For idols, singing and dancing on stage with thousands of fans screaming and cheering is the most
blissful
feeling ever. The feeling of knowing that those countless hours of
practicing everything, from footwork to smiles, has finally paid off.
It’s the
feeling of success.
But one can never be popular without knowing what it’s like to be hated or envied upon. One can never be famous
without escaping criticism. Inside that ocean of cheering fans, there will always be a few who seek joy through other’s misery. This is
reality after all. And hatred is a part of
human nature.
Any person reading this right now will most likely have something
they like and support. A favorite sports team, a favorite writer or even
a chef. A
fandom, in general, but for the majority reading this will have a favorite group in mind. They call themselves a
SONE and their favorite color is
pink. The majority reading this
love and support SNSD.
But, like in any fandom, one will always have his or her biases, and
it’s not surprising to know that leader, Kim Taeyeon, has the
largest fanbase within SNSD. But she hasn’t garnered so much attention because she is their
leader. This one word isn’t enough to make thousands of people flock towards her like a beacon of light. Sure, it plays a
fair role in grabbing attention, but it’s definitely not one of the
main reasons why people love and support her.
Just think, how many leaders in history have actually had supporters who
genuinely loved them and didn’t stick around because they feared having their throats cut in a dark alley?
There aren’t many. Fast forward to the present again and think Kim Taeyeon. Sure she was
chosen as SNSD’s leader because she was the oldest in the group, but this
wasn’t what made her an excellent leader.
Every person has the ability to gather a group and proclaim themselves
as “head”, but being a good leader is a whole new story. A great part of
SNSD success comes from Taeyeon who leads with
natural-born talent. Respect and devotion sum up Taeyeon’s leadership. This is the reason behind why the other eight are able to
trust Taeyeon with their lives. It’s the reason behind how they have been able to
grow and learn from each other.
To live and love as a family.
At first glance, Taeyeon reminds you of a little kid.
Happy, dorky and full of smiles. It’s hard to imagine how someone so small can muster the energy and courage to lead and motivate
eight other girls.
There is just so much that could go wrong. So many expectations. So
many eyes scrutinizing your every move because as head of the group,
what you do will ultimately
affect the rest of the team as well. This, in itself, is already a
huge burden.
But Taeyeon manages it all extremely well. As a leader, it is her job
to lay down the first and most important step that will, in one sense
or another, play a part in
determining the success of SNSD.
When trying something new, Taeyeon goes first. When starting off a talk
or interview, Taeyeon introduces the group. If she does it well, a
certain sense of
confidence is established and
morale is lifted. She brings SNSD together and keeps nine
unified
as one. This girl knows she is a wonderful singer, and she knows she
can stand firmly on her own. There are countless breathtaking OSTs out
there to prove that. But as the leader of SNSD, her role is to ensure
that her
members can stand firmly with her as well.
So what makes Taeyeon excel at being a leader? How has such a tiny girl held and
strengthened the
Soshibond for over four years? The answer lies in the fact that Taeyeon is
independent.
She is different from the rest and this is quite frankly, she needs to
be. Sure, by differentiating herself and drifting a bit away from the
group, she has gotten more attention, but reality is harsh and
nothing good comes without a price. Her independence holds the
Soshibond together, but in order to strengthen this bond, Taeyeon has
isolated
herself form the rest. Of course she is praised by countless people for
her independence, but honestly, we can’t even come close to
understanding any of the hardships she is forced to face.
When her members are feeling under the weather, it’s Taeyeon who
comforts them through words and hugs. But when the leader is upset, who
does she turn to? Taeyeon
is the leader, and she’s supposed to
always stay strong. Right? Remember how the attitude of a leader will affect the actions and emotions of the other members as well?
As a leader, the burden on Taeyeon is
tremendous, and
self-sacrifice
cannot be avoided to ensure that everything else runs smoothly. For a
person to sacrifice a little bit of their well-being in order to satisfy
the others around them
deserves the upmost respect. Think back
to the recent fan meet event in New York City. Remember how Taeyeon
looked as pale as a ghost and extremely weak? She had apparently eaten
food that had been in contact with nuts thus causing an allergic
reaction. Yet despite this incident that took a menacing toll on her
body, Taeyeon tried to
remain strong. She tried to remain
positive and smile. She didn’t want to worry the fans, but more importantly, she didn’t want to worry her members.
Her sisters. For them, just the mere thought that Taeyeon couldn’t attend the fan meet because she was sick and weak is
enough to drain morale completely. How could the other eight possibly focus knowing
that their leader, their friend…their sister was extremely ill? Taeyeon
couldn’t let that happen. She
wouldn’t
let that happen. So in the end, she put on a professional face and
sacrificed her well-being for us. Heartbreaking? Needless to say. How
about inspirational? This word just seems like an understatement when
placed tangent to Taeyeon’s situation. To be present at the fan meet is
one thing, but to laugh, smile and even sing and dance. That, in itself,
is worthy of
admiration beyond anything that words can describe.
Because nine have an ironclad rule of leaving not even a single member behind. If they are to succeed, it will be as nine. It is either nine or nothing, as simple as that.
All this, from the bottom of a leader’s heart.
-
I won’t speak on the behalf of every SONE present that day, but for
the inner SONE in me, just the mere presence of Taeyeon at the fanmeet
was enough to make me love this fandom even more. It was enough to fuel
me with the motivation to never give up, no matter how difficult things
get because along with experience and hardships come little life lessons
that help us learn and grow. Coming back home from New York, I treasure
the
Soshibond as
well as the bond between SNSD and SONEs nine times more. To me, I feel
truly blessed to have immersed myself into this fandom because every
little thing that we have done to support the girls, and every little
gesture the girls have done to reciprocate our love is truly amazing.
There are no regrets at all. Ever. Over the course of two and a half
years, all the new, unforgettable experiences, and all the amazing
people I have met have slowly become a blur of events. A tangle of
memories. Memories capable of moving me to tears, making me laugh
nonstop, but most importantly, memories that allow me to go not even a
day without being thankful for all that this fandom has given me.
