That significant other in duos we love

SOME of the greatest duos contain a standout member deserving of or bound to have a solo career. Seeing the Netflix documentary about the shortlived, yet iconic ‘80s duo Wham! made me think about the unenviable position of being the other, less cel ebrated half of a two-person combo.

For one, the special does a good job in presenting the valuable input to the equation of a forgotten man who to some critics was just lucky enough to have tagged along a born superstar named George Michael.

Here are some of these guys whose fortune is often questioned, for good and bad, because unlike in groups with charismatic frontmen, they only have themselves to carry the burden of being the other fellow riding on the glowing stage presence and ingenious skill of someone more talented, famous, and relevant.

It is significant to note that not all duos have the same awkward setup. There are those who have showcased themselves as equally notable, like in the case of Air Supply where, arguably, neither of the “Russells” is, sorry for the term, disposable.

The same goes with Tears For Fears - just can’t underrate the main vocals behind “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Mad World,” and more.

Vince Clark of Erasure may not be as flamboyant as singer Adam Bell, but his track record as a former key member of Depeche Mode obviously disqualifies him from the not-so-great list.

Others have members whose names are hard to recall anyway; it’s best to take them off the shortlist below. Roxette and Go West fans may agree.

1. Andrew Ridgeley: He tops this list considering that George Michael’s name is way up there among the music legends. To see the aforementioned documentary is a must especially if you’re wondering how Andrew ended up in the company of a person he refers to as Yog. Safe to say George wouldn’t have gotten off sending a demo to record labels if not for him who while in school “volunteered to take him (Michael) under his wing.”

2. John Oates: The name of a mailbox, Hall & Oates, in an apartment he shared with Daryl Hall forever put him second in billing. Yet, the guitarist co-wrote some of the duo’s biggest songs, including “Out Of Touch” and “Maneater,” and sang lead vocals on another major hit “Possession Obsession.”

3. Meg White: She is the lady drummer who gave the pounding beat to the White Stripes’ signature track “Seven Nation Army,” with its guitar riff now a popular chant in sports arenas. She has polarized music observers, though, with some criticizing her hunting them down and trying to steal the ransom money. Will this unlikely duo achieve their goal? Is Pan-su really of great help to Min-jun? Or did Minjun make a mistake in trusting him? Will Min-jun succeed in the mission and get the job he wants?

Ransomed is a film by Kim SeongHun, the same director who has brought us action and heart-stopping movies such as A Hard Day, Tunnel, and the notable period horror series Kingdom

The lead stars, Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, reunite again and make this movie a hit. They’ve made massive success starring in Korea’s blockbuster films, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds and Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, which had over ten million viewers. This film is also Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon’s reunion project with director Kim Seong-Hun who they’ve worked with respectively in Tunnel and Kingdom From Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, Ransomed is now in cinemas nationwide.