What is Korean Pop Music?

Korean pop music is often referred to as K-pop, and is a musical genre that originates from South Korea. K-pop is a blend of electronic, hip hop, and pop music genres, and is often characterized by its use of Auto-Tune and other electronic vocal effects.

Origins of K-Pop

K-pop is a music genre that originates from South Korea. It is a form of popular music that is influenced by Western music, but also has its own unique Korean elements. K-pop has become a global phenomenon in recent years, with groups like BTS and Blackpink becoming household names. If you’re curious about this genre of music, read on to learn more about its origins.

Hallyu Wave

The Hallyu Wave is a term used to describe the globalization of South Korean pop culture. The term was coined in China in the early 2000s to describe the growing popularity of Korean dramas, movies, and pop music. In recent years, the Hallyu Wave has expanded to include other countries in Asia, North America, and Europe.

The Hallyu Wave began in the early 1990s with the debut of Seo Taiji and Boys, a South Korean boy band that combined elements of Western pop music with traditional Korean folk music. Seo Taiji and Boys’ success paved the way for other K-pop groups, such as H.O.T., g.o.d., and S.E.S., to find popularity both in South Korea and abroad.

In the 2000s, K-pop artists began to find success outside of South Korea thanks to the spread of digital media and social networks. Groups such as TVXQ!, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, and 2NE1 found widespread success in countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.

Today, K-pop continues to find new fans around the world thanks to its unique mix of catchy melodies, strong choreography, and visually captivating music videos. Some of the most popular K-pop groups today include BTS, EXO, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and Red Velvet.

K-Pop’s Influence on American Pop

K-Pop’s Influence on American Pop

Korean pop music, or K-Pop, has been gaining in popularity in the United States in recent years. While some American pop stars have been exposed to K-Pop and have been influenced by it, K-Pop’s influence on American pop music is still relatively small. However, there is no doubt that K-Pop is having an impact on the American music scene.

One of the biggest ways that K-Pop has influenced American pop is through the use of social media. Many K-Pop stars are incredibly popular on social media, with millions of followers on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. This massive social media presence has helped to expose more Americans to K-Pop.

In addition, K-Pop stars have begun to collaborate with American pop stars more frequently. This has helped to introduce K-Pop to even more Americans. Some of the most popular collaborations have been between BTS and Halsey, BLACKPINK and Dua Lipa, and EXO and Clairo. These collaborations have not only exposed Americans to K-Pop, but they have also helped to give K-Pop more credibility in the United States.

As K-Pop continues to grow in popularity in the United States, it is likely that its influence on American pop music will continue to increase.

K-Pop Groups

K-pop is a musical genre originating from South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Groups are generally formed by entertainment companies or record labels, and often consist of a leader, a main rapper, a main vocalist, and other performers ranging from dancers to vocalists and rappers.

BTS

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Entertainment. Their name in Korean, Bangtan Sonyeondan (Hangul: 방탄소년단; RR: Bangtan Sonyeondan), and Japanese, Bōdan Shōnendan (Japanese: 防弾少年団), translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. They debuted on June 13, 2013 with the song “No More Dream” from their first album 2 Cool 4 Skool, and have since released a total of six studio albums (six extended playsand two compilations), four live albums and seven Persona albums. The album Persona reached number one in South Korea and Japan.

The group has won more than 100 awards since their debut. BTS became the first music group from Asia to top the US Billboard 200 chart with the album Love Yourself: Tear in 2018, making them only the third Korean artist to achieve this after PSY in 2012 with Gangnam Style and Bigbang in 2017 with Made. In October 2018, they became the first Asian artist to top the Billboard Artist 100 chart. On October 25 of that year they were nominated for four awards at the 61st annual Grammy Awards ceremony—becoming the first Korean group to ever be nominated—including Best Recording Package and Best Pop Vocal Album for Love Yourself: Tear. That same month they entered Billboard’s Social 50 chart at number one, becoming only the third Korean act to do so after PSY and Bigbang; on November 15 their single “Idol” debuted at number 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart—the highest ever for a K-pop act—and number one on its Digital Song Sales chart with 78,000 sold in its first week; it peaked at 11 months later on September 28, 2019 position nine on both charts respectively. In 2019 again they became one of only three Korean acts—the others being PSY and Bigbang again—to reach number one position on Billboard 200 twice (with Love Yourself: Answer
and Map of the Soul: Persona)

EXO

EXO is a South Korean-Chinese boy group based in Seoul. Formed by SM Entertainment in 2011, the group debuted in 2012 with twelve members separated into two subgroups, Exo-K and Exo-M, performing music in Korean and Mandarin, respectively.

BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted on August 8th, 2016, with their single album Square One, which featured “Whistle” and “Boombayah”, their first number-one hits on the World Digital Songs chart. They became the first female K-pop group to achieve two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their singles “Kill This Love” and “Sour Candy”.

