Korean Pop, or more commonly known as K-Pop. K-Pop has taken the world by storm in the last decade. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of the genre, more likely than not you’ve heard of and probably have even liked K-Pop songs without realizing it – remember Gangnam Style? So, what is K-Pop? Why is it that this single genre has taken the world in its chains and refuses to let go?
K-Pop is different from a lot of genres in terms of how the groups market themselves and present themselves to fans. There is much more fan interaction and accessibility to K-Pop Idols than to musicians of any other genre. Because of this, it’s easier for fans to grow para-social relationships to K-Pop idols and feel as if they really know these people – creating more loyal and engaged fanbases. While this dynamic has its problems – in terms of Idol safety and boundaries, it’s definitely the reason why a lot of K-Pop fans prefer this genre. Instead of simply engaging in music, you’re engaging in people and engaging in their group/friendships dynamics. Fans can more easily see themselves in idols, relate to them, and feel less alone if their personal life isn’t the best.Â
Personally, I became a K-Pop fan back in 2019 when I found Blackpink (still my number ones by the way). I was going through a horrible personal life with a million family issues, and the one thing that kept me going at the time were Blackpink compilations and any video with them in it. I was inspired by how close the girls were and loved their relationships with each other. While I loved their music, obviously, it was the idols themselves and how well the group worked together that made me a huge fan of them.Â
Moving onto the actual music aspect, K-Pop is not just Pop. In K-Pop, there are so many subgenres within it and different styles of music from group to group. For example, while groups Twice and Stray Kids are both K-Pop groups, their music styles are on completely different genres, with Twice leaning more whimsical pop and Stray Kids leaning more rap and EDM. Every group has a distinct sound that separates them from others. Because of this, it’s hard not to get frustrated when I hear someone say they hate K-Pop or find it boring/cringe after listening to maybe one or two songs by a single group. This genre is made to be explored, and when you don’t take into account the select toxic fans in each fanbase, it’s one of the most beautifully diverse genres that can appeal to just about anyone.Â
Now, when exactly did this cultural shift begin? When did K-Pop flip from being a niche interest to one of the biggest music interests in the world? The answer – it’s complicated. Many people would simply say third generation groups BTS, Blackpink, and Twice all paved the way for K-Pop to be more known worldwide. And while I don’t disagree, I also find it hard to ignore the K-Pop groups from the first two generations. Groups such as Girls’ Generation (SNSD) and BigBang are incredibly iconic and deserve acknowledgement as well. Girls’ Generation specifically performed at many venues in North America in the early 2010s, such as different music festivals, on late night television shows, and even Madison Square Garden. These achievements were huge milestones for K-Pop in the early 2010s and while these days, it’s expected for K-Pop groups to perform at many venues in North America – it wasn’t like that 10-15 years ago.Â
No matter the reason why K-Pop has become so incredibly huge, it deserves the hype. I’ve only mentioned a select few groups here, but there’s over a hundred groups that exist and are currently active. Some fans tend to be girl group stans, boy group stans, and some both. Some people only follow on maybe a couple groups and some people make it their mission to stan every group they come across. Personally, I’m a big girl group stan myself. While it may seem scary and overwhelming at first, I promise the fanbases are welcoming, and the genre itself is captivating. Be careful though – once you fall, your pockets will be forever running dry from those damn albums.Â
And if you’re now curious about K-Pop, on campus we have some amazing and positive clubs on campus focusing on it! There’s LET’S K-POP (LKP) and Ctrl+K. LKP is a club where anyone can join the meetings (which are every few weeks), and there’s always something fun going on each meeting! Ctrl+K is our wonderful K-Pop dance team who actually have a showcase coming up on the 25th of April, which is free!!! Just make sure to RSVP on their Instagram @ctrl.k.dance if it’s something you’re interested in.Â