Shreya Lenka To Become India's First K-Pop Star?

Shreya Lenka, an 18-year-old from Odisha, is on the verge of becoming India's first K-pop artiste. Lenka is one of two finalists chosen from a global audition process to fill a vacancy in the South Korean girl group Blackswan. Lenka will join the band as the fifth member if she defeats Gabriela Dalcin of Brazil.

Blackswan's label, DR Music, announced in May 2021 that they would hold global auditions to fill a vacancy left by singer Hyemi's departure from the group. Two people are now in the running for the coveted spot, according to DR Music. According to the entertainment website Meaww, Dalcin is a member of the dance cover girl group Queens of Revolution. Meanwhile, the only Indian trainee chosen, Lenka, is a trained dancer and yoga practitioner. She, like Dalcin, performs K-pop dance cover songs.

According to reports, the two are now heading to South Korea for a month of training. One of the two will be chosen to join Blackswan at the end of this time period.

Lenka has pursued Hindustani classical dance as well as Odissi and other contemporary dance forms.

"Since I have a deep voice, I faced difficulty in finding the right vocal trainer. My grandmother helped me find one," the teen was quoted as saying by Odisha Bytes. "She took me to a Hindustani classical music teacher, who taught me twice a week. But, for the western songs, I had to rely on online videos and self-learning," Lenka said. 

In the year 2020, Blackswan made its debut. Korean singers Youngheun, Fatou, Judy, and Leia make up the group.