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What is it about K-pop or Korean music that is sweeping the world off its feet?
Click start to play today’s Crossword, where you can name the most popular K-pop bands and musicians.
It’s called Hallyu, or the Korean wave – the idea that South Korean pop culture has grown to become a global force to be reckoned with. And it’s visible in every arena – from beauty products to Netflix shows to Korean ice creams and tacos, Hallyu is here. In that tidal wave of culture, riding the crest are K-pop stars, who have generated die-hard fans out of people that do not even speak the language.
Although officially beginning in the 1990s, K-pop didn’t gain traction until the 2000s. Older millennials may remember Psy’s viral hit, Gangnam Style, when it popped onto our screens in 2012. That incredibly catchy song and dance move would spawn thousands more copycat videos from people all around the world. That year, Gangnam Style went on to surpass Canadian artiste Justin Bieber’s Baby as the most-watched video on YouTube. In fact, according to statistics website Statista, Gangnam Style is still ranked in the top 10 most watched videos of YouTube, in the 10th position, with 4.15 billion views.
K-pop began its third (and current) wave in 2013, and became a blend of not just different languages like English, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin, but also of different music genres – from electronic and punk to hip-hop and disco. The unbelievably successful boy band Exo, for instance, has two subgroups – Exo M and Exo K. While Exo K performs the band’s music in Korean, Exo M does it in Mandarin. The strategy works; Exo is the highest charting Korean male act on the Billboard 200 list.
With incredibly polished videos, carefully choreographed routines and diverse talent, K-pop is here to stay. And with its imaginative storytelling, it’s propelling music into the future.
Earlier this year, the Korean group behind Exo – SM Entertainment – launched æspa, an all-girl group with four members, each of whom have a virtual avatar that exists in another dimension. Their avatars are simply called æs (pronounced like ‘eyes’). If you’ve played the life simulation video game The Sims, the æs work in a similar way – they all have their own backstories and virtual lives (for instance, Giselle is a real-life æspa member and her avatar, æs-Giselle, is a social-media savvy student). The band’s music ties into their storylines, as well, giving audiences a whole new way to connect and relate with them.
One thing’s for certain: K-pop continues to surprise and entertain. Will you ride the Korean wave to see where it goes next?
Play today’s Crossword and let us know at games@gulfnews.com.
