English influence on K-Pop

Today, Korean Pop music has evolved greatly since the start, which was in the 18th century. Ever since the beginning, K-Pop was greatly influenced by the Japanese during their rule over Korea. After Korea was liberated from Japan and divided into two nations: North Korea and South Korea, the US troops remained in South Korea for protection. With the continued presence of the U.S. military, American and world culture began to infiltrate South Korea. Many singers also sang for the troops in Korea at the time. Soon enough, DJs became popular, and Korean music started adapting to American music such as rock, rap, and techno.

The most popular Korean band at the start of 2012 was Girls’ Generation. They preformed on American talk shows that included Live! With Kelly, and The Late Show With David Letterman. Being the first Korean musical act to perform on each show, Girls’ Generation debut, Twinkle was peaked at #136 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting K-Pop album on the chart so far. Thanks to the rise of social media networks today, K-Pop has the ability to not only extend to the Western world, but to be able to globalize. 

Girls' Generation- GEE

President Obama in South Korea in March 2012

US President Barack Obama has noted the rapid surge and spread of Korean pop culture. During an official visit to South Korea in March 2012, he praised South Korea’s youth for their tech-savviness and optimism, and remarked:

"It’s no wonder so many people around the world have caught the Korean Wave -- hallyu"  America’s influence on the Korean music industry has also been beneficial for America. In fact, several K-Pop songs contain English snippets in them. Artists in the West also take a few things from K-Pop. For example, listen to Eun Ji Won’s song titled Dangerous. Sounds familiar? Maybe it reminded you of the song Dangerous by Akon: Both have been influenced by each other. I personally like the Von’s version more, mainly because I’m not a big fan of Akon. K-Pop has the ability to add it’s own characteristics to American songs. That’s the cool part about it. Korean artists branch off into their own type of pop. The difference between American artists and Korean artists is that Korean artist’s popularity is not based so much on charts and album sales, but more on fan enthusiasm and Internet interest. This helps the artist know what is working for them and what is not. In my opinion, I enjoy listening to K-Pop. It brings out my old passion for N-SYNC and Brittney Spears! America’s influence on K-Pop has helped K-Pop become more global and has been exposed much more than before. K-Pop has been around for a while, but the official break out moment was when PSY released his popular song Gangnam Style, which we all know so well. He has also preformed in the AMAs, AMERICAN music awards. Pretty cool huh? Americans have also made a Halloween costume out of PSY, which was really popular this year. I think it’s pretty cool to see all these cultures interact through music. Work Cited: Brooks, James. "Hall of Game." Pitchfork. N.p., 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8700-to-anyone-the-rise-of-korean-wave/>. Lee, Youyoung. "Justin Bieber Harem Pants: Singer, Psy, MC Hammer Rock Drop-Crotch Pants At AMAs (PHOTOS)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/justin-bieber-harem-pants-psy-mc-hammer-amas_n_2159760.html>. "What Does the United States Think of Girls' Generation?" CNN Travel. N.p., 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/play/what-will-us-think-girls-generation-481595>.

Discovering Hybridity & Hallyu

by Andrew Chen

Full disclosure: the extent of my knowledge of Korean pop includes the fact that it’s from South Korea and the chorus to Psy’s hit “Gangnam Style”. Naturally, I’m going to need guidance and/or direction from Friends on Facebook that either is Korean and doesn’t follow K-pop or does follow K-pop but isn’t Korean.

Non-Korean K-pop devotee: “its awesome hawt cool amazing...it’s going global! [sic]” (Duns)

Useful.

Korean friend who doesn’t follow K-pop: “Rap...mixed in with English...seems to be focused more on looks than music...companies that each respective pop groups belong to...S.M. Entertainment is an example of such a company”. (Mae)

LOL S&M.

What do less authoritative voices have to say to each of those points?

Sue Jin Lee, Strategic Communications Major, Elon University: “The Korean wave—”hallyu” in Korean—refers to a surge in the international visibility of Korean culture, beginning in East Asia in the 1990s and continuing more recently in the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Europe” (Sue) So Korean culture has been spreading the past decade or two, and presumably K-pop, a major part of that culture, would be poised to explode in the West, or not. Sitting at the edge of Gladwellian tipping point, it has the tantalizing pockets of success, and a devoted fan base. Yet, as Disney’s ESPN’s Grantland’s (a sports and pop culture website) David Cho asserts, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” could just as easily represent K-pop’s “Macarena”, a “medium-popular” hit instead of the start of a“big movement.” (Lambert)

Presented without further comment

Growing in foreign markets, K-popis the market in its motherland, and it’s really influential. Cho (Korean and follows K-pop) again: “Korea pop groups (known in Korea as "idol groups") are very household” and “[P]op...[i]t’s like, literally the only genre [in Korea]”. And finally this gem: “This is how serious Korean pop music is: SM Entertainment is a publicly traded company that makes a ****load of money.” (Cho)

