“IDOL: The Coup” is about idols who have failed to reach stardom and are struggling to let go of their unachieved dreams. Its fictional girl group Cotton Candy consists of leader Jenna (EXID’s Hani), Hyunji (LABOUM’s Solbin), Stella (Han So Eun), El (WJSN’s Exy), and ChaeA (Redsquare’s Green). The star-studded cast also includes Kwak Si Yang, Kim Min Kyu, former X1 member Lee Eun Sang, former RAINZ member Hong Eun Ki, Jo Joon Young, and Baek Seo Hoo.
The highlight video begins by shedding light on the hardships faced by each of the members of Cotton Candy as a no-name group. In juxtaposition, their massively popular labelmate boy group Mars is seen performing in front of a passionate crowd.
As Cotton Candy’s situation gets worse, the relationship between the members also cracks. At their dorm, Hyunji yells in a fit of anger, “There are so many stages to perform on. There are karaoke bars, clubs, hostess bars. What, you want me to introduce them to you?” When the leader Jenna tries to stop her from crossing the line any further, Hyunji only becomes more enraged and goes as far as telling Jenna, “Stop acting like you’re a nice person if you’re going to be incompetent.”
In another scene, Jenna desperately asks their agency founder Ma Jin Woo (Jung Woong In), “We won’t ask for anything else. Can you wait for just two more years?” Back in the dorm, Hyunji says, “Who knows how she convinced Founder Ma?” which prompts Stella to slap her in the face and say, “You’re really awful. I didn’t know you were this low.” Intoxicated, Hyunji shouts, “I was always like this. Wherever I go, I’m the lowest of the lowest.”
Meanwhile, Mars’s leader Jihan is at odds with the Founder Ma and CEO Cha Jae Hyuk (Kwak Si Yang), and he later tells his bandmate, “I can’t stand the sight of them burying a dagger in someone’s heart and enjoying it.” Jihan and Jenna eventually grow close and write music together.
The agency tells Cotton Candy that they will give them their final chance if they see even 1 percent of hope after seeing their performance, and the members grow hopeful. However, Jihan claims that the agency is only trying to prove to Cotton Candy that there is no hope for them. The day of the performance comes, and CEO Cha asks the employees in the audience, “Who here is confident that they can break even in a year?” Facing Jenna, he says, “We both know that the remaining time in our contract is meaningless, so let’s wrap things up as soon as possible.” He turns around to leave, but Jenna suddenly proposes, “Then give us just three months. We won’t be kicked out; we’ll disband instead. We’ll win first place on a music show and announce our disbandment right there and then.”
“IDOL: The Coup” premieres on November 8 at 11 p.m. KST.
Watch the full highlight video below!