Blog #13: An Introduction to K-Pop
By: Sara Smolock
K-pop has slowly been rising in popularity over the years. Its original modern origin is attributed to the group Seo TaIji and Boys hit song “Nan Arayo” which came out in April of 1992. Although it really started to take off internationally with groups like BigBang, 2Ne1 and Girls Generation. You might have first heard about the genre through the popularly memed song of 2012 “Gangnam Style.”
Nowadays you most likely know of K-pop through the popularity of the boy group BTS. They have crushed all the records of any past K-pop group, AND many records of popular American artists. In 2018, BTS became a part of the ONLY 12 artists to completely sell out all 60,000 seats in London’s Wembley Stadium. Joining legends such as Queen, Micheal Jackson and Beyonce.
Despite BTS’s achievements, they are horribly discriminate against by the American public with many stereotyping them as “A boy band of gay looking men” They are also directly discriminated against in the American music market. For example you most likely never heard a BTS song on the radio. If you have, it might have been a song that features a western artist on it or their ONLY all English song “Dynamite.” I could go on with examples of how they have been treated badly by the industry, but I doubt you want to read a 100 page long blog post. (I have previously written an entire 8 page research paper on this topic to prove my point further)
Although here are TWO of the worst examples…
In 2019 the VMA’S created an entirely new award category for BTS titled “Best K-pop group” They did this in my opinion, in order to keep them from competing against western artists for bigger awards like “Album of the year.” Especially considering that same year BTS broke the Beatles record of having 3 #1 albums in a 12 month time period.
This year BTS was nominated for a Grammy under the category “Best Pop Duo/Group performance” This was a huge milestone for them, but many fans were disappointed when they realized that once again the only song of theirs acknowledged was their ONLY all English track. The Grammy’s then decided to push their award announcement for their pre show live stream. BTS ended up losing in their category to a Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande collaboration. On top of that they put BTS performance at the end of their entire award show. Forcing them to be awake for roughly 10 hours, causing them to lose a lot of sleep due to time zone differences. As well as using their large fan base for views.
With all that, you may be wondering “Why do they have so many fans?” In my opinion i think it’s due to their relatable song lyrics, which are explored through many different music genres and dance routines. BTS like to write songs about tough topics such as mental health, self acceptance, and discrimination. They also often dive into philosophy in many of their albums and sometimes base their concepts on famous philosophers works such as Carl Jung’s studies of psyche, ego and collective unconscious in their most recent album “Map of the soul:7”
It is hard to believe with all the love they put out in the world, they are still met with so much unjust hate and unnecessary judgment.
The leader of the group Rm has been famously quoted saying “Music transcends languages.” in response to people doubting BTS success in the American music market.
So my questions to you are….
Do you think music truly can transcend languages?
Why do you think K-pop gets labeled with so many stereotypes in the west?
Do you often listen to music that is not in English?
Great topic, Sara. It's also very illuminating, as many people have heard of the genre but haven't really been exposed to it outside of the crazy hits like "Gangnam Style," as you say. I actually learned about K-pop through none other than my students (dating back quite some time). It's a popular writing topic for students who love this music.
ReplyDeleteI especially like the idea that K-pop (or in this case BTS) transcends language, geography, culture, etc. through their universal themes. I also never knew about the subtle (and sometimes blatant) stereotyping or dissing of the genre on the part of Westerners. I always saw K-pop as super fun--great for parties, perfect for weddings :) But maybe that's part of the unconscious 'stereotyping.' Many of the popular hits are catchy and perhaps cheesy from a Western perspective. But the genre and its entertainers have so much more to offer....
