The K-POP Wave

The most talked about musical performance at the 2017 American Music Awards wasn’t sung in English. When the band BTS took the stage at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, the screams were deafening. Fans chanted the names of the seven performers to the rhythm of the song. The cheers nearly drowned out the singers’ voices! Millions more watched the performance on TV.

The group, also known as Bangtan Boys, became the first Korean popular music act to perform on a major American award show. Last year, BTS climbed the music charts, sold out U.S. concert arenas in minutes, and took home the Top Social Artist award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.

When the band BTS took the stage at the 2017 American Music Awards, the screams were deafening. Fans at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, chanted the performers’ names. The cheers nearly drowned out the music. Millions of people watched the performance on TV. It was the most talked about performance at the award show—and the band wasn’t even singing in English.

BTS was the first Korean popular music act to perform on a major American award show. Last year, the band climbed the music charts. They sold out U.S. concert arenas in minutes. They took home the Top Social Artist award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.

But BTS is just one of a wave of groups producing Korean popular music, or K-Pop. Other K-pop groups include Red Velvet, Dreamcatcher, and Wanna One. They all performed around the world last year.

K-Pop has exploded in popularity since its start in the early 1990s. It’s known for its catchy songs, dynamic choreography, and fusion of musical genres like hip-hop, pop, and slower sentimental songs called ballads. “By blending these genres, they come up with new songs that sound very fresh and feel very new but also familiar,” explains Tamar Herman, a K-Pop columnist for Billboard magazine. 

Mixing genres helps make the music relatable, even when it’s in a foreign language. For example, you might like a group’s pop song because of the smooth vocals, while your friend—who is a diehard hip-hop fan—might like it because of the rap, Herman explains.  

Korean popular music, or K-Pop, has exploded in popularity recently. BTS is just one in a wave of new bands. Other K-pop groups include Red Velvet, Dreamcatcher, and Wanna One. They all performed around the world last year.

K-Pop got its start in the early 1990s. It’s known for its catchy songs and dynamic dance moves. Performers mix musical styles like hip-hop, pop, and slower emotional songs. “By blending these genres, they come up with new songs,” explains Tamar Herman. She’s a K-Pop columnist for Billboard magazine. “[They] sound very fresh and feel very new but also familiar,” she adds.

Mixing genres helps people relate to the music even if they don’t speak Korean, says Herman. For example, you might like a K-pop song because of the smooth vocals. Your friend, a hip-hop fan, might like it because of the rap.  

Social media also helped boost K-Pop’s popularity. BTS shines on social. They’ve won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards the past two years in a row, beating out pop stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez.

The future of K-Pop looks bright, says Herman. With the overwhelming support of fans, Herman expects to see more artists on the charts and more concerts in the U.S. And if the instantly sold-out tickets for BTS’s stadium show in New York City last October are any indicator, K-Pop is here to stay.

Social media has also helped fans discover K-Pop. Many people share BTS’s videos online. The band has won Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards the past two years in a row. They beat out pop stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez.

The future of K-Pop looks bright, says Herman. She predicts more Korean artists on the charts and more concerts in the U.S. And fans are overwhelmingly supportive. Last October, a BTS show at a stadium in New York City sold out almost instantly. That’s a good sign that K-Pop is here to stay.