![]() K-Pop as Part of South Korea’s Strategic Vision Romaro explains the appeal of K-pop as a result of a “blend of addictive melodies, slick choreography and production values, and an endless parade of attractive South Korean performers.” Thus, the unique strategy that K-pop record labels use allows them to appeal to the global audience by creating simple melodies and including elements of well-known genres. Instead, it uses elements of music from different cultures and genres. This signifies an essential element of K-pop music since this genre does not present music and themes that are only specific to the Korean culture. The main elements that distinguished their style were – “Korean lyrics, Euro-pop, African American hip-hop, and rap,” which signified a new sound of popular music ( How did K-Pop Conquer the World?). Notably, the performance and music of Seo Taiji and Boys differed from the music presented by other bands. Therefore, it appears that a single hit song helped K-pop attract the attention of the international audience to the entire genre since this happened with “I Know,” Boa’s songs, and “Gangnam Style.” Cheong states that the change happened when PSY’s song “Gangnam Style” entered the European charts (114). Many European countries, especially those located in Eastern Europe, remained unfamiliar with the K-pop culture for many years. Therefore, K-pop gained its initial popularity in the domestic market, attracting Koran youth, and expanded to other states in Asia. The Asian market, therefore, became the first prominent stage of development in K-pop’s history, since people in Japan, Chiana, and Taiwan listened to this music.Ĭheon argues that this is because K-pop incorporates the traditional values of Asian cultures combined with modernity, which is appealing to the younger audience in Asian cultures (113). Many of them topped the hit charts, providing reassurance to other K-pop performances that their music can be appreciated outside Korea. ![]() Korean artists, for example, Boa, were able to introduce their songs to the Japanese audience ( How did K-Pop Conquer the World?). The World Cup of 2002 that was held by Japan and Korea also affected the development of K-pop. Before this, music that incorporates lyrics in Korean was mostly popular among the older generations of Koreans, while the youth was fascinated with Western culture. The band Seo Taiji and Boys performed the song “I Know,” and although the band received the lowest score from the judges of the show, the song began to rapidly gain popularity ( How did K-Pop Conquer the World?). The first performance that marked the establishment of K-pop culture occurred in 1992 on a talent show. Jin and Yong argue that K-pop, as a global phenomenon, was established approximately 15 years ago (1277). This term, in particular, emerged as part of the global K-pop fascination, which began in Japan.īy examining the history of K-pop’s establishment, one can gain a better understanding of how this music became a cultural phenomenon. Hallyu is a Japanese word, which can be translated into English as a “Korean wave” (Romano). Therefore, currently, K-pop is recognized globally, and people across the world listen to the music produced by Korean artists.Īn important aspect that signifies the global impact of K-pop and Korean culture on the global society is the fact that the phenomenon has its own term, and it has gained attention from scholars. Additionally, “K-pop is now a multi-billion-dollar industry,” which, according to Romero, brings record labels approximately $5 billion a year, and tickets to performances of the biggest K-pop stars sell out within minutes ( How did K-Pop Conquer the World?). ![]() Romano cites examples of Korean TV series, skincare, and cuisine as the prime examples illustrating the interest that the global community displays towards Korea and its popular culture. One can argue that in recent years, Korean culture has been acknowledged and recognized globally. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |