K-Pop: The Global Phenomenon

You could argue that pop culture has consisted of young, talented people since its origin. The difference between the past and present is not to do with talent or age, but it is more to do with location. When you think of pop culture from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s, you are likely to think of American and English bands, singers and actors from across the generations (all of who’s ‘stardom’ most likely extended across international borders, influencing a global audience). It was very rare during this time for talent and exposure to flow in the opposite direction, as very few popstars and actors from other areas of the world succeeded in becoming globally famous or reaching number 1 positions in the American and English markets. Around five years ago however, this took a completely unexpected turn as ‘BTS’ (one of the world’s first internationally recognised K-Pop bands) burst into the American music scene and changed what we all thought to be as pop culture forever.  

Despite its recent international explosion and rapidly growing following, the roots of K-Pop actually date back to around the 1950’s. It all started with a Korean pop music trio called ‘The Kim Sisters’ who, regardless of their inability to speak any English conversationally, produced renditions of popular American music. This version of K-Pop, although a common favourite in any Korean household, never managed to break international borders; remaining to be of a national interest for a few decades. 

K-Pop originals, The Kim Sisters

 

Korean pop music really started to evolve into what many people recognise it to be today during the 1980’s onwards and was becoming an ever more prominent element of Korean culture. Artists continued to take inspiration from the American music industry as they incorporated various styles such as Pop, Hip Hop, Rap, Jazz, Rock etc., and adapted them into their own unique sound. A genre that was thoroughly enjoyed in most Korean households suddenly blew up when ‘BTS’ made their first ever U.S. performance in 2017. The music industry was completely shaken, and Korean pop music suddenly became part of an international mainstream. Initially, BTS were met with skepticism by the judges of the American talent show, but what shortly followed blatantly pointed out that they had missed the mark completely. Within a short space of time after their performance, BTS went viral and found themselves at the top of the charts on a global scale. The real revolutionary breakthrough of K-Pop had been ignited! 

K-Pop starts, BTS

 

Around this time, popular culture was already starting to (and still is in some ways) evolve and break away from what is considered the ‘norm’, and what is expected in terms of artists’ looks, appearance and sound. Due to this shift of influence, there was an evolutionary process happening in a sense, as pop culture began to celebrate people’s differences more. K-Pop therefore, entered the pop culture scene at the perfect time and truly became a revelation. It represented this shift in perspective as BTS rose to stardom and people experienced and welcomed its unique attributes and style within a market that had traditionally ruled by American and English influences. Audiences were opened up to something they probably hadn’t been exposed to before – a whole new world of Korean culture – and they loved it. 

Since then, there has been a continually growing number of K-Pop bands who have hit the scene trying to stand out from the crowd with their own adaptation of the genre. But one element of this popular culture which has seemed to remain consistent through the generations of newcomers, is the aesthetics that drive the success of a K-Pop band. We have touched on the fact that we typically associate pop culture with young, talented people. And, although what is considered to be the norm in this industry has been evolving, we may still associate it with (diverse) trend-setters, fashion icons and risk takers. It could be argued however, that a genre has never been so aesthetically driven as K-Pop. Rather than scouting talent and then developing their image into one that appeals to the masses, stars are recruited at a young age based on their looks first and then trained (in similar regimes to what you might think of in regard to Olympic athletes), in becoming the singing, dancing, style icons of the K-Pop world. As a result of this, the K-pop culture has not only spread across the music industry globally, but it has had a huge influence on the global fashion and beauty industries.  

Due to its rise throughout these global industries, as well as its continuous influence through social media channels, K-Pop now represents way more than just unique musical talent, but it has become a lifestyle aspiration for many of its fans. As with many global stars, K-Pop idols are used as marketing tools to influence their fans actions and consumption. People from across the world now want to experience a much wider element of the K-Pop trend, whether that be through their style, skincare, or even their interactions and lingo.  A perfect representation of this is the K-Pop slang word, ‘aegyo’ which is used to convey an individual’s action of being overly cute and charming (in relation to K-Pop stars themselves, this is action is usually with the aim to please fans).  

As South Korea, therefore, continues to produce stars that are not only talented pop idols, but perfectly styled, socially conscious and capable of creating a storm by engaging with their audience through various social media channels, we are continuing to see Korean culture influence what is known to be mainstream culture across the world. Its popularity has essentially become a soft power in today's modern societies, as young generations become more and more obsessed with the music, style and lifestyle of the K-Pop era. As it stands, we would describe Korean pop culture as an unstoppable force.  

We would like to ask you one crucial question about the K-Pop era though... As it continues to establish itself as an outstanding concept in popular culture and adapts to the interests of its global audience, do we risk jeopardising what made K-Pop popular in the first place? Its uniqueness. Its willingness to step outside of the mainstream. Its historical ties to Korean culture.