Why do you think k-pop fans say "Lyrics do not matter at all in k-pop songs"?

1st Official Post

    I almost always see k-pop fans say this statement all the time (atleast on akp, also I only use akp for k-pop discussions hence idk what the sentiment is elsewhere). Why do you think they do so?


    I personally think there are 3 important elements in any music which are needed to make songs :

    1. Vocals

    2. Melody

    3. Lyrics

    Their importance is also in that order imo.


    For k-pop, there are two more factors without which k-pop wouldn't be anything different from just other korean music. Those are raps and dance.


    Let's go to the k-pop history. The first ever k-pop group, Seo Taiji and The Boys, they revolutionised the music in Korea by adding these two elements in the music. But they did not forget about the main 3 elements as well. People felt this is something different which they hadn't heard till then by a Korean artist and then everything else followed. In 2021, k-pop is still the same.


    My point is every single thing matters as much as some k-pop fans want to deny it that something doesn't. By saying that any of these elements do not matter at all, you are either disrespecting the artists (which is a common trait amongst k-pop fans) or you think that your faves are not good in that particular aspect. I mean if you're saying "vocals don't matter at all, if I wanted to hear better voices I'd follow Dimash", which means you are disrespecting your faves or you think they aren't good enough in that. Same applies for raps, lyrics, dance, etc.


    What do you think? Do you agree with me or is there anything else?


    Peace.


  • AllKill VIP

    sorry your doctor told you to rest and you come on AKP??? for rest?????


    this place is a battleground my friend...where one fandom is pitted against another in a life and death game of


    Of course, everything is matters especially the flow of a song. However, they're also people that don't really care about the lyrics yet they still like and jamming to the song. Besides, Korean is not an international language and many don't even understand what they saying/singing. This could be applied to other non-English songs too. For example, I never knew what Despacito song is about, but I really jamming to the song just like people that tune to it that makes it go viral worldwide.

    From the perspective of an international fan who doesn't understand Korean, they could be singing about their love for bananas and I wouldn't really know since I don't understand anything. I could read the lyrics, but in less than an hour I already forget them. So, yes, they don't matter too much. Unless the English parts I can understand are too cringe. The most important are the vocals and instrumentals.


    But from the perspective of a Korean fan, yes, it should matter because they can understand what's being sung.

    Lyrics do matter. There's a reason companies try to keep the chorus or the catchy part in English.

    Vocalists could be humming to the tune but it won't sound as good. Even creating a rhyme scheme that catches the listener ears even if they don't know the language is important.

    Lyrics? Idk if I care that much about them. Personally for me to optimize the time I take to check every single groups' comebacks this year scavanging for SOTYs is to just listen to their MVs and make a quick verdicts on them. While I agree with your ranking, I would say Melody and vocals far far more important than lyrics in kpop especially for ifans

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    ThinkAbouTzu, Tuwuice:pleading::pleading::pleading:

    • Official Post
    Quote from omnimorphism

    From the perspective of an international fan who doesn't understand Korean, they could be singing about their love for bananas and I wouldn't really know since I don't understand anything. I could read the lyrics, but in less than an hour I already forget them. So, yes, they don't matter too much. Unless the English parts I can understand are too cringe. The most important are the vocals and instrumentals.


    But from the perspective of a Korean fan, yes, it should matter because they can understand what's being sung.

    I agree with this... but I often also forget the lyrics to most English songs within the hour. :sweatr: I am much more likely to remember the melody than the lyrics.


    Honestly I am fine with people who are super into lyrics and people who aren't. Everyone listens to an connects with music in a different way. Some people are into lyrical analysis and that's perfectly fine. Some people are into just grooving on the music and that's also perfectly fine. There's no "right" way to listen to or appreciate a song.

    Those who don't care about lyrics either their favs can't write lyrics or their fav's song's lyrics are trash. At least, those who I have seen don't care about lyrics, meet this two reason perfectly.


    As a result their fav's doesn't have wider range of Audience, GP doesn't seem to interested in them except their fans then those same fans cry about why General public are not giving attention to their favs & call other medicores to gallop their anger. Simple.


    We are not in 1st gen age, music videos have subtitle below them. I don't know Korean language but once I love the lyrics & melody of any song, I can remember what the song is meant for, Whenever I listen to the song.



    Maybe that's why the artists I like has wider range of Audience.

    Every non Korean or a person who doesn’t speak Korean who says they “listen” to kpop for “lyrics” is lying.

    You thematically enjoy the song but they could be singing cringe garbage. But you won’t know actually unless you know the language.

    You need language nuance to appreciate poetry there is no two ways about this. The fact that kpop Stans pretend otherwise is often more hilarious.

