KPOP...and what's next?

[NOTE: Sorry for the typos, as many of you know English is not my first language]

 “Whether or not there will be another first-rate group like TVXQ will determine the path of future juniors hoping to make their way into the Japanese market. It’s important that we focus on the production of content that will make K-Pop stand out from what’s already in Japan.” Kim Young Min

I, as Cassiopeia, feel happy to read this quote. What TVXQ did was the something big they open the doors to Hallyu Wave in many parts of the world but now what is doing the Kpop to keep spreading the Hallyu Wave? What is sacrificing the Kpop to become recognized? What is the future of Kpop when all we see is more quantity than quality in the groups? So many questions so many answers that I will try to respond.

What is happening to Kpop?

“At minimum, K-Pop will be popular for about three to five more years. The reason K-Pop is so popular all over the world is because of the idol groups. I think that it’s either going to last for three to five more years, or continue on forever.” Kim Young Min

The Kpop as we know is a style of music that only Korea poses and not only is the language is the fresh and youthful, basically is what the American mainstream pop lost long time ago. Old Kpop groups were the big representation of the Hallyu Wave: TVXQ, H.O.T, Shinhwa, Super Junior, BoA…etc. These groups basically focus in get better and improved what they had, they didn’t try to show to the world they were better than the rest but that they were something unique and we saw that, it’s not for nothing the Kpop became popular so quickly.

Groups that are part of the old Kpop care more about the quality than the quantity because how a group is going to be followers, loyal ones if they can’t show to the audience they are not the same as the groups out there. For example we have TVXQ acapella group, one of the only groups which both life and studio version of their songs can be described as Perfect. Or BoA, the queen of Kpop, who’s not afraid of new things to sing.

Where is this type of music gone? Well basically is the new improvement of Kpop. Kpop has become something some don’t recognized anymore; covers of westernized songs, songs composed by Americans or Europeans, songs that basically carry all the American/European mainstream has.  Everywhere you go there’s f(x)-Hot Summer (a cover of a western song), Superstar-Tohoshinki (bought by SME from a western compositor) or just listen Mr. Simple sounds similar to Bonamana and Sorry sorry style right? ... And the list goes on. I would care less if these people were from western but what we should be worry is this people don’t try to understand the Kpop itself. How they are going to write Kpop songs for Kpop artists if they try to keep the western style? Sadly is happening and many people like it but there’s some (like me) who find this boring and monotonous because we scape from the American mainstream style to something fresh and unique but when they unique they had is already gone, what we have left? Kpop is trying so much to expand but in doing so they are losing their identity, like an old Kpop fan said “when the Kpop stars try to come into US industry, they try SO HARD to Americanize themselves that it just down right becomes cheesy. Be true to yourself, regardless if your Kpop, jpop, cpop, it does matter, what American music culture is all about is Originally!. Be yourself! STOP trying so hard to be something you’re not and if in the end being yourself didn’t work? well guess what it doesn’t mean you suck it mean AMERICAN taster didn’t like how you tasted XD i feel your pain but seriously YOUR BIG in Korea be happy, you don’t see American people getting all pissy if they aren’t BIG in other countries, because as long as their people love them that all that matter”

Not only that is the current problem of Kpop but also Kpop artist are debuting in a rushing way, in a week Kpop has been debuting more than 10 groups. Let’s see 10 x 4 weeks (1 month) = 40 new groups ever month. Is not that much for us? Kpop is oversaturated with artists, they should just take a step back and take in count we want quality in music we don’t care about new groups if the old groups are having not so good songs just for the rushing or being better than the new groups.

Yes-pop can be… embarrassing (for western people). But it’s also youthful, fun and the best example of the power of the pop music machine since Britney spears, hope it doesn’t change.

Kpop in Japan?

Japan the first market in Asia, land of anime, manga and Jpop and now of Kpop but is really a land of Kpop now? No, it is not. I’m not denying Kpop is growing stronger there but also the way they are going there to  win money is shameful: rookies groups in Korea debuting in Japan without setting their roots first in Korea, groups without interest in the Japanese culture, groups with no interest in learning the language. This is the new Hallyu Wave in Japan.

