Music is something people of all generations enjoy. Whether it be pop, country, jazz, rap, or various other genres, there’s always something for somebody. The American music industry in particular features the majority of the most popular and streamed artists worldwide.
However, this is all changed by the new and emerging popularity of k-pop. K-pop stands for Korean pop which showcases a different approach to music. Instead of simply dropping an album, these artists have what they call ‘comebacks’, includes new discography and intricate choreography to match their title songs, concept images, and merchandise to match the theme they have for the album.
Liz Moritz, a science teacher at Pleasant Valley High School and an avid fan of k-pop herself, stated “I got into them because of my daughter. I enjoyed the energetic and positive melody k-pop songs have and how majority of them talk about positive messages such as loving and accepting yourself.”
The first ever well-known appearance of k-pop in America was, of course, PSY’s “Gangnam Style”, which was released July 15th, 2012. The music video was the first ever Youtube video to reach one billion views. It is currently standing at over 3.2 billion views, now being the fourth most viewed video on Youtube.
Though that may have been the first major appearance, it wouldn’t be the last. Recently, boy group BTS, which stands for Beyond the Scene, have made a major impact worldwide. Their single “DNA” beat the record for most viewed k-pop music videos in under 24 hours, with a total of 20 million views. This single also became the first ever song from a k-pop boy group to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 before rising to number 67, officially beating the record for highest charting k-pop group for Billboard Hot 100.
Another poplar single released was “Mic Drop”, a collaboration BTS had with Steve Aoki and Desiigner. This single reached to number 28 on Billboard Hot 100, being the first ever k-pop artist to beat through top 40.
BTS’ international fame became more widespread when they became the first ever k-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards as well as on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Their singles “Mic Drop” and “DNA” became certified as Gold, making them the first ever Korean artists to receive two certifications by the RIAA.
They also won the award for Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards two years in a row, being the only Korean group to achieve this. BTS additionally made various television appearances on popular shows such as Ellen and The Tonight Show. One of their most notable appearances is when they were invited and attended a conference held by the United Nations, officially marking the immense influence they carried worldwide. BTS gave a speech at this conference, talking about the importance of self-love and acceptance.
Jeanelle Cho, a current senior at Pleasant Valley High School, has been an avid fan of k-pop for years. “My whole family is Korean and I visit Korea every once in a while so k-pop has just been apart of my life for a long time. I think it was my uncle who officially introduced it back when I was 8 or 9”. She stated that she’s excited by the new wave of k-pop in America. “When I was in junior high it wasn’t really a genre of music many people listened to and it was rare to find other people who enjoyed k-pop.”
