Intro Why is kpop so popular outside of Korea??? (1 Viewer)

[kimminpuples]

I’m not trying to be rude I’m genuinely curious, sorry if I offend anyone. I understand why someone would like kpop if they understood Korean but I don’t really see why it’s so popular outside of that realm. To me, kpop just sounds like generic pop music and all the groups look the same.
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[Abeamus]

Why would I wanna listen to English pop music when the lyrics are "it's friday friday gotta get down on friday" riveting lyrics, how could I live without them. For a serious answer though, some people just don't care about lyrics and focus on the sound which even though some kpop is exactly the same as western pop music, there is also jpop influence in there that adds a different kind of sound that could appeal to those people like you won't see Shy Boy released in the west.

 

[ddeonghwaaa]

Its more than likely the sound and not the lyrics. I dont understand korean, i search up the english lyrics so i can understand.

 

[potato]

It's perfectly alright to feel that way towards kpop. I pretty sure the majority of the population who do know about kpop feel exactly the same way you do. If we take a step back, away from the visuals, the fancy MVs, the high quality outfits, the cool dances and the general 'glamour' that surrounds kpop, the fundamental reason why kpop fans like kpop is the music.

What I enjoy about kpop is the experimentalisation. Kpop is very different to your average popular english song (although there are many generic kpop songs in the industry right now) You may have only probably heard of very popular groups such as BTS whose recent releases are quite generic. However, even if you look at a popular group such as BTS and look into a few b-sides (side tracks) or even some of their older songs, you can see the range of different sounds none of which would fit your 'generic' stereotype.

Kpop brings a different sound to the table which many people, including myself, enjoy a lot. Of course, the dances, visuals and MVs are a nice addition but I don't think any of us would be here if we didn't enjoy the music. Also, even if we don't understand the lyrics, they tend to have a deeper meaning which many kpop fans enjoy looking into.

The reason why people are so invested in kpop is the way they are marketed. American singers tend to be very one-faced towards the public, only showing their 'celebrity side'. However, kpop idols are encouraged to show their dorky and fun sides because it makes them more appealing and makes fans feel closer to the group/singer. You watch countless videos of them and you feel like your closer to them as a fan even if you're actually not. You invest a huge amount of time into the group and there is just so much content out there. Fans keep eating up the content as companies produce more and more until it's pretty much an endless cycle and you've been sucked into the world of kpop.

 

[blueberries]

I feel like there is multiple reasons, but some:

1. Music is mostly good- at least if you like catchy pop songs
2. Visuals, dance choreos- it's different from western pop, it's own thing while still not feeling too weird and out of there (most of the time)
3. Fandom culture, you feel like ur part of something, easier to become immersed in fandom than with many western artist
4. Members- you see them in varities, interviews, social media etc, they might feel more approachable to some and maybe easier to care about in deeper level than some western artists?

 

[JJbaker]

I understand some korean so it more for learning for me personally at the start then kinda fell in

 

[dnb]

To me, kpop just sounds like generic pop music and all the groups look the same.

Some kpop songs do sound like generic pop music; other songs do not.

Comments in the following videos mirror my reasons for listening to Kpop:

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[Poetry]

Regular pop music doesn’t make me think of baby animals and anime characters.

 

[Jimimis]

because I need my daily serving of eye candy and western entertainment sure doesnt have that

 

[raymondchouku]

Lets agree with the assumption that k-pop is popular outside of Korea. I'm assuming you mean the West and not just non-Korean East and South-East Asian Countries.... The fact of the matter is that one doesn't necessarily have to speak a language to enjoy the music. Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin come to mind. But the culture of K-Pop is completely different. A lot more training; greater emphasis on showcasing talent. Less leeway when it comes to sex. Sure there are groups that showcase sex within live performances, but it is less common than in American Pop music. When Rap is included there tends to be a greater focus on love, love lost,etc. rather than typical rap themes (i.e. The Life, Consumerism, Violence, Sex, etc.).. In Western Pop Boy and Girl groups don't really exist. Sorry thats a bit of an exaggeration. They exist, but they are few and far in between. Name 10-15 K-Pop groups that have debuted within the past 7 years and then name 10-15 American or Western European boy/girl groups that have debuted within the same time frame... These factors alone may provide rationale for why so many people like k-pop.

 

[twelveloona]

Easy. The Korean entertainment industry, and the society in SK as a whole, puts a lot of value upon looking good. That isn't to say Hollywood doesn't prioritize looking glamorous or anything, but when you look at Korea's approach to beauty and self-grooming, you see the difference. If I'm not mistaken, the "glass skin" beauty regimen (i.e. the one that seemingly eliminates your pores) originated/was made popular in Korea.

Second, K-Pop stars are often impeccably trained. Even if you don't like the songs, the dancing will nearly always be rigorously practiced. I can't name a mainstream pop group in the West lately known for how flawless their performances usually are. The production value is often high in K-Pop, too.

 

[maruberry]

1. The song is good, I don't need to understand the lyrics to enjoy the song
2. I can always look up the translations
3. The boys and girls are pretty
4. I like the songs
5. I still like the songs
6. Pretty much I just like the music and don't need to understand the lyrics to do that.

 

[LucieBear]

I'm not sure really

I like kpop because it's very enjoyable to listen to and all the choreography just amazes me. Plus the personalities of some of the kpop idols make them lovable.

I respect all the hard work put into everything. They don't just practice the song, they also practice choreography. They are all so hard working that I can't help and respect the idols.

 

[bikram1]

Music is actually one of the media that is most easily consumed without words (eg. movie soundtracks, classic music) or in a language you don't understand (even in English speaking countries, non-English songs have been popular eg. Despacito, and in the rest of the non-natively English speaking world, we're much cooler about this :)).

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[dark_tranquility]

The overall effort and glam that is invested in it and the sexy/cute concepts is why I like it.
I also like western pop too.

I don't understand a lick of Korean. It's more to do with the stage presence and other factors.
Is why I like it.

Just like how I listen to native music from Scandinavia.
I don't those languages and I still like em for other reasons.