Being an idol is not all glitz and glamour especially if you're in a rookie group still trying to make it being in the cutthroat, highly competitive world of K-Pop. Crayon Pop is among the many hopefuls. When the five-member girl group gained massive popularity for their song "Bar Bar Bar," things were expected to get better for the members. However, it was revealed, that even with the success of their single there was no noticeable increase to their salaries.
On the Dec. 19 broadcast of "Idol Party" Crayon Pop made a guest appearance and shared their story while promoting "Bar Bar Bar." For the girls they had to put in extra effort for their promotions, Koreaboo reported. The members were the ones who designed the group costume and decorated their signature helmets with red electric tapes.
Furthermore, the members of Crayon Pop also confirmed that wearing the helmets for too long contributed to health concerns. Member Wei in particular saw her hair worsen and got infections due to the helmets.
The members' earnings was also put on the spotlight, during which it was revealed that while the group earned a lot from "Bar Bar Bar," a huge chunk of the income didn't go to them personally. Despite the success of Crayon Pop's "Bar Bar Bar" the members still had to survive on $40-$50 a month and without allowance.
As per Soompi, it was later explained that at the peak of "Bar Bar Bar," Crayon Pop had yet to break even or earn enough to pay the debt they owed their agency from their trainee days to debut. The members received their first payment from their "Bar Bar Bar" promotions in February 2014.
Thanks to "Bar Bar Bar," Crayon Pop saw an increase in their following locally and overseas. The group even caught the attention of Lady Gaga, who asked the girls to open for her United States and Canada tour in 2014. The Crayon Pop members were able to open for Lady Gaga in 13 countries in 12 different locations.
