K-pop subculture slang. The influence of modern Korean pop culture on Russian youth What is pop

As promised, I’m returning to the story about the “Korean Wave”, or k-pop, but from a different point of view, more historical. ABOUT modern manifestations k-pop can be read at.

Korea in the 19th and 20th centuries suffered many historical upheavals, and the country was first under the patronage of the Chinese Empire, then Korea was colonized by the Japanese, and then when the Second World War and the Korean War ended, South Korea began to experience strong cultural influence from the West, primarily the United States . Thus, Korean modern culture was formed sometimes in spite of, and sometimes thanks to, outside influences.

Korean historians and scientists, when they talk about the spread of Korean culture, highlight several stages and several key episodes.

So, at the time when Korea was colonized by Japan, there was one very famous dancer, her name was Choi Seung-hee, she did performances that were based on a combination modern dance and national Korean dances. Seung-hee was so popular and famous that she performed on tour not only in Japan, but even in the USA and Latin American countries. But since Korea at that time was under the control of Japan, Japan pursued a policy of Japaneseization, including names, the dancer performed under the Japanese version of her name Sai Shoki.

Representatives of the Korean independence movement did not like her for this and accused her of collaboration with Japan. After World War II, it so happened that Seung-hee followed her husband and ended up in North Korea, where she was generally in a privileged position and ran a dance school until the late 1970s. In view of such an unusual fate and tense relations South Korea Since the North, the figure of Choi Seung-hee has been ignored by South Korean academics and the public when discussing the formation of modern Korean culture. Now this taboo has been lifted.

The next breakthrough of Korean culture is associated with the adaptation of Western modern culture in the 1970s. A big success was the breakthrough of the Korean kittens group, which also toured the world and even stopped by the BBC, where they covered the Beatles. Their phenomenon was that they sang in English, performed covers, were dressed according to Western standards, but at the same time, beauty that was exotic for those times did its job.

The period immediately after the financial crisis of 1997 turned out to be very important for the Korean wave, as the film industry announced itself. It was at this time that the Koreans decided to invest in the production of cultural products and reached a new level of quality in the production of dramas (Korean TV series) and feature films, so that they began to be bought and shown outside of Korea. In 2002, the cult drama “Winter Sonata” was shown. It was so popular in Japan that it was shown twice in one year, and then-Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that the actor who played the lead, Bae Yong-joon, was more popular than himself.

In parallel with “Winter Sonata,” the full-length romantic comedy “My Sassy Girl,” released in 2001, turned out to be a huge success. It turned out to be so successful that it was first remade by the Japanese, and then even... Hollywood, in 2007. This was the first time Hollywood bought a film from Korea. But the American version failed... But nevertheless, the bastion was taken and the Americans continue to periodically re-shoot South Korean megahits.

This is very Short story development of k-pop, which continues to develop and turns out to be so successful that it annually brings in 2 billion US dollars in income from sales abroad of various products of modern South Korean culture, that hundreds of fan clubs of dozens of k-pop teams are created in various countries, in including Kazakhstan.

Success also has a downside - the Chinese government at the state level limits the amount of airtime for Korean-produced programs and films, because it reached the point that the broadcast network of some channels almost entirely consisted of Korean media products; in Japan, small demonstrations with anti-Korean sentiments periodically arise due to the oversaturation of Korean programs and dramas; also, based on the example of Manipur in India, fears have been expressed that such a strong spread of Korean pop culture could not only push Bollywood, but undermine traditional culture, since young people prefer Korean style.

But nevertheless, if you choose between the original South Korean film and its adaptation from any country, then it is better to watch the original.

*Unnie and Oppa are a way to address a girl and a guy in Korean.

“K-POP”, “k-pop”, “K-pop” - I began to hear more and more often from people I know, see comments on social networks and see various posts and images. “Kay-po-o-op”, yes “Kay-pop”, but what is it?I climbed websites, read a lot of literature, talked to people from this field and was stunned. It turns out that this is a whole subculture that is gaining popularity around the world. A WHOLE SUB-CULTURE! And I didn’t even know.

