K-pop
Sign in to saveK-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. The music genre that the term is used to refer to colloquially emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians influenced by Western dance music, hip-hop, R&B and rock. Today, K-pop commonly refers to the musical output of teen idol acts, chiefly girl groups and boy bands, who emphasize visual appeal and performance. As a pop genre, K-pop is characterized by its melodic quality and cultural hybridity.
AI overview
K-pop is a form of popular music that originated in South Korea in the 1990s, blending Western influences like dance music, hip-hop, R&B, and rock with Korean artistry. Today, it primarily refers to music by highly polished teen idol groups—mostly girl bands and boy bands—known for their visual appeal, choreography, and melodic quality, making it a culturally hybrid pop genre that has become significant globally.
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Key facts
- Music genre.cultural_origins
- 1990s, South Korea
- Music genre.name
- K-pop
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
48 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Characteristics
- Audiovisual content
- Idol trainee
- Hybrid genre and transnational values
- Use of English phrases
- Marketing
- Dance
- Fashion
- Government support
- History
- Origins of Korean popular music
- 1940s–1960s: Arrival of Western culture
- Late 1960s and 1970s: Hippie and folk influences
- 1980s: The era of ballads
- 1990s: Development of modern K-pop
- 21st century
- Industry
- Agencies
- Sales and market value
- Record charts
- Trainee system
- Trainee challenges
- New era of trainee system
- Trainee system origin
- Future of trainee systems
- Television
- Music shows
- Criticism of industry practices
- Hybrid identity
- Corruption
- Working conditions
- Control over public image
- Sexualization and pressure on appearance
- Mental health and suicides
- Culture
- Industry-specific expressions
- Appeal and fan base
- Events
- International tours
- Conventions and music festivals
- Impact and popularity
- Foreign relations
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. The music genre that the term is used to refer to colloquially emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians influenced by Western dance music, hip-hop, R&B and rock. Today, K-pop commonly refers to the musical output of teen idol acts, chiefly girl groups and boy bands, who emphasize visual appeal and performance. As a pop genre, K-pop is characterized by its melodic quality and cultural hybridity.
K-pop can trace its origins to "rap dance", a fusion of hip-hop, techno and rock popularized by the group Seo Taiji and Boys, whose experimentation helped to modernize South Korea's contemporary music scene in the early 1990s. Their popularity with teenagers led the music industry to focus on this demographic. Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, who developed the Korean idol system in the late 1990s, created H.O.T. and S.E.S., the "first generation" of K-pop. By the early 2000s, TVXQ and BoA had achieved success in Japan and gained traction for the genre overseas.