Reasons for K-Pop's Popularity: Analytical Essay

K-pop is a type of music originating in South Korea. Korea pop music is influenced by styles and genres from around the world. For example, jazz, hip-hop, country classical are all K-pop roots. K-pop idol culture began with the boy band H.O.T. in 1996. In 2003 TVXQ and BOA started a new generation of K-pop idols. Now as for development, not only in East Asia and Southeast Asia, but also in India, Latin America, North Africa, the Middle East and even though in Western countries, gain global fans. K-pop is the most popular style of music all around the world. The Korean artists have unique musical and performance styles, Entertainment company has well strategized for K-pop groups and the Korean artists pay off hard work. These are all the best prove for why K-pop is so popular?

First Main Idea

First of all, the development of K-pop, made the Korean artists have unique musical and performance styles than European pop music or other types of music. In this website ‘Why K-Pop Is Growing?’, written by Teenink organization, one can see K-pop artists have a different style of music and performance and they are all very good at what they do. Korean artists concert tickets can quickly sell out in America at the Madison Square Garden. K-pop band was on the David Letterman Show. A song by Wonder Girls was included in the Billboard Hot 100 Songs. A Korean-Pop chart was even added to the Billboard charts. The author has new thoughts about K-pop and American music by these phenomena. For example, “the Korean artists have unique musical and performance styles, which are new and fresh compared to some American styles” (Teenink). This quotation shows that K-pop’ unique musical and performance styles is American styles insurmountable. American artists such as Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, all sing and dance, but they all perform like a same way. In this respect, K-pop artists have diversified musical and performance. On the basis of dancing and singing, each group is difference. For instance, a famous Korean boy band named 2AM will just stand on the stage and sing slow and emotional songs. When people think of 2AM, they will imagine concept of gentle, sweet guy. Another famous Korean girl group named f(x). They always sing about things that do not really make sense together. When people think of f(x) will imagine concept of naughty and cute girl. 2AM and f(x) are two of the many of how Korean music is difference from American music. The other artists all have unique musical and performance styles and they are difference from each other.

In addition, in the website, ‘K-Pop Takes America: How South Korea’s Music Machine Is Conquering the World’, written by Flatley, L. Joseph, one can see K-pop have unique musical and performance styles and it is where the East meets the West in a musical uncanny valley. Psy’s has become a bit of a world-wide sensation, and has achieved what all K-pop artists have failed to do with any real success, it has broken into the American market. Actually, Psy’s is much different than most K-pop. There are lots of Irony, humor and Korea star rules in that video, while other K-pop songs are serious and very well crafted. “K-pop is catchy and calculating strain of Korean popular music, including every contemporary musical genre, a conflation of the various strains of electronic dance music” (Joseph). This quotation shows K-pop music type is catchy and extensive. K-pop is influenced by styles and genres from around the world. Compare with black music, K-pop have really short music history. It is because of this, K-pop mixed different types of music like R&B, House, Britpop and World Music, but also reflects K-pop musical uniqueness. Strong music and group dance have influenced another characteristic of Korea music - catchy. For example, in the most popular girl group named Twice, this song has mentioned likely this word 42 times.

In the end, while both authors are talk about K-pop music and performance, one compares Korea music with America music, while the other introduces K-pop two characteristics. However, these examples both show Korean artists have unique musical and performance styles.

Second Main Idea

Secondly, K-pop industry’s success and entertainment company has well strategized are inseparable. In the website, ‘Why Is K-Pop So Popular?’, written by AsiaPundits organization, one can see the popular and visible music industry in Korea has everything to do with actual entertainment companies. JYP, SM, YG are the most famous entertainment companies in K-pop. Most people who have an interest in K-pop know which entertainment company their favorite artists belong to and have preferences to one specific entertainment company. For example, JYP entertainment company like trainee who has good moral characters. SM entertainment company like trainee who looks pretty. YG entertainment company like trainee who has strength. “As time has gone by, I have come to realize that these record labels are shrewd and smart cookies indeed. They have built up an industry based on a kind of music” (AsiaPundits organization). The quotation in this website shows the main entertainment companies YG, SM, JYP have the great advantage because company only need to put trainee together in such one group so long as they are young and beautiful boys and girls with talents to perform. These three entertainment companies have a never-ending production line of new star and resources they have at hand, it is enough for these new stars to become top and popular groups.

