What Makes Kpop kpop? (1 Viewer)

[catonkatonk]

So, I think that there is definitely a "style" of music for k-pop. Like a lot of styles, it's kind of fuzzy and hard to define, but you kind of know it when you hear it. I think it's particularly complicated because I think the defining feature of k-pop is hybridisation.

For a point of comparison, j-pop can sound like literally anything, it encompasses all genres. But a given j-pop song will tend to stick to that genre, right? Whereas, Seo Taiji's very first single switched between acid house, new jack swing and even metal. At it's core, k-pop is an outgrowth of hip-hop, and maintains two things from that genre: The desire to be at the cutting edge of technology, and the "mixing and matching". In hip-hop, it was about sampling, crate-digging, and in k-pop it's more about influences rather than direct lifting. But I don't think the genres diverge that much, and it's interesting that many of the sweetest and bubbliest k-pop songs will have raps and strong rhythms.

Also, I think there's a difference between k-pop as a style of music, and k-pop as a category of artist. There are Japanese artists that make k-pop style music (Nizi-U, obviously, but others that I can't remember off the top of my head, including ones that have nothing to do with Korea at all). That doesn't make them k-pop artists. There are Korean artists that are making j-pop style music (C.LiTZ).

Just like Tortoise were an American band that, now and then, made krautrock. And there are artists around the world that make Americana.

So to answer your question:
Vcha - an American pop group that makes k-pop
Kaichi - a British pop group that makes k-pop
Nizi-U prior to their Korean debut - A J-pop group, with their style of j-pop being k-pop, in the same way that Babymetal are a j-pop group where their style of j-pop is metal
XG - ehhh, I'm not sure about this one. I remember their earlier songs being very k-pop, but I've heard stuff recently that is very American rnb. But I don't know them well enough tbh.
Blackswan - a k-pop group that makes k-pop music. This is obvious. But Fatou's solo work is "k-pop idol making non-k-pop music". I'd say maybe BTS solo work also falls into this, not just the rapline, but the Jungkook singles that I heard. Suzy's last song wasn't k-pop, either.

 

[Selfmate]

Also, I think there's a difference between k-pop as a style of music, and k-pop as a category of artist.

interesting that you differieniate the two I've never seen that before but it begs the question

then what make someone as a kpop artist then...
is it nationality? language? is it some connection to SK? training in SK? debut with an SK company?

 

[catonkatonk]

interesting that you differieniate the two I've never seen that before but it begs the question

then what make someone as a kpop artist then...
is it nationality? language? is it some connection to SK? training in SK? debut with an SK company?

It's a group or artist formed from the k-pop system that primarily makes k-pop music. "K-pop system" meaning, extensive training under a Korean company (or a branch of a company based within Korea) where debuting is not a guarantee and all of the rules and financial arrangements such an agreement involves.

So, the idea is that a person, Korean or not, can't just decide, by themselves, to be a k-pop artist and debut themselves through their own effort. At least, not without going through the system. But, having gone through the system, they can go independent and still be k-pop artists.
Interesting wrinkle: It means Seo Taiji and Boys were not k-pop artists and neither is JYP. Nor your friend Lee Soo Man. But that doesn't stop any of these from making k-pop music. Does that make sense?

 

[Selfmate]

It's a group or artist formed from the k-pop system that primarily makes k-pop music. "K-pop system" meaning, extensive training under a Korean company (or a branch of a company based within Korea) where debuting is not a guarantee and all of the rules and financial arrangements such an agreement involves.

So, the idea is that a person, Korean or not, can't just decide, by themselves, to be a k-pop artist and debut themselves through their own effort. At least, not without going through the system. But, having gone through the system, they can go independent and still be k-pop artists.
Interesting wrinkle: It means Seo Taiji and Boys were not k-pop artists and neither is JYP. Nor your friend Lee Soo Man. But that doesn't stop any of these from making k-pop music. Does that make sense?

the system interesting

so then it means that former kpop artists say such as the C-line in EXO or Jessica Jung etc etc they are still kpop artists but no longer sing kpop?

