2014-02-18



Are K-pop idols popular in Korea? Sure … their influence runs rampant if your world is currently a high school environment. Other than that? Not really.

A common misconception among many foreigners is that K-pop is incredibly popular among the adult population in Korea. The image people believe is that everyone bumps K-pop on their smartphones and laptops. That once your plane lands in Incheon International Airport, all of Korea’s radio stations just play K-pop 24/7 and nothing else. And that everyone knows all the names of K-pop stars the way the international K-pop fandom does. But that’s actually quite far from the truth.

Saying that K-pop reigns supreme in Korea is like saying Americans are all about Justin Bieber or whatever equivalent pop music flavor of the month.

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While K-pop has undeniably put Korea on the map –- alongside K-dramas — to nearly all Koreans, many loathe the bubbly music genre. Once you get past 17 or 18, Korean high schoolers tend to move past idol pop. Instead, they start to listen to Korean indie music, Korean hip-hop, or American music. Many Koreans in their 20s, 30s, and sometimes even 40s, prefer these styles of music over K-pop.

It’s seemingly hard for some to believe that in the mecca of K-pop and the birthplace of their favorite bias, that its citizens disdain their own pop music. Hell, some people even get mad at the thought. But they would have to live here to understand it. You have to talk to the people here, hit up the music producers, talk to the singers themselves, and see how people past the age of adolescence feel. It really shouldn’t be that hard to believe though, as it only makes sense given the transition that happens around the world as kids become adults.

So while I’m all about K-pop myself, once you live here, you start to understand why the natives pass on mainstream music. Although yes, idol pop can be catchy, the lesser-known songs have deeper meaning to the Koreans.

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Most of those K-pop groups that “seem” popular here in Korea to overseas fans? It’s just a mirage, no matter what the digital sales say. A lot of the time those sales are powered by fandoms, not the organic reach that even YG has talked about before. In fact, on the list below, only two mainstream groups actually met the hype they generated last year in 2013.

So let’s check out the 11 groups that Koreans actually listen to:

1) Busker Busker



Consisting of Jang Beom Jun, Kim Hyung Tae, and Brad Moore, this indie band won the hearts of the Koreans fast. After taking second place in ‘Superstar K3‘, the group started releasing sweet, mellow melodies. When the “Cherry Blossom Ending” song hit it big, Koreans quickly dug this sound of music. Many sing their songs at noraebang (karaoke) and recognize their songs instantly.

The group is also known for standing up to the K-pop industry. When Brad exposed the realities of the K-pop industry in late 2013, both Korean fans and international fans applauded his actions.

2) Korean Hip Hop



Yoon Mi Rae, Drunken Tiger, Dynamic Duo, and Epik High are just some of the hip-hop artists that international fans know. But here in Korea, many natives have already known about them for years. After all, they’ve been around for awhile, and the Korean hip-hop scene has been strong for over a decade, as these same stars rapped underground before the mainstream media picked up on them. These days, hip-hop artists often perform on the big music shows and collaborate with their K-pop brethren, increasing their reach.

3) Jaurim

Known as the group with “the girl and three guys”, Jaurim has been around since the mid-1990s. Kim Yoon Ah, the girl in the group, is well-known as the figurehead for the quartet. In fact, most people do not recognize the group without their lead girl around. There was a running joke last year when the group was on ‘SNL Korea‘, where they purposely hid Yoon Ah to see if the audience would still recognize the group. Yet, the expression “who’s that group” when just the three guys appeared further gave credence that most people think of Yoon Ah first when Jaurim is mentioned.

4) Jay Park

The b-boy from Edmunds, Washington has ascended new heights of popularity after leaving 2PM. Many girls here are all about Jay Park, as he mixes dance skills, his soothing voice, and of course, his abs to the table. Some reasons why he is popular is he interacts with his fans on social media –- especially Instagram — and while his songs are catchy, they don’t fit the mainstream K-pop mold, and fans can relate to him more than other singers.

5) Anyone On A Drama OST

Humming that tune from that recent K-drama you watched? Chances are, many people are also humming the same tune at work, while walking, or on the radio at a café. For many artists, being on a hit drama OST is huge. Both Kim Bum Soo (‘Secret Garden‘) and Sung Si Kyung (‘Reply 1994‘) are just two singers that can attribute their careers/status to being featured on hit OSTs.

While many people forego K-pop when they become older, dramas hit nearly all demographics. Kids like to watch it with their parents; teenagers will watch it after school; university students will watch it in-between classes; and working folk will talk about it in the office.

Another fact: drama OSTs are so popular that many of the “top 10 current noraebang songs” are OSTs melodies.

