BILLLIE’s Tsuki draws mixed opinions for her expressions during an appearance on “Show Champion”, sparking comparisons to MOMOLAND’s JooE
4 years after JooE (MOMOLAND) caused a fever all over the internet thanks to her unique facial expression, Kpop fans suddenly discovered her successor as a rookie girl!
In recent days, the internet is getting worked up over a female idol with amazing stage presence, who is Tsuki of the rookie girl group BILLLIE. She delights the audience with diverse expressions through each verse, and her professional aura is no less than that of long-time idols even though she has only debuted for more than 4 months.
In particular, netizens were even more surprised when they knew that Tsuki comes from an almost unknown girl group, whose management company is Mystic Story, which is also not famous in the industry. Thanks to her constantly going viral on social media, BILLLIE has just begun to be interested and noticed by Kpop fans. For idol groups from mid-range and small-sized companies, the case of a member gaining popularity, leading to the ever-increasing reputation of the whole group is not a rare scenario. But the case of Tsuki (BILLLIE) makes netizens think of the golden age of senior JooE (MOMOLAND) 4 years ago.
Having poor visual, which turn out to be strangely eye-catching
At the time of her debut in the music industry, JooE was once labeled “the ugliest female idol in Kpop history”. She does not possess any beauty according to Korean standards, her face is quite chubby, so she often receives countless criticisms. On the other hand, although Tsuki has never been “slandered” by Knet like her senior, it is easy to see that her visuals are not really to the public’s taste and her beauty fluctuates erratically.
Although JooE and Tsuki are not appreciated for their looks, the two’s positive common thing is their unique charm. The two female idols both pursue a youthful, bright style with a constant smile. Therefore, even though they are not as beautiful as their fellow members, this duo is still able to capture the audience’s eyes every time they step on the stage.
Causing a storm thanks to the second-to-none exaggerated facial expression
Perhaps many people still remember how enthusiastically the MOMOLAND member was once welcomed by young Koreans after just one promotional video for a beverage brand. JooE‘s clean and sharp choreography along with her confidence and willingness to make ugly faces have helped her become a trending idol.
A few months later, when MOMOLAND released the super hit “BBOOM BBOOM“, JooE‘s solo dance break segment continued to cause a storm thanks to her excessive energy, optimistic expression on the stage. However, at that time, there were still many comments criticizing JooE for overdoing it, deliberately making herself stand out from others.
As if JooE‘s true successor, Tsuki is also receiving mixed opinions regarding her expressive skills when performing the song GingaMingaYo(the strange world). Not grinning all the time like her senior, Tsuki flexibly changes her facial expressions to suit each verse. She has the ability to switch into many characters with rich emotions in just a few seconds.
Netizens call this a “cartoonish” concept. However, there are divided opinions over Tsuki’s ability to show various expressions. While many find her expressions enjoyable, others say she is overdoing it and should tone it down because she looks somewhat “cringey”.
Both JooE and Tsuki undeniably have great presence, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone viral! However, there is a very thin line between dynamic, diverse expressions and “exaggerated”, cringey expressions. Which side are you on in this debate over JooE and Tsuki’s facial expressions?