In the beginnings of the 2000’s BoA and Tohoshinki ( going to call them like that since they are a jpop group) left for some years their land, Korea, to start anew in Japan, without fans ..Without the help of the TV stations only themselves and Avex. They improved with time until they became recognized as Jpop group/singer. Tohoshinki was known not as part of Hallyu Wave but known as Jpop artist even now some people don’t know they are from Korea.  Why I am mentioning this? Because Kpop nowadays is not even trying to understand the language or the culture they just go there and want to debut=money and go back to Korea.  What kind of group is that? Yeah new groups under the Hallyu Wave and this will go on until the fans don’t say a thing about this.

I’m more than happy of Kpop groups there I just want some quality in their works; I don’t want more songs from Korean to Japanese. I don’t want them to believe they are the best thing they it has happened in Japan because are not.  Japan is like American they have a lot of styles and accept a lot, they are accepting Kpop but if Kpop fans and Kpop itself looks down on Jpop and Japanese fans they won’t go too far in this Hallyu Wave thing.

Kpop will be able to be successful in USA?

“Park Jin-young once said the words ‘Korean wave’ themselves are obstacles to the very movement they describe…Today international fans tend to be enamored with the Korean lyrics…some going as far as learning the Korean language…The new school of thought is that it’s better for Korean artists to stay true to themselves rather than trying to be American.”

Depends on your definition of success. For Kpop to enter the mainstream America style and music scene, Kpop would have to change  so much that it would be become unrecognizable to current fans (or some fans of old Kpop). But, if Kpop reminded as underground phenomenon in the United States, it could be successful without compromising its identity. The question here is if you fan will be able to accept them not to be recognized like you want but still with the good quality of music you like?

In some ways, Kpop’s fate in Japan suggests some of the issues that Kpop faces in United States. It is a big deal when Kpop artist decide to debut or re-enter the Japanese market. Compared to Korea, it is huge opportunity for profit and exposure. Most groups do so by recording their Korean hits in Japanese, and making Japanese versions of Mvs, presumably to better suit the taste of the Japanese people.

This is the same move the big names in Kpop may make to attain success in the mainstream American music market. Kpop artists who have gone to America have not recreated the large international followings they enjoy in Asia and other parts of the world when they choose to cater to American tastes and sing in English (BoA, Sev7en, Rain).

Yet, JYJ managed to attain some attention in the USA, but I would argue that they did so by sacrificing their Kpop essence (an essence that most of the people like). Before I continue, I’m not a JYJ hater this is a post about Kpop okay? What they did in USA is representative of Kpop? I’m going to say it bluntly: No, it is not.

The MV and their music seem to cater to American mainstream music expectations. There is a strong preference for English in America over the languages of the other countries. I don’t like it, and I don’t agree with it, but this kind of thinking is part of the general American resistance to other languages (not all the people I must say). Isn’t it curious that Kpop become popular worldwide with artists that sing primarily in Korean?

Releasing songs in English is like taking the K out of Kpop, for me personally. Say, if we have a successful album, with songs produced by the Jonas Brothers, Britney Spears, etc.  Technically what they would create would cease to be Korean pop and just pop. When the “people in control” decide that Kpop artists need to sing in English, it seems they assume that such artist cannot attain mainstream success there without doing so. It’s not a secret that we (well me personally) like struggling with the Korean lyrics of the songs. The blend of Korean and English is something that I think makes Kpop unique.

