How Do We Define Kpop?

[An Okay Rock]

Okay so I don't know how else to ask without sounding stupid but how is Kpop defined and separated from other genres? What are the limits we can put on it? Is it Kpop because a Korean person is making it? Or is it because it's in Korean? Can we have foreign people within the genre? If not why?

 

[An Okay Rock]

@Chlorophyllistic, you said it was the overall competitiveness of it that makes it what it is, so does that mean its okay for people who arent East Asians, like we usually see, to be within the genre.

 

[acat]

I believe that Kpop is only for Asian people, as it has the name Korean pop. I will take a real-life example of Eric Nam because he was born in the US and wanted to pursue music but because he was Asian in the US he was denied many opportunities to be a musician.
He went to pursue music in Korea because even though he did not speak Korean there would be more opportunities for him there than in the US.
In Korea, Eric faced his fair share of discrimination for not being "fully Korean" (even though his parents were both Korean) however he still had more opportunities in the US.
Now that he had built up a strong fan base, he has started singing in English which is what he wanted to do, to begin with.
Kpop gives representation to Asian musicians, where "western" musicians already have a music industry rather than going into Kpop
But this is just my opinion and I look forward to reading everyone else's

 

[An Okay Rock]

I believe that Kpop is only for Asian people, as it has the name Korean pop. I will take a real-life example of Eric Nam because he was born in the US and wanted to pursue music but because he was Asian in the US he was denied many opportunities to be a musician.
He went to pursue music in Korea because even though he did not speak Korean there would be more opportunities for him there than in the US.
In Korea, Eric faced his fair share of discrimination for not being "fully Korean" (even though his parents were both Korean) however he still had more opportunities in the US.
Now that he had built up a strong fan base, he has started singing in English which is what he wanted to do, to begin with.
Kpop gives representation to Asian musicians, where "western" musicians already have a music industry rather than going into Kpop
But this is just my opinion and I look forward to reading everyone else's

So if someone is half Korean where do you think they should turn?

 

[acat]

So if someone is half Korean where do you think they should turn?

Half Korean they are can pursue any genre they want, however, they might receive some hate from Koreans, there are examples of not Korean but Asian (Chinese, Thai etc) kpop artists getting hate for not being "fully" Korean, which is not okay and I think Kpop now doesn't just include Koreans but Asia in general as Chinese and Japanese members in groups are common.

 

[An Okay Rock]

Half Korean they are can pursue any genre they want, however, they might receive some hate from Koreans, there are examples of not Korean but Asian (Chinese, Thai etc) kpop artists getting hate for not being "fully" Korean, which is not okay and I think Kpop now doesn't just include Koreans but Asia in general as Chinese and Japanese members in groups are common.

Alright so if we were debating whether something is Kpop, we should take the ethnicity of the person into account?

 

[acat]

Alright so if we were debating whether something is Kpop, we should take the ethnicity of the person into account?

To a certain degree, there are also other defining factors.
What do you think?

 

[An Okay Rock]

To a certain degree, there are also other defining factors.
What do you think?

Well Im not entirely sure but I dont think race matters too much because if the artist hid their face, as long as it what they're singing was sung in Korean, wouldnt we call it Kpop? But if the person is playing on the fact that we're assuming they're Asian, I think there'd be a moral issue to discuss.

 

[acat]

Well Im not entirely sure but I dont think race matters too much because if the artist hid their face, as long as it what they're singing was sung in Korean, wouldnt we call it Kpop? But if the person is playing on the fact that we're assuming they're Asian, I think there'd be a moral issue to discuss.

Hmmmmm yeah you make an interesting point. This is such a hard topic to discuss!

 

[~moonlight tea~]

As long as its a song in korean that has the elements of pop music. Krock and krnb are different

 

[An Okay Rock]

Hmmmmm yeah you make an interesting point. This is such a hard topic to discuss!

That's why Im trying to get other people to do it for me

As long as its a song in korean that has the elements of pop music. Krock and krnb are different

So you think it doesnt matter who the artist actually is?

 

[~moonlight tea~]

So you think it doesnt matter who the artist actually is?

No not really

 

[OppaIsTrash]

thats quite the question! i saw some interesting tweet recently from a korean culture/media professor that might interest you so i'll include them here

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1222977278138900481

it doesn't fully answer your question but it could point you in a new direction.

 

[Chlorophyllistic]

@Chlorophyllistic, you said it was the overall competitiveness of it that makes it what it is, so does that mean its okay for people who arent East Asians, like we usually see, to be within the genre.

That is a hard question that really depends on your point of view. Yes, there are foreigner idols that do bring some diversity to the table and some could argue the point that bringing non Asians into the genre subtracts from the genre itself but does it really matter? K-pop is defined by the differences in the music and, to me, not defined the the people in it.

 

[sorrysweetie]

I believe kpop is just specified as Korean pop music, music with Korean in it. Period. End of story.