The Global Phenomenon of K-Pop

I remember being a sophomore or junior in high school when a bunch of my friends seemed to suddenly start obsessing over this genre I had never heard of, called Korean pop, or K-pop. Most interesting to me at the time, a majority of them weren’t even Korean. As I learned more, I became increasingly fascinated by just how big it was getting, almost like a wave. There are plenty of incredible international genres, but across the globe, K-pop has somehow risen above them all. In 2018, the K-pop band BTS was named the second best-selling artist, trumped only by Drake. According to Spotify, between January 2014 and January 2020, K-pop listening increased by more than 1800%.
Clearly, we were in the midst of a huge popularity surge. Years later, I’m finally trying to answer my question: why did K-pop become so famous?

Even though I had never heard it before, modern-day K-pop has actually been around for years. The first K-pop breakthrough happened with the rise of Seo Taiji and Boys in the 1990s. As the pioneers of MIDI technology in Korea, they allowed Western influences like rap, pop, and hip-hop into their style. Here is a Seo Taiji and Boys music video — from the editing style, to the outfits, to the sound, you can see just how reminiscent it is of ‘90s hip-hop in America. They also started incorporating English lyrics and breakdancing techniques, which are both easily comparable to American music and accessible to populations abroad.

All this was somewhat revolutionary in the Korean music industry, and the stylistic changes Seo Taiji and Boys brought in changed not only Korean music, but also culture, permanently. With this new type of music, appealing to Western audiences became much less of a barrier, and of course, music studios in Korea knew this too. In 2012, the release and popularity of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” made it Asia’s most successful song in the world (it’s the only song I associate with my 7th grade). It stood as proof that songs didn’t have to be Westernized, or even fully in English, to become global mega-hits.

The rapid rise of K-pop on the international stage has led to systematizing the creation of K-pop bands, almost mechanically. Young kids are recruited or attracted to common “K-pop regimens,” through which they are trained at an early age. With little sleep, intense training, and dorm-living, it sounds very boot camp-esque (and slightly concerning, as many have voiced). There is a certain “look” and malleability that these music studios look for, and through essentially conditioning these children, they are able to mold them into the exact type of K-pop performers they need.

As K-pop music rose on the international stage, so did everything from Korean skincare to Korean TV dramas. This phenomenon, called hallyu, is also self-explanatorily known as the “Korean Wave.” Seeing the positive spread of its culture, the Korean government jumped in to help, too. Their Ministry of Culture provided perks like tax breaks to K-pop powerhouses, providing important infrastructure like concert halls and stadiums, and wholeheartedly supporting the Korean music industry in whichever ways possible. On top of this, Korean companies, unlike many other Asian countries such as China, took advantage of Western dominated platforms, like YouTube and Twitter, to further their interests. What this meant for K-pop music is an almost unlimited access to global resources, audiences, and success. Marketing tactics by the industry grew in this direction too, and as soon as they were able to round up initial interest, capitalizing on things like fan content creation and merchandise transformed K-pop into a world within itself.

Aside from the big picture stuff, what makes K-pop so appealing to us as individual listeners? Other than the musicality itself, what I think makes users so attracted to it is, ultimately, how K-pop is branded. I wouldn’t consider myself super familiar with K-pop, but even I identify K-pop with perfectly polished presentation, in everything from their live performances to music videos. It’s clear they are high-production endeavors, and I would actually argue that the visuals are just as important as the music itself.

As a viewer, the first thing I notice is the coordination, the color, and choreography. Performances are perfectly synchronized, with visually appealing choreography and eye-catching set design. It is interesting also to note the range of almost-identical but not entirely similar band members, each just different enough to hook fans with their unique personalities, but similar enough to trademark a slick, modern style. These things, both big and small, add up, and K-pop was quickly built upon this signature foundation.

It seems they’ve cracked the code to universal appeal, but it definitely didn’t just appear out of thin air. The amount of work that these individuals put into the choreography, costumes, and their K-pop brand is intense (and expensive). Those previously mentioned K-pop “boot camps” meant that by the time artists arrive onstage, they are already fully trained to be impeccable performers and public personalities. With their whole lives building up to K-pop stardom, there is no way but up. That, coupled with homeland support and their worldwide fan culture, has made K-pop skyrocket, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to fall anytime soon.

Written by Sanjana Sanghani