K-POP: THE MUSIC PHENOMENON

K-Pop

The Music Phenomenon Taking the World by Storm

BY TAWNY CLARK

Walking through the shopping districts of South Korea is an exhilarating assault on the senses. Food carts are stocked with spicy rice cakes and sugarencrusted corn dogs, bright lights beckon guests to restaurants featuring crispy fried chicken and soju, and at any point, no less than three Korean pop songs are blaring in your direction.

My appreciation for Korean pop music evolved rather organically. It first started when my middle school best friend smuggled home cassette tapes of popular artists from her summer trip to visit family in South Korea. We spent the remainder of that summer--upside down hair brushes in hand--lip syncing to first generation K-Pop trio, S.E.S.

When I moved to South Korea shortly after college, I devoured lyrical hits from second generation artists like Big Bang, SHINee, and 2NE1. And now, a decade later, you can find me enthusiastically cheering on third generation artists, BTS and Black Pink, as they take the global stage by storm. K-Pop has officially been prevalent in my life for more than two decades. Like most genres of music, Korean pop has dramatically evolved over the last twenty years. Early Korean pop artists could gain popularity within the country yet rarely make it onto global airwaves. With the accessibility of social media, fans around the world have proven their loyalty to the Korean music scene, streaming and promoting their favorite bands to the top of global charts.

But what exactly is K-Pop and how has it evolved into the international phenomenon that it is today?

K-Pop, or Korean pop music, is a genre of music originating from South Korea. K-Pop has slowly infiltrated the global market with head-turning music videos like Psy’s iconic and outrageous Gangnam Style, eye-catching fashion from the likes of nine-member girl group, Twice, and the ubiquitous marketing of international sensation BTS.

While the majority of K-pop songs are in Korean, artists have started crossover collaborations with other international pop stars. BTS partnered with Halsey for their 2019 summer bop, Boy with Luv, while Black Pink set the world on fire with a string of collaborations between Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B. Dua Lipa has also joined forces with Black Pink as well as Hwasa from Mamamoo. Even with these high profile collaborations, understanding Korean is not a prerequisite to stan K-Pop. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, K-Pop is accessible to all, bridging the gap between language and cultural barriers.

Despite the smooth delivery of K-Pop artists filling our wavelengths, big name Korean artists are not simply born, they’re made. Korean music and entertainment agencies have created an intense recruitment and training process that pumps out big names like EXO, Mamamoo, and Red Velvet. The few hopefuls that make it into training often endure years of endless days of dance practice, singing lessons, and rigorous training to make sure they can debut at the top of the charts. To ensure that these future groups have a solid foundation, trainees are often housed together in small dorms where they learn to live, train, and get along with each other.

This intense, yet effective recipe has given way to many of the big Korean artists we know today. But Kpop is more than well rehearsed routines and catchy tunes. K-Pop idols and their labels excel in brilliant marketing. Korean artists create seemingly intimate communities for their fans, often interacting on VLIVE (Korea’s live video streaming service) or Weverse (an app that allows fan-to-idol communication). And though these bands are birthed in South Korea, they are ubiquitous when it comes to their global presence. BTS just released their own branded McDonalds meal while Black Pink’s albums can be found in most record stores.

The term, Hallyu (a Chinese term that translates to “Korean Wave”), was coined to describe how South Korean media is taking the world by storm. From rising K-dramas (who hasn’t seen Crash Landing on You?) to the poppy beats of ATEEZ and EXO, you’ll want to hop on the rising swell before it leaves you behind.

Want to dip your toes into K-Pop but don ’t know where to start? Sample a few of these timeless favorites.

K-pop Starter Pack:

GIRL GROUPS: Black Pink: DDU-DU DDU-DU Mamamoo: Starry Night Twice: Fancy

BOY GROUPS: BTS: MIC Drop EXO: Love Shot ATEEZ: WONDERLAND

SOLO ARTISTS: Jessie: What Type of X Chung Ha: Bicycle Sunmi: Gashina Jackson Wang: 100 Ways