What is the Hallyu? It’s the Korean Wave! What is K-Pop? It’s Korean pop music! The Hallyu is a force of Korean culture that has broken barriers to show the world what Korea can give. In the 1960s, South Korea started expanding their global image with entertainment coming to other parts of Asia, America, and Britain. Singers such as the Kim Sisters, Seo Taiji and Boys, and BTS helped bring Korean music to the world. In later years, Korea would build its global image through other K-Pop artists breaking charts worldwide. 

What makes Korean Pop so popular? K-Pop has broken records all around the world, but why? 

The Kim Sisters was a singing group of three girls in the 1950s and 60s. They were some of the first pioneers to bring Korean Music to the rest of the world. The Kim Sisters are credited with bringing the idea of Korean music to other parts of the world with their catchy, jazzy style. In the early 90s, a boy group called Seo Taiji and Boys came to the music spotlight. They are widely recognized as the first K-Pop group. Seo Taiji and Boys created the first image of what K-pop is, a blend or Western pop and rap with intense choreography. They are credited with creating the foundation of what K-Pop sounds like. 

Today, groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, and Stray Kids are dominating the charts. BTS is the boy group that is considered the most popular and widely known K-Pop group of all time. Their song Dynomite was the first K-Pop song to reach No.1 on Billboard 100, as well as being the most streamed song globally on Apple Music, major record breakers in the K-Pop industry. BTS is credited with making K-Pop more main-stream to everyone and opening many people’s minds to K-Pop.

BLACKPINK is a girl group that has dominated the charts by holding the World Record of most-subscribed artists on Youtube, as well as having the most viewed video. They raised the bar for girl groups by having the highest charting album by a female group on the UK Billboard 200, and having the best-selling album by a K-Pop girl group. They’re credited with showing the world what girl groups can do. 

Stray Kids arguably is the K-Pop group with the most Western awards. They are the first artist in history to have 7 consecutive albums reach No.1 on Billboard at debut, later extending to 8 No.1’s in a row with their EP Do It, therefore holding the title of the most No.1’s on Billboard charts among K-Pop artists. Among Western awards, they also hold many global awards such as the Most Popular Artist Award in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, showing K-Pop’s global fandom. They are credited with showing that K-Pop can be as globally popular, if not more, as any Western artist. 

While this information is great, what does make K-Pop so popular? Each K-Pop lover has their own reasons, but there are a few major ones: 

1. K-Pop is very fan-oriented, a group would do anything for their fans. The closeness and love that a fan feels is what draws most people in. Events such as concerts, fan signs, and fan meetings where fans can be up close to their artists give a sense of closeness and affection. K-Pop artists also connect with fans through Instagram, Youtube, and other messaging apps, often talking about their daily lives, or sending silly videos. 
2. K-Pop artists go out of their way to create digital content. Korean music videos are some of the most viewed music videos on Youtube, with good reason. Unlike most other music videos, K-Pop music videos include intensely hard choreography for each song. The makeup and costumes for music videos are also high-budget and well crafted. Among music videos, artists also release video logs, lives, fun interviews, and unscripted TV shows so fans can get to know them better. 
3. The music alone. K-Pop is its own kind of music. K-Pop is usually defined as a blend of Western pop, rap, and bright background music. Despite the stereotypical thought of what K-Pop sounds like, each artist has very distinct styles; you could love Stray Kids but hate BLACKPINK. Listening to new K-Pop songs is a favorite hobby of many people because with so many songs and genres, you are bound to find an artist you like!

Now that you know a bit about K-Pop, are you going to give it a try? The world is about trying new things, so why not? 

K-Pop songs to try!: 

1. Dynomite, by BTS 
2. Over the Moon, by Tomorrow X Together 
3. Not Cute Anymore, by ILLIT 
4. CASE 143, by Stray Kids 
5. SWIM, by BTS 
6. Polaroid Love, by Enhypen 
7. Butter, by BTS 
8. Chk Chk Boom, by Stray Kids 
9. Soda Pop, Saja Boys 
10. Twilight, by Stray Kids