K-Pop, or Korean pop, is a music genre which originated in South Korea in the year 1992, when the group Seo Taiji and Boys debuted. Thus began modern K-Pop as we know it today. In 2017, the boy group BTS popularized the musical genre in the United States.

So, you’re probably asking, what makes K-Pop so darn appealing?

To fans of the K-POP genre, it’s the music, which incorporates many genres under a single umbrella—including rock, rap, soul, R&B, techno, EDM, and more—the beautiful and interesting visuals in the music videos, and the chemistry between group members and idols and fans, oh my!

In K-Pop, Korean entertainment companies, such as SM Entertainment, BigHit Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment carefully handpick trainees to be part of final K-Pop groups. Trainees form part of a company by being scouted or auditioning people to be a part of their groups. When companies put the right performers together, you get amazing super groups like BTS, EXO, Big Bang, Twice, and Girls’ Generation.

These groups have done groundbreaking work, reaching great heights worldwide. Girls’ Generation, arguably the queens of kpop, or a great example of what the music genre stands for. Debuting over a decade ago in 2007, Girls’ Generation is one of the only groups to make it through the second, third, and fourth generations of K-Pop. They reached groundbreaking success in 2009 with international hit “Gee”, and since then, they came to be known as K-Pop royalty.

In the new era of K-Pop, new royalty has entered the chat. With K-Pop ‘rookies’ breaking records set by their royalty seniors, there is no doubt that the quality and standards for idols to even debut has risen in the past couple of years.

In the past two years K-Pop groups LOONA, Itzy, and Ateez debuted with record breaking songs and music videos. LOONA and Itzy have only had a comeback once since their debuts, and yet they are both seen as K-Pop legends, with LOONA’s game changing pre-debut project and sound and Itzy’s unique music and concept, it isn’t hard to see why these groups have broken records upheld by their seniors.

LOONA, a group formed by Blockberry Ent. in 2016, didn’t have their official debut until August of 2018. They predebut project, which lasted eighteen months, consisted of a new girl or sub-unit(smaller groups within the main group) being introduced each month. This project garnered a lot of attention and fans towards the girl group.

Another thing that makes LOONA unique is their group concept and lore. Each music video that LOONA has released, including each member’s solo MV, has hidden meanings and messages, all corresponding to the storyline of the ‘LOONAVERSE’. Fans enjoy coming up with their own theories of the meaning within each music video.

Its the innovative strategies and high production standards for K-Pop groups and their projects that attracts most of their fans. As we can see with LOONA, every music video is carefully planned with a concept and wardrobe to match the song and vision the entertainment companies have.

But even more than the clean cut and greatly executed side of K-Pop, the part that garners the most fans is the genuine relationship between fans and idols. Each K-Pop group or artist has their own fandom and fandom name (i.e, LOONA and Orbits, Everglow and Forever, Twice and Once). The artists often hold meet and greets and special events and concerts in an effort to meet more of their fans and have more interactions with them. Through social media and all the events, fans feel truly connected to the artists.

Zaara Yakub, a junior at Bethpage High School said, “The artists’ personalities and the genuine connection that they upkeep in social media and other content,” about why she likes K-Pop. She also stated that “the production quality and the time and effort put into either debuts or new music releases with various choreography clips and through their concepts,” attracts her to the genre. And lastly that “overall a combination of various music genres,dance culture,aesthetics,and GREAT people is what I like.” People appreciate the time and effort put in and the production values of these videos that they produce and create. 

Ariella Rojas, a junior at Bethpage High School, says“I’m not sure what kpop, but I know of Back Pink”, Ariella doesn’t know much about K-Pop however through media she knows of Black Pink a recently famous K-Pop group in America. 

This shows an alternate opinion from someone who is not a die hard fan however is aware of this K-Pop group due to their rising popularity in the media. Like Ariella others are not aware of  K-Pop per say but certain aspects of K-Pop. Perhaps from hearing it on the radio or seeing different types or styles of K-Pop through social media.

There is no problem with disliking K-Pop, however, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.