    You can thematically enjoy what your favs are singing but don’t fool yourself into thinking you enjoy lyrics.

    Quote from MrAkimo123

    Of course, everything is matters especially the flow of a song. However, they're also people that don't really care about the lyrics yet they still like and jamming to the song. Besides, Korean is not an international language and many don't even understand what they saying/singing. This could be applied to other non-English songs too. For example, I never knew what Despacito song is about, but I really jamming to the song just like people that tune to it that makes it go viral worldwide.


    Quote from omnimorphism

    From the perspective of an international fan who doesn't understand Korean, they could be singing about their love for bananas and I wouldn't really know since I don't understand anything. I could read the lyrics, but in less than an hour I already forget them. So, yes, they don't matter too much. Unless the English parts I can understand are too cringe. The most important are the vocals and instrumentals.


    But from the perspective of a Korean fan, yes, it should matter because they can understand what's being sung.


    Quote from melqaniejlsoo

    it doesn't matter to them because they don't understand what they're saying.


    I do get your points. Like I said in the OP, Vocals and melody are more important in songs than lyrics.

    But International fans do "cancel" k-pop artists over controversial lyrics. They also make fun of cringey lyrics. Also praise them when they are good. My point is not if you understand them or not but a general sentiment that k-pop fans have that they not matter at all which is not true looking at the actions I mentioned above. They do get a reaction out of us just like vocals and instrumentals even though to a lesser extent which means they do matter.

    I read the lyrics to the songs I like and understand the general gist of the songs that I listen to.


    But I'm not so obsessed and crazy as to memorize the lyrics to every K-pop song that I listen to just so I can understand word by word what they're saying every time I have the headphones on. I have more than 400 K-pop songs in my playlist, for real.

    Quote from quark12395

    Honestly I am fine with people who are super into lyrics and people who aren't. Everyone listens to an connects with music in a different way. Some people are into lyrical analysis and that's perfectly fine. Some people are into just grooving on the music and that's also perfectly fine. There's no "right" way to listen to or appreciate a song.

    You worded my sentiments here better than I did in the OP.

    because most int audience dont understand the lyrics and does not memorise what a song means so it doesnt really matter at the end of the day..


    Also most kpop songs have fine lyrics but there are always some occasional songs which stick out like a sore thumb but they are usually so catchy that one cannot take it out of their mind anyways (eg ring ding dong, even koreans love it inspite of weird lyrics)


    also just the melody line? Naah Instrumentals as a whole are more important..

    to be fair, many don't care about lyrics in their own language too, they just don't pay attention to it. beat, melody, and emotion is what they care about. dance songs repeat the same three lines throughout the whole song and it's enough.


    most popular singers in my language i cannot even understand which is better, it's better to not understand nonsense they sing about (drugs, alcohol, sex, brands, and other idiocy)

    Quote from didi2802

    I read the lyrics to the songs I like and understand the general gist of the songs that I listen to.


    But I'm not so obsessed and crazy as to memorize the lyrics to every K-pop song that I listen to just so I can understand word by word what they're saying every time I have the headphones on. I have more than 400 K-pop songs in my playlist, for real.

    My point is more general and not limited to just lyrics. There are people who say vocals don't matter or rap or lyrics. The things is everything does matter even though not to you. I just have seen people use these sentences in general terms.

    I wrote lyrics in the title because it is the most one out of 3 mentioned here.

    Quote from Kaikat

    because most int audience dont understand the lyrics and does not memorise what a song means so it doesnt really matter at the end of the day..


    Also most kpop songs have fine lyrics but there are always some occasional songs which stick out like a sore thumb but they are usually so catchy that one cannot take it out of their mind anyways (eg ring ding dong, even koreans love it inspite of weird lyrics)


    also just the melody line? Naah Instrumentals as a whole are more important..


    Quote from onlyfacts

    I do get your points. Like I said in the OP, Vocals and melody are more important in songs than lyrics.

    But International fans do "cancel" k-pop artists over controversial lyrics. They also make fun of cringey lyrics. Also praise them when they are good. My point is not if you understand them or not but a general sentiment that k-pop fans have that they not matter at all which is not true looking at the actions I mentioned above. They do get a reaction out of us just like vocals and instrumentals even though to a lesser extent which means they do matter.

    Like I said here admit it or not lyrics do get a reaction out of k-pop fans which means they do matter.

    I ignore lyrics because 90% of lyrics of popular music around the world sucks to me. It would be nice if it’s good but I stopped caring about it long time ago. Even if it’s not that bad I just enjoy listening to the beat and singer’s skill more. Sometimes the lyrics can be good but too personal for me to care or unrelatable. I would probably pay more attention to rap lyrics because it holds more importance there but not for singing verse in songs (especially commercial ones).

