Their joint Youtube channel has been dominated by vlogs, song covers, and Korean TV-style variety show videos.
In the time before Dita, Vanya, and Mavin, there was Edward Wen AKA Loudi, who debuted with the 14-member boy band called 14U (pronounced: one for you) in 2017. Loudi, who is of Chinese and Korean descent, was born in Yogyakarta and went to South Korea around six years ago to study. The group was sadly disbanded after only two years.
Here’s to hoping Dita could thrive in the cutthroat world of K-pop and make a name for herself as an excellent entertainer. Hwaiting!
