K-POP
K-pop is a genre of music that comes from south Korea. It is short for Korean pop music, and it is the most popular genre of music in Korea and it has been gaining popularity over the last 10 years in America, and many other countries. The spark of popularity in America started around when PSY released Gangnam Style.
IDOLS
K-pop is made up of artists who are called idols, the genre consists of mainly groups, but their are also solo artists. Many times groups debut and the members also end up debuting with solo music.
Idol Groups are the main part of K-pop they are groups of girls or guys who make music and perform together. Their aren’t many coed groups in K-pop and it is not liked by many stans for guys to interact with girls or vice versa.
K-groups are made up of trainees, to debut you need to train as a trainee for a number of years it varies for everyone from as short as a few months to as long as maybe 10 years. The trainees are trained at the music company and majority of popular groups debut from the big 3 which are the most popular and most successful music companies in Korea, they are JYP, YG, and SM. Some popular groups can come from smaller companies but they have a much harder time succeeded in Korea. A big thing people loves about K-pop is every show has a dance, some are similar then others and some are so complicated, idols have amazing dancing skills, and it can be shown in any music video or live performance.
This is a Youtube Video, that shows the dancing skills of one of the most popular Idol group called BTS.
Variety Shows
A very popular thing that people love about the idols and these groups is that they don’t only do music. Idols do some many things to help keep their group popular and to help promote their music. Variety shows are a big thing in Korea, their are so many variety shows, which ae just tv shows a bit like reality shows and idols guest star on them, and their so many from talk shows, to shows about specific things like cooking, soccer, and so many more. And some of the shows are like game shows where they are playing games with the main cast or MCs. Also, their are weekly award shows in Korea, for newly released music.
Live Streaming
Vlive and Weverse are popular K-pop website/apps. Vlive use to be the most popular app/website for K-pop idols to talk to their fans and livestream. It was a very popular app and when weverse came along they combined in 2023 to make a ultimate app for K-pop idols to be with their fans. The things that idols can do on weverse include a feature similar to twitter where their is a feed and the idols and the fans can post, and like or comment on each others posts. Also, idols can also live on the site, and their is a shop site too where every idol sells their merch.
Challenges
Challenges are a big thing in Korea, with every new comeback every group has a challenge dance. And all idols who are having a comeback at the same time do collabs where they do each others challenges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvqYroc0gGg
This is an example of what a challenge looks like. Its a collab between enhypen and TXT.
POPULARITY IN AMERICA
Their were two big sparks in the popularity of K-pop and they were from the Artists PSY and BTS.
PSY
PSY, with his breakout hit “Gangnam Style” in 2012, became a global sensation almost overnight. The song’s catchy beat, quirky dance moves, and colorful music video captivated audiences worldwide, including in the United States. “Gangnam Style” topped charts and became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views, showcasing the global appeal of K-pop.
BTS
BTS, on the other hand, has had a monumental impact on K-pop’s popularity in America in more recent years. Debuted in 2013, BTS steadily built a dedicated fanbase both domestically and internationally through their music, performances, and engagement with fans on social media. Their breakthrough in the U.S. market began around 2017 with appearances on American television shows, sold-out concerts, and collaborations with Western artists. BTS’s success on the Billboard charts, including several number-one albums and singles, solidified their status as global superstars and brought unprecedented attention to K-pop in America.
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