K-Pop: Power, Position & Panache
The Korean cultural tsunami is sweeping the globe. But what exactly makes K-pop so unique? Find out what’s their special recipe for creating such global hits.
Despacito proved it right that pop speaks every language. Globalisation has formed prospects for art – music, film or literature– to transcend language and accomplish a global impact.
K-pop has secured its well-deserved place in music, and become a household name for all valid reasons. These songs will be engraved in your memory. A major boost to South Korea's increasingly outsized power on global popular culture lately has come from the triumph of Squid Game on Netflix.
Oppan Gangnam Style! You must have danced to this tune. But did you know that Psy's 'Gangnam Style' was the first K-pop song to have 4 billion views on YouTube? In 2012, it went viral and swayed popular culture globally. It was also followed by a thousand versions and even parodies.
The name may suggest, but K-Pop music is not limited to pop. The present form under its umbrella includes different musical genres, including electronic music, rock, and hip hop. The scintillating audio-visual features, absorbing choreography and dance sequences make K-pop a timeless form of showbiz.
Do we still need to say that K-Pop is captivating, amusing and full of vigour? Thanks to foot-tapping beats, colourful attires, trend-setting fashion and flawlessly choreographed videos, K-pop has become a global phenomenon and its idols are going global.
'Hallyu' meaning 'Korean wave' is used to denote to the massive and ever-growing influence of South Korean culture. We can see the admiration of K-dramas on Netflix and the dramatic upsurge of K-beauty.
With fans all over the world, K-pop idols have also become a global phenomenon. The K-pop industry, in the last two decades, has become a cultural sensation which continues to gather fame and name.
K-Pop idols are very gifted and charismatic. Thousands of candidates, every year, participate in auditions which are organised by Korean entertainment agencies. After passing the audition they spend years of training to develop their singing, dancing, and rapping skills before their debut. Besides this, they are also instructed to perform on stage in front of an audience.
They have options to debut as soloists, in duos or trios. They can even debut in groups. Members in a group may range from 4 to 21. It’s not unusual to see so many members in a single group.
Want to know what exactly makes K-Pop so uniquely popular? Here they are:
Fancy and Picturesque Costumes
We are confident that the first thing that will capture your attention are the bright colours and the fancy clothes they wear. With a distinctive way of exhibiting the latest trends, they make a style statement, every time they perform. Their sets and costumes are meticulously selected which matches well with the specific theme or story narrated in their music videos.
Intensive Training
Kim Ji-Hyun who is professionally known as G.Soul is a South Korean singer-songwriter, was trained for almost 15 years before releasing his music. K-Pop idols are mostly mentored and groomed by their managers or agents for years before entering this industry. Intensive training and hard work make these young artists veteran performers by the time they enter this field.
Catchy Beats
The catchy beats of the songs are going to be stuck in your head forever and there's no escaping from it. No one can stop you from singing these songs despite the language barrier. Some appealing songs are Seventeen's "Clap", Twice's "TT" and BTS's "Mic Drop".
Narrative Music Videos
This industry is not just limited to random dancing and meaningless choruses, practically all Korean music, videos and lyrics tell stories. For instance, the WINGS album by the boy group, BTS shows different melodies of youth. It is an album about the growth of the seven members of the group, who find themselves caught in the face of inducement.
Choreography
An insane amount of practice, hard work and skill, goes into these live performances. Besides singing, K-Pop idols also perform such complex dance numbers. If you don't believe us just go watch Seventeen's "Don't Wanna Cry" or BTS's "Fire".
Versatility
A real K-pop idol is as trained as an actor as they are as a singer and dancer. K-pop artists are gifted, extremely hard workers, and star in flawlessly executed music videos. The best part is that they frequently involve other cultures in their songs. English words are commonly mixed-in with their stanzas/lyrics. Would you be surprised, if we tell you that some K-pop stars are from countries like Canada, Thailand, Japan, China and even America?
Connection with Fans
In their personal lives as well, most K-pop idols keep themselves involved by making creative and interesting videos about different things. This is the best way to stay connected with their fans as well. A lot of the renowned groups have their own variety shows and they often go live as well on different social media platforms.
From the November 2021 issue of FHM India.
Spotted a mistake, or your photo used without permission? Report a correction
in your inbox