[Hot Take] Why does it matter whether a kpop idol is considered a real artist/musician?

I feel like this insistance to categorise idols into real artists/musicians and not real ones is very pretentious. Aren't we all here to enjoy music and get entertained or emotional or feel understood or relatable with? All of these idols, regardless of what the offer, ARE offering something that makes someone out there happy and gives them joy so it is really disrespectful to dismiss the importance of their work because of some arbitrary hierarchy that puts more importance in one particular skill than another. Why are performing skills looked down upon and taken for granted? what would your favorite songs be without performers and singers giving life and emotion to them? you are not consuming the product straight out of the producer's files, you are consuming the performers' interpretation of that product and no one knows whether you'd like the same product as much if it was interpreted by a different performer? so why so pretentious?

the way kpop fans obsess over self producing and self writing, you'd think an idols that pens 2 lines in a random filler bside and can barely sing live is more of an artist than someone like Park Hyo Shin who never writes or produces his music.

flashnews: singing is an art and so are dancing and performing. these are deserving of respect and celebration as much as any other forum of art, as long as the consumers feel like it.

Quote from icyruios

Whether or not you write or produce your own songs, you are a musician. You don't see people shooting Rihanna for not writing her own songs but apparently in KPOP it doesn't work the same

It's ok to love your faves for writing and producing their own music. What is not ok is shooting down other artists for not doing so, and using your faves' music (not even your on music) to shade other artists.

It is EVEN MORE NOT OK, to downplay the hard work and success of other artists by calling them not "actual talented musicians" or that they are just "nice to look at"

exactly

this narrative seems to be prevalent only in the kpop community. i Assure you that any korean citizen would laugh in your face if you told them Park Hyo Shin or Sohyang were not real artists or that they're lesser artists than an idol who once wrote a song alongside a bunch of other writers.

i feel like the moment a fan puts importance on the identity of the producer, any form of objectivity jumps out the window.

Besides, let's not forget that no matter how involved idols are in the production process, they are still controlled by a company to varying levels. what's the point of idols having an illusion of freedom of they still have to answer to a company's whims on what kind of songs they can and can't release? for example, iKON's BI once said that even though he produced all of their music, YG still got to decide what songs they were allowed to promote even against the members' own wills. how is that freedom?

i stan Super Junior, who run their own label. Even though they don't produce most of their music, they still have more creative control and freedom than most of not all kpop groups. And yet, i never feel the need or desire to use this pretentious argument to put other artists down or shut their fans up.

Quote from helixvc

This thread is embarrassing.

Of course it's a big difference when someone put their blood, sweat and tears in their work or is singing a work from someone else.

It's not only Kpop thing its a worldwide thing where people respect musicians who put their own experience and heart in their songs.

surprise, idols put their hearts and emotions in their singing and dancing too.

Quote from icyruios

Day6 also face this. Like they write 20 - 30 songs, and the company chooses what to go on the album. I mean they are ok with it, they said they haven't really faced a situation whereby they desperately wanted a song to be on the album but the company said no.

But yeah to some extent their freedom is still somewhat restricted. I do still appreciate how much space JYPE/StudioJ give them when it comes to making the music they love.

and it is the same for many other "self produced" groups

first of all, "self produced" is such a misused expression. there are very few groups that are truly self produced. like M&D for example (Heechul and Jungmo) literally 100% of their lyrics were written by Heechul (alone) and 100% of their songs were composed, arranged and recorded by Jungmo. now THAT is self produced. However, working alongside other more experienced producers doesn't make you a self produced artist or group.

then there is the fact the company still gets to decide on your concept and the songs that will represent you. so this is like working under comissions lol. of course any kind of controbution and creativity counts and deserve respect and celebration. but the claim that this is more personal is an illusion. this is personal under demand.

Quote from freakyfantasy

i don't know why you insist to pretend this is something exclusive to KPop. Rock bands are notoriously more appreciated because they play their own instruments and write their own material etc.

i don't know why it didn't cross your imagination that maybe i am not pretending but describing things from my perspective and through my own experience. rock bands are not part of the culture where i live and i don't follow western music scene, that's why you don't see me mentioning them.

besides, this is a kpop forum, so of course i am going to focus on kpop.

Quote from Minazuki

I-I just made a thread praising my faves j/

I have a very simple definition. A person is an artist If they work with art. Singing, dancing, rapping, writing, composing, arraging, playing instruments etc

They are all art, imo.

exactly this.

all of these skills and talents are beautiful and deserve respect. there is no need to create an arbitrary hierarchy of artistry in pop music.