Seriously, it's highly addictive and there is so much good about it. Have been playing for the last three days or so trying and retrying to get past one or another certain stage but always end up being overwhelmed by the growing expenses.
The most difficult part for me is somehow transitioning from the relatively profitable photoshoots in the beginning to renting the second floor for the dance room / recording studio and staying profitable while trying to release five singles. Mostly it's a losing battle trying to break even: It's even but everyone constantly loses stamina, it's not even and I take a loan to avoid game over and expand to make profit to repay the loan but the loan adds to the problem, it's profitable but then I expand and everything is messed up, I rush out five singles and take a loan for a concert but the concert isn't profitable and then I'm f'ed. Marketing people don't get enough photoshoots? I'm f'ed. Someone get's hurt and is out 90 days? I'm f'ed.
Things I tried: Digital releases, lots of promos, trying to counter monthly expenses with ad contracts (which ends up being a problem because stamina), just building five offices and two breakrooms in the beginning even before releasing singles for massive photoshooting and ads, which at some point went south also because of staff and idol salary ...
Point being: It's a great game, it's massively engaging, I already modded some dialog and it was easy, I love the human element and the event system, but somehow it's also extremely, extremely difficult.