K-pop

K-pop
Stylistic origins	Electronic • Hip hop • Pop • R&B
Cultural origins	Mid to late 1990s, South Korea
Typical instruments	Vocals • Drum pad • Drums • Electric bass • Keyboards • Piano • Sampler • Sequencer • Synthesizer • Occasional use of various other instruments

K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop or Korean popular music) is a musical genre consisting of electronic, hip hop, pop, and R&B music originating in South Korea. In addition to music, K-pop has grown into a popular subculture among teenagers and young adults throughout Southeast and Central Asia, resulting in widespread interest in the fashion and style of top Korean idol groups and singers.

Through the presence of Facebook fan pages, availability on iTunes, Twitter profiles, and music videos on YouTube, the ability of K-pop to reach a previously inaccessible audience via the Internet is driving a paradigm shift in the exposure and popularity of the genre.

History

Jonghyun, lead vocalist of the boy band SHINee, is a popular K-pop artist.

1990s: Conception and industrialization

The debut of the group Seo Tai-ji & Boys in 1992 was a turning point for popular music in South Korea. Incorporating elements of popular musical genres in the United States such as rap rock and techno, the group had tremendous success in South Korea. Hip hop duos such as Deux also became popular in the early 1990s.

Lee Soo Man broke K-pop barriers in 1995 with the formation of SM Entertainment, South Korea’s largest entertainment agency. Soon to follow were DSP Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment, all of which began producing highly successful artists.

The first K-pop girl groups and boy bands began appearing in the mid to late 1990s. Groups such as as Fin.K.L, g.o.d., H.O.T., Sechs Kies, and S.E.S. were hugely successful throughout Asia. The 1990s also saw a surge in the popularity of hip hop and R&B music in South Korea, with artists such as Epik High, Drunken Tiger, MC Mong, TVXQ, and 1TYM launching successful careers.

Also, Super Junior is hugely popular, winning many awards and such. With many members, they have dominated Asia and are beginning to expand into the whole world with their talent and good looks.

2000s: Expansion

Today, apprenticeship is the universal strategy for nurturing girl groups, boy bands, and solo artists in the K-pop industry. To guarantee the high probability of success of new talent, talent agencies fully subsidize and oversee the professional lives and careers of trainees, often spending in excess of $400,000 on a new artist. Through this practice of apprenticeship, which often lasts two years or more, trainees hone their voices, learn professional choreography, sculpt and shape their bodies through exercise, and study multiple languages all while attending school.

In 2009, Wonder Girls became the first Korean singers to place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States with their single, Nobody.

K-pop is gradually gaining influence in foreign markets outside of Asia, most notably in the United States, Canada and Australia. In 2010, solo artist Taeyang and girl group 2NE1 began topping various music charts throughout the United States and Canada with the release of various albums and hit songs.

Several K-pop artists are collaborating with other artists and producers in the United States including B.o.B., Flo Rida, the Jonas Brothers, Kanye West, and will.i.am.

Popularity

In China, Japan, Thailand, and much of Southeast Asia, K-pop culture has become so popular that authorities and nationalists fear that it is leading to a xenocentric preference for Korean styles and ideas.

K-pop artists

Main article: List of K-pop artists

See also

• Korean music
• South Korean music
• Korean wave
• Contemporary culture of South Korea
• List of South Korean bands
• List of Korea-related topics