The best part about K-Pop songs is not understanding their lyrics.

  • I like the melody, the sound of Korean sung, that happy feeling that you get from the songs, etc. But hearing the English versions of songs or looking up the lyrics I just end up being disappointed with the shallow generic lyrics. I feel my ignorance is bliss.


  • I agree with this to some extend. Most K-Pop lyrics are pretty generic and don't have a lot of message behind. They're happy feel good songs after all. Once in a while, though, you do get amazingly written lyrics along with the catchy melodies and flashy dances so I don't completely disregard looking up the lyrics for a song I like or simply turning on the captions.

  • Yeah even the ones in English that are scattered about here and there are questionable. I mean, "Dynamite" was a piece of trash already, musically, but add that in with that whole first verse of shoddingly thrown together English lyrics, I thought why even bother finishing the song if it's gonna start out like this.

  • I agree with the loving the melody part but I have been trying to learn Korean since 8 years old and the only reason I haven't nailed it yet is due to having to drop out of studies, I find the Korean language intricacies and culture very beautiful. So, for me knowing the lyrics is a goal and quite important to me but I can understand your thought as well

    Micah Forever

    Benny's Smoll Bean


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  • Song lyrics are more than just the meaning of the words. That's why reading translations isn't enough to assess a song's lyrics, no matter how detailed the translation is. You will be able to understand the message and maybe even the word plays but you won't be able to connect to the lyrics while actually listening to them. Even the understanding will depend on the translator's own interpretation, it won't be your own.

  • Well, pop songs are not supposed to be deep. Doesn't mean that they can't be. But it's mostly due to their creation process. Companies purchase songs to professional songwriters; they want mostly catchy, easy to remember songs. So the lyrics are pretty generic and meaningless.

    But if the songs are written by the performers themselves (or at least by someone who's working closely with them), it gets more personal, more interesting. Like Hwasa's song 'Maria'; or (G)I-DLE's songs.

  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Taupin

    BERNIE TAUPIN did lyrics for ELTON JOHN for a long time ...

    I give JOHN credit that he realized that maybe another person ...

    Who was maybe a bit better 'tossing blabber around' ...

    *might* do it a bit better than JOHN would on 'wording' issues.


    Having said that , LYRICS are easy for K-pop Group members to do them ...

    And their FANS enjoy it that it is THEIR WORDS and like that ...


    So , a song that comes to mind , where I like the WORDS of it -->


    www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4dSZD3YQ_M

    Hotel California ; Eagles ; Year 1976

  • True, I don't understand the language so Kpop lyric rarely 'speaks' to me as I need to look up the translation to make it connect with the voice/emotion so most of the times it's just a lost connection.


    One of the Kpop song that I can feel the connection of the lyric with the singing is Nell's Time Walking on Memories, and I remember I had to watch the lyric video dozens of time to establish that connection. So it's quite hard.


    So yep never get the fuss over some people obsession to belittle other groups over their 'writing ability'.

  • www.youtube.com/c/1theK/videos


    1TheK website version of a given K-pop Song ...

    Tends to have quality VTT lyrics with their versions.

    The STUDIO official K-pop version may NOT have VTT lyrics.

    1TheK will say , on RELEASE day , IF they are working on LYRICS ...

    Usually , within 24 hours or sooner , 1TheK gets it done (VTT Lyrics).


    The 'Auto-Generated' YouTube Lyrics are WORTHLESS (my view).

    They are NOT true quality VTT Lyrics (format) , there is a BIG difference.


    Playing YouTube Videos inside of say (free) VLC player works well.

    VLC supports streaming from YouTube and VTT lyrics (captions) too.

  • I don't mind not being able to understand, but I wouldn't say it's the best part. A lot of the music I listen to has no words anyway, but when it comes to actually sung songs, for me some are enhanced by understanding the lyrics and the themes, sometimes it makes no difference, or occasionally is possibly a detriment. It just depends on the song.

  • I think a huge part of it has to do with translations- lots of words are substituted and not all words are in all languages.


    Some songs don’t have to be deep, though. There’s a good balance in both Kpop and English songs.


    IU’s songs, for example, are pure poetry.


    Some songs are better off not being translated though lol.

  • lmao agreed. sometimes I make up lyrics to kpop songs in my head and then when i look up the actual translations i become disappointed

    [+808,8] Jennie wears high heels larger than your oppa's dick, sit down

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  • Strongly disagree.

    One of the things that I think kpop does better than Western pop is having songs that are actually about something.


    I agree with this. I listen to Western music as well, and I can name so many popular songs right now that have no lyrical substance. To say that some Korean lyrics don't translate well into English or seem dense is valid, but the general idea is that there's usually a material theme behind the lyrics.

  • I am attracted to core sound of the song rather than Lyrics.


    Some people gravitate more towards lyrics although i am not sure how much since There was a lot of hate on SuperM's 100 where the lyrics motivates to go 100 and stop not till the dream is achieved.


    Truth is, Lyrics are upto your interpretation. They can come off as deep or shallow based on your SELECTIVE INTERPRETATION :wink:

    I love Pikachu.

    Always have, Always will.


    "Pika-Pi"

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