K-pop is gaining worldwide recognition and many acts are taking their leap into mainstream. The genre is currently reaching its peak.
We already found out how it all started. So, now, let’s dive into some more specifics about the rising genre.
- Dance is an integral part of K-pop
- The genre usually combines multiple singers who often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony
- This is a strategy called “formation changing”
- The K-pop choreography often includes the so-called “point dance”
- This refers to a dance made up of hooking and repetitive movements within the choreography that matches the characteristics of the lyrics of the song
- Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry” and Brown Eyed Girls’ “Abracadabra” are examples of songs with notable “point” choreography
- To choreograph a dance for a song requires the writers to take the tempo into account
- According to Ellen Kim, a Los Angeles dancer and choreographer, a fan’s ability to do the same steps must also be considered, as a result K-pop choreographers have to simplify movements
- The training and preparation necessary for K-pop idols to succeed in the industry and dance successfully is intense
- Training centers like Seoul’s Def Dance Skool develop the dance skills of youth in order to give them a shot at becoming an idol
- Physical training is one of the largest focuses at the school
- Much of a student’s schedule is based around dance and exercise
- The entertainment labels are highly selective, so few make it to fame
- Students at the school must dedicate their lives to the mastery of dance in order to prepare for the vigorous routines performed by K-pop groups
- Companies house much larger training centers for those who are chosen
- According to K-pop choreographer Rino Nakasone, her focus is to make dance routines that are flattering for the dancers but also complementary to the music
- Her ideas are submitted to the entertainment company as video recordings done by professional dancers
- Nakasone mentions that the company and the K-pop artists themselves have input on a song’s choreography
- Choreographer May J. Lee gives another perspective, telling that her choreography often starts out as expressing the feeling or the meaning of the lyrics
- What starts out as small movements, turns into a full dance that is better able to portray the message of the song
- The emergence of Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 paved the way for the development of contemporary K-pop groups
- The group revolutionized the Korean music scene by incorporating rap and American hip-hop conventions into their music
- This adoption of Western style extended to the fashions worn by the boy band
- The members adopted a hip-hop aesthetic
- Seo and bandmates’ outfits for the promotional cycle of “Nan Arayo” (I Know) included vibrant streetwear such as oversized T-shirts and sweatshirts, windbreakers, overalls worn with one strap, overalls worn with one pant leg rolled up, and American sports team jerseys
- Accessories included baseball caps worn backwards, bucket hats, and do-rags
- Many acts that followed Seo Taiji and Boys adopted the same fashion style
- Deux and DJ DOC can also be seen wearing on-trend hip-hop fashions such as sagging baggy pants, sportswear, and bandanas in their performances
- Manufactured teenage idol groups began debuting in the mid and late ’90s, wearing coordinated costumes that reflected the popular fashion trends among youth at the time
- Hip-hop fashion, considered the most popular style in the late ’90s, remained, with idol groups H.O.T. and Sechs Kies wearing the style for their debut songs
- The use of accessories elevated the idol’s style from everyday fashion to performance costume, like ski goggles (worn either around the head or neck), headphones worn around the neck, and oversized gloves worn to accentuate choreography moves were widely used
- H.O.T.’s 1996 hit “Candy” exemplifies the level of coordination taken into account for idol’s costumes
- Each member wore a designated color and accessorized with face paint, fuzzy oversized mittens, visors, bucket hats, and earmuffs, and used stuffed animals, backpacks, and messenger bags as props
- While male idol groups’ costumes were constructed with similar color schemes, fabrics, and styles, the outfits worn by each member still maintained individuality
- On the other hand, female idol groups of the ’90s wore homogeneous costumes, often styled identically
- The costumes for female idols during their early promotions often focused on portraying an innocent, youthful image
- S.E.S.’s debut in 1997, “I’m Your Girl”, and Baby Vox’s 2nd album 1998 hit, “Ya Ya Ya”, featured the girls dressed in white outfits
- “To My Boyfriend” by Fin.K.L shows idols in pink schoolgirl costumes
- “One” and “End” of Chakra presented indu and African style costumes
- To portray a natural and somewhat saccharine image, the accessories were limited to large bows, pompom hair ornaments and hair bands
- With the maturation of female idol groups and the removal of bubblegum pop in the late 1990s, the sets of female idol groups focused on following the fashion trends of the time, many of which were revealing pieces
- The latest promotions of the girl groups Baby Vox and Jewelry exemplify these trends of hot pants, micro-miniskirts, crop tops, peasant blouses, transparent garments and blouses on the upper part of the torso
- K-pop became a modern hybrid of Western and Asian cultures starting from the late 2000s, fashion trends within K-pop reflected diversity and distinction
- Fashion trends from the late 2000s to early 2010s can largely be categorized under five categories.
