K-pop (Korean pop music) is nothing new to the global audience, but now, with the emergence of global K-pop groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK, this genre of music is becoming more and more popular.
K-pop is a generic name given to music from South Korea.
Kpop is a global phenomenon that invaded modern culture with the speed of light. It seems that the popularity of Korean culture began not only in visual and musical art, but in Korean cosmetics five years ago. Actually, Kpop takes its roots from the year 1992, and thanks to the bands Seo Taiji and Boys, we have become familiar with modern and unique Korean-style popular music. The history of how Korean popular music influenced the whole world is a great topic for an essay about Kpop.
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Even the most skeptical spectator can’t take their sight away from the screen when they see modern Kpop groups of beautiful singing girls and boys. That’s the most typical reason teachers like to assign such topics for essays as Kpop.
Some students don’t know how to start their research. We propose these students to pay attention to the samples of essays on WriteMyEssayOnline. Here you can get inspiration for any subject and discipline. WriteMyEssayOnline offers students to read an example of an academic essay on Kpop to understand better how to write an exciting essay about modern culture.
Why Is Kpop So Popular?
Korean pop is a musical genre that has taken the world by storm. According to a Tellwut survey, one out of three people has heard of Kpop (“Kpop?”). Kpop artists are idolized by their fans, so they are often called idols and for good reason. They are people of many talents, and their catchy music videos have imaginative choreography, colorful costumes, and good-looking singers who exude a special charm.
How did K-pop start?
Of course, initially K-pop was born in South Korea, but soon it captured the imagination of audiences throughout Asian. K-pop is not just a musical genre, because it followed the development of the Korean information technology industry and made the most of all the latest developments and technological innovations.
The history of K-pop began in 1992 with the performance of the South Korean boy band Seo Taiji and Boys. They were the first to attempt to “Koreanize” modern American rap, adding dance and a Korean artistic sensibility to the music. Later, one of the members of Seo Taiji and Boys, Yang Hyun Suk, opened YG Entertainment, a record label and talent agency.
By the end of the 90s, K-pop had become not just a popular music genre, but a national treasure, along with Korean dramas. The state began to use content as a tool of soft influence on neighboring countries – Japan and China, and then far beyond Asia. The rapid spread of Korean culture has been described as the “Hallyu effect” (or “Korean wave”), with this effect reverberating through the South Korean economy.
In 2004, the export of all entertainment content amounted to 0.2% of the country’s GDP and was estimated at $1.87 billion, and 15 years later – it had already reached $12.3 billion.
Most popular bandsThe band BTS epitomizes K-pop. Due to the popularity of K-pop, even those who haven’t been following this musical trend may have heard of BTS. BTS along with other Korean artists appear in the world rankings of ‘persons of the year,’ become ambassadors of luxury fashion houses, and even release collaborations with tech giants. But all this did not come overnight.
K-pop made PSY a star with his viral track Gangnam Style and gave the world the likes of 2NE1, Big Bang and Blackpink, all of whom also have record-breaking hits. After YG Entertainment, entertainment companies SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment entered the Korean market and contributed to the popularization of K-pop.
The basis of the spread in global popularity, and not just in the Asian region, was the spread of social networks and mobile devices with internet access. Thanks to the creation of accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, representatives of the K-pop genre have become incredibly popular all over the world.
Reasons for popularity
First of all, Kpop songs are catchy, and it is hard for listeners to forget them. An author of the American music magazine Rolling Stone believes that Korean popular music “preys on listeners’ heads with repeated hooks” (Benjamin). It is hard to deny his statement considering the overwhelming popularity of “Gangnam Style” with its 3.5 billion views on YouTube (Park).
Furthermore, Korean music videos are also known for astonishing visuals. These videos glitter with the bright colors of the costumes and lively dance numbers that are hard to forget. One of the most memorable music videos is “Catallena” by Orange Caramel that shows different sushi sets represented as real people.
It should also be mentioned that all singers have a unique style and image. Actually, it is crucial to be extremely attractive and multi-talented to be successful in this industry. For instance, the boy band GOT7 made spectacular tricks and elements from martial arts a special part of its performance (Wang).
Rumor has it that in the Asian region there are literally K-pop farms that churn out groups and keep them in optimal shape. And the reason is simple – it is a very, very profitable business.
Thus, the popularity of Kpop is caused by multiple factors. Undoubtedly, the music is good, but most importantly, beautiful Korean singers hook the audience with catchy tunes and spectacular dances. That is what makes Kpop not just a genre, but a global phenomenon.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Jeff. “The 10 K-Pop Groups Most Likely to Break in America.” Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-10-k-pop-groups-most-likely-to-break-in-america-158612/miss-a-80444/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
Jae-sang, Park. “PSY – GANGNAM STYLE(강남스타일) M/V.” YouTube, uploaded by officialpsy, 15 June 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
“Kpop?” Tellwut. 2013, www.tellwut.com/surveys/entertainment/music/41380-kpop-.html/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
Orange Caramel. “[MV] ORANGE CARAMEL ‘까탈레나(Catallena)’ Music video.” YouTube, uploaded by PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT, 12 March 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Med2XipHJJM/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
Wang, Angelina. “K-Pop’s GOT7 Has It All: Glamour, Stellar Sound, Killer Good Looks, and True Diversity in an Otherwise Strictly Controlled Industry.” South China Morning Post, Young Post, 15 Aug. 2019, yp.scmp.com/entertainment/music/article/108143/k-pops-got7-has-it-all-glamour-stellar-sound-killer-good-looks/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
What Else to Analyze In Your K-Pop Paper
If you need more ideas about what to analyze in your essay, check this out:
- BTS and BLACKPINK and how they influenced the development of K-pop.
- Aegyo.
- Bias.
- Comeback (every release of new music since debut).
- Dance practices.
- Debut.
- Fancam (video made by fans or music shows featuring one particular idol during a performance).
- Fanchant.
- Leader.
- Maknae.
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