K-POP


K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop)^[1] (Korean: 가요 kayo)^[1] refers to a musical genre originating in South Korea, which comprises a wide variety of musical and visual elements. Although in a larger scope K-pop may include any genre of South Korean popular music, outside of the country, it is often used to refer to songs produced by K-Pop idols and their respective management agencies.^[2]
Musicians who have collaborated with various K-Pop idols include many notable recording artists from the African American hip hop community, such as Akon, Kayne West, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and will.i.am.^[3][4] By tapping into social media networks, the ability of K-pop to reach a previously inaccessible audience via the Internet is a driving force in the recent exposure and popularity of the genre.^[5] Since the mid-2000s, the K-pop music industry has experienced double digit growth rates. In the first half of 2012, it grossed US$3.4 billion and became the 8th largest digital music market in the world.^[6]
Currently, the spread of K-pop from Asia to other parts of the world as part of the Korean wave is most visibly seen in parts of South America, Northeast India, Mexico, Turkey, as well as in major immigrant hubs of the Western world as most consumers of Korean cultural products have an Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Eastern European background.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12]}

According to a Rolling Stone author, K-Pop embraces "genre fusion" with both singing and rap, while emphasizing solid performances and visuals at the same time.^[76] It is a mix of genres like pop, rock, hip hop, R&B and electronic music. K-pop can be described as a globalized music; as it is a mixture of Western and European sounds with an Asian flavor of performance. The way these Korean singers perform their songs with synchronized dance moves and complex gestures has increased the popularity of K-pop. It now takes a big place in the music market throughout Asia and the world. ^[77]
The BBC describes the K-pop group singers Super Junior and the Wonder Girls as "highly produced, sugary boy- and girl-bands with slick dance routines and catchy tunes."^[78] Dance is an integral part of K-pop. When combining multiple singers, the singers often switch their positions while singing and dancing by making prompt movements in synchrony. K-pop is also recognized for pretty-boys and girl groups^[79] that are young and considered attractive.^[80][81]
More than 60 boy and girl bands are produced each year in Korea, making way of labeling K-pop as a "star factory". Many of these bands disappear after a few hits.^[82] K-pop is a fast paced and high-competition industry, according to the Korea Times it produces easily consumable and disposable one-time hit songs that the audience downloads and then deletes.^[83] The majority of K-pop songs spend only a short time on music charts and it is rare for a hit to lead the charts for several weeks.^[84] The basic format is usually built upon a catchy chorus part and a spectacular, easy-to-master dance to accompany the song – like "Sorry, Sorry" from Super Junior, "Gee" from Girls’ Generation or "Abracadabra" from Brown Eyed Girls. The songs are marketed for one or two months and then are usually forgotten as new ones take their place.^[82][83] Singer Insooni complained that "the songs that we sang back in the day are still sung today. But music these days – people perform for three months than [sic!] stop. Fans have lost a sense of responsibility."^[85]
Visual experience is an integrated part of K-pop, which comprises the artist's physical appearance and clothing as well as the sophisticated visuals of concerts and music videos. K-pop videos are often vivid, colourful, strident, extravagant and compared to traditional pop videos can even be shocking or incomprehensible.^[86][87][88]
K-pop songs are often written by experienced songwriters, some of them born or raised in the USA, like Teddy Park,^[89] but there are instances of foreign songwriters and producers (such as will.i.am or Sean Garrett) composing songs to Korean performers.^[90][91]