This matters in that Korean popular music is connected to all other parts of Korean entertainment and in turn, culture, through the monolithic corporate conglomerates. These companies in turn “manufacture” idols by “‘cloning’ talent and grooming pop stars” based on “surveys” and “research” of the fans. (Shim) In fact, a large part of the popularity stems from the dances pageantry as much as the music. (Shim)

Ironically, K-pop came about from a liberalization and hybridization of the set, traditional Korean music scene before the 80’s and before. With heavy use of loan words “rang[ing] from Koreanized English to extremely idiomatic and colloquial American English accompanied by African American Vernacular English”, K-pop was born. (Jamie)

K-pop “employs rap only during the verses, singing choruses in a pop style.” (Shim) It contains “some random ‘hip hop’ or ‘rap’ or interpolations of the above”. (Cho) It represented a break not only musically (Shim), but shifted social views  as it “reject[ed the] older generations’ conservatism.” (Jamie) “In the '90s it was all about whether or not the government would allow people to have dyed hair on TV — and to a lesser extent, tattoos.” (Lambert) “[S]o the fact that the lead member of one of the most popular boy groups in Korea[G-Dragon] is putting out a song and video that has a curse word in the title is news.” (Lambert) He’s also blond, has tattoos, and intersperses English between the Korean. However, it still retains certain “Asian sentiments, such as family values.” (Shim)

G-Dragon, blond, tatted, and cursing

More English, from SM Entertainment's Girls

K-pop then is the synthesis of Western and Eastern influences, yet it developed a distinct identity. Together, though, “the...hybridization of music forms and organization of star-making processes, Korean popular culture has prepared itself for forays into [international] markets.” (Shim) Yet 600 words later, I still feel directionless, kind of like K-pop, because distinct among music movements and genres, K-pop and its direction is unknown.


Works CitedShim, Doobo. "Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia." Media, Culture & Society 28.1 (2006): 25-44.

Lee, Jamie Shinhee. “Linguistic Hybridization in K-Pop: Discourse of Self-assertion and Resistance”. World Englishes 23.3, (2004): 429-450.

Lee, Sue Jin. "The Korean Wave: The Seoul of Asia." Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 85 (2011): 93.

Duns, John. “Chat”. Messages. Facebook. Web. 18 November 2012.

Mae, Culpa. “Chat”. Messages. Facebook. Web. 18 November 2012.

Cho, David. “Grading This Week's Top Ten K-Pop Songs.” Grantland.com. 1 November 2011. ESPN.com. 19 November 2012. Web. <www.grantland.com/>.

Lambert, Molly, David Cho. “Grading the Charts... IN K-Pop!” Grantland.com. 18 September 2012. ESPN.com. 19 November 2012. Web. <www.grantland.com/>.

Why People Listen to KPop, No Excuses

Have you ever thought how you got into a particular song even though you don’t understand what the heck they are singing or saying? And when I mean get into, I meant bobbing your head to the music, or tapping your foot, and maybe even dancing wildly. No? If not I can give you a particular example.Ever heard of a song called, “We No Speak Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool?

When I first heard this song I was dancing like a madman. And when I meant dancing I meant it more like awkward moving of my body. What caused me to go through this horrible chaotic dancing of mine? Well just listen to the song! Listen to the tempo, the beats, the high and low tones all combining together to make a wonderful and fun song!

Now what does this have to do with KPop?

The choruses in most Kpop songs are pretty simple and repetitive, which make them very easy to sing along to (just like We No Speak Americano). Everyone’s had that moment where a part of a song gets stuck in your head and you sing that one part all day long. Well Kpop will generally do that to you and eventually it will grow on you! It may seem that Kpop is a genre for teenage girls, but in fact men and women do in fact love it as well. So what makes it so addictive?

We as people listen to music for various reasons. But how do we get attracted to music that we don’t understand. That’s because music is bigger than just words. It’s the combination of rhythm, beats, bass, instruments, setting and even more. Music tells a story, each with its own unique ending. Just because you can’t understand the lyrics, try depicting each and every message an artist is trying to tell you.

For Example has anyone ever heard of the songs Gangnam Style, Fantastic Baby, or Lucifer? I’m pretty sure Gangnam style at least because it went viral. In Gangnam Style the only lyric I can understand is "Oh Sexy Lady". But somehow I can't get  enough of this song. The beat is catchy, the tone compliments this genre of music, and the setting of it is quite amusing. Either way all these songs are hitting the era where electronic, hip-hop, pop, rock, and RnB are very popular. With that and the awesome dance moves each artist creates makes it so appealing to watch.