- These are Street, Retro, Sexy, Black & White and Futurism
- Street focuses on individuality
- It features bright colors, mix-and-match styling, graphic prints, and sports brands such as Adidas and Reebok
- Retro aims to bring back “nostalgia” from the 1960s to 1980s
- It features dot prints and detailed patterns
- Common clothing items include denim jackets, boot-cut pants, wide pants, hair bands, scarves, and sunglasses
- Sexy highlights femininity and masculinity
- It features revealing outfits made of satin, lace, fur, and leather
- Common clothing items include mini skirts, corsets, net stockings, high heels, sleeveless vests, and see-through shirts
- Black & White emphasizes modern & chic
- It symbolizes elegance & charisma
- It is mostly applied to formal wear
- Futurism is commonly wore with electronic and hip-hop genres
- It features popping color items, metallic details and prints
- The style promotes a futuristic outlook
- K-pop has a significant influence on fashion in Asia
- The trends started by idols are followed by young audiences
- Some idols have established status as fashion icons
- Such idols are G-Dragon and CL, who has repeatedly worked with fashion designer Jeremy Scott, being labeled his “muse”
- According to professor Ingyu Oh, “K-pop emphasizes thin, tall, and feminine looks with adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they’re male or female singers”
- The South Korean government has acknowledged benefits to the country’s export sector as a result of the Korean Wave
- It was estimated in 2011 that a US$100 increase in the export of cultural products resulted in a US$412 increase in exports of other consumer goods including food, clothes, cosmetics and IT products
- Government initiatives to expand the popularity of K-pop are mostly undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
- This Ministry is responsible for the worldwide establishment of Korean Cultural Centers
- South Korean embassies and consulates have also organized K-pop concerts outside the country
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly invites overseas K-pop fans to attend the annual K-Pop World Festival in South Korea
- In addition to reaping economic benefits from the popularity of K-pop, the South Korean government has been taking advantage of the influence of K-pop in diplomacy
- In an age of mass communication, soft power (pursuing one’s goals by persuading stakeholders using cultural and ideological power) is regarded as a more effective and pragmatic diplomatic tactic than the traditional diplomatic strategy hard power (obtaining what one wants from stakeholders through direct intimidation such as military threat and economic sanctions)
- Cultural diplomacy through K-pop is a form of soft power
- An example of the South Korean government effort in diplomacy through K-pop is the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)
- MAMA is a K-pop music award ceremony
- Park Geun-hye (the Korean president at the time) delivered the opening statement at the 2014 MAMA
- The event was held in Hong Kong and sponsored by the Korean Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA)
- This event was considered a deliberate endeavor by the Korean government to support Korean cultural industries in order to strengthen the nation’s international reputation and political influence
- Another example of cultural diplomacy is K-pop performances in North Korea
- Prior to 2005, South Korean pop singers occasionally gave performances in North Korea
- After an interval of more than a decade, approximately 190 South Korean performers, performed in Pyongyang, North Korea
- The performance was held on March 31 and April 3, 2018
- Kim Jong-un was present in the audience
- Some well-known musicians who were at the event were Red Velvet, Lee Sun-hee, Cho Yong-pil, and Yoon Do-hyun
- K-pop music is easily accessible online mainly due to Korean entertainment companies’ deliberate openness to having their content as widely distributed as possible
- This is done by having it be openly available via a large variety of content distribution methods
- They are available through YouTube and other international social networking sites that are not exclusive to Korea
- The history of Korean popular music can be traced back to 1885
- Then an American missionary, Henry Appenzeller, began teaching American and British folk songs at a school
- These songs were called changga in Korean, and they were typically based on a popular Western melody sung with Korean lyrics
- For example, the song “Oh My Darling, Clementine” became known as “Simcheongga”
- During the Japanese rule (1910-1945) the popularity of changga songs rose as Koreans expressed their feelings against Japanese oppression through music
- One of the most popular songs was “Huimangga”(The Song of Hope)
- The Japanese confiscated the existing changga collections and published lyrics books of their own
- The first known Korean pop album was “Yi Pungjin Sewol” (This Tumultuous Time), by Park Chae-seon and Lee Ryu-saek in 1925
- The album contained popular songs translated from Japanese
- The first pop song written by a Korean composer is thought to be “Nakhwayusu” (Fallen Blossoms on Running Water) sung by Lee Jeong-suk in 1929
- In the mid-1920s, Japanese composer Masao Koga mixed traditional Korean music with Gospel music that American Evangelists introduced in the 1870s
- This type of music became known as Enka in Japan
- Later in Korea developed into Trot
Here you can find more about the history of K-pop through Part 3.
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