The End of K-pop

The Phenomenon is dead. Long live The Phenomenon.

Hey y’all,

It’s taken me (too) long to write this. I’m honestly not sure why, either. Maybe it’s the difficulty of forming my thoughts without it sounding dramatic? Or, the attempt at trying to explain something that doesn’t come off fatalistic?

Meh.

The phenomenon is over and I’m glad to see it. In case you’re unfamiliar with the word’s actual meaning…

Phenomenon (noun) [phe·​nom·​e·​non] - an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person, thing, or occurrence.

Merriam-Webster dictionary

Regardless of how you’re counting it, we’re in the era of the 5th Generation and have fully exited the K-pop of years past. The industry’s changed in some ways. Groups with large member counts are still around. Collaborations have increased both behind and in front of the mic. English albums aren’t new but they’re as prominent as Japanese-language-only releases in an artist’s catalog.

It’s the end of (the) K-pop of the past, absolutely.

Both this and another piece I’m working on have had me in a holding pattern. I didn’t want to come off judgmental nor antiquated, but it’s a wrap on what it was since late 2019. You had to have noticed, yeah?

Prominence of English Lyrics

For those who got into the excitement of it all between generations 1 through 3, it’s looks and sounds nothing like it once did. If you’re from a native-English speaking nation, we are the latest conquest after Japan. I’m serious: they reached out to China and don’t thrive too often… then they set up shop in Japan… then they integrated some English here and there… and then BAM! Whole projects in English. (In some cases, Spanish, too, but that’s what’s next on the menu in terms of expansion.)

Is anyone learning Korean from the music anymore? Is it only by way of an actual album cut? If someone’s new to this and learning through music videos (yes, I knowwwww, but when I found K-pop it was via YouTube and I was consuming title tracks like a maniac) then what, we have to tell ‘em to embrace K-dramas for language acquisition? That’s not everyone’s jam. There’s countless studies about language acquisition through music and television but music does something that television doesn’t — it penetrates the soul without the benefit of pre-created visuals.

Nabi (“butterfly”) was the first word in Korean I learned because of a children’s song. I learned hello later. The first phrase I could read was, “Where is the restroom?” because it was the first thing I wanted to say in my Korean Culture class in 2013. The first phrase I could say with full confidence was the first few lyrics of 2NE1’s “Sorry” because the music spoke to where I was in life. I wonder if that magical moment still hits the same for the newer generation of consumers?

지금 내가 하는 얘기
널 아프게 할지 몰라
아마 날 죽도록 미워하게 될 꺼야

Jigeum naega haneun yaegi
Neol apeuge halji molla
Ama nal jukdorok miwohage doel kkeoya

The Blinders are Gone

Stage collabs? Limited.

“I love K-pop because it’s not as racy as Western music—” wrap that shit up.

The varnish applied to the finished idol product is tarnished by assaults, bullying, cheating, and other messiness.

There’s more awareness of scandals beyond the b.s. of who’s-dating-who and as bad as it has been… and still could be… it’s good that it’s happened. There doesn’t need to be another generation of consumers believing that there’s perfection in anything that has humans involved.

A channel that does its best to give it to fans straight: https://www.youtube.com/@kookielit

Increased awareness means increased scrutiny and that can lead to improvements. Sometimes. On select occasions. I mean, many still do what they want and halfheartedly apologize once caught. I’m not about to list ‘em all but it doesn’t take much to find.

The novelty of it all though, yes? Don’t you miss it? Is it just me?

The “Battle” of the Generations

It used to mean something to us fans but it genuinely doesn’t mean a thing. There’s old K-pop, newer Kpop (no hyphen), and new Korean artists singing pop music. The “I came in 2nd Gen!” or “I’ve been a fan since 3rd gen groups” conversations… do they get us anywhere except a response of how old we are (I’m not referring to ageism but fan commitment) or how one generation doesn’t have to acknowledge the other? Who cares, really? Only those of us researching fandom as a social concept or keyboard warring around…

So, a minute finger-gun salute to what once was. South Korea got what it aimed for in terms of expansion, if you ask me… but I sure do miss the old days of it.