If you’ve ever tried to squeeze into a group photo only to end up hidden behind your taller friends, Girls’ Generation’s Yuri and SHINee’s Key feel your pain. These two K-pop veterans have been making the variety show rounds lately – from cracking up Yoo Jae Suk on his YouTube talk show to sharing the stage with Lee Hyori – and spilling hilarious truths about their early idol days. In a recent chat on Yoo Jae Suk’s show “Pinggyego”, Yuri and Key opened up about the absurd choreography formations they endured as rookies. The result? A relatable, laugh-out-loud trip down memory lane that has fans (and even fellow idols) howling. Let’s dive into the chaos, the camaraderie, and how far K-pop staging has come, with our comedic tour guides Yuri and Key leading the way.
Chaos in Formation
Yuri and Key did not hold back when recalling the chaos of group choreography in their debut years. Key confessed that sometimes, even after practicing for hours, the staff would “suddenly change the formations” at the last minute – even swapping members’ parts out of nowhere. Imagine perfecting a dance routine only to have the directors yell “Plot twist! You’re moving to the back!” right before showtime. “It was always so stressful,” Key admitted, though as the polite junior, he “could never show that in front of the members”. (We can only imagine teenaged Key internally screaming while flashing a professional smile on stage.)
Yuri eagerly jumped in with her own pet peeve – the infamous “storage formation.” What’s that, you ask? It’s basically a fancy term for hide-and-seek on stage. “There are also formations where certain members are hidden from view. It’s called ‘storage formation’. It drove me crazy,” Yuri vented emphatically. In these arrangements, one unlucky member gets literally tucked away behind others, out of the spotlight. As Yuri described, when she got relegated to the back, she’d have to “peek [her] head out so [her] face can be seen” – picture a determined idol popping her head over a bandmate’s shoulder just to get a sliver of camera time. Talk about relatable content for anyone who’s ever been stuck in the back row!
Key even turned this explanation into a mini comedy skit. Ever the resourceful entertainer, he grabbed some macarons (yes, the pastries!) to demonstrate the storage formation in action. Using the macarons as stand-in “members,” Key showed how in a normal formation all 4 members would be visible, but in a storage formation only 3 are seen while the fourth macaron (member) hides behind the center. The visual of Key rearranging desserts to explain his frustration had everyone in stitches. (Leave it to Key to give us a macaron masterclass in choreography.) Yoo Jae Suk and fellow guest Kim Dong Hyun were cracking up, but they also got the point – this was the kind of behind-the-scenes craziness young idols just had to endure.
Key & Yuri: The Realest Duo
Watching Yuri and Key swap these war stories, fans couldn’t help but love how real and unfiltered the duo was. The two have been friends since their SM Entertainment trainee days, and their chemistry is undeniable – like two classmates reminiscing about that one strict teacher. Yuri was nodding vigorously at Key’s every gripe, basically saying “Preach!” without using the word. Key, in turn, matched Yuri’s energy with over-the-top demonstrations (R.I.P. to those macarons). This tag-team of honesty felt refreshing and oh-so-relatable. After all, who better than fellow second-gen idols to fully understand each other’s “back in my day” complaints?
What really sells their dynamic is the humor they wrap around the truth. Yuri and Key had the Pinggyego studio roaring with laughter at the absurdity of it all, but their gripes came from a real place. They openly teased the outdated practices of their youth, yet there wasn’t any bitterness – just two veterans chuckling at the follies of their past. At one point, Key quipped that if he ends up in a storage formation nowadays, he actually enjoys it because “then you can rest on stage”. Only Key could spin getting hidden in the back as a win! Yuri cackled at that revelation, likely remembering how 19-year-old her would’ve never imagined seeing it that way.
Fans, for their part, absolutely loved this glimpse into Yuri and Key’s mindset. Online, K-pop followers cracked up at Key’s dessert-based choreography lesson – “Explaining storage formation with macarons? Only Key!” one comment read. Many said they found comfort knowing even SNSD and SHINee members (who always looked perfect on stage) went through such chaotic mishaps. Yuri and Key’s frankness made them even more lovable. As one netizen joked, seeing these two speak so freely and humorously about idol life is like a healing session for fans: it validates all the times we suspected that behind those flawless performances were some flustered idols trying not to trip over each other.
