Kpop has become a truly global phenomenon as a result of its distinct blend of addictive melodies, polished choreography, and production values, as well as an endless parade of attractive South Korean performers who spend years sharpening their singing and dancing skills in strict studio environments.
What is Kpop?
K-pop, or Korean Pop, is the 21st century’s most popular, unique, style-bending, trendsetting music genre. It originated in South Korea and drew influences from various genres, including pop, experimental, rock, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and dance.
K-pop is a subset of the “Korean Wave,” also known as Hallyu, which refers to the popularity of Korean pop culture and Korean TV shows, music, and movies in Asia and elsewhere. Although it has been developing for 20 years, K-pop, in particular, has gained more and more attention from international audiences in the last 5 to 10 years.
What Korean Kpop group debuted first?
In the Korean music industry, many companies established to create Kpop groups that are popular around the world. However, the Big 4 companies of Kpop: SM Entertainment established in 1995, JYP Entertainment in 1997, YG Entertainment in 1998, and Hybe in 2005 are the most popular now.
The history of Kpop began in the 1950s with The Kim Sisters. However, H.O.T. (short for Highfive Of Teenagers) under SM Entertainment, which officially debuted in 1996, was the very first Kpop group and bore many similarities with current Kpop idol groups.
A brief history of Kpop
Until now, Kpop has been through four generations. The first Kpop generation started from the 1900s to the 2000s with H.O.T., Sechs Kies, S.E.S., Fin. K.L – some of the most famous groups in this generation. The second generation (the 2000s – 2010s) began with G.o.d debuting in 1999 and they were followed by TVXQ, a pop duo that debuted in 2003, Super Junior in 2005, BIGBANG in 2006, and F.T. ISLAND in 2007.
The third generation of K-pop groups is currently dominating the charts. BTS, EXO, NCT, Seventeen, TWICE, and BLACKPINK have dominated the music industry and show no signs of slowing down. Finally, the fourth generation, from 2019 to now, often targets the global market due to the influence of their seniors.
What is the appeal of Korean pop music?
There are many reasons which make K-pop so uniquely popular. They have synchronized dance moves, simple songs with addictive hooks, and the outer beauty of all K-pop group members. Moreover, it keeps amassing fans by utilizing strong storytelling in many songs and music videos.
Additionally, rather than holding tours, it is more common for K-pop groups to do things for K-pop fans such as performing in music shows, organizing fan signing events, attending variety shows, and even arranging more private fan meetings.