A New Definition Of “Pop” That Is Emerging In K-Pop

With the success of BTS’s “Dynamite,” it became common for idol groups active in Korea to release English songs. Most of those songs were what we conceptually think of as “pop.”

BTS | @bts_bighit/Twitter

In recent years, K-media has stated that K-Pop has become more “pop-like.” We may have to start with the question, “What is pop?” At least in Korea 2023, “pop,” often mentioned in K-Pop, is close to the meaning of “popular music in the English-speaking world, mainly on the Billboard charts.” Although abstract, this definition of “pop” has emerged in K-Pop.

This movement accelerated after the success of BTS’s first English single, “Dynamite.” Of course, there have been consistent attempts to digest pop within K-Pop before. K-Pop, which is like a melting pot of musical and cultural elements that exist in the world, could not have been ignored due to the admiration for the American culture learned since childhood.

For example, SM, JYP, and YG Entertainment, which were called the “three major entertainment companies” of K-pop, were all under the great influence of English-speaking pop. Even now, there is no one in Korea who does not know that producer Yoo Young Jin, who automatically comes to mind when thinking of “SM music”, is a pioneering figure who early introduced the pop R&B wave that was gradually heating up in the West in the 1990s into Korean popular music.

JYP and YG, which were relative latecomers, became more active. Park Jin Young, the head of JYP, who has not hidden his love for music, especially soul and funk in the 1970s since his days as a solo singer, and even naming himself “The Asian Soul”, was determined to enter the American market based on the label’s musical heritage. Until now, they have never once hid their love and interest in the English-speaking pop market.

K-Pop girl group 2NE1 | YG Entertainment

YG’s achievements were more evident. In fact, before BTS completely opened the door to the English-speaking music market, YG was almost the only one to achieve significant results in the English-speaking world. The two axes that have made the label famous so far, BIGBANG and 2NE1, were tangible proof that K-pop, based on hip-hop and electronica, can penetrate beyond Asia into the English and American pop market.

BIGBANG not only collaborated with those who shook the pop scene around 2010, such as Diplo and Flo Rida, but also consistently received love calls from pop stars such as Pharrell Williams and Grimes, and 2NE1 ‘s CL discovered a new connection between K-pop and pop by participating in The Black Eyed Peas‘ new song “Dopeness” in 2018. The influence of J-pop was often mentioned in the early days of K-pop discourse, but if you go back to its musical roots, it was the endless pursuit of English-speaking pop music that had as strong an influence as J-pop.

Why interest is focused on Jungkook’s first solo album

BTS’s Jungkook | @BIGHIT_MUSIC/Twitter

In the midst of K-pop’s unstoppable overseas expansion, which was welcomed by the success of BTS, which will forever remain in the history of popular music, “Dynamite” dropped a large bomb in the middle of K-pop in another sense. It was so successful that many people forget about it, but this song was a huge challenge and risk for BTS. This song was the first to reach the public with a digital single, and it was the first time that the lyrics were written only in English as a digital single. The more you think about it, the more you realize it was a quite bold attempt that went against everything that had been analyzed as a factor in gathering a loyal fandom up to that time.

As everyone knows, the experiment was a huge success. The traces of success were not limited to BTS’ path. After the success of “Dynamite,” it became very common for idol groups active in Korea to release English songs as pre-released songs, b-side songs, or special singles. And most of those English songs, like “Dynamite”, are what we conceptually think of as “pop as it is.” Pop music, so elaborately crafted that no one would notice even if it was slipped into the “pop of the moment” playlist or secretly placed somewhere on the Billboard singles chart, has begun to gain vitality in K-pop. If you listen to songs such as MONSTA X’s “Late Night Feels,” (G)I-DLE’s “I Want That,” or SEVENTEEN’s unit group BSS’s “7 PM,” the attempt to distinguish between K-Pop and pop feels rather meaningless.

In addition, K-media stated that while listening to Jungkook’s “Seven” and “3D,” it expressed complex and subtle emotions that cannot be described. The two songs seemed like a signal that it was not time to repeatedly talk about how “ideological pop” was contained in K-pop, but to branch out into discussing how K-pop is being incorporated into the current pop market.

As already mentioned in many domestic and foreign media, the two songs that Jungkook released in advance of the album release will inevitably cause an animalistic reaction in anyone who has lived their entire life under the direct or indirect influence of English-speaking pop. “Seven” features British singer-songwriter Craig David, who drove the hot UK garage boom not only around the world but also in Korea, and “3D” features genius producers who dominated the early 21st century, such as The Neptunes and Timbaland.

In the 21st century, will Jungkook be able to properly dig into the gap in the pop market, which is suffering from a shortage of refreshing pop stars who have shed their bad boy image or money swag? This is why the media is paying special attention to Jungkook’s first solo album, GOLDEN.