Pop goes the whistle again

It may seem amazing to the young, but there was much Korean music before K-Pop exploded onto the world stage.

Written documentation of Korean musical history dates to the 15th century and at its height, traditional Korean music was patronised by the Yi kings of the Josean dynasty. Although it was almost annihilated by the Japanese in the early 1900s, it made a patriotic comeback in the post-war period. In 1951, after Korea was split, the two countries adopted different approaches to music.

South Korea has long been associated with classical music, and performances by talented soloists and national orchestras continue to win globalacclaim. With a large presence of American and Allied forces, the nation was also quick to adopt big band and rock and roll, translating them into Korean. By the 1990s, music was mostly in the vernacular, and was omnipresent in films and on television.

Then along came Korean pop or K-Pop, much loved at home, and just as famous in international clubs and charts. With a dramatic range of repertoire — pop, electro-pop, hip-hop, rock, soul, and rhythm and blues — there is no clear definition of the genre. But its genius remains unparalleled. Simply put, it is music of the moment.

K-Pop marked a turning point with the debut of Seo Tai-ji & Boys in 1992, when they incorporated elements of rap, rock and techno, while contemporary band Deux made it big with hip-hop. In 1995, Korean entrepreneur Lee Soo Man established the talent agency S.M. Entertainment (the record label responsible for the formation of various groups including boy band Super Junior), leading to the birth of the first girl groups and boy bands. By the late 1990s, several others had joined in, with groups such as Drunken Tiger, S.E.S., Fin K.L, H.O.T, Shinwa and G.O.D. achieving great success.

Locally known as ‘inky gayo', K-Pop has grown in recent years because of its ability to reach previously inaccessible audiences over the internet. It is now a multibillion-dollar industry at home and an institution around the world.

One man may have done more for this movement than all his contemporaries put together. Known by his stage name, Rain, Jung Ji-Hoon is an artist, dancer, actor and designer, with seven albums, 19 hit singles and innumerable global concerts to his credit. In 2007, Rain launchedhis own firm, J. Tune Entertainment, in a move that shows why K-Pop remains a success.

Apparently, apprenticeship is the strategy that nurtures K-Pop stars. Large talent agencies oversee the careers of young trainees, often spending in excess of $400,000 (about Dh1.4 million) to train and launch a new artist. Over a two-year apprenticeship, young performers learn to hone their voices, perfect their dancing, sculpt their bodiesand study multiple languages — all while attending regular school.

Every K-Pop group has a leader, or ‘hyung', who acts as spokesperson, unites members and is considered the backbone of the group.

SHINee's adorable leader Onew is said to wake up early to make breakfast for everyone before school starts. Girls' Generation's Taeyeon is barely out of childhood, but she knows how to keep all nine members going strong.

K-Pop bands are born on an alarmingly regular basis — almost at the sound of a whistle. JYJ was formed by three former members of the boy band TVXQ. After a No 1 debut album in Japanese and a second last October in English (which marked a collaboration with Kanye West), they opened pre-orders for their first Korean album In Heaven on the morning of September 9. By noon, it had recorded 300,000 orders. When the album was officially released a week later, it was already deemed a hit, just another K-Pop success story.

K-Pop's global clout has been proven yet again, as organisers of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix have chosen two K-Pop groups — Nine Muses and Seo In Young — to perform at the Abu Dhabi Corniche this November.

There remains no doubt that they will take Abu Dhabi by storm.