It's 2009. Kickass torrents is still up, Jiraiya is still alive, MTV, BET, and VH1 actually play music. Youtube was just getting big, becoming more than just a place to share your homemade music videos and wiindows movie maker anime OVA's.
One fateful day I went down an anime rabbit hole and ended up trying to find the Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo) soundtrack so I could use my YouTube downloader software and get some free music. I finally found what I was looking for and started the download In the similar video area there was a pink, j-pop-esque looking still. Girls Generation. I click, start watching, and as soon as the beat starts I think "Oh, this isn't japanese . . . but I LOVE IT!!!!!!" I am then sucked into a world that has (voluntarily)trapped me for the last 10 years.
Gee-Gee-Gee/Baby Baby Baby/Gee Gee Gee/ Bay-Bay-Bay-Bay-Baby
The infectious beat, the choreography, one member who could actually sing, AND lyrics that weren't depressing or sexual.
*Refreshinggggggggg*
I'd found the golden ticket and from there it was history.
Bop
after bop
after bop
after bop
was released either right before Gee or in the following years:
TVXQ - Mirotic
SHINee - Replay
2PM (with J. Park) - Again and Again
Kara - Mister
Wonder Girls - So Hot
I can keep going on because there were so many legendary k-pop tunes released within a years time.
F*CKIN' INSANE!!!
What a time to be alive.
I was obsessed (still am slightly). Consuming all of the music . . .for free . . . because I was a broke 20 something (RIP ihoneyjoo, nyaa, piratebay, kickass, etc.). I loved almost all of it. If it was Korean, I was listening. It could've been the furthest thing from my taste but I was still listening. EXCEPT for the rap, which I'll explain at a later time.
Let's all say it together,
Korea.
Boo.
K-pop was so new and different compared to the music I was used to listening to at the time. It wasn't as bubbly as J-Pop, had a very familiar R&B undertone (another 'nother discussion), the lyrics were relatable and fun, and it was a good overall sound.
Becoming a fan of a k-pop group is a gateway to variety shows and dramas. In the beginning you want to see your favorite member or group as much as possible. Any and all content they were a part of you had to see. Lucky for us, even in the early stages of the k-wave in the U.S., there were loyal fans that made this easier than you think for non-Korean speakers. The forums (much love to soshified.com) were like a little community of fans just like you who craved content, and if they understood the language, subbed the content for FREE. My deep love and appreciation for the Korean language and it's people grew so much at this time. I went from just watching variety shows with my favorite(s) to movies and dramas. I tried my hand at learning Korean, but yeahhhhhhhh . . It became more than just music. I really liked the Korean culture despite the old school Confucian frame of mind some people have with no chance of being open-minded, the racism masked as ignorance, the constant pressure placed on everyone in society and little to no focus on mental health . . But yeah, I was really into this new world.
The early 2010's I soaked up all of the sounds. I mean who could forget . .
Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra
Bad Girl/Good Girl - Miss A
Teen Top - Clap (Crab mannnnn~~)
B2ST (Highlight for you young'ns) - Fiction
2NE1 - I Am the Best (which should've done more than Psy. He just had a dance)
A stupid. STUPID dance
2012 gave us Gangnam style and PSY, for some reason, put Korea on the map.
I was not ready for my parents to talk to me about Korean music. My little safe space that no one really knew about or liked if they did know was being intruded upon. It was becoming popula and at this point I could go to free 2NE1 concerts, no one could ever tell me they'd "heard that song before", it was my own special club only a few non-Asians were a part of. Luckily, like the macarena, Psy came and went and k-pop was still mine.
Until.
You know where this is going.
Fast forward.
Group disbandment.
Dating scandals.
Drug scandals.
Sex scandals.
Suicide.
It was a rough time.
We're in 2019 and now k-pop is the biggest thing since sliced bread. Everyone wants to do a song with the group who must not be named (BTS . . . this is the only time I'll mention them by name). Every k-pop group is on tour in the U.S.or Europe. Every morning talk show or late night show has a k-pop artist as a guest if they have English speaking members.
Some of the groups touring haven't even released a mini-album yet. One of the groups was thrown together (I think) specifically to tour in the U.S. (looking at you Super M . . Jopping? Really??).
There are so many groups and instead of making quality music, they go for a quick buck. I can only imagine the amount of groups we don't hear of in the west. And that's what brings me here. Just like hip-hop in the U.S., K-pop is becoming an auto-tune, substance-less space where looks are valued way over content. I'm not sure if any music from the recent years have longevity, but I'm not sad about it. I wouldn't want to share some of the music with my children or children's children.
If you mad it this far, thank you for your patience. You're gonna need that and brass cojones if you check out future posts. I will bring up some VERY unpopular opinions about any and all artists (I know this because I get down-voted everywhere lmaooo). I'm never malicious, I just realize that not many fans can deal with someone saying something they don't like about their favorite artist(s). So, if you can't handle the truth, or my truth, you should click the X now because I am the BIGGEST hater.
I hate members who always messing up choreography.
I hate tone deaf singers who happen to be pretty/handsome.
I hate overly photoshopped pictures (EVERY FANSITE EVER).
And I hate you.
jkjk I don't hate you, yet.
シ
Fast forward.
Group disbandment.
Dating scandals.
Drug scandals.
Sex scandals.
Suicide.
It was a rough time.
We're in 2019 and now k-pop is the biggest thing since sliced bread. Everyone wants to do a song with the group who must not be named (BTS . . . this is the only time I'll mention them by name). Every k-pop group is on tour in the U.S.or Europe. Every morning talk show or late night show has a k-pop artist as a guest if they have English speaking members.
Some of the groups touring haven't even released a mini-album yet. One of the groups was thrown together (I think) specifically to tour in the U.S. (looking at you Super M . . Jopping? Really??).
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
There are so many groups and instead of making quality music, they go for a quick buck. I can only imagine the amount of groups we don't hear of in the west. And that's what brings me here. Just like hip-hop in the U.S., K-pop is becoming an auto-tune, substance-less space where looks are valued way over content. I'm not sure if any music from the recent years have longevity, but I'm not sad about it. I wouldn't want to share some of the music with my children or children's children.
If you mad it this far, thank you for your patience. You're gonna need that and brass cojones if you check out future posts. I will bring up some VERY unpopular opinions about any and all artists (I know this because I get down-voted everywhere lmaooo). I'm never malicious, I just realize that not many fans can deal with someone saying something they don't like about their favorite artist(s). So, if you can't handle the truth, or my truth, you should click the X now because I am the BIGGEST hater.
I hate members who always messing up choreography.
I hate tone deaf singers who happen to be pretty/handsome.
I hate overly photoshopped pictures (EVERY FANSITE EVER).
And I hate you.
jkjk I don't hate you, yet.
シ
😃
