High School Chronicles: The International K-pop Wave

The days that hailed 'NSync and the Backstreet Boys have bitten the dust, and high schoolers no longer lust for those five-member American boy bands that exuded a b-boy appeal circa 1990's. Instead, a recent global phenomenon has expanded the music industry to an unprecedented degree, affecting the lives of millions around the world... the K-pop "Hallyu" wave, or Korean culture wave, has touched the shores of countries all over the world and has resurrected the boyband appeal in a modernized way, altering the way the world views entertainment and appealing to millions of high schoolers worldwide.

Because Montgomery County has a substantial Asian population, word of mouth by the Asian community has contributed to the awareness of K-pop in the area. In local Korean barbeque restaurants, posters of popular Korean boy bands or girl bands gleam and adoring high school "fan girls" gather round them to take pictures. K-pop music blasts from the speakers and American girls nod their heads and even know the words. On YouTube, boy bands such as BigBang, SHINee, and MBLAQ have taken up spots for weeks for the position of Most Viewed Videos. When one scrolls down to the comments, languages ranging from Spanish, French, Japanese, Portugese, and English can be seen, and they all leave jibber jabber that end with multiple exclamation points, oozing enthusiasm. The K-pop Wave has taken over the world. 

Locally in the Wootton district, the K-pop phenomenon is vibrant and present. I have multiple friends of varying ethnic origins who find the genre to be particularly catchy and hypnotic. Several of them are devoted fans who check K-pop blogs and fan websites that update every few days regarding their favorite groups' whereabouts and activities. When several K-pop groups were selected as finalists in the MTV European Music Awards, my friends went as far as voting every day on the designated websites to support their favorite bands in winning the title. So the question comes to, why is K-pop so wildly popular, and what has contributed to its worldwide success? After extensive research, here is a synopsis to answer this beffudlement: 

The Training Years- Successful K-pop groups, before they are formed, have a specific formula to folllow that is created by Korean music labels. Potential artists are recruited by these labels or go to auditions, and then are hand-picked to be in mega groups that exude a specific appeal. These Korean music labels are few, the major ones being SM Entertainment and YG Family. Every group under these labels must train for several years before they debut, receiving education in all entertainment areas such as dancing and acting. The groups sign contracts that have binding conditions, with strict diets to follow and restrictions on the liberties of private life such as dating. After the contract is signed, these training years become vital in ensuring each group's image.

TV Appearances and Advertisement Campaigns- Once these groups debut, they are immediately scheduled to appear in Korean variety shows and are sponsored by many leading Korean brands to promote their public images. They become labeled as "idols" because they appear on television so often and are in the public eye constantly where people worship and look up to them.

Fan meetings and Social Networking- K-pop groups garner public support because of their intimate connection with their fans. Before concerts, they repeatedly acknowledge their fan's support and love. While participating in world-wide tours, they schedule fan meetings where fans are able to shake the groups' hands and greet one another. On social networking sites such as Twitter, these groups make individual pages to let fans know what they are up to and even respond to devoted fan messages. By doing so, fans know that these groups are responsive and down-to-earth, thus making them more approachable.

Physical Appearance- Much of the K-pop popularity has to do with shallowness. Almost all of the groups have spotless public images, with no drug use or drinking in their lives. Instead, these groups focus on improving their physical appearance by following strict diets and exercise regimes to gather more fan support. The physical look of each group coincides directly to their popularity.

Due to these factors, K-pop has reached a global level, widely because of Korean cultural values and how each groups presents themselves to the public. The fact that each group is "clean" in their personal activities also contributes to their success, as they are role models and symbols of South Korea. Although the golden age of American boybands has diminished, the fresh appeal that the modernized Korean versions offer have taken the world aback, and this not-so-average high schooler has become starstruck as well.