You weren’t born with a type of music you like, you first gave certain genres a chance. So go listen to some Kpop! Whether you hate it or love it, you’ll always wonder why it’s so popular J

Eun, Lee Yoo. "South Korea: K-Pop Video ‘Gangnam Style' Goes Viral Internationally." Global Voices. Omidyar Network, 29 2012. Web. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

Unknown, . "Why KPOP is So Popular." Hallyu Magazine. n.d. 1-1. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. http://www.hallyumagazine.com/

Regulation and Censorship in Korean Pop Music

Despite the generally light-hearted nature of Korean pop music, behind the upbeat tunes and colorful music videos lies a complicated, stringent network of regulation and censorship. In 2008, the Korea Communications Commission was established in order to regulate the content of movies and television in Korea. Unlike the Federal Communications Commission of the US, the KCC is a subordinate agency under Korea’s executive government. Not only does the KCC make guidelines for what is and is not acceptable to show on public television, it has also taken steps in recent years to begin implementing stricter control over internet forums and limiting anti-government sentiments online, making it an unpopular organization.

The cover of the album in which HyunA's song "Bubble Pop" debuted in.

            A well-known case of the KCC using its power in a way some consider inappropriate or excessive is the banning of promotions for HyunA’s popular song “Bubble Pop.” Cube Entertainment, the agency responsible for the production of the song, was forced to end promotions and cancel performances due to the signature dance and revealing outfits being deemed “too sexually suggestive” and “obscene” by the KCC. The producers opted to simply cancel remaining performances rather than draft a whole new dance for HyunA in order to preserve the quality and standards of the work. A Cube entertainment representative explained that “it was too short of a notice [to change the choreography]” and that “considering how the dance itself is a major element of her performance, there would have been no point to altering it.” The organization added insult to injury when it decided that a cover of the song performed by male dancers was acceptable to show on public television.

            Because of the KCC’s stringent policies on “outfits that show excessive skin” and “scenes that are overly sexually suggestive,” dancers, producers, songwriters, and designers are severely limited in their creative liberty. One of the biggest criticisms of the KCC’s judgment of explicit content is that it has never provided specific guidelines for what can be considered inappropriate. One music official stated, "There is no clear criteria or guideline in determining if something is obscene or not. If HyunA's hip dance is a problem, then why is KARA's [a similar all-female singing and dancing group] butt dance okay?" It can easily be suspected that the KCC's decisions of what to censor is founded on favoritism, personal taste, or even possibly corruption, because of the freedom and subjectivity it operates with. The KCC has been entrusted with the very dangerous power of deciding what songs and artists are allowed to be successful, so the general population is very cautions of its decisions and intentions. 

HyunA's controversial "Bubble Pop" video with full choreography and the original costumes that the KCC found objectionable.

The music video for KARA's song "Mr.," in which a similarly risque dance is performed and yet the song and video were not criticized by the KCC.

Citations

"allkpop." allkpop. (2011): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/hyuna-abruptly-concludes-bubble-pop-promotions>.

"allkpop." allkpop. (2011): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/double-standards-in-k-pop-exposed-once-again-through-bubble-pop>.

"allkpop." allkpop. (2011): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/hyunas-bubble-pop-banning-is-a-hot-topic-for-debate>.

"allkpop." allkpop. (2012): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.allkpop.com/2012/09/kocsc-calls-for-stricter-regulations-on-slang-use-idol-outfits-and-suggestive-choreography>.

"Sisa Journal." Sisa Journal. (2008): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sisapress.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=45322>.

The life of PSY

Author: Ozziel Robles

The life of Park Jae Sang or better known as SPY has been a unique and somewhat difficult life. He was born in South Korea on December 31, 1977. During his childhood and teen Years PSY attended Banpo Elementary, Banpo Middle School, and Sehawa High School. He later came to the United States to attend Boston University and Berklee College of Music. PSY served his mandatory military service from 2003 to 2005. he married his girlfriend Yoo Hye Yeon on October 14, 2006 but later found out that his first military service was not served properly so in 2007 he served his second term. Two months before his second military services his two twin daughters where born.

As PSY's fame continued to grow in Korea, in America his fame was barely known. PSY debuted in January 2001 with his album called "PSY from the Psycho World!" he was later fined for accusations that the album contained inappropriate content. His lyrics where very blunt and his dancing was very weird, thus giving him the nickname "Bizarre Singer". His second album titled SSA2 sparked some complaints  from various civic groups stating that the album had a negative influence to the younger generation. Since then he has been thought to be a controversial artist. SSA 2 was banned in 2002 to only teens under 19 years old.   