Many think Kpop would have to change the every way Kpop idols represent themselves, especially the male idols. Some feel the male idol groups are too pretty and assume that Americans gravitate to more manly images (which is true and sad to see this in the American Culture).To their minds Americans like aggressive forms or mascunality, macho men and believe that our well-dresses, polite and attractive Kpop idols do not fit . In this case again JYJ can be a good example, in their last tour they tried to show us some of this masculinity, something is not them and totally we can look they were so uncomfortable with. Their shows bordered in the slutty concept: girls semi-naked dancing sexually in front of a young, adult audience. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if most of their fanbase weren’t young kids who love them for their music and not for the slutty image their tried to show in their concerts; if they were true to themselves we will still love them. But back to the track if Kpop is to succeed in the mainstream market, many think Kpop will have to adapt to American gender expectations. But in doing so the “changes Kpop idols do all the time” are going to be limited there.

I would actually prefer Kpop not try to enter into American mainstream music industry if it means transforming it into something I have never seen before in them and I don’t want to hear in them. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want Kpop in my country. Success in the United Sates does not have to be changing who you are, just you need to be true to yourself as an artists, to be on USA does not have to be measured by a high position on the charts but the support of the fans who are the ones making them who they are.

You don’t need the American mainstream to succeed; you only need the use that Internet influence gives you. America has several music styles that enjoy loyal followings that largely go unnoticed by the American mainstream and these styles don’t have to change their essence to achieve that kind of popularity.

TVXQ/JYJ cases (allow me to be biased for once)

“The power of TVXQ is just huge and impressive. Despite the controversy they’re undergoing, it’s because of what the five members accomplished that there’s a K-Pop market right now.” Kim Young Min

Honestly, DBSK did paved way in some way at least for idols and groups; I can’t believe some people discredited them because obviously TVXQ did have something to do with paving the way for idols to enter japan market. I felt that since TVXQ achieved great success with album sales and the Tokyo Dome concert, many groups jump on the bandwagon (well, I can’t honestly blame these idols groups, because well, it’s definitely the companies wanting to expand business, popularity and venturing out to Japan means, yen = more $$$$)

I honestly felt weird that people discredit or look down on TVXQ when talking about them being the ones who open the door in Japan and for being part of the Jpop. At the time of their Japanese debut, Tohoshinki didn’t have it easier like SNSD or KARA or many idols nowadays in Japan. At the time, Kpop was practically unheard of and Tohoshinki performed at malls, did their own promotions and held small gigs only in the first few years after debut. They had to learned to be fluent in Japanese before their management let them to be on Japanese Shows and it took them 4 years before going to Music Station unlike nowadays most Kpop idols can easily perform at the show without even need to be fluent in Japanese) But once they became big, that’s when people start noticing Tohoshinki and pay a more attention to Kpop groups more than they used to. So, Kpop became big in Japan thanks to Tohoshinki, now more idol groups want to venture out to Japan and does not fear of the Japan market anymore like how Koreans used to.

Now, this year many are hyped about many Kpop boybands debuting Japan. One of the groups is Shinee. If you watched some of the TV show that introduced Shinee to Japan, they even introduced Shinee as, "DBSK TVXQ/Tohoshinki's younger brother". Now, I'm not saying Shinee is borrowing TVXQ's name to Japan, because technically, Shinee didn’t even ask for it, but the TV show mentioned them as TVXQ's younger brother, technically TVXQ named is used to make the Japanese more familiar and more accepting. So, there's no denying of this TVXQ did paved way for idols groups. Sadly to say not many Kpop groups give the thanks to TVXQ or even respect what TVXQ have done for them. And worst is to see Kpop using TVXQ to hold concerts in Japan to promote their artist, Kpop should stop using like a toy TVXQ, is time those groups work for themselves to be successful.

In conclusion we can say...

Kpop needs to be true to its roots: the margins. It has reached international popularity, not by relying on traditional modes of music promotion, but taking it to the people via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. But if Kpop starts to change their image to suit Western tastes, the Kpop fans will start criticizing them for such changes. How do you balance that? How do you cater to Western standards of music while still maintaining Kpop standards so you don't lose your fans? The answer is: it is not possible. You have to drop one or the other. Either go for broke and be like many Western artists nowadays or even be more creative and original. Or stay in Korea and make cutesy, generic songs.