Written by: Sambridhi Neupane - 23036, Grade XII
Posted on: 09 January, 2023
K-pop is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Bands like BTS and Blackpink are selling out all over the world. BTS is second only to Drake in international music sales. Despite language differences, Kpop is doing extremely well in the international market. Kpop has played an important role in bridging the east and west. How did K-pop take over the world? It was 1992, three young men from a boy band were competing in a live television talent show. Korean lyrics, Euro-pop, African American hip-hop, and rap create a fresh sound. They dance in unison. The studio audience was in applause. But the judges were less impressed. The band received the night's lowest rating and was voted off the show.
The judges couldn't have been more mistaken. Because in no time the song “I know” reaches the top of the charts and remains there for a record-breaking 17 weeks. That night, the band Seo Taeji and Boys sparked a revolution. Korean pop, also known as K-pop, was born. Following the trendy music style and dance of Seo Taeji and Boys in the late 1990s, major kpop artists made their way to China and Taiwan. Seo Taiji and Boys had altered South Korea's musical and performance landscape by the time they officially disbanded in 1996, paving the way for other artists to be even more experimental and push the boundaries even further. Kpop successfully entered Japan in 2002, when Korea and Japan hosted the FIFA World Cup. BoA, also known as the "Queen of Kpop," topped the charts in Japan several times, introducing many other artists to different Asian countries.
By 2008, larger forces have meant that K-reach pop has extended far beyond its Asian fan base as kpop began to become available on international music platforms. People overseas, if they saw it, heard it, and liked it. But the first big international breakout for kpop was Gangnam Style in 2012. The world got introduced to Korean music. Maybe that was our first time listening to it too. The official Gangnam Style videos on YouTube alone had over three billion views, the most of any video at the time. Gangnam style was popular all over the world but it was taken more like a viral sound than kpop music. Many of us were unaware that it was a Korean song or that it represented kpop. Bands such as BTS, BigBang, 2NE1, Blackpink, and Girls Generation gradually entered the market as true definitions of KPOP as trendy music, cool and flashy clothes, synchronized dances, outstanding visuals, and so on. One of the main reasons that kpop or Korean bands are popular is because of their dedicated fanbase. Korean artists, known as kpop idols, tend to maintain a closer relationship with their fans through vlogs, live shows, reality shows, and other means.
Kpop bands are now having an instant hit or rise in the global market, what might be the reason for it? The answer is none other than entertainment firms (Big THREE). Let's take a look at the entertainment industry in Korea. The big three are three major companies that include SM, JYP, and YG. They are former kpop idols who started these businesses in a small rented room with a few producers and artists and have grown to be billion-dollar corporations. They recruit and train young children who have the potential to become idols. The trainees could be as young as 10 to 14 years old. Each large company has approximately 200 trainees who are gradually eliminated and form a band of 3-10 people. They spend hours practicing along with school. Following their debut, the band is completely managed by the company, including their songs, outfits, dance, and so on, in accordance with their contracts. These contracts have always been a topic of controversy.
The big reason for kpop to become a global hit is the support from the country. When Asia was in the grip of a major financial crisis in the late 1990s, South Korean leaders decided to use music to improve the country's image and cultural influence. As a result, the country's government invested millions of dollars in establishing a Ministry of Culture with a separate department devoted to K-pop. The investment was worth it. It turns out that the Korean government views the K-pop industry in the same way that the American government views the automobile and banking industries, or how the Nepalese government views the remittance sector, implying that these are industries that must be safeguarded for its potential and financial benefit.