K-Pop Songs

Korean pop music has been gaining popularity all over the world in recent years. K-Pop is short for Korean pop and it is a genre of popular music that originated in South Korea. K-Pop songs are usually accompanied by dance choreography and are often very catchy.

“Dynamite” by BTS

“Dynamite” is a song recorded by South Korean group BTS, released on August 21, 2020, through Big Hit Entertainment and Columbia Records. The song was written by David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, produced by Stewart, and features additional production from Pdogg. It is a disco-pop song with elements of hip hop, rap and R&B. The song debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it BTS’ first number one on the chart as well as the first all-South Korean act to top the Hot 100. In South Korea, “Dynamite” debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart and became the country’s best-performing single of 2020.

“How You Like That” by BLACKPINK

“How You Like That” is a song recorded by South Korean girl group BLACKPINK, released on June 26, 2020, through YG and Interscope. It is the group’s comeback single following their hiatus in late 2019, during which time member Jennie pursued a solo career. “How You Like That” marks the group’s first release in over eight months, after having last promoted their mini album Kill This Love in April 2019.

The song was written by Teddy Park, Danny Chung and Lydia Paek, with Teddy and 24 serving as the track’s producers. Lyrically, “How You Like That” speaks about empowerment and self-confidence. The song contains elements of R&B and trap, while also incorporating horns and synths in its instrumentation. Since its release, “How You Like That” has been widely acclaimed by critics for its catchy hooks and production value.

Despite concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic potentially impacting its chart performance, “How You Like That” debuted at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated July 11, 2020—making it BLACKPINK’s highest-charting single on the chart as well as their first entry—and peaked at number 32 the following week. The song became BLACKPINK’s first number one single on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart (dated July 25), selling 16,000 digital copies in the United States that week. With “How You Like That”, BLACKPINK also became the second all-female group to top Billboard’s main singles chart since Destiny’s Child achieved the feat with “Survivor” in 2001. In South Korea, “How You Like That” debuted atop both Gaon’s Digital Chart and Melon’s Top 100 singles chart—breaking several streaming records in the process—and became BLACKPINK’s fourth consecutive number one release on both charts.

“Ko Ko Bop” by EXO

“Ko Ko Bop” is a song recorded by South Korean boy group EXO for their fifth extended play The War: The Power of Music (2017). It was released on July 18, 2017 by SM Entertainment as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Yoo Young-jin and Louisa Bishop, with Bishop co-producing it with MZMC. “Ko Ko Bop” is a reggae-influenced track with elements of trap and EDM, and features a rap section performed by group members Chanyeol and Sehun.

The music video for “Ko Ko Bop” was directed by Hong Won-ki and released on the same day as the single. It features the members of EXO in a desert performing choreography against various backdrops, including an abandoned car dealership and an outdoor market. Upon release, the song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and catchiness. “Ko Ko Bop” debuted at number 1 on both South Korea’s Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard World Digital Songs chart, becoming EXO’s sixth consecutive number one hit on the former chart.

K-Pop in the Media

Korean pop music, otherwise known as K-Pop, has taken the world by storm in recent years. Once confined to South Korea, K-Pop has spread to other parts of Asia and is now gaining popularity in the West. With its catchy tunes, danceable beats, and often-outrageous visuals, it’s no wonder K-Pop is becoming so popular.

K-Pop on Netflix

Netflix has been increasingly adding K-Pop content to its platform, giving global audiences a chance to enjoy this popular genre of music. Some of the K-Pop shows and documentaries available on Netflix include BTS: Burn the Stage, I_land, Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, and(G)I-dle On Map of the Soul 7: The Journey.

With so much K-Pop content now available on Netflix, it’s easier than ever to get introduced to this exciting genre of music. If you’re new to K-Pop, be sure to check out some of these great Netflix shows and documentaries!

K-Pop in the US

Korean pop music, or K-pop, is one of the hottest genres in the world right now. From BTS to BLACKPINK, there are dozens of K-pop bands that have taken the world by storm. But what exactly is K-pop? And how did it become so popular in the US?

K-pop is a genre of music that originates from South Korea. It is known for its catchy tunes, impressive choreography, and polished visuals. K-pop bands typically consist of a group of young singers and dancers who are carefully selected and trained by their entertainment companies.

K-pop first started becoming popular in the US in the early 2010s, thanks to social media and online video platforms such as YouTube. American audiences were quickly captivated by the energy and talent of K-pop performers, and many K-pop bands began touring the US to sold-out crowds.

Today, K-pop is one of the most popular genres in the world, with numerous K-pop bands achieving global success. If you’re curious about this phenomenon, check out some of the top K-pop bands below!