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Furthermore, in the website, ‘Why Is K-Pop So Popular?’, written by Hallyu Guide’s writer, one can see entertainment company has well strategized is depend on put K-pop idols into groups. In K-pop industry, K-pop group represented normalcy. Hundreds of performers make their debut every year, but think of the most popular, the most famous artists, not K-pop solo singers but K-pop bands. Such as, BTS, EXO, TWICE, BLACKPINK. “This is actually a planned technique. This may sound like nonsense at first, but if you really think about it from a marketing point of view, it will make sense” (Hallyu Guide’s writer). This quotation shows, if is solo singer, advantage and disadvantage is finite. On the contrary, many hands make light work, viewers have plenty of choice to choose they like. Here’s an example, there is a clothing store only sells 2 types of products bundled and non-bundled clothing. With the bundled one, you have a variety of styles in a single package. At the same time, the non-bundled only offered one style. Assuming price is not a factor, people will more likely to buy bundled one, because you will get will types.

In the end, both authors have same aspect is that entertainment companies has well strategized for K-pop groups. The nuance of strategize that one is company provided resources and have a never-ending production line of new star, while the other is K-pop groups are better from a marketing point of view than idols or solo singers.

Third Main Idea

Finally, behind all the glamorous, have survived numerous dark nights. Wanted success will require efforts. It is the true meaning of K-pop industry. In the website, ‘How K-Pop Became a Global Phenomenon: No Country Takes Its Fluffy Pop Music More Seriously than South Korea’, written by Romano Aja, one can see how the company system strictly to manage artists. From trainee period, trainee have to take dancing, singing, acting and even language class to become a global star. “K-pop has become the international face of South Korea thanks to an extremely regimented coordinated production system” (Romano, Aja) This quotation demonstrates in this coordinated production most of these trainees are still in school, trainee have to jugging school life and trainee life. The worst part is you will never know if you ever get the chance to debut. For instance, Jihyo from Twice had to train for ten years before officially debuting as an idol group member, so make effort is only possible way to be succeed. This is reason why Jihyo is popular artist now.

Furthermore, the website, ‘The Extremes that Koreans Take to Become a K-Pop Idol: It’s More than Just Good Looks and Great Talent’, written by Chua Jessica, one can see the Korean artists need to pay off hard work to become popular group. Korean aesthetic standard is thin is beautiful, so K-pop artists have extreme diet to keep fit. For example, “Nine Muses is an idol group who is known to follow a ‘paper cup diet’. This unusual plan basically requires you to fill a small disposable cup with any food – of course it has to be healthy – to maintain a very controlled food proportion and keep you in shape” (Jessica). This quotation shows that female artist ways of losing weight is scary, fill a disposable cup with any food to eat is unhealthy, but as an artist. They still need to insisted. Some idols not only have to lose weight but also maintain the current weight, which can be tough because of the intense dancing and exercise they do for hours on end every day. This is hard work artists pay off.

Specifically, we can see that both authors tried to tell us artists pay off lots of effort to exchange successful. One is long and hard period of trainee life, while the other is keep fit, eat extreme diet. Being a K-pop idol is more than just having good looks and amazing talent. Break down the blood, sweat and tears that it could possibly to become a successful K-pop star.

Conclusion

In conclusion, K-pop is the most popular style of music all around the world must be reasons for it. There are three reasons, K-pop is different from other types of music and performance, K-pop industry have great strategized for K-pop group and K-pop artists put effort on their work. For a couple of decades now, K-pop groups have come and gone, they had their time in the sun when they were young, beautiful and fashionable!

Works Cited

1. Romano, Aja. “How K-Pop Became a Global Phenomenon: No Country Takes Its Fluffy Pop Music More Seriously than South Korea”. Vox. Com. Vox, 26 Feb. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.
2. Author Unknown. “Why is K-pop So Popular?” blog.Hallyuguide.com. Hallyu Guide Blog, 12 June. 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2018.
3. Author Unknown. “Why K-pop is Growing?” teenink.com. Teenink, 27 March. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2018.
4. Author Unknown. “Why is K-pop So Popular?” asiapundits.com. Asiapundits, 26 August. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.
5. Chua, Jessica. “The Extremes that Koreans Take to Become a K-pop Idol: It’s More than Just Good Looks and Great Talent”. rojakdaily.com. Rojakdaily, 27 January. 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2019.
6. Flatley, L. Joseph. “K-Pop Takes America: How South Korea’s Music Machine Is Conquering the World” theverge. com. The Verge, 18 October. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2019.