K-POP, or korean wave, or hallyu is a subculture consisting of fans of South Korean musical groups. If one of your friends puts a picture of some cute, cute Korean resident on their profile photo, and the corresponding slang appears on the wall, then you know that this is it. These are the most “yummy” adored celebrities that fans call "oljan", which means models with big eyes, small noses and lips. Such a doll-like appearance is achieved thanks to plastic surgery, makeup and photoshop.
In general, K-pop (keɪ pɔp/, an abbreviation for English Korean pop) - musical genre, which originated in South Korea and incorporates elements of Western electropop, hip-hop, dance music and modern rhythm and blues.

In the journal " Rolling Stone" it was said that " K-pop is a "mixture of fashion western music and high-energy Japanese pop" and "hunts listeners' heads with repeated hooks, sometimes English language"; K-pop “treads the line of mixing styles, combining both singing and rapping and placing a special emphasis on action and powerful visuals».

In Korea, the term K-pop refers to almost any genre of Korean pop music. In other countries, “K-pop” refers exclusively to music performed by the so-called idols, similar in concept to Japanese idols, performed in a mixture of the above genres. Also, this concept outside the country includes modern South Korean fashion and style.

One of distinctive features Korean groups you can read the number of participants within one project (about 12-15 people). As a rule, they all live together in the same house and spend all their time in each other’s company. Some members prepare from childhood for their role as a “music idol.” To enjoy success, Korean performers need to train a lot, because in their work a lot of emphasis is placed on the visuals.

Despite a large number of participants, the group performs all choreographic movements with amazing precision and synchronization. Another feature of K-pop performers is their constant interactive way of communicating with their fans. Performers maintain their own forums, create their own pages on social networks and channels on YouTube. It is largely due to this that the popularity of Korean groups has grown so much.

Capepers

So, after knowing all this, I still couldn't understand how K-pop owes such popularity. This is why I met (even if not in real life, but on the Internet) with a representative of this subculture and asked her a couple of questions. Terry (that's what she called herself) described herself this way.

“I’m not such an active person, but I really like to go to various festivals created by K-pop fans. These are various dance parties, gatherings and just weekly meetings of K-pop culture lovers. Many of my friends arrange cover dance team. They change into clothes that are similar in style to the style of a particular group they are dancing with, stage dances, and also dance crossovers different groups, perform with this and win in various competitions.

They also speak at various city events as activists. They gather for meetings in the youth palace, where we listen to music and dance unprofessionally for the soul We discuss news from the world of K-pop.

I’m not one of those fans who want children from idols, but personally, Korean music really lifts my spirits, I want to dance, smile, jump to it, it charges me with positivity.” One of my favorite groups is BTS (approx.: BTS (Korean: 방탄소년단, also known as Bangtan Boys) is a Korean hip-hop group formed in 2013 by Big Hit Entertainment).

I love them for their bright, fiery videos, funny songs, and high level of choreography. Their group, in fact, is divided into guys who dance, rap, and sing well. And many of them cannot do what others can. But for group dances they train a lot.

There are various video projects where they participate for fun and to show their abilities to the audience. Just recently I watched a funny video, where they switched parts and the guy who raps tried to sing. They are not afraid to show theirs weak sides. In various humorous shows, they come up with poems/compose songs and raps on the go, try to repeat their speed dances, the dances of others, including women's groups. Funny boys, in general, very open.”

After this answer, I came to the conclusion that, apparently, K-pop just had to hook me. And I can’t help but insert the answer of another very interesting girl.

Sania

“K-POP is something like my hobby. I'm following the news. I sometimes save photos biases(note: favorite boy band members), I watch various shows, videos, reactions, sometimes dramas (note: Japanese television series. On Japanese television channels they are one of the highest rated programs. Despite the name, dramas are released in various genres- comedy, detective stories, horror, etc.) . I vote for biases on various sites and battles.

Many people think that K-pop is not very widespread in Russia, and, in general, in the world, but this is not so, there are a lot of fans. Sometimes groups come to Russia, mainly to Moscow. In addition to Moscow fans, fans from other cities also come. Tickets sometimes sell out in minutes, which means there are a lot of fans. Many fans buy albums, stuff stuff, etc. Fans provide friendly support to people from different countries with the same interests. Many people, including myself, look up to some of the members as role models.”

