speech for my communications class – pdf presentation at the end!

INTRODUCTION:

You should listen to K-pop! Why? Because it’s fun!

But before we get into that, there is one clarification we should get out of the way! There are many genres of music and one of them is pop or “popular music.” Within this pop genre, we have English pop, Spanish pop, Japanese pop, Korean pop, and so forth. K-pop is simply pop, but in Korean, however, the artistry and art direction in their concepts and labels are unlike any other music subgenre.

BODY:

Now, within the world of K-pop, there are vast differences in how they are managed and represented from other pop artists. Korean pop began back in 1992 with the group Seo Taiji and Boys, or in Korean “seo taeji wa aideul” (REMEMBER THAT NAME!) They experimented with Western pop music and thus brought this new mix of genres to the Korean market.

Then H.O.T, the first “official” K-pop group was created under the label SM Entertainment. This is considered the first “official” group because it was formed of trained “idols” (I told you to remember that name) and started with a bubblegum pop hit song in 1997.

Also, the first girl group S.E.S. brought about the first music video concept.

These three, along with other groups were essentially the first generation of K-pop. They were similar to the boy groups and girl groups of the 1990s/2000s Western market.

Then began the overwhelmingly talented second generation of K-pop. This was the strongest foundation for what is known today in the industry. Some of the most memorable names are Shinee, TVXQ, Super Junior, BIGBANG, Girl’s Generation, Apink, KARA, and more. Unlike the first generation, they were taking a completely new and unique approach to the music groups from the 1990s.

BIGBANG was the first group to have differently colored hair for each “album comeback” and to release lightsticks which are essentially lit-up wands for fans to hold during concerts and performances. Shinee was the first group to release a “practice video “of them practicing their songs without the fancy stages or outfits. Girl’s Generation was the first group to introduce “photocards” which are like collectible Pokemon cards that come with albums and other merchandise.

Small actions from these groups essentially created what is now expected from the K-pop market. There is not a single group that doesn’t have a lightstick, or that doesn’t include photocards in their merchandise, or release various content for fans to watch in between album releases. These are signature items that define the K-pop community and make it so fun to interact with. Fans created a whole market to trade and sell photocards, as well as creating fan cafes and cup-sleeve events that unite the idol and the fandom.

Unlike Western artists, with K-pop idols we, as fans, have an array of entertainment that goes further than just enjoying the artist’s music. Western artists can take years to release new music, for K-pop it’s usually an album to two albums per year. This can have its pros and cons, though they are adjusting to the overwhelming increase in the market and the short attention spans of audiences and fans.

Then, the third generation began in the 2010s. EXO, BTS, BLACKPINK, NCT, and TWICE were and still are dominating the music charts, and even more so as K-pop has become so much more popular. The defining factor of this generation was that they built upon what previous generations had created. They established a stronger relationship with their fans, even stronger than what past idols had done. In 2015, Naver Corporation released an app called VLIVE where idols could have live videos and interact with their fans. Imagine something like Instagram Live, but better.

Idols are even more invested in advocating for things they are interested in. BTS for example, has advocated for mental health, the LGBTQ+ community, and more. Blackpink has also been quite active in the climate crisis advocacy. This is a huge step forward as celebrities in the past advocated privately, while these new idol groups wanted to make a positive impact on their fans and for the fans to advocate for what is right.

Additionally, the third generation created a fabulous take on their artistry. They literally put the ART back in music artists, as they created extensive, deep, and meaningful storylines for their alternate universe characters through their music videos and extra content. Idols already had a “personality” placed upon them for the media to see, but through this new stronger storytelling, the third-gen groups were able to expand on that.

Groups created these overarching concepts that gave a new twist to art direction and design to every single one of their releases. It became more refined, more involved, and has created a unique outlook for K-pop music and its content.

The fourth K-pop generation has so many young individuals that we, as Generation Z can assimilate into. We are growing up along with them and seeing how they evolve into mature artists who have been so much more involved in the Western market thanks to artists like BTS, BLACKPINK, and PSY who opened the doors for more Korean content. Thus, they are essentially the first generation of K-pop for the general public (outside of Korea). Some of the most popular names are Tomorrow x Together, Stray Kids, G-Idle, Ateez, Enhypen, IVE, Lessarafim, NewJeans, and more. This generation is releasing more intricate choreographies, more developed concepts, and along with their fans, they have created new projects that will leave a mark for their generation in both the Korean and Western market.

 Last but not least, we are currently seeing the creation of new groups with younger idols who can influence Generation Alpha. They are still developing, so the K-pop community hopes for the best and supports them fully.

OUTRO:

K-pop may simply be Korean pop, but they have an exquisite take on the artistry needed for concepts that are nowhere to be found in other forms of music subgenres. This has been a crash course in K-pop with the background necessary to have a conversation with the next Kpoppie (or K-pop fan) you meet! Now go listen to some K-pop. I have some of the most popular songs listed on this slide!