What is K-pop & Why Do I Love It?

The official definition for K-pop, according to the online Merriam Webster dictionary, is this: popular music originating in South Korea and encompassing a variety of styles. Of course, if you're not originally from Korea, then an obvious first assumption of what K-pop is may be tied to the most popular groups in the mainstream like Twice, Blackpink or BTS. There are a lot more groups than just them though, and this particular type of music has existed for quite some time.

Those who are recruited to be part of a K-pop group do not have to be Korean born, and the process of being assigned to such a group could arguably be seen as more intensive in some ways compared to the music industry in America, but what this all boils down to in reality is determination, dedication and constant practice. There aren’t many differences between the industries; it’s more so about talent and a variety of different skill sets that come together to help create the perfect K-pop group. In America, people generally like to place expectations onto teen pop idols or other celebrities to be a good example for younger generations, but in Korea, there are no general expectations set by the general public (or at least, none that I’m aware of). It’s standard and written in contracts that all members within a K-pop have to follow strict protocols in order to maintain appearances. Examples of this will be described in more detail later on.

The members of Blackpink are Rose`, Lisa, Jisoo and Jennie, and this is one of my top favorite groups that I honestly have become quite fond of lately. Last week, I watched a documentary that highlights their journey into becoming who they are now, and a lot of their success isn’t something that just fell into their lap or that happened overnight. In a way, I guess you can say that the story behind their success is similar to a story of what you would hear from American Idol or America’s Got Talent as they weren’t the only girls there who were scouted out in the beginning.

So as stated in a previous paragraph, there are certain protocols that girl groups in particular have to follow. My knowledge on this mainly comes from the documentary that Blackpink released on Netflix, but here are some examples: they’re not allowed to date, they aren’t allowed to own a car or much less drive one, and because of the image that they have to maintain by company standards, they also have to keep their behavior strictly professional. For any “Blink”- a term used to describe their most loyal or extremely dedicated fans- these people would know that as the members age, some of these standards may loosen up over time after they have trained hard enough to earn such freedom. Another can of worms to open up on would be the topic of beauty standards within the world K-pop and Korea in general, but because I don’t know enough to speak on the matter, we’ll save that for a future blog post (perhaps I can make a part 2 on this later down the line).

BTS, as well known as they are, continues to be a favorite for me because of the diversity in their musical style. The members of this group are Kim Namjoon (better known as RM), Kim Seokjin (aka. Jin), Jung Hoseok (aka. J-hope), Min Yoongi (aka. Suga), Kim Taehyung (aka, V), Park Jimin (officially known as Jimin) and Jeon Jeongguk (aka. Jungkook). I first discovered BTS after BYU Vocal Point made a cover of one their more popular singles, “Dynamite”, and it was after listening to the original version of the song that I fell in love with not just BTS, but also the entire genre of K-pop in general.

The genre for me seems to hold such an appeal for more than just one specific reason. It’d be easy for me to say that I love BTS because of how cute they are or because they have a boyish charm that reminds me of past boy bands back when I was 13, but I’m not going to lie or act like that’s not a valid reason in my eyes at least. The history of boy bands in general and how they’re made is mostly catered towards the female audience, but just like Blackpink, their musical style and how expressive they are in their singing and dancing is also another reason for me being so captivated by what they do. For example, some of my favorites that I would recommend are their dance rehearsal videos for songs like “Mic Drop”, “ON”, “Dope” or “Fake Love”. The way these boys dance together as a group is honestly so well in-sync, and for videos like “Boy With Love”, “Butter” or “Permission to Dance”, you can tell that every inch of their choreography training has paid off well over the years. I should also mention that 3 of the members know how to rap (RM, Suga and J-hope). When you combine that with the talents of the other members, it really all just comes together perfectly.

So as much as I love my American boy bands like Big Time Rush or the Jonas Brothers, I feel like K-pop has become a bridge of sorts when it comes to my musical interests and my innate existence as an Asian American. Obviously I don’t know much about Korean culture nor do I speak the Korean language/dialect, but when I have my headphones plugged in and engage myself in this one genre, a small part of me feels more connected to my Asian roots.

