What K-Pop Means to Koreans
The other day, I saw an article about two black women wanting to break into the Korean music industry. And there was this whole debate between those who think yes, they should, and no, they shouldn't.
People said yes, they should definitely do so, because they are talented and that K-Pop music is a derivative version of "black" music anyways. The girls said that their goal isn't to be a girl-group/idol member, but they want to be artists who open up more doors to people of color. They mention Yoon Mi-Rae and Sam Okyere as people who inspire them.
Then there are those who say no, K-Pop is a specific cultural value to Koreans, and it doesn't really make sense to have two black girls prove a point in a country they don't really know about.
I'm a little bit in between these two, I think it's great that these talented girls want to reach out to Koreans, but the cons-party is right in saying that they will probably not be received very well in Korea. Yes, the Korean culture isn't really ready for a diverse society. To be frank, there's still a lot of racism, and I think it really needs to change because wherever we go, we're minorities as well.
But hear me out. K-Pop is not about idols and boyband groups that dance and try to rap. It actually derives from the 90s Korean pop music, which we call "ballad". On the popular show "K-Pop Star", the judges mentioned something that makes the genre so culturally appropriate, which is the emotion of the singer who knows how to express pain so well (In Korean, we say 짠함 or 애절함). There has to be a sense of longing and deep emotion that the audience really appreciates.
A good example of a perfect K-Pop star would be Ailee in my opinion. Yes, she sees Beyonce as one of inspirational icons and is referred to as a "diva". But that's only a small portion of her talent - while there are songs like "I'll Show You" and "Don't Touch Me", she can also pull off songs like "I'll Go To You Like the First Snow". If these three songs are laid out in front of the Korean audience, it's most likely that we'll be more impressed by the latter, because there is an element in her voice that really makes our heart ache and us appreciate that someone else can express that exact emotion for us.
So to say that K-Pop is just a rip off of "Black" music, which I don't even think is a very correct term, it's very ignorant and simple-minded. If a Korean artist said "I'd like to break into the Reggae industry because I'd like to open more doors open for the other Asians", imagine the criticism that'd be thrown at them. I don't really know these two ladies, but from what I know, I don't think they have any knowledge of the value music has in Korea. It's not just fan-girls that love K-Pop, but adults as well.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that if you watch any Korean audition programs, there are a bunch of non-Asian contestants that try to break the market. However, most of them don't speak the language nor do they rarely try to sing in Korean. The judges always mention this before dropping them in the show that the language is a huge factor in the industry. Some things just don't translate, and especially when there are melodies and beats involved, it will not reach the audience 100%.
So for those who try and diminish the value of K-Pop, please understand that it means just as much to Koreans as R&B and Hip Hop does to America. I'm not really sure what gives non-Koreans the right to laugh at artists, they always tend to sneer at our culture and not understand the value they have for us. We never asked for such opinions and criticisms, and we love it just as it is.
People said yes, they should definitely do so, because they are talented and that K-Pop music is a derivative version of "black" music anyways. The girls said that their goal isn't to be a girl-group/idol member, but they want to be artists who open up more doors to people of color. They mention Yoon Mi-Rae and Sam Okyere as people who inspire them.
Then there are those who say no, K-Pop is a specific cultural value to Koreans, and it doesn't really make sense to have two black girls prove a point in a country they don't really know about.
I'm a little bit in between these two, I think it's great that these talented girls want to reach out to Koreans, but the cons-party is right in saying that they will probably not be received very well in Korea. Yes, the Korean culture isn't really ready for a diverse society. To be frank, there's still a lot of racism, and I think it really needs to change because wherever we go, we're minorities as well.
But hear me out. K-Pop is not about idols and boyband groups that dance and try to rap. It actually derives from the 90s Korean pop music, which we call "ballad". On the popular show "K-Pop Star", the judges mentioned something that makes the genre so culturally appropriate, which is the emotion of the singer who knows how to express pain so well (In Korean, we say 짠함 or 애절함). There has to be a sense of longing and deep emotion that the audience really appreciates.
A good example of a perfect K-Pop star would be Ailee in my opinion. Yes, she sees Beyonce as one of inspirational icons and is referred to as a "diva". But that's only a small portion of her talent - while there are songs like "I'll Show You" and "Don't Touch Me", she can also pull off songs like "I'll Go To You Like the First Snow". If these three songs are laid out in front of the Korean audience, it's most likely that we'll be more impressed by the latter, because there is an element in her voice that really makes our heart ache and us appreciate that someone else can express that exact emotion for us.So to say that K-Pop is just a rip off of "Black" music, which I don't even think is a very correct term, it's very ignorant and simple-minded. If a Korean artist said "I'd like to break into the Reggae industry because I'd like to open more doors open for the other Asians", imagine the criticism that'd be thrown at them. I don't really know these two ladies, but from what I know, I don't think they have any knowledge of the value music has in Korea. It's not just fan-girls that love K-Pop, but adults as well.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that if you watch any Korean audition programs, there are a bunch of non-Asian contestants that try to break the market. However, most of them don't speak the language nor do they rarely try to sing in Korean. The judges always mention this before dropping them in the show that the language is a huge factor in the industry. Some things just don't translate, and especially when there are melodies and beats involved, it will not reach the audience 100%.
So for those who try and diminish the value of K-Pop, please understand that it means just as much to Koreans as R&B and Hip Hop does to America. I'm not really sure what gives non-Koreans the right to laugh at artists, they always tend to sneer at our culture and not understand the value they have for us. We never asked for such opinions and criticisms, and we love it just as it is.
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