And let’s not forget, this real-talk duo doesn’t limit their charm to talk shows. Key recently delighted audiences on Lee Hyori’s YouTube music show “The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri’s Red Carpet,” where he popped up as a surprise guest. The crowd – ranging from young fans to middle-aged parents – went wild for him. He even performed his solo song “Good & Great” live, oozing confidence. (Yes, the same guy who once had to literally hide behind members is now commanding stages solo – talk about a glow-up!). The response was electric: viewers said “even the middle-aged audiences are so excited to meet Key”, noting that even moms and dads in the crowd were cheering. One fan hilariously commented that Key was “like the new nominee to be president” with how universally loved he was. It’s clear that Key’s candid personality and experience (and maybe those killer dance moves) have won over all ages. Yuri, too, has been shining on variety and drama sets alike, earning a reputation as the relatable girl-crush next door. Together, they truly are the realest duo, bridging generations of K-pop with humor and authenticity.
Then vs. Now: Choreo Evolution in K-pop
Yuri and Key’s playful reminiscing also highlighted just how much K-pop choreography and staging have evolved from then to now. Back in the late 2000s, groups like Girls’ Generation had up to nine members all vying for center stage. Complex formations were a necessary evil to fit everyone in the performance – meaning someone inevitably drew the short straw of being in the back (ahem, the storage closet). In those days, if you were the member hidden behind the “center” during a big TV performance, it felt like a mini tragedy. As Yuri joked, it drove her crazy to be practically invisible. And for a teen idol with big dreams, it truly was no laughing matter at the time.
Fast forward to now, and things have changed for the better. For one, Yuri and Key themselves have grown into seasoned performers who can laugh about these old woes. Key’s perspective flip – seeing a hidden spot as a chance to catch his breath on stage – is proof of how far they’ve come. When you’re a rookie, you worry that every second off-camera is a missed opportunity; when you’re a veteran, you know your worth isn’t defined by a few seconds in the back row (and you’re wise enough to take a breather when you can!). Their ability to find humor in situations that once caused stress shows the confidence they’ve earned over 15+ years in the industry.
Moreover, modern K-pop stage production has become more mindful of fairness and visibility. These days, choreographers tend to rotate center positions more and give each member moments to shine, precisely because they know fans are watching – and timing – each member’s screen time. (Fandoms in 2025 have spreadsheets for everything, from line distributions to how many frames each idol gets in an MV.) The “storage formation” that drove Yuri up the wall is thankfully less common now; and when it does happen, it might be for a cool visual effect rather than sidelining a member. Plus, with multiple camera angles, giant LED screens, and even individual fancams streaming online, being out of formation doesn’t doom an idol to obscurity like it might have in 2009. In short, K-pop learned to adapt and ensure all members get their moment – a win-win for performers and fans.
Yuri and Key’s reflections also serve as a reminder of how K-pop idols’ attitudes toward these challenges have matured. In the past, a sudden choreography change or an unfair formation could seriously dent a young idol’s confidence. But hearing Yuri and Key joke about it now is almost therapeutic. It’s as if they’re telling their younger selves (and junior idols listening), “Don’t sweat it too much – you’ll laugh about this later.” They’ve seen the industry’s ups and downs, from the era of complicated nine-member dances to today’s high-tech stages, and they’ve come out the other side with stories to tell and smiles on their faces.
Finally, consider how this humorous trip down memory lane underscores the legacy of K-pop’s second generation. Idols like Yuri and Key paved the way, enduring the experimental (and sometimes nonsensical) choreography setups of the 2000s so that newer groups could have better systems. Now, they get to sit on talk shows and good-naturedly roast those experiences – a luxury earned by being survivors of that hectic era. And fans love them for it. The fact that Key can go on Lee Hyori’s show and have everyone from teens to their parents clapping along, or that Yuri can light up a room just by sharing a funny anecdote, shows how much trust and affection the public has for these idols-turned-entertainers. They’ve transcended the old days of fighting for the spotlight; they are the spotlight.
In conclusion, Yuri and Key’s comedic reflections on group choreo challenges gave us both a good laugh and a warm dose of nostalgia. From “chaos in formation” to their current status as beloved variety stars, they’ve shown that even the most frustrating moments in a young idol’s life can become funny stories with time (and a little maturity). The next time you watch a perfectly synchronized K-pop stage, remember this: behind that flawless performance might be a veteran idol chuckling about the one time they had to play hide-and-seek in a “storage formation.” And thanks to candid storytellers like Yuri and Key, we fans get to be in on the joke now. K-pop has come a long way, and so have our idols – now, excuse us while we go find some macarons to practice our own formation… purely for research purposes, of course. 😋
Share:
ILLIT’s Triumphant Return: Mid-June 2025 Comeback of K-Pop’s 5th-Gen Queens