Moving On From Minimalism? (Personal Update)

So while I do still believe that minimalism has served me well for quite some time now, I'd say that the way I put it into action has moved past that initial stage of decluttering the stuff in my life. My style is pretty well defined now thanks to the many changes and experimentation I've gone through, and keeping things organized/clutter-free within my space seems to be easy for me now. Be it, my mental health could still use some work at times, but I can only do so much to help myself. We'll save that topic for later on, though. 

Some of the people I follow online who have practiced minimalism for several years now have made videos with titles that are similar to what I've chosen for this particular blog post. Moving on, redefining its meaning, or just becoming more lenient on the supposed "rules" that one has to follow to be a minimalist... all of those things are good to ponder or think about, and naturally, I think it's good for us to evolve and adapt to different perspectives in life. In the case of minimalism however, I feel like it's time for me personally to stop writing about minimalism in the traditional sense, or to stop capitalizing on the word itself when making posts like this in general. 

YouTube is a weird platform, and because I'm someone who has - for the prolonged seasons of my time making blog posts - relied on YouTube for inspiration, I find that there's really no right or wrong way to define what it means to live simply or be more intentional with your time and energy. Call it whatever you want (simple living, intentional living, minimalism, etc.), but ultimately, the goal is to just create a life that helps you to experience more of what matters to you. 

This month for me at least has been up and down in terms of my mental health, but I've also had plenty of moments of joy and fun along the way. I definitely feel more like myself when I'm around people who bring joy to my life. The only thing that has kept me from being fully present at times is my worries about the future. It's easier said than done sometimes, just allowing myself to breathe and not becoming so hung up on things I can't control. What seems to be helping me the most in those times of worry is listening to music and meditating. "It's okay for me to let go; I'll just let go"... That's the mantra that I'm trying to keep in mind, and while it does work, I kind of have to be in the right head space to really make that mantra stick. 

Personal Style Analysis for 2022 + My Shoe Collection

I know I don’t go to fancy events often, and I know that my current life situation leans more on the casual side. In saying these things however, I know that I’m still someone who likes to feel put together and look presentable- and stylish of course. 

These days, I wouldn’t say that there’s a specific niche within my style, but I know that at the core of it, I prefer to wear things that are comfortable and fuss-free. I also know that my style during one season differs from the other. During the spring/summer months, I tend to be more playful with trends (in moderation) and like to find ways to be creative with them. During the fall/winter months however, I tend to keep things casual and laid back with fewer trendy pieces. I feel like because of this juxtaposition within my wardrobe, my closet overall has become a lot more lenient, and the choices I’ve made don’t add up to what’s considered the “perfect” capsule wardrobe. Everybody’s style is different, so if there’s any word to really describe my wardrobe, I’d say it marries in a different variation of “rules” that are personal to my taste and preferences while still keeping things minimal. I don’t like having an overwhelming amount of options when it comes to clothes, and so the one minimalist rule I like to follow with my wardrobe is the “one in, one out” method. 

So since we’re talking about closets and personal style in this post, I’d say that the choices I’ve made in footwear for this year so far haven’t been too drastic or dramatic. The only pair of shoes I’ve donated so far are these chunky white sandals as they just felt out of place with the other options I have. That, plus they just felt like they were too casual for my liking considering the kinds of outfit combinations I like to wear. Keeping in mind that my color palette involves black as an anchor of sorts, I decided to add a pair of 3-inch block heels (in black) as well as some sandals in the same color that are for more casual purposes. The rest of what I own has pretty much stayed the same.

FULL LIST

4 boots:

Combat-style boots

Brown suede boots (w/ heel)

Tan/light beige ankle boots

3-inch block-heeled booties

3 sandals:

Clarks sandals w/ low heel (white)

Black strappy sandals*

Brown wedge sandals 

Coach brand loafers (from TJ Maxx)

Michael Kors heels in nude pink (TJ Maxx)

3-inch block-heeled sandals*

Tan slide-ons with white trim

Old Clarks loafers (I’ve had these since the start of high school!)

Croc sandals (for summer)

House shoes/slippers (for winter)

Note: I also own 3 pairs of sneakers that I use interchangeably for work, so when adding those into my collection, the total number of shoes I own is 17. Without them, the total adds up to 14. 

(*)- asterisk indicates new purchase