All right, potentially ~controversial opinion abt #KPop ahoy. IF you disagree and want to tell me abt it, do so while being /respectful/ or get blocked.
There was a video essay I watched yesterday from a Kpop channel I'm subscribed to. They posted a video abt how to make Kpop Great Again (terrible title, but whatever). Their point was that Kpop's essence has been diluted due to globalization, songs becoming shorter, and too many groups sounding and looking alike.
(Put a pin on that)
Their 'solutions' were to have more risk-takers (like NMIXX and aespa), work on better/more eye-popping performances, and also some specific suggestions for Twice to be better (accordingn to OP, their last fave comeback was "Feel Special" which was 2019, I think).
FTR, OP did say that this was their opinion and that they're sure there are ppl who have v. little issues with the current state of Kpop (including 5th gen).
IIRC, they categorized 5th gen as Simplicity. (cont)
(cont.)
which is where my brain went HOLD ON A MOMENT.
Not because they were wrong, mind you. Most of latter 4th gen/early 5th gen is v. casual/down-to-basics in terms of aesthetics and music. But I think there's a V. SPECIFIC REASON why:
which can be traced back to Year One (a.k.a. 2020) onward. For at least 2 yrs, everyone went thru a MASSIVE psychological, emotional, and physical catastrophy the likes of which we hadn't gone thru in DECADES.
FWIW, a lot of ppl are still doing their most to survive horrible situations (see the Gaza genocide, the Ukraine vs. Russia war, etc).
So, it kinda makes sense (at least to me), that ppl are seeking comfort on the chilliest and most easy going music. Ppl want to escape (even if it's for two and a half minutes). A lot of ppl are wondering how they're gonna eat, keep a roof over their heads, etc. (cont)
I also don't think globalization is a bad thing? (Not to mention kinda inevitable.) The whole angle of Kpop /getting diluted/ sounds a lot like someone complaining that it isn't niche, therefore no longer 'special' or 'unique' anymore.
And, like, that's bullshit? Because Kpop is pop music. That's it.
5th gen music is no better or worse than 2nd gen. It truly isn't. It's just MUSIC. (General) you might like it or not and it's OK either way.
And, like, if you break it down into CULTURE, no matter how 'Westernized" Kpop gets, it'll never become fully Westernized.
IDK, I was jut v. annoyed by the whole thing. Particularly of how many 2nd gen folks were on a complain train abt current K-Pop. :|
Like I said, to me, dismissing 4 