If you don’t know what Kpop is by now, listen up! Kpop is the term for Korean pop music – but it actually encompasses a ton of genres like rock, electronic, R&B, and indie.
In the past couple of years, the worldwide popularity for Kpop has skyrocketed! Some of the most well-known Kpop groups are 2NE1, BigBang, Super Junior, EXO and of course, Psy.
However, Psy’s “Gentleman” and “Gangnam Style” songs are not to be judged as what all Kpop music is like. Kpop music can be bubbly and carefree tunes that just get your feet moving, or it can be a rhythm with a deeper meaning.
One thing you might notice about Kpop bands is that they have some pretty creative names. One example is BigBang, whose name was inspired by the big bang theory. It can also describe how they’ve blasted into the Kpop music industry!
Another creative name is from the group 2AM, who chose their name because 2:00 A.M. is the time of day when, if people are awake, they reflect on their entire day. As you might guess, 2AM creates songs that express deep emotion and sensitivity.
Along with their catchy songs, Kpop bands also have some mind-blowing choreography in their music videos! Some cool choreographed vids are “You Know Me” by Tasty, and “Wolf” by EXO.
With the music and dancing also comes the story within the music video. Some are crazy, and some are just plain funny. A couple of funny music videos are “Open the Door” by Lim Chang Jung and the most recent song by Super Junior, “Mamacita.”
Not wanting to just give you my personal opinion on Kpop, I decided to ask a fellow Kpop fan, second-year STUdent Sammy Dawn. So, why does she listen to Kpop?
“Kpop isn’t just music to me,” says Sammy. “It’s a whole other world where I can just run away.”
She says you don’t have to know the lyrics to be able to feel something, you just need to hear the song as a whole. She says listening to Kpop helps her feel more at peace, and it’s a great way for her to relax.
“Kpop is so different from music here,” she says. “It’s lively, energetic, and slightly more conservative.”
Kpop means something different to everyone. It can be an escape, or just a good beat to listen to in your downtime. Why not give it a listen? It’s not just pop music – it’s an entirely different category all on its own!