The Hallyu wave has completely taken over our everyday lives; from staying up all night watching Korean dramas, gushing over the actors & actresses, to saving money for merch and concerts. The impact of Korean culture in our lives is highly evident. In fact, we even have Korean barbeque restaurants in our country to satisfy our Korean cravings. It’s quite obvious kung unsa na ta ka obsessed aning Korean Korean. I can attest to that!
Korean pop, popularly known as K-pop, has become one of the biggest trends around the globe. With their energetic and synchronized choreography, hip fashion sense, and attractive faces, it’s no wonder why their fandoms still continue to grow, taking the whole world.
HOW K-POP STARTED
After experimenting with various genres and styles, South Korean music had finally reached a new era.
Seo Taiji and Boys were the first ones to introduce modern Korean pop: singing about teen angst and other songs that address issues of their time. Vox, an American website, referred to them as “innovators who challenged norms around musical styles, song topics, fashion, and censorship.”
Then came the birth of the modern idol industry which started with Lee Soo Man, the founder of SM Entertainment — one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea that birthed the likes of Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and NCT.
Being an artist in K-pop (or commonly called as “K-pop idol”) is not an easy job. If you’re a K-pop fan, you already know the challenges that come with being a K-pop idol, which includes a “no dating” rule for the first few years, a squeaky-clean positive image to maintain, sasaeng (obsessive) fans, and the difficult trainee system. Companies set standards for the artists that they have, molding them to become this special character that would cater to the preferences of their target markets.
One thing that sets them apart from entertainment industries around the world is their trainee system. They derived this concept from the Japanese pop idol industry wherein the company will scout aspiring artists based on their looks or potential. It may be through open or closed auditions or just by scouting random people on the streets.
When someone is accepted as a trainee for an entertainment company, they must undergo classes in dancing, singing, as well as Korean and other foreign language classes. These classes are difficult and time-consuming, and it may take months or years for trainees before they can debut as a K-pop idol. It does not automatically mean they’ll be famous right away. Sometimes, they may never be able to debut at all.
K-POP ENTERS THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE
Promoting in South Korea, China, and Japan was the initial goal of entertainment companies. There are music shows in South Korea where idol groups can promote their new music with lavish set designs and amazing choreography, as well as amazing concerts that are held in these countries. K-pop’s growing popularity eventually made them expand to other countries.
K-pop was already quite known in the international market — names like PSY, Super Junior, Wonder Girls, BIGBANG, Girls Generation, and EXO might ring a bell – yet, it was not as famous as it is at present. Western countries are huge markets in the music industry; the US market brought in USD$7.3 billion in revenue in 2019. Yet, K-pop struggled to break into that market because of Western media’s criticism of K-pop for being too manufactured and forcing idols to sign unfair contracts.
So how did BTS break the barrier that led to K-pop being a dominant force today? (Writer’s disclaimer: I am not an ARMY whatsoever!)
Unlike other groups whose social media accounts are handled by their companies, members of BTS are actually the ones who control their joint account @bts_twt. This marketing strategy made fans feel closer to their idols which helped the fandom grow. They garnered a Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist in 2017 where they also gained the attention of the likes of Ansel Elgort and Miley Cyrus.
This helped the group gain more fans from the West which contributed a lot to their international success. Because of their massive success, other K-pop groups followed BTS’ footsteps in worldwide recognition.
BLACKPINK is the closest girl group counterpart of BTS in terms of global success as they broke streaming records on Youtube and Spotify, collaborated with Western artists such as Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga, and secured US Television guest gigs. Their tremendous success worldwide made BLACKPINK the first K-pop girl group to ever perform in Coachella — one of the biggest music and arts festivals in the world.
K-POP’S INFLUENCE TO PHILIPPINE POP CULTURE
Even before K-pop dominated the Western scene, the Philippines has long been influenced by K-pop to the point that Filipinos have been immersed in Korean culture.
Such influences include the K-pop inspired boy band SB19, wherein the members are similarly styled to those of K-pop boy bands. SB19 also went through three years of training like other K-pop groups!
The attractiveness of K-pop idols and their slay fashion styles also influenced the current fashion trends and beauty preferences of Filipinos. There are a lot of stores in the country where people can buy cosmetics and skincare products from Korea, a trend known as K-beauty. This led to many Filipinos desiring the ultimate “glass skin” look popularized by K-beauty.
K-pop idols are also household names in the country and they can often be seen as endorsers for Philippine brands, such as Twice as endorsers for Bench and BLACKPINK’s Lisa as endorser for Penshoppe.
BREAKING INTO THE WEST
Let’s be honest, we often associate “international music” with Western music, which is a common misconception. English may be a universal language, but songs don’t have to be in English in order to be successful worldwide. In fact, Latin music has dominated the worldwide music charts, which strengthens the fact that artists don’t have to be based in the West to be popular globally.
As K-pop has made its way to the international market, it did not just give us quality music, but its impact helped break the stereotype that international music is only based from the West. K-pop did not only dominate the West, but it conquered the world.
With that, K-pop is the revolution! And there are no signs of stopping anytime soon.
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