What is K-Pop?

The K-Pop craze, which has taken over the world and turned round Korea’s entertainment scene and celebrity culture, appeals to people from all walks of life, regardless of age, gender, lifestyle or region. K-Pop bands have become more and more prominent in the global music market and have a large number of die-hard fans from all across the world. There are fan clubs with thousands of members for each of the popular K-Pop bands.

Today, we’d like to take a closer look at the popular K-Pop bands who attract audiences from every continent with their unique styles and concepts. If you are curious about this community, you are in the right place as always! Here are the most popular K-Pop bands and the reasons for their popularity!

Lately, the Korean term Hallyu, which refers to the phenomenon of the Korean Wave, has been widely used by K-Pop followers. Almost every initiative of South Korea, especially in the virtual world and the cinema industry, is going viral. Korean TV series, movies, songs and music videos across borders in a short time after their release and meet thousands of fans across the world. Along with the K-Pop, South Korea has also conquered people’s hearts with the Oscar-winning movie Parasite and the record-breaking TV series Squid Game!

Music and cinema are very important resources to get to know the K-Pop culture, but the phenomenon is much more than that! From Korean skincare regimens and products known as K-Beauty which dominates the skin care industry to expert gamers in e-sports that give the shakes to their opponents, the dominance of this culture is almost everywhere. Thanks to this dizzying Korean Wave, many impressive and interesting things are being done all over the world, especially in economic and social terms!

A Brief History of K-Pop

 

The band Seo Taiji & Boys, formed by three young men in 1992, can be considered the first milestone that laid the groundwork for today’s musical trends and music market in Korea. As you can see, the movements that revolutionized music for young people in those years started with bands.

Back then, it was quite easy for South Korea to embrace such a novelty since the country was experiencing a democratization process at the time. The band members became idols in the eyes of people; every move they made and every outfit they sported instantly became a trend.

While its prevalence in Asian nations has continued, the K-Pop culture has also bonded the peoples of the Middle East. The K-Pop bands supported by both the Israeli and Palestinian youth, such as BTS, Exo and Bigbang, have perhaps formed the first common ground where the youth of the two nations come together with the power of art and music! Having such an effective and unifying power, the K-Pop culture breaks every taboo for its fans!

Famous K-Pop Bands

 

First, let’s take a look at the leading bands of this community. Here is a list of the most popular K-Pop bands with die-hard fans:

• BTS
• Blackpink
• Twice
• Exo
• Red Velvet
• Mamamoo
• Bigbang

The bands have conquered the hearts of their followers not only with their songs, dances and styles, but also with their incredibly attractive and beautiful members. There is a race between these bands to spread and enrich the K-Pop culture and to appeal to the largest audience. We’ll talk about the details of this competition, but we should first note that the creativity in audiovisual elements has reached a pinnacle thanks to this race! And this situation is the main reason for their popularity!

 

Of course, the old saying “beauty has a price” can be seen in the difficulties that lurk behind this glamorous world. Members of K-Pop bands, who seem to have alluring and enviable lives, do actually follow a really long and arduous path from the beginning. It is obvious that spreading culture is not the only motive underlying this visual and musical phenomenon. There is also a power struggle between record companies that are in a cut-throat commercial competition. The band members, who start their training at a young age after signing a contract known as “Slave Contract”, spend almost 18 hours a day with voice, dance, and acting training.

In this system, which is far from having freedom, every single action of the band members is controlled by others. So, the price of the K-Pop culture is actually paid by the band members who keep this very culture alive on stage.

Despite all the hardships, the K-Pop idols, who have a unique bond with those who love them, get their strength from their fans and supporters while walking on this difficult path!

Why is K-Pop so popular?

The trends created by Western musicians for the X generation do not have the same effect for the Z generation now. The K-Pop craze describes the art and music understanding of the new generation in the best possible way. As you can see, the trends of the past are all water under the bridge now, whereas the artistic elements that open the doors to a whole new world for young people belong predominantly to the K-Pop culture!

So what is the reason for this popularity? In other words, what is the secret to the success of the K-Pop culture, which has made a name in almost every stage category, appeals to millions of people and enjoys an unprecedented attention especially in the field of music?

In fact, there are 5 main reasons why the K-Pop culture is so popular:

1. Musical characteristics
2. Lyrics
3. K-Pop fashion
4. Dance choreographies
5. Project careers

First of all, we should say that the influence created in the music market is affected by many factors. Unlike the Western singers who appeal to audiences only with their voice or physical attractiveness, the K-Pop bands interact with people in many respects, including music quality, stage choreography, fashion taste, and communication with fans!

If you closely look at the bands that best reflect the K-Pop culture, you can see that all band members are very dynamic young people who are far from having the usual celebrity whims and genuinely like to bond with their fans! However, the contracts signed at the beginning of the projects forbid band members to have lovers.

Besides, the visual aspects constitute one of the most important reasons for this popularity. With its creative stage shows, interesting scenarios, trend-setting designs, and unusual beauty standards; the K-Pop culture is a complete taboo breaker.

Lyrics are also an important factor contributing to the popularity of the K-Pop culture. There are English words in the chorus of each song so that everyone can easily remember the lyrics.

This unique world, created by people who break stereotypes, produce art with high-quality materials, and instantly communicate with their followers during this process, is really captivating!

Why is K-Pop not appreciated?

Of course, some groups are skeptical about this limitless diversity introduced by the K-Pop community, which is known as a taboo breaker. Some people think that there is an unsatisfying shallowness behind the glitter of such a colorful and superficial-looking world. The leading criticisms of the K-Pop culture are as follows:

• Poor musical quality: K-Pop songs that draw inspiration from various genres are thought to be below certain musical standards.
• Superficial lyrics: The lyrics are criticized for being very simple and not having deeper meanings.
• Representation of an idealized world: The bands are thought to represent an idealized world that is far from reality.
• Fandom craze: Such criticisms are made because this concept is experienced so intensely in the K-Pop fandom. Those who are platonically in love with K-Pop stars are called “oppa”, and those who follow the star gossips are called “shippers”.

We’ve summed up what you need to know to delve into the limitless K-Pop world and enjoy this culture. There is one more trend you need to know: Ozan SuperApp, which has created the most favorable culture of profiting! Download Ozan SuperApp now, and catch the trends in the digital finance world with the convenience of 24/7 money transfer and payment with QR code!