                                                   さぁ賭け狂いましょう


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  • AllKill VIP
    • Official Post

    'cause the lyrics don't have substance most of the time

    and if it makes sense it's just another shallow love song

    There are groups that I make sure to turn off the captions for when watching new MVs

    Sometimes the lyrics ruin the song for me if I'm honest.

    so in such cases I don't care for them ^^

    I don't think it's accurate for anyone to make a blanket statement that lyrics 100% don't matter in kpop. Whether it's the sound of words themselves even if you don't know what the words mean, the actual meaning behind the words, or the obligatory English tidbits, they are relevant to some degree to the enjoyment of the song.


    Personally I don't care about the meaning of the words unless there's some lyric that means something really inappropriate. In this case, ignorance of the korean language is bliss probably.


    I do care a decent amount for songs in English. I'm more easily turned off.

    it doesn't matter as much as it will listening to a song in English or one's native language. i search for lyrics of a song if i like it but lyrics is generally not the first thing that will catch a casual listener's attention in kpop. Except for when they add cringe English lyrics which you can understand and will take you out of the feel of the song like "if you wanna pretty every wanna pretty"...

    Lyrics mean nothing to me, and no doubt many others. I can listen to Kpop, to Jpop, to French music or whatever.


    TBH, even in western songs, lyrics are by far and away the least important part of any song.


    Here, lyrics to one of the biggest hits of all time below.... truly deep and meaningful /s


    Now put your hands up

    Up in the club, we just broke up

    I'm doing my own little thing

    Decided to dip and now you wanna trip

    Cause another brother noticed me


    I'm up on him, he up on me

    Don't pay him any attention

    Just cried my tears, for three good years

    Ya can't be mad at me


    Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it

    If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

    Don't be mad once you see that he want it

    If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it

    Oh, oh, oh

    something about this convo is seriously irksome to me lol. "i don't understand so i don't care" "i don't look up the lyrics and won't memorize them so it doesn't matter". its just a very strange mindset for people who are allegedly fans of foreign media to have. in the end whether you care or not is your right, but it just feels like a general dismissal of korean/foreign art in general. music is art, whether its "generic" pop or not, and korean media and music in general is full of cultural contextualization that is always interesting to learn more about and to understand in some capacity. i'm rly side-eyeing some of y'all.

    who's your favorite artist?

    Quote from onlyfacts

    I do get your points. Like I said in the OP, Vocals and melody are more important in songs than lyrics.

    But International fans do "cancel" k-pop artists over controversial lyrics. They also make fun of cringey lyrics. Also praise them when they are good. My point is not if you understand them or not but a general sentiment that k-pop fans have that they not matter at all which is not true looking at the actions I mentioned above. They do get a reaction out of us just like vocals and instrumentals even though to a lesser extent which means they do matter.

    I think IFans just not like the English lyrics for some of the songs. Sometimes that English line sounds cringe and shouldn't put it that way. But if IFANS comment about Korean lyrics, I think they shouldn't get triggered up to the point till they want to cancel it.

  • AllKill VIP

    to me the lyrics do matter to an extent. If the song has overtly sexual or violent lyrics, then I wont listen to the song (most of the times), even if its very catchy.

    I dont mind romance, or love lyrics but there has to be a level of appropriatness in them. Unless the song is trying to send a message about something important (sometimes crude lyrics are needed imo to send a message)


    Some of my favorite songs are because of the lyrics, like Stray kids Gods menu.

    But generally im not that hung up on lyrics. I think im somehwere in between caring and not.

    Personally I think that some fans say that statement because they don't feel a connection to what is being said in the song.


    Connection plays a huge part in music, as it shows one feels & thinks towards a certain piece of music.

    Now while some fans may not feel a connection towards lyrics, they may find it within other sections of a song. Such as the instrumental, the tone & techniques of vocals and even more. <3:thumbup:


    work in progress

    The only K-pop acts I care about the lyrics are BTS and Stray Kids. But because they share their personal experiences, opinions, criticism and want to send a message, so I like to read to understand what is in their mind as artists. And It helped me to connected with them, especially when they explain themselves what they mean and when It ends up being relatable to me.


    Others not that much and I'm still able to connect with them, because there are other aspects in the construction of a song that make me enjoy. Editing to make it clear: for example, EXO is one of my ults and they don't write most of the songs, so I don't bother about search them. But they are great vocalists that make me connect with them, because I feel that they are interprets who make justice to good productions of the song and transmit the right emotions through their singing.


    So, I think both ways are perfectly okay and shouldnt be dismissed.

    Edited 2 times, last by Minazuki ().

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