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K-Pop – A new global phenomenon – Why is K-Pop so popular?

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K-Pop is recognized as ‘Popular music in South Korea’. It is not only music in some unknown language, but, a culture in itself. Characterized by wide range of influences from world music, ingenious music videos, sheer hard work, dedication and genuine talent sets it apart from any other genre present in the world music scene. Thanks to its distinctive blend of addictive melodies, production values, slick choreography and an endless parade of attractive South Korean performers who spend years in grueling studio systems, learning to sing and dance in perfect synchronization, K-Pop has become a truly global phenomenon.

k-pop

“K-Pop”. We have often come across the term “K-Pop”. What is K-Pop? Why is it becoming such a global phenomenon?

K-Pop is recognized as ‘Popular music in South Korea’. It is not only music in some unknown language, but, a culture in itself. Characterized by wide range of influences from world music, ingenious music videos, sheer hard work, dedication and genuine talent sets it apart from any other genre present in the world music scene.  Thanks to its distinctive blend of addictive melodies, production values, slick choreography and an endless parade of attractive South Korean performers who spend years in grueling studio systems, learning to sing and dance in perfect synchronization, K-Pop has become a truly global phenomenon.

With the latest advancements in technology, an increase in the use of social media platforms, and as a major part of “Hallyu” the Korean Wave, K-Pop is rapidly gaining massive popularity in the world music scene.  This genre doesn’t restrict itself to a particular genre of music. The Korean groups generally switch concepts every time they release a new album. Their style of music varies with influences from RnB, Hip-Hop, experimental and EDM on top of its traditional Korean music roots. High quality Audio Visual content, systematic training, hybrid genres, transnational values, use of English phrases and thorough marketing strategies has helped these artists gain exponential popularity internationally.

Why is K-Pop becoming so popular?

ACCESSIBLE AND RELATABLE  TO EVERYONE

K-Pop touches and appeals various genres, genders, age groups, languages and nationalities. Though most of the songs are in Korean, regular use of English phrases, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish etc. makes the reach even more widespread. Elements from various genres and catchy melodies can be highly appealing to the masses.

THEORY OF COSTUMES AND COLORS

One of the most striking features of K-Pop videos is the creative use of bright colors and costumes. K-Pop idols redefine fashion through their videos. They have a unique way of interpreting and displaying current trends. The music videos are often heavily refined and well thought with the use of effects, make-up, colorful outfits, lights etc. serving a greater theme and vision.

MULTI-TALENTED ARTISTS

K-Pop idols are extremely talented and work extremely hard on their skills. Most successful K-Pop artists can sing, dance and act as well. They make T.V. and film appearances very often. These artists train for a long period from an early age and are taught everything from dance, singing, production, acting rapping etc. by the companies who sign them eventually. This makes them flawless performers. Not everyone can make it through to these training sessions unless they have true talent.

CATCHY TUNES AND ADDICTIVE MELODIES

The most striking feature of popular music is the use catchy hook lines and sing-along lyrics. K-Pop is no different. They belt out melodies that instantly get stuck in your head. Despite the language barrier, there’s no escaping from the catchy tunes and addictive melodies they offer.

CHOREOGRAPHY AND ROUTINES

K-Pop idols completely dominate this area. They can not only sing and dance. They can very smoothly perform challenging and complicated dance routines which are generally performed by truly professional and skilled dancers. They put in an insane amount of hard work in training their skills. They are well known to perform such complex acts and routines with ease even when they are performing live.

COMPLETE PACKAGE OF PERFORMANCE AND VISUALS

The music and dance itself doesn’t make these idols what they are. It is the complete package that includes huge investments in music videos and performances, songs released with story and are theme specific, jaw- dropping performances and updated trends. Fashion, make-up and hair design are a part of the visually pleasing personalities these idols thrive to acquire.

K-POP IDOLS AND THEIR FANS – THE FANDOM/FAN CULTURE

K-Pop artists provide a lot of content to their fans through social media and keep them entertained. They release their music, special collaborations with other artists, TV shows, covers, videos and pictures. The content is generally very appealing to their fans. They try to maintain a close link with their fans by communicating with them through various means. A true fan of K-Pop always sees himself/herself as a part of a bigger close knit global community. They are extremely active online and offline as well.

Here are the top ten most talked about and most mentioned K-Pop groups in 2020 so far on Twitter. Download and stream their music, watch their videos, follow them on social media platforms and THANK US LATER.

10. TXT

TXT

9. ATEEZ

ATEEZ

8. SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN

7. NCT 127

NCT 127

6. X1

X1

5. MONSTA X

MONSTA X

4. GOT7

GOT7

3. BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK

2. EXO

EXO

1. BTS

BTS

K-Pop, over the years, has successfully been able to push against its own rigid norms by using modern themes and sophisticated subtexts. With all the changes and paradoxes, the future of K-Pop looks surely bright with even more diverse artists, with an ever increasing number of independent artists, Korean culture catching the world’s attention and the overhaul of technology and social media. K-Pop is here to stay and the future looks extremely fantastic.

We will keep sharing regular updates, latest news and more recommendations on world music here. So stay tuned, keep enjoying the good music and watch this space for more.

By : Atul Pandey

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