Have you heard about South Korean Pop Music? These days it is becoming well known all across the world. It’s a culmination of bright colors, interesting concepts, catchy tunes, exciting choreography, and beautiful people. Unlike other minimalistic styles, K-pop offers a steady flow of constant stimulation. The term K-pop is more of a geographic designation rather than industrial. Meaning, not all K-pop music sounds the same but rather can cross multiple different genres.
The first generation of K-pop started back in 1992 with the trio “Seo Taiji and Boys”’s hit song “Nan Arayo (I Know)”. For many young South Koreans, this was their first exposure to variations of hip-hop. This music suddenly become a popular alternative to “trot” music which was the most popular music at the time in South Korea.
Probably the most popular generation would be the second generation. Groups/stars like Rain, Wonder Girls, SHINee, Girls Generation, 2NE1, 2PM, EXO, BEAST and more. It was during this generation (around 2008) when the K-pop Idol industry evolved and started to permeate into the international stage.
The third generation of K-pop is really where the industry started to truly get global attention and win awards globally. With powerhouse groups like BTS and Blackpink proving to be exceptionally sensational.
Due to K-pop’s global popularity, Korea has embraced K-pop and its public opinion has also been influenced. PSY’s “Gangnam Style” blew up globally in 2012 and even Koreans were astonished by it. Back then PSY wasn’t nearly the most popular artist at the time. However, similarly with BTS, once K-pop became popular abroad, the industry took off.
Many cafés and restaurants in such places like Hongdae and Myeongdong district play Korean indie music. The district is full of K-beauty products that feature K-pop idols. There are even numerous musicians and performers who do live performances on the streets with many K-pop inspired shopping areas for tourists in Seoul.
Written by: Caleb Rigsby
Honolulu, Hawaii. Sophomore, Korean for Professionals Major at University of Hawaii at Manoa. Intern at VANK(Voluntary Agency Network of Korea)