KPOP OT EP 12: Visual vs. Center vs. Face Of The Group

Welcome back to another episode of KPOP OT. In today episode, as you can see it, we are talking about visual, center and the face of the group. These are all positions in a group that members can hold. 

You may wonder, what is the difference between those positions and that is the reason why I am talking about it here. I'm here to let you know what those positions are and some examples in current groups right now. 

Honestly, I was confused at the beginning when I first saw this positions and was wondering why too but I later found out. You maybe surprised and you may not be, it really just depend honestly. 

Before we start, I went on Google and search up some websites that talk about the differences between them. Those websites will be link down below. A lot of those websites said the same or similar things about each positions. Some of them phrases are from people who comment on posted that I am using. I will not quote anyone on this post just because I kind of gather information from all the websites but if you want to go and look at the comments that people posted on those post, you can. Link are down below. Now, let's get started. 

Visual 

Visual is related to vision, sight, seeing something, an image. In the noun spectrum, visual is about something that appeals to the sight and is used for effect or illustration. You can say visual is about someone who looks pretty or handsome and the most physically attractive member in the group by Korean beauty standards. They are often hired for endorsements and are placed in the center of the group for photos because of their striking appearance. Most of the time, the visual is also the member who is at the center of the choreography when the song starts (starting position) and/or when the song ends (ending pose). Visual are usually the centers, but not necessarily. There may be more than one visual in a group. 

Center

Center is a point, area, person or thing that is most important or pivotal in relation to an indicated activity, interest or condition. As the title implies they are the one the rest of the group members is centered around and the one getting the most focus and attention. They are sort of like the 'main character.' You can spot the center when the group introduces, dances or takes group photos in the middle of the group. Usually a certain member is placed in the middle of the group during promotions, photoshoots, video shoots etc. because of their good-looks or their talents or their popularity. The center can changed from a promotion to another. 

Face Of The Group

Face Of The Group (FOTG) is sort of like a 'mascot.' There is no official definition for this position, but they are the members who are most easily recognizable in the group and they represent the group. They are in charge of promoting the group. They are often invited to events and appear on variety shows. Sometimes they are often mistaken with the visual, because their main role is to bring public attention to the group. Sometimes the visual and face of the group overlaps. Other times the leader can hold this position since the group leader leads the members in terms of his/her actions. The face of the group may be the visual, but they are - more often than not - the most popular member of the group. It is not a mandatory position. They will appear close to center in group photos and they are often styled in distinct outfits that will make them stand out from the rest of the group. Sometimes they will receive a larger majority of screen time in music videos. This position is usually given to one member, but can change constantly. Some groups promote all their members equally and don't have a distinct member for the position. 

Visual, Center and Face Of The Group

A lot of the time, the visual tends to fill in all three roles because center and face of the group tend to be chosen based on popularity and recognizability. The visual tends to be one of the most popular members in the group as well as the most recognizable. So, one member can hold all three positions at once.

Example

I was looking through a lot and I mean a lot of profiles to find a group where there is only one member that hold each of the title but then I notice that many of those groups have already have a chuck of their career working already therefore not just one member holds one of the position. The other problem is these positions aren't their official positions or some of these group may not even have a member holding that position. I did came across one group that have one member holding each of the positions and one member holding all three of those positions. Surprisingly I found a group but I was not shock at all. 

Mark 

Mark is a member of the South Korean boy band GOT7 under JYP Entertainment. His position in the group is lead rapper, vocalist, martial art tricking, and visual. Mark was ranked number eighty-two on TC Candler "The 100 Most Handsome Faces of 2018." 

Jay B

Jay B is a member of the South Korean boy band GOT7 under JYP Entertainment. His position in the group is leader, main vocalist, lead dancer and center. He actual debuted as an actor before debuting in JJ Project, a duo group with fellow member Jin Young. 

Jackson 

Jackson is a member of the South Korean boy band GOT7 under JYP Entertainment. His position in the group is main rapper, lead dancer, martial art tricking and face of the group. Since the beginning of their debut, Jackson was appearing on many variety shows. He is a former member of the Fencing National Team in Hong Kong. 

Jin Young

Jin Young is a member of the South Korean boy band GOT7 under JYP Entertainment. His position in the group is sub-vocalist, visual, center and face of the group. He also debuted as an actor before debuting in JJ Project along side fellow member Jay B. He is been active as an actor while under GOT7. 

There you have it. You now, hopefully, have a better idea of what each of those position means. It's still confusing just because some groups may have them and some groups don't or members can all be all three position. It's hard but what can we say. I hope you enjoy this. I'll see you in the next episode of KPOP OT. 

Image Credits: Jin Young, Mark, Jay B, Jackson, Yoona, Cha Eun Woo, Won Young, Tae Yong

Website Credits: Koreaboo, Allkpop, Showbiz, Koreaboo, Visual Defintion, Center Defintion, OneHallyu, KFeelings, OneHallyu, Quora, KProfiles