 

[Pirioca]

Generally K-Pop is music based in Korea, sometimes with specific geographical and cultural characteristics. Language and nationality of the artists can be a factor but aren't decisive. That being said, it's not always possible to draw a clear line between different Pop music genres (or even 'popular' music genres in general).

- XG is a Japanese girl group based in South Korea. But most fans call their music J-Pop because the members are from Japan.

- Fine ... but AleXa was born in Oklahoma. So why is XG a J-Pop group but AleXa isn't an US-Pop artist? Or Rina Sawayama? She was born in Japan and lives in London. Would you call her a J-Pop artist?
- Keshi was born in the US, but he's Vietnamese American and he speaks Vietnamese too. Does he write US-Pop or T-Pop songs?

It's a group or artist formed from the k-pop system that primarily makes k-pop music. "K-pop system" meaning, extensive training under a Korean company (or a branch of a company based within Korea) where debuting is not a guarantee and all of the rules and financial arrangements such an agreement involves.

So, the idea is that a person, Korean or not, can't just decide, by themselves, to be a k-pop artist and debut themselves through their own effort. At least, not without going through the system. But, having gone through the system, they can go independent and still be k-pop artists.
Interesting wrinkle: It means Seo Taiji and Boys were not k-pop artists and neither is JYP. Nor your friend Lee Soo Man. But that doesn't stop any of these from making k-pop music. Does that make sense?

I agreed to a certain extent. Although I'm not sure about the 'training'. So there are no totally independent singer-songwriters in K-Pop? Artists that wrote, produced, promoted, sold their music on their own from the start?

 

[Selfmate]

Generally K-Pop is music based in Korea, sometimes with specific geographical and cultural characteristics. Language and nationality of the artists can be a factor but aren't decisive. That being said, it's not always possible to draw a clear line between different Pop music genres (or even 'popular' music genres in general).

- XG is a Japanese girl group based in South Korea. But most fans call their music J-Pop because the members are from Japan.

- Fine ... but AleXa was born in Oklahoma. So why is XG a J-Pop group but AleXa isn't an US-Pop artist? Or Rina Sawayama? She was born in Japan and lives in London. Would you call her a J-Pop artist?
- Keshi was born in the US, but he's Vietnamese American and he speaks Vietnamese too. Does he write US-Pop or T-Pop songs?



I agreed to a certain extent. Although I'm not sure about the 'training'. So there are no totally independent singer-songwriters in K-Pop? Artists that wrote, produced, promoted, sold their music on their own from the start?

what of someone like ejae - she went through the training but didn't debut and although she has written for various groups - she would be considered independent singer songwriter?

or huntrx? or saja boys - everyone is basically saying it is kpop music but are the groups a "kpop group"?

then you have groups like katseye which are kpop adjacent??? or niziu who are Jpop? or with their debut in korea - kpop?

 

[PWSwan]

According to google Olivia Hye from Loona

She only trained for one day at BBC; she trained longer elsewhere.

It's a group or artist formed from the k-pop system that primarily makes k-pop music. "K-pop system" meaning, extensive training under a Korean company (or a branch of a company based within Korea) where debuting is not a guarantee and all of the rules and financial arrangements such an agreement involves.

So, the idea is that a person, Korean or not, can't just decide, by themselves, to be a k-pop artist and debut themselves through their own effort. At least, not without going through the system. But, having gone through the system, they can go independent and still be k-pop artists.
Interesting wrinkle: It means Seo Taiji and Boys were not k-pop artists and neither is JYP. Nor your friend Lee Soo Man. But that doesn't stop any of these from making k-pop music. Does that make sense?

This is why I asked the question on my thread. I've been arguing (not here) that my fave isn't a K-pop artist, even though he was with a Big 3 company when he broke internationally. And he has almost always written and produced his own music; he was smart enough at the start of his career that he realized he didn't know how to distribute and promote music.

 

[dark_tranquility]

Companies
Nationality
Language

the korean wave as people call it
it blew up around 2010-2012

Also the dancing as well