As his 6th album, PSY Best 6th Part one, was released the unexpected happened. The song "Gangnam Style", which was a song in the album, became a huge internet sensation. The Music Video became the first You Tube's Most viewed video monthly chart. it than became number one on iTunes Music Video Charts. PSY appeared on numerous TV shows including CNN and The Ellen DeGeneres Show where he taught the dance to Britney Spears. Till this day the song has been a sensation being played in almost all the radio station in America. PSY would have never believed that all this fame would have happened to him. “When I realized that some top stars like have imagined or tweeted about me, I thought, ‘That’s joking. That’s not gonna happen…".( 2 ) This was all a shock to him but at the same time he felt accomplished.
 












Sources:
1."aceshowbiz.com." aceshowbiz.com. (2012): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/psy/biography_2.html>. 

2. Kresna, . "infomusiclyrics." infomusiclyrics. (2012): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://infomusiclyrics.com/biography-park-jae-sang-psy-the-creator-gangnam-style/>.

"Gangnam Style" Lyrics and Meaning

By: Jose Pizaña

Gangnam Territory (Source: gogobot)

  Ever wonder what the lyrics of the new sensation that's sweeping the nation, "Gangnam Style," mean? Performing Kpop artist PSY explained that Gangnam is actually a territory in Seoul, South Korea that is noble during the daytime and turns pretty wild as soon as the sun goes down, much like our own Beverly Hills. In his lyrics he compares the women in Gangnam to Gangnam itself, noble during the day but crazy going at night. Throughout the lyrics PSY goes to talk about how he is the right man for the women of this wealthy district. The word "Oppa"  at the beginning of the song as well as the beginning of every chorus means "Big Brother," can be used as an informal title meaning "mommy" or "daddy." About halfway through the song he begins saying that he too is a Gangnam man that will play when it's time to play, but will also be calm when it's time to be calm. The reason behind his lyrics was meant as a lyrical satire poking and making fun of this district. The fact that he compared the women to the district by pretty much saying that during the day they are the girl every guy wants to take home to mom, but once night comes they get crazy gave the lyrics a comical meaning.

Honestly when I first heard this song I had no clue what the lyrics meant. This pushed me to watch the video, so after that I thought PSY was talking about how to ride horses which I thought was a very odd topic for song lyrics, but I didn't have enough knowledge on the genre to be certain what the song was about. After doing some research I learned that Kpop is a very interesting genre of music with a very unique style. I believe it should been appreciated, like it is today, without the surge of a viral sensation to get many followers on the bandwagon.

 

Sources:


PSY, Kevin Hart VMA's 2012 (Source: okezone.net)

Acuna, Kristen. "Business Insider The Wire." Business Insider The Wire. (2012): n. page. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.businessinsider.com/gangnam-style-translation-2012-9>.

Korean Pop vs. American Pop

Author: Brian Lee

Backstreet Boys (Source: http://wweb.uta.edu)

       K-pop is becoming more globally recognized ever since Korean artist Psy has taken the world by storm with his single "Gangnam Style". Many people are new to the genre "K-pop" and try to compare it to American pop music. Although there are some similarities, there are major difference between the two. In K-pop, kids are trained at a young age and audition for a record label. In American pop, you need to make your own music and constantly promote yourself, no record label chooses to train you, you are on your own. Having a manager is very important in American pop, they will know the ins and outs of the music industry, and book gigs for you. Another difference is that English is pretty much a second language in most countries so understanding and relating to American pop is easier than K-pop. American pop artists generally will only release their songs or albums in English whereas K-pop groups or artists will release theirs in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, to appeal to a broader audience. 

2PM Dance (Source: crunchyroll.com)

      The era of the boy bands for American pop was back in the 90's and has slowly faded away. Today we barely see any American pop boy bands, whereas in K-pop it primarily consists of boy bands and girl 

bands. Having dance choreography a major part of K-pop. If you watch a K-pop video you will almost always see some kind of dancing. Another major difference between the two genre's are the messages in the songs and videos. Many K-pop fans say that American music is about "sex, drugs, and money", but ironically K-pop videos have girls in short skirts and men with no shirts.    Music programs are a big part of the K-pop industry.   They have multiple programs such as M.Countdown, Inkigayo, and Music Core, where K-pop groups or artists promote their new singles. American pop used to have the music program TRL to promote new singles but it has disappeared.

    The differences between K-pop and American Pop make each genre unique, for those who do not know K-pop I highly suggest that you give it a try.





Sources:

   Choi, Christine. "K-Pop:A What Are Some Major Differences between the K-pop Industry and the American Pop Industry?" K-Pop. Quora, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.quora.com/K-Pop/What-are-some-major-differences-between-the-K-pop-industry-and-the-American-pop-industry>.
Abrams, Emily. "K-pop Invades U.S." K-Pop Invades U.S. The Daily Collegian, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://dailycollegian.com/2012/10/10/k-pop-invades-u-s/>.