If you don’t know what K-Pop is you are missing out on one of the largest instances of globalization ever recorded in music, especially within the 21st Century. K-Pop, or Korean Pop, is a genre of music created in and centered on South Korea. K-Pop is generally characterized by its over-the-top instrumentals, precise visuals, and its unique managerial tactics.
While K-Pop encompasses the majority of music made in Korea it generally retains qualities associated with Western Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B. Its popularity within Korea began in the early 90’s, eventually increasing in magnitude and quality over the following years. As the internet rose in prominence so did K-Pop’s hold. By the early 2000’s K-Pop had spread into Southeast Asia, including China, and more noticeably in Japan.
From a musical standpoint, the tracks share the traditional melodic traits seen within Western Pop. Current K-Pop often displays this by maintaining moderately high BPMs (Beats per Minute), bass heavy hooks and catchy choruses. The main difference between K-Pop and traditional Pop is that, of course, K-Pop is in Korean. In addition, almost all K-Pop is produced and created for large groups of artists, making it extremely rare that a K-Pop song is performed by a solo musician.
This style of ensemble performance is made possible by an intense and controversial casting process. K-Pop groups are usually formed inorganically through managerial intervention. This process is led by Korea’s leading record labels YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. The process of creating a new K-Pop group is generally along the following lines: One of the respected labels creates both the image and branding that will be associated with the group.
Then, an intensive and selective casting effort takes place, drawing people from all over Korea, and sometimes all of Asia. After vigorous auditions are completed, the band members are finally selected. K-Pop groups vary in size but are usually larger than what is seen in Western media, typically ranging from five to ten members.
Even once the band is formed, its members are far from making music. Each group undergoes years of training. During this time, they hone their singing and dancing while also establishing what their role will be in the group. K-Pop groups often have a designated leader, lead vocalists and dedicated rappers. By having so many group members they are able to each create their own musical niche. This extensive training circuit can include thorough media training and sometimes even involves learning a new language (usually Japanese and English).
When all is said and done, the groups finally debut. The release of a single is usually accompanied by a highly produced music video, featuring rigorous choreography and pleasing aesthetic qualities. The groups routinely tour around all of Asia, sometimes creating different versions of their songs to match the language of their audience.
Recently, tours have included American stops in order to satisfy the rising demand of K-Pop in the United States. K-Pop Group Monsta X decided to add six American stops to their upcoming tour, an act that ushers in a new chapter of K-Pop. Just a few months ago a group known as BTS even won the Top Social Artist award at the Billboard Music Awards, a first for the genre.
Even though the tracks are in Korean, the well-produced songs are appearing to hold their ground against fierce international competition. Only time will tell how popular K-Pop becomes but for now, the only place to go is up. Korean artists like CL and Blackpink are setting the tone for the genre by learning and perfecting their English. In doing so they increase their marketability, especially for the largest producer and consumer of media in the world, the United States.
