K-Pop has quickly become one of the most massive forces of the music industry and pop culture itself. 'K-Pop' or Korean pop represents South Korea's largest musical landscape, which originated from 'Hallyu,' which means 'Korean Wave,' in Korean, an idea from the 1990s. The globally famous genre started to pop off in 2018, thanks to Psy's 'Gangnam Style,' and since then exploded—with iconic groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK taking over the industry.
If you don't understand what all the hype is about K-Pop and its artists, here are different reasons why this musical phenomenon is taking over the world.
Addicting Melodies
General pop music wouldn't be considered 'pop' without its catchy tunes, hooks, and easy to sing-along lyrics. K-Pop is not different, as different bands and singers use catchy melodies that easily get stuck in one's mind. Boy and girl groups or independent singers have appealing song-writing down to a science, making their pieces appealing to fans no matter the language they speak.
Awe-Inspiring Choreography
One of the specialties of different K-pop bands is choreography, and it's an area where K-pop artists completely dominate. K-pop artists not only sing and dance—they perform full routines that are challenging and complicated that only professional dancers can achieve. Not only does this take a crucial amount of hard work, practice, patience, and skills, but K-pop artists are famous for performing these at live concerts, proving they're talented down to the core, and not just in their music videos.
K-Pop Idols Open Interaction With Fans
A massive factor that contributes to the popularity of K-pop is social media. That's because K-pop groups are encouraged to interact with their fans often through social media, helping them spread their reach. They usually have no limited choice of platforms, but these idols tend to use Instagram the most. K-pop artists engage with their fans by hosting live videos, sharing funny behind-the-scenes shots, pictures, etc.
In the concert scene, K-Pop artists and groups are known to pack stadiums, concert halls, and arenas to the rafters. It is not uncommon for concert promoters to ask a building company to create new spaces to accommodate their massive followers. No matter how big the space is, expect the concert to still be sold out!
Intrigue
Although several layers make up K-pop, one of the most significant contributors to its popularity is its intrigue. That's because being on the other side as a fan gives them the excitement of anticipation of what music, video, album, or aesthetic are their idols going to develop next. These K-pop groups usually have everything prepped better than the last, making it an exciting and 'intriguing' journey for everyone—increasing engagement and popularity.
Dedicated Fans
Finally, the real power behind the popularity of K-pop is the 'stans' or super fans. These people are what keeps K-pop afloat and dominate the world. Although they have several outlets to show their support for their idols, social media contributes the most. They keep the genre alive by spreading news, sharing everything they love about K-pop artists, and connect with fellow stans, making their 'family' stronger. For instance, K-pop fans have helped Jungkook of BTS reach over 2 million likes on seven different tweets on Twitter, making him the only Korean artist to receive over 2 million likes on several tweets.
Their unique approaches to music videos, talented and compassionate artists, great music, jaw-dropping choreography, and pure hard work are what sets K-Pop apart from other genres. Plus, they have some of the most dedicated fans globally, making K-Pop not only a popular music genre—but a part of the culture for many countries worldwide.
