Agree or disagree? K-pop fans exaggerate K-pop's weirdness when comparing to the West.

  • AllKill VIP

    Speaking exclusively of concepts and only concepts. It's like we've got an inferiority complex when speaking of K-pop acts' potential to hit big in the West. We cringe at aespa's concept, but westerners are used to way more bizarre and outrageous concepts within the past decade. One look at some of the trendiest western music videos and stage performances will tell you everything you need to know.


    No hate on western pop, by the way. I think that kind of artistic expression is great. I just think it's worth keeping an open mind to K-pop concepts the same way we give western concepts a pass. Sometimes it seems like we've got an inferiority complex going on.

    Disagree.

    Doing weird/shocking things like Billie Eilish eating spiders makes more sense than having a whole multiverse with people in your label. It's wouldn't be as bad if they didn't also reference it in their songs


    No doubt people have storylines and messages in their music videos but it's usually standalone and an actual story that compliments the work

    its the lore thing

    people just arent involved into that, thats why western artist have more stream in audio platforms that views in yt bc nobody really care much for made u p worlds, they just wanna listen to the music

  • AllKill VIP

    I think it's less that the concepts are "weird" and more that the kpop culture and system is very "different" and foreign to many of the ideas and values found in normal Western entertainment.


    I think this was more true historically in kpop than perhaps now, where many of the traditional values and customs of kpop are being shed as Kpop looks increasingly out of Asia and specifically Westward and de-emphasizes the historical Asia centric cultural appeal.


    I actually yearn for the days when kpop was more overtly out of step of the Western entertainment sphere.




    Edit:. Just realized you were specifically limiting it to concepts. But my post applies more generally to your title.

    Edited once, last by emanresu ().

    Kpop takes pride in being a company product. No doubt there’s stuff like mo town but the purpose of Mo town was less about selling the company to the fans but rather uplift certain types of music from certain groups.


    Kpop sells both the artist and the company. The company name is always at the forefront of every single discussion about kpop.


    I’d say this is the weirdest thing about kpop.


    People who claim things like concepts etc are weird are just close minded and don’t consume enough music IMO.

  • AllKill VIP


    Kpop companies as their own all inclusive "kingdoms" is one of the main elements that drew me to kpop.


    They harken back to an idea and reality much like the Hollywood golden age and the studio system where Hollywood studios were overt entities that where front and center, managing and "owning" nearly all aspects of the creation, cultivation, management, and distribution of their "art".


    I find it fascinating.

    Agree. It's strange to me how kpop fans got into kpop supposedly because it's different from American pop or their own counties then feel ashamed with the thought of it possibly appearing in the west in some form. If you reverse perspective then many western things would seem out of place too in other regions like overly sexual imagery.


    If kpop labels had the same mindset of cringe then kpop would never have expanded outside Korea and parts of Asia, yet here we are where it's common to at least have heard of it alone listen and watch it.


    Lore? 10 years ago that type of stuff was seen as fucking nerdy for those into comic book and sci fi shit like me but now it's mainstream and very well liked. MCU, video games, Star wars/trek, anime etc are in high demand and popular than ever and rivaling things like movies and sports. Who knows in a few years American singers could be doing their own lore type shit.

  • AllKill VIP

    I agree… I mean we all here cause we like what we see and hear. Different concepts are refreshing and we as non-Koreans found Kpop and loved it, so why shouldn’t it expand and reach new people ? The community grew immensely in the west.


    I think a lot want it to remain niche, something they treat as a guilty pleasure. Complains like this showed me that many Kpop fans don’t take Kpop Groups serious or respect the art itself, but use it more as something that give them a quick satisfying experience. They can also not detach the Groups from their company. They literally treat them as products they consume and nothing more. So I can see why the thought of expanding to the west is not to their licking… they can’t think of the possibility that these companies want their Groups to be more than a music act from a niche genre, because that’s what they qualitatively think it belongs in.

    Kpop used to have some weird elements but I do think its international popularity has essentially killed that for most groups. So in the past probably yes but there was a hint of weirdness. Though that weirdness really was just foreignness. However, we have the a stronger I feel influence of western style music now that might be a bit more comparable to how music was in the 90s for kpop. The "weird" phase of kpop I feel started in the 2nd gen and lasted only until the beginning half of the 3rd gen.

    Kinda? I always thought kpop "weirdness" was more based on the idol system than anything. About AESPA tho I agree that anyone calling it weird is exaggerated, KD/A is literally the same thing and so many LoL songs became hits.


    Edit: I do know the idol system does exist in the US but it is heavily masked to the point that when people see it so in the open in kpop they get freaked out. Personally it was what made it fascinating to me, freaked me out at first but as time passed I just couldn't help but look at it just as cultural difference).

    Quote from emanresu

    Kpop companies as their own all inclusive "kingdoms" is one of the main elements that drew me to kpop.


    They harken back to an idea and reality much like the Hollywood golden age and the studio system where Hollywood studios were overt entities that where front and center, managing and "owning" nearly all aspects of the creation, cultivation, management, and distribution of their "art".


    I find it fascinating.

    Do you take pride in living in a Fantasy created by your own mind?

  • AllKill VIP

    People who don’t think the West can handle concepts clearly missed meat dress wearing Poker Face years Lady Gaga.


    :cryingr:


    And The Weeknd’s whole bandaged face thing and Doja Cat’s ongoing Star Wars fever Dream, like what? Kwangya is going to break them?


    I don’t even think the studio/label stuff is weird because once upon a time (lbh, fairly recently) people were shooting each other over their inter label beef and yes people followed artists because they were Death Row or Bad Boy so..


    I think the weirdest thing to me about Kpop is the strange gatekeeping tinged with some gross overtones, like simultaneously saying dismissively “they’re only popular in Asia” and saying snootily that its not Kpop if they don’t speak Korean (despite not speaking Korean themselves. Make it make sense.


    (I understand the argument from a Korean speaker but not someone sitting around in Switzerland complaining about it’s not Kpop if it’s not in Korean. I know Spanish speakers who’ve complained about this in Latin pop but never people who don’t speak the language trying to gatekeep the language and culture.)


    Like just enjoy the music and dance and stuff and move on with your life.

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