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.
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