K-pop fan profile

Then I compiled a tiny questionnaire with simple questions, and asked to answer them as well k-pop fans. I would like to thank the same Terry for her help in finding interested people and very unusual interlocutors.

1. Favorite artists (groups, songs, videos, whatever)
2. How do they catch you?
3. How do you show your interest in K-pop?
4. Who are you in everyday life?
5. K-pop for you is...
6. Do you participate in any festivals? If yes, then tell us about them.

Alexey Verner

1. Nu'est, BTS, Got7, Big Bang, EXO, Block B.
2. Very cool voices and appearance. I like that the songs combine English and Korean.
3. I listen to a lot of songs, watch videos, look for information about groups and their members.
4. Man, no?
5. Sweet for the ears.
6. It hasn’t happened yet, but that’s it for now.

불

1. Wonder girls, 4minute, Mamamoo, Exid, Dlackpink, Red velvet, k.a.r.d, cl, taeyeon.
2. I like the songs. As soon as I hear it, my ass immediately begins to twitch.
3. A strange question, to be honest.
4. I run a special public page.
5. An ordinary schoolboy.
6. And “Who Knows.”

Aldyn-Ay

1. Big Bang, 2ne1, Super Junior, SNSD, BTS.
2. Big Bang opened the world of k-pop to me, it was the 2009 video “Lollipop”, which hooked me with its brightness and the catchy chorus “” lali lali dad”
2NE1 - they are cool, they have their own style, incomparable CL.
Super Junior is the original 13 charismatic and dancing idols, I love them very much for their songs and amazing choreography.
SNSD - they are all very beautiful, they are nice to look at, I like their choreography.
BTS are like a big and elegant candle on the K-pop cake.
3. Now I’m trying to keep track of new products, I’m subscribed to the groups’ YouTube channels. IN school years there was some kind of insanity, I was learning the language, I wanted to go deeper into Korean culture.
4. Student.
5. This is a movement that unites and brings people together.
6. No, I don’t participate.

Ember

1. Bts, block b, got7, 2rbina 2rista, iamx.
2. K-pop dances and idols, turbine with positivity, and iamx with relaxation.
3. Dancing, clothes and walls hung with idols in the room.
4. Special chan.
5. Movement and admiration.
6. I am participating. As a cosplayer and now as a dancer. There were a lot of impressions from the debut, considering that my team won the title of 3rd degree laureate, including me.

1. Favorites... this is difficult because I often listen to just selections. Well, most often in my playlist there are “ imagine Dragons"", "bts", "arctic monkeys", "coldplay", "exo", "bap", etc:d
2. In principle, I love music - sometimes the sound is awesome, and sometimes the text is awesome.
3. Memes and checking for updates on YouTube.
4. I’m finishing 11th grade, I have close friends... I don’t even know. How can I answer?
5. A special genre of music.
6. I rarely go to festivals, but I often go to K-pop parties.

1. Groups: V.A.R, BlockB, BigBang, 2ne1. The songs are difficult, there are many of them 😀 . Clips: B.A.P - power\young,wild & free; BTS - Young Forever; BigBang - tonight
2. I don’t even know, everyone? In some places I like the concept of the group, in others the participants themselves, their character, behavior, etc. I only listen to someone’s songs, without knowing anything about the group. Everything catches on.
3. Well, there’s only one concert here on May 9th, so I’m going there.
4. Student.
5. Music, beloved and dear.

Catherine

1. B this moment there is no favorite.
2. Usually the song has a catchy motive, a solo on some instruments (violin, flute, trumpet, not guitar xd).
3. I listen to songs, watch videos. Occasionally I attend parties dedicated to this topic.
4. Man.
5. Music and videos with handsome guys.
6. Every year I participate in the local anime festival Animia.

It turns out that people are simply rushing. Cheerful music with beautiful picture– that’s the whole secret or what? Perhaps I’m tired, perhaps I’m getting old, but I didn’t get caught up in it or get caught up in it. But, to each his own, right? And for some, this is what K-pop is all about.