Hi Sara, I think that music can transcend languages. I listen to a variety of music, not just in English but in Arabic as well. I also enjoy listening to Turkish music, Spanish music, and more. I do not know why K-pop gets labeled so many stereotypes despite being so popular and having one of the biggest fandoms out there. I think people can benefit from listening to different types of music. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI personally do not listen to K-pop but I find it extremely unfair how they are treated. Different types of music are different versions of art. On social media, although BTS receives an overwhelming amount of love, I have witnessed the racist comments directed towards their group. It is extremely uncalled for especially since being able to perform at the Grammys is a huge milestone. We live in a country made up of different cultures and people of different ethnicities so to only acknowledge English seems a little off. As a Polish person, I tend to sometimes listen to Polish music as well as Spanish music because of my friends!
ReplyDeleteHi Sara, other than English songs i also listen to Italian and Spanish songs, I have never been interested in Kpop since i don't understand the language nor do i understand the KPOP culture. I'm not really informed on Kpop so i don't know anything about the stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI truly do believe that music can transcend languages. Lyrics aren't the only element in music that is important. For instance, you have your rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and etc. These elements help emphasize the words that are being sung. What you feel when listening to music is what is truly important, no matter the language. Yes, sometimes I do listen to music that isn't in English. I’ll mostly listen to music in Spanish. Everyone deserves to represent their country and share this story with the world.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't listen to non-English music too often, I do have an appreciation for it, and it's obvious that BTS and other K-pop artists have a lot of talent. I do think that music can "transcend languages," as music in other languages is equally incredible, and meaningful to tons of people. Even though I don't know much about K-pop in general, I do agree that it's horribly unfair the way they're treated by various people and the media. They most likely get labeled with certain stereotypes because of ignorant people that don't understand and are just looking to be hateful. All in all, they're popular for a reason, and it's impressive how far they've come.
ReplyDeleteAntonia Sussina
DeleteYes, I think that music can transcend languages. Although I don’t listen to K-Pop, I do have a few songs on my playlists that are in languages other than English such as German, Japanese, and Russian. I think that K-Pop gets labeled with stereotypes in the west because K-Pop is still relatively new to most of America. I only heard about BTS about 4 years ago and the rest of my family first heard about them about a year ago when their song “Dynamite” was on the radio. I'm sure as time goes on and more of the west is exposed to K-Pop the stereotypes will fade.
ReplyDelete-Devin Boone
I believe that is the song is good enough; it can transcend languages. I think K-pop gets branded with so many stereotypes in the west because it is still new and can be easily defined by one thing since it is not that well known in the west yet. I tend to listen to older rock, but I will occasionally listen to music in Italian even though I can’t fully understand it.
ReplyDelete-Anthony Villanella
1. I truly do think that music transcends languages. As someone who has been involved in the world of music for as long as I can remember, I think music does just this and speaks on topics/feelings and emotions that words itself cannot do.
ReplyDelete2. I think K-Pop has so many stereotypes and is highly judged upon because it is originated from one country with a specific type of sound and look, therefore, many assumptions can be made.
3. To be honest, I do mostly listen to English-based music, but there are some songs that are in a different language that I do enjoy, I am just very skeptical.
Yes, I defiantly believe that music transcends languages. I first heard BTS's song "Blood, Sweat and Tears" sophomore year and fell in love with the emotions and melody. I could tell that they were amazing producers and exceptional performers. Its a shame that the music industry is racist and unwelcoming to other foreign artists. I believe they reflect the perspective of their listeners, and because many Americans aren't interested in outside music, they do not give them the attention they deserve. I am open to listen to foreign music, such as Arabic, French, Japanese ,Korean, Turkish, and more.
ReplyDeleteMusic most certainly has the ability to transcend languages from all over the world and merge cultures together. That being said, the music industry does not always have acceptance for foreign artists and can even have a prejudice mindset in a variety of ways. BTS has the perfect look and sound to be successful in the United States music industry. This is due to their vigorous training in Korea to basically be perfect from how they dance to their physical appearance overall. Regardless of the language, a song can touch the hearts of people and relay a memorable message to the listeners which is simply the power of music. I love listening to music in different languages and dialects, more specifically in Spanish due to my nationality.
ReplyDelete