What is Kpop and what does it mean to be a Kpop idol?

  • I found Niziu in the Artist thread and got me thinking about BP's documentary as well.


    What is Kpop? What makes a group Kpop?


    Is it language? The biggest song of 2020 is completely in english - Dynamite - does that make it not kpop?

    We have groups releasing songs in japanese, english, chinese and even spanish does that make them not kpop?


    Is it the members? we have idols from US, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Senegal (Fatou) - they are still kpop idols right?

    What about Niziu? they are all japanese but managed like a kpop group - are they kpop? a majority of kpop fans think they are jpop and vice versa japanese fans consider them kpop - what's the difference?

    What about ex or former kpop idols? Lay, Victoria, Cheng Xiao, Luhan - they've all released songs in Chinese post their kpop idol life are they no longer kpop then?

    What about someone like Tiffany from SNSD her EP (Lips on Lips) post SNSD is completely in English and produced completely in LA? how to we compare that to her EP whilst still a member of SNSD (I Just Wanna Dance) which is mostly in Korean.


    Is it the record label? Everglow is signed to Yuehua and they are a predominantly Chinese company - Everglow is definitely kpop right?


    My Thoughts: Jennie said in the documentary that what makes kpop kpop is the training they received as a trainee. I think that epitomizes what it means to be a kpop idol. Whether you debut in a few months or after 10 years the training system within Korea is what makes you a kpop idol - the stress of not knowing whether you're going to debut or with whom, the constant sometimes 14 hours days singing, dancing etc molds you into a kpop idol.

    And that's why groups like Kaachi or Niziu don't come under the umbrella of being a kpop idol they haven't "suffered" enough. They haven't gone through the system of rigorous intense training and competition.

  • I agree, it's definitely the training. K-pop idols go through training that no other music industry does. Kpop, may scout someone because of a viral video for singing or dancing, but unlike the West which would most likely automatically sign you to a label, they put you through rigorous training to get you down for it, also to narrow it down because the debut probability is smaller than trying to stick a camel through the eye of a needle.


    Kpop companies tend to want East Asians and are particular about this, especially Koreans. If you are not Korean, you have to work even harder, especially if you are not East Asian. Also, non-East Asians have had some trouble getting into the Big 3 (JYP, SM, YG) but smaller companies are more likely to be more accepting. Also the label doesn't matter I feel.


    As for the language, I guess you can debate since people were arguing that BTS Dynamite wasn't a K-pop song because it was in all English. They also said Kaachi, who calls themselves a Kpop group but only has one Korean member and the rest aren't East Asian and they originate in the UK and didn't go through the training process. However, they have the style of a Kpop song, speak Korean in their reality videos and in their music. So idk

    ღ Happy Birthday / 10.18.2005 ღ

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  • My Thoughts: Jennie said in the documentary that what makes kpop kpop is the training they received as a trainee. I think that epitomizes what it means to be a kpop idol. Whether you debut in a few months or after 10 years the training system within Korea is what makes you a kpop idol - the stress of not knowing whether you're going to debut or with whom, the constant sometimes 14 hours days singing, dancing etc molds you into a kpop idol.

    And that's why groups like Kaachi or Niziu don't come under the umbrella of being a kpop idol they haven't "suffered" enough. They haven't gone through the system of rigorous intense training and competition.

    By that definition, SB19, a Filipino group that trained for years in Korea, would be considered a K-Pop group, which they clearly are not. So unfortunately, I don't think that's the right answer yet.


    https://news.abs-cbn.com/enter…in-south-korea-goes-viral


    PS. I don't really know the right answer to this either tbh.

  • By that definition, SB19, a Filipino group that trained for years in Korea, would be considered a K-Pop group, which they clearly are not. So unfortunately, I don't think that's the right answer yet.


    https://news.abs-cbn.com/enter…in-south-korea-goes-viral


    PS. I don't really know the right answer to this either tbh.

    i read the article so is SB19 back in the Philipines or still in korea?


    so do you believe its a min of the training plus debuting in korea

  • i read the article so is SB19 back in the Philipines or still in korea?


    so do you believe its a min of the training plus debuting in korea

    I'm not sure. I think Korean training + Debuting in Korea is definitely part of it, but I think also having Korean members (preferably not just one but the majority of the group) is an integral part of it. For example, Z-Boys & Z-Girls had both of those and I don't consider it to be K-Pop.


    Niziu on the other hand, I consider J-Pop, but many don't think so. It's the same as the 48G music. The music is SO CLEARLY J-Pop, yet are sister groups like AKB48 Team SH, BNK48, MNL48, SGO48, etc. considered C-Pop, T-Pop, P-Pop, V-Pop? I mean they're singing in Chinese, Thai, Tagalog & Vietnamese. Yet, many of their countrymen do consider it to be T-Pop/P-Pop/V-Pop, etc. So I'm not sure if there's a definitive answer for this.


    EDIT: SB19 are now back in the Philippines and they're primarily considered P-Pop by their fans and the local population.

  • K-POP became the only music I listen to on my own...I still listen to pop occasionally, I also like contemp. Christian (don't judge me) but I listen to K-POP the most. LMAO


    I also think it's super fun and I have people I can relate to here.

    are you religious though my friend?

  • I mean what makes k-pop is someone singing a pop song in korean. The arguement that the training makes you a kpop idol doesn't make sense, if you are a american and you get trained in korea then go back to america and sing a song in all english then by your argument that would make them a kpop idol because of their training? thats what doesn't make sense to me. K-pop is just singing in korean, in my opinion anyone from any race can sing in kpop because its a genre.

  • I mean what makes k-pop is someone singing a pop song in korean. The arguement that the training makes you a kpop idol doesn't make sense, if you are a american and you get trained in korea then go back to america and sing a song in all english then by your argument that would make them a kpop idol because of their training? thats what doesn't make sense to me. K-pop is just singing in korean, in my opinion anyone from any race can sing in kpop because its a genre.

    so dynamite no kpop ? :pepe-toilet:

  • I mean what makes k-pop is someone singing a pop song in korean. The arguement that the training makes you a kpop idol doesn't make sense, if you are a american and you get trained in korea then go back to america and sing a song in all english then by your argument that would make them a kpop idol because of their training? thats what doesn't make sense to me. K-pop is just singing in korean, in my opinion anyone from any race can sing in kpop because its a genre.

    so by that logic Love to Hate Me from Blackpink is not Kpop and neither is something like Dynamite from BTS?

    so when kpop idols sing in japanese that makes it jpop?


    The bolded part maybe...I do think so but there have been no instances of this so far or do you know of any

  • so by that logic Love to Hate Me from Blackpink is not Kpop and neither is something like Dynamite from BTS?

    so when kpop idols sing in japanese that makes it jpop?


    The bolded part maybe...I do think so but there have been no instances of this so far or do you know of any

    Dynamite and Love to hate me are sung by kpop artists but it is not k-pop. It is basic pop music. K-pop is singing in korean to a pop song, so yes, it is not kpop just sung by a kpop idol.

  • Dynamite and Love to hate me are sung by kpop artists but it is not k-pop. It is basic pop music. K-pop is singing in korean to a pop song, so yes, it is not kpop just sung by a kpop idol.

    so then you would consider Kaachi to be kpop?

    what about songs which are half english like quite a few of BP modern songs (take something like LSG which has a lot of english) or ice cream which has the rap in korean???

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