What is k-pop?

K-pop (/keɪ pɔp/, an abbreviation of Korean pop) is a musical genre that originated in South Korea and incorporates elements of Western electropop, hip-hop, dance music and modern rhythm and blues. Having originally appeared as a musical genre, K-pop has become a large-scale musical subculture with millions of fans among young people around the world.

What if you ask yourself? What's your answer?

You won’t tell people information from the Internet. You will tell them what you know personally.

K-POP is a genre of music that combines several styles of music.

K-POR is a separate world that takes us into our imagination.

Every time you listen to K-pop, the thought may flash through your mind about how you didn’t notice this before or how good it is that you finally heard this genre.

Can you remember your world before k-pop? You listened to Russian and American songs. You didn't have much anticipation, different theories and fantastic clips. You just listened. All the performers might seem like the same type to you, copying the style of others. But in K-pop it's not like that.

You can't see the second BigBang, the fifth Super Junior, the twenties Girls Generation. Everyone has their own style of songs. Is it possible to listen to only one K-pop group? You have such a wide choice, so why not use it?

Many people know such situations as someone insulting you just because you listen to Koreans. You can't convince them, and they can't convince you. What needs to be done?

Nothing. Should you give up k-pop for someone else's opinion? Should you hide what you like but still accept a style you don't like because it's popular? If you did so, then you are simply ruining your personality.

Personality is a unique gift that every person has. Only you can decide who you will be.

You shouldn't care about other people's opinions. You are who you are. And you will change when you want and only for your own sake.

Some people say that K-pop is a childish and frivolous genre. But who said you have to listen to adult music? Everyone is growing, but no one wants it. If k-pop makes you happy, then listen to it as much as you want.

K-POP is a genre that is becoming popular every year. It's taking over the whole world.

Maybe we regret that we didn't force this genre earlier when there were 2NE1, f(x), TRAX, Shinhwa, HOT and SES. But we are glad that he is with us right now.

New shocking groups from Asia began to appear frequently on music channels and on the Internet. Possessing a unique style of clothing, excellent choreography and incomparable songs, they are winning more and more fans around the world. The name of this phenomenon is K-pop.

The early nineties can be considered the starting point of the march of k-pop in its modern form. In 1992, a trio called Seo Taiji & Boys performed on a local television talent show, performing a hip-hop song with a distinctive Western sound. Nowadays such groups as “Girls Generation”, “Super Junior”, “Big Bang” perform in this genre, which have become widely known not only in Asia, but throughout the world.

Russians are familiar with K-pop only thanks to the famous video by PSY “Gangnam style”, which has received more than two billion views on YouTube. But in reality, this video is just a small tip of the iceberg of Korean popular music.

K-pop and its features

K-pop is a music genre that originated in South Korea. The melodic part incorporates many other styles, such as electronic and dance music, rock, hip-hop, and may even contain elements of classical and country.

It is being performed idols (eng. Idol)- guys adolescence, who have been specially trained in vocals and dancing by production centers since childhood. K-pop groups consist of either only girls or only boys, and their group size varies from five to nine people. So what is so special about this popular music that makes it so fascinating?

Of course, these are the songs themselves - simple melodies mainly with a strong emphasis on dance electronic music, which “clings” to the ear. The tracks are sometimes so mesmerizing that it no longer matters that they are performed in an unfamiliar language. Although in Lately there is a tendency to insert English words into a song to attract listeners from all over globe and let them understand what the story is about.

The topics of the songs are very diverse: from food and lifestyle to romantic relationships, and some songs can be full-fledged stories containing deep thoughts. It is worth noting that such music not only looks at Korean culture, but also includes many references associated with other countries and peoples.

Idols: "fake idols"

These are Korean performers who have signed a contract with some agency involved in music promotion. Before becoming popular and recognizable, young guys go through difficult courses training in vocal, dance and acting skills, and thanks to this they not only perform songs on stage, but also star in various TV series.