6) American Music

Or “evil, dirty American music” as some K-pop fans would call it.

The English of many Koreans has improved rapidly in the last 10 years. One of the reasons: Koreans are all about American pop, and they sing their lyrics often. Beyoncé, Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, Jeff Bernat, Bruno Mars, and Eminem have all performed in Seoul. They are also loved by the natives, as their concerts sell out on the same day.

A lot of Koreans feel that American music capture the soul, feeling, and catchiness that’s missing in many mainstream songs. Students have often said that they study to Jason Mraz and Jeff Bernat’s music often, as it de-stresses them.

With Super Bowl performer Bruno Mars coming in April 2014, the popularity of US music shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

7) EXO

Ahhh, we finally hit one of the two mainstream K-pop bands. EXO was known during their 2012 debut due to a strong SME marketing push and its rabid fanbase. However, they did not get national recognition until the following year. The two songs that made them Korean household names were “Wolf” and the 2013 K-pop song of the year, “Growl”.

While “Wolf” had a lot of airtime on the radio in the summer in 2013, after a few months the song was soon rotated out for new songs. “Growl”, however, stayed in the music lineup. In fact, “Growl” was so popular that at one point that you could not go anywhere in Seoul without hearing the song at least once. The song has even gotten respect from both rival companies and even rival fanbases, who admit the song is catchy as hell.

8) Urban Zakapa

Ask university students which artists they’d like to meet, and chances are Urban Zakapa would be one of their answers. As one of Korea’s most famous indie bands today, their popularity came from the passionate fans years ago. When they frequent music festivals, their act sells out fast. Their blend of soulful and soothing music is recognizable to many of Korea’s music listeners.

9) J-Rabbit

The two quirky ladies of J-Rabbit, Jung Da Woon and Jung Hye Sung (no relation), have quickly become popular among young Koreans. Named because both ladies were born in the ‘Year Of The Rabbit’, their motto is making music for people of all ages. And these people include university students cramming for a test or doing a last minute projects as well. Their songs haven been dubbed “the ultimate in studying music” by netizens on Naver, which is basically the Google of Korea.

Part of their charm comes from their silliness. Unlike many stars, these two are not afraid to have fun on the stage, be goofy, or show their emotions. They’re as real as they come and their fans appreciate that.

10) Big Bang

The second popular mainstream group, Big Bang is one of the few groups that appeals to nearly all demographics. The natives respect their music and cite G-Dragon and T.O.P as two singers they would die to meet. Kids know about them and sing to their songs, and even the older generation in their 40s and beyond feel the group has immense talent.

Big Bang rivals EXO as two of the biggest male acts in mainstream K-pop today. Any new song from them will instantly get serious airplay here, fan meetings will be mobbed within minutes, and concerts will sell out fast, as the VIP fandom is huge.

It’s no surprise why Big Bang is on this list.

11) Singers From Music Shows (‘Superstar K’, ‘K-Pop Star’, Etc.)

Busker Busker, Ulala Session, Huh Gak, and Seo In Guk. These are just four names that have come from Korean music reality shows who then catapulted to fame soon after. Like ‘American Idol‘, Korean music programs encourage voting, telling the artists’ story (especially if it’s full of sorrow), and promoting new talent.

The Korean music industry knows that in the future, these shows will be even more important in making successful singers. The natives are aware too. Music fans here keep up with the audition programs, and they know that a lot of Korea’s musical talent resides in the these competitive shows that show little mercy for bad singing.

Every year the number of music audition shows are expanding, and now new audition programs may be on the horizon.

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So it’s true that K-pop is popular and has many international fans around the world. And the genre is responsible for many non-Koreans studying Korean today, as K-pop’s catchy hooks and poppy sounds pull many listeners in. Yet, for many Koreans, they tire of their own pop/idol music, as they feel much of K-pop is the same thing over and over.

Today’s youth are generally looking for something fresh and soothing. And to them, looking at their own indie, non-mainstream music, as well as towards American shores, provide just the beats they’re looking for.

Honorable Mentions: IU, Crayon Pop, SNSD, Geeks, Standing Egg

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Jason Yu (AKA Jangta) works in the K-pop industry as a journalist with his team over at Green Tea Graffiti. He promotes Asian pop culture to the world from Asia, while arguing who’s the hottest girl group in K-pop with friends.

To learn more about the K-pop industry, check out his exclusive: ‘Behind the Scenes: The Life of a K-pop Star‘.

And to learn more about Asian pop culture with fun, chill people living in Asia, do check out their Twitter @GTGNews.

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