Category: Blogs
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The Concept of NCT
NCT (Neo Culture Technology) is a twenty-three-member boy group that debuted in 2016 through SM Entertainment. NCT’s concept uses different units in order to appeal to different audiences. Their unit system is unique from typical K-pop groups because it is made up of both fixed and unfixed units. Their most prominent unfixed unit is NCT…
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K-pop and Baseball
Prior to last weekend, I never expected for there to be any overlap between K-pop and baseball. I was proven wrong when, while watching a game, I recognized the sound of BTS’ ‘Burning Up (Fire)’ when it played as a batter’s walk up song. After a quick Google search, I found that Ji-Man Choi, who…
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Traditional Korean Instruments in Modern K-pop Music
Throughout the history of K-pop, there has been an existing effort for artists and producers to infuse traditionally Korean elements into their music, whether it is through integrating Korean musical instruments in their songs, incorporating traditional Korean dance moves in their performance routines, or including old Korean phrases in their lyrics. Nevertheless, as Lee discussed,…
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Can K-Pop concepts be seen as genuine?
Fans naturally attach to the groups they love. The basis for that attachment is something that the fans see in the idols that resonates with or appeals to them. In K Pop there exists the most engaged fandom of perhaps any industry. However, can fans even trust that what they see from their idols is…
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“You Should be Confident”: Confidence and Conformity in K-Pop’s Plastic Surgery Culture
Jessi is a K-Pop star who has never hesitated to publicly speak about her plastic surgery journey, and her fans love her all the more for it. She first discussed her double eyelid and nose job surgeries in a 2015 MBC episode of Radio Star (1), where she admits that she is confident in her…
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An Analysis of 2022: The Year Of Girl Groups
The fourth-generation of K-Pop idols has been ongoing since around 2018, yet it is four years later, in 2022, that this generation saw the beginning of a new chapter. Every year, entertainment agencies big or small throughout South Korea debut tens of boy and girl groups, with hopes that they will have a flourishing and…
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A Reflection on the Prevalence of Teenage Idols in the K-pop Industry
Arianna Dwomoh The ever-growing K-pop industry has allowed artists, known as ‘idols’, to express themselves through song and dance, appealing to the younger generation. These idols have always been young; for example, BoA., one of the first K-pop solo acts, debuted when she was 13 years old. Management companies have always tended to train and…
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An Important Discussion on Distinguishing American and Korean Culture in the Musical Landscape
There is one particular point I find myself repeating over and over in class, not because I feel I didn’t get my point across the first time, but because the point is relevant in so many of our discussions. The point I continually make regards the more sterilized, wholesome image of K-pop artists in general…
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Terence Lee | Zsofia Walter | Stephen Kim Reaction Video (“Ditto” by NewJeans)
Terence Lee I really enjoy the experience of creating a reaction video for NewJeans’ “Ditto” with Stephen and Zsofia. Whenever I watch music videos (of any genre), I give minimal reactions. So, understandably, I was afraid I would be too bland during the reaction video and that we might not find enough things to discuss.…
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A Dive into the Mysterious World of Dating for K-Pop Stars
It’s no secret that the lives of K-pop idols are under heavy scrutiny, constantly under the watchful eyes of the faithful K-pop fans. Accordingly, idols are often held to unrealistic standards by their management agencies. They often must sign contracts that are referred to as “slave contracts,” which span for long periods of time and…
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My experience at NCT Dream’s Atlanta show
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending NCT Dream’s first US tour in Atlanta (my second Kpop concert, the first one being NCT 127 a few months ago). Full disclosure I primarily listen to a lot of EDM now but have listened to Kpop here and there starting around 2017. And while I enjoy…
Musings on K-pop by Duke Univ. Students 