K-pop performers are also trained foreign languages, and the producers bring their appearance to perfection, and in the very literally. Almost all idols have transferred plastic surgery and keep themselves in shape by following strict diets and actively engaging in grueling exercises. Usually, private life Such guys are not made public, which adds a certain aura of mystery and enigma to their personality.

Images and dances are cooler than Michael Jackson's

One of the main attractive factors of this genre is the visual content and the image of the performers. Asia has long been famous for its artistry and subtle artistic approach, which has played a significant role in the local entertainment industry.

In all their videos, K-pop stars are professionally made up and have an individual style, expressed not only in flashy hairstyles, but also in extravagant clothes. There is an opinion that the image of the performers outshines many Western stars in its effectiveness and originality.

Idols are not at all shy about bringing something new and interpreting modern trends in their own way. A good example rapper G-Dragon and singer CL can serve as style icons, introducing new trends among young people, be it clothing items or new hairstyles.

Korean groups are famous not only for their vocal abilities, but also for their carefully crafted dances, which require professional training. It takes an insane amount of time and effort to prove that artists dance no worse live than in their videos. Men's dancing are based on hip-hop, while women's are more sophisticated and simple.

Analogues of the genre in the world

K-pop is by no means a unique genre, but all similar analogues are located in the Asian part of our planet. The big and main competitor of the Koreans is J-pop, which, as you might guess, comes from the country rising sun- Japan. It also features music performed by idols, and you can see the similarity in concept. But there are differences between them, and this affects the popularity of Japanese and Korean music abroad:

J-pop music videos do not have such powerful visualization and impact, what happens on the screen is almost static, there is no such strong choreography, everything is based on its own identity, and because of this, the music videos seem strange;

K-pop places a strong emphasis on social portals. Each group has its own YouTube channel, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, where they constantly post photos of themselves, talk about their shows and even hold competitions. The Japanese do not strive for such aggressive propaganda, preferring to work for their “home” audience;

K-pop works according to its own well-established scheme, trying not to deviate from existing canons, focusing on the West and electronic music. J-pop experiments more, which is reflected in the sound, number and variations of instruments, and also mixes more styles, using guitar music more often;

Fans of Japanese music abroad, as a rule, are fans of Japanese cartoons - anime. Popular music Korea is independent from other media arts.

K-pop is taking over the world

The K-pop fan base is becoming wider, becoming a separate subculture. This is especially noticeable in Latin America, USA, Europe - and is just beginning to develop in Russia. In our country, fans organize dance competitions among themselves, copying the choreography of their favorite Korean performers, and also perform at events dedicated to Asian culture.

Various festivals are organized annually, including the K-Pop World Festival, the largest of all. Every year it is held in different countries, but the finale of the festival always ends in South Korea, in the city of Changwon. Participating in it are: young talents from all over the world, as well as famous Korean singers. It is worth noting that the South Korean government financially supports the entire infrastructure musical activity, which helps them strengthen relations with Western states.

K-pop is a powerful conveyor belt for the creation of media products, aimed not only at the audience of its country, but also at the whole world. Like Hollywood, it throws more and more new projects onto the market, the number of which can reach up to 90 groups per year, without losing the quality of the content.
This genre of music leaves a positive impression on its listeners: pleasant songs with interesting texts, great visual content.

All this is very eye-catching. Many teenagers want to be like idols who always look great, have their own sophisticated, impeccable style and have the magic of attractiveness. The desire to come into contact with something ideal and beautiful has made k-pop not just a passing trend, but a part of the lives of its many fans, whose numbers are growing every year.

K-pop groups and artists

Seo Taiji & Boys - a group that existed from 1992 to 1996, which popularized Western hip-hop in Korean music. After the group's disbandment, founder Seo Taeji began a solo career and became famous outside of Korea playing heavy alternative rock music.

Girls' Generation- a very famous and world-famous female octet, founded in 2007. In Korea, it is better known as So Nyeo Shi Dae (Sonyo Side). The songs use styles such as electro-pop and bubblegum pop. They recorded 6 studio albums in Korean and Japanese languages. They are famous for their videos, for which they received an award " Best video of the Year" at the YouTube Music Awards in 2013, beating out Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.

G-dragon (G-Dragon) - singer, actor, model. In addition to your solo career, participates in the k-pop project Big Bang. He gained particular popularity because of his extraordinary style of clothing. He writes songs in the hip-hop genre and has released 2 studio albums.

ARTEM SOLOPAEV

Considering modern musical trends, one cannot help but pay attention to the increasingly popular genre K-pop. In Korea itself, where it originated, K-pop is not just music, it is youth subculture, whose fans are millions of young people around the world. So, let's try to figure out what this direction is and what its features are.

How and where did K-pop originate?

The abbreviation itself - K-pop - comes from the English “Korean pop” - Korean pop. How does it differ from ordinary foreign “pop”? K-pop combines hip-hop, electro-pop, dance music and rhythm and blues. The style originated in South Korea in the early 90s. One writer for the music magazine Rolling Stone described K-pop as “a mix of hip Western music and high-energy Japanese pop” that “hunts listeners’ heads with hooks, sometimes in English.” K-pop mixes various styles, combines singing and rapping, but emphasizes action and powerful visuals. It is noteworthy that Koreans themselves call almost any direction of Korean pop music K-pop, however, world listeners only accept compositions performed by so-called idols (or idols) as this style.

Their position is to be a pure and bright ideal for their fans. The appearance of the performers is very important. Slimness, well-groomed, perfect makeup and hairstyle, fashionable clothes, bright color hair, an abundance of accessories - all this distinguishes young Korean stars.

Development and popularity

Initially, K-pop was only known within the Asian region. But the development of Internet technologies allowed him to break through this barrier and gain enormous popularity all over the world. The popularization of K-pop was carried out rapidly through the use of social networks and numerous applications for mobile devices. As the number of K-pop fans has grown, interest in general culture South Korea, and this interest is so great that the BBC has released documentary about K-pop “Nine Muses of the Starry Empire.” According to BBC spokeswoman Fiona Forouzanian, this work is intended to introduce people from different countries to the world of Korean show business. The film tells the story of how ordinary Korean girls spent a year preparing to become stars, what obstacles stood in their way, difficult relationship with producers and managers, etc. The film was presented to the general public at the Amsterdam Film Festival and was received very well by the audience.

"Star Factory" in Korean

The training of future K-pop stars is very interesting. Many groups are managed by music agencies that control the professional training and career of the future performer, on which, according to some sources, approximately $400 thousand are spent. A whole strategy for training young artists has been developed here. Boys and girls aged 9-10 years are invited (they are called “trainees” - interns), who live in the same house, like in a camp where strict rules are established. During the day, children go to school, and in free time attend singing and choreography lessons, acting skills. Perhaps that is why fans are amazed by their impeccable preparedness and splendor theatrical performances, excellent choreography and excellent performance by Korean artists. Vivid images of musicians, rhythmic melodies, colorful videos, varied vocal parts with a dash of hip-hop - all this characterizes K-pop.

Criticism

Despite the army of millions of fans, there are also many opponents of K-pop music, who criticize it for its “conveyor production” and “commercial orientation.” Critics believe that many K-pop artists simply mindlessly imitate American pop musicians, their lyrics are superficial and, at times, even meaningless. The compositions are “infectious, but not original,” as New York writes. Some say that this musical style is focused less on the music and more on the external effect. For example, most participants K-pop groups improve their performance with the help of plastic surgery, and fans like not so much their songs as the attractive appearance of the performers.

Performers

Most popular group From South Korea is the 5-member boy band Big Bang, which debuted in 2006. In their country, the team received the title “Artist of the Year”, and in Japan they became the best newcomer. In 2011, Big Bang represented the Asian region at the MTV EMAs, where they were awarded the award for Best International Artist. Among the boy groups, we can also name EXO and Super Junior.

Among girl groups, it is worth noting Girls'Generation or SNSD. The girls have long been at the top of the charts in South Korea and Japan, but they also strive to conquer Western audiences by performing songs in English. In addition to SNSD, 4minute, 2Ne1, Wonder Girls and others are popular in Korea.

Among solo performers Singer PSY thundered throughout the Internet with his video “Gangam Style,” which broke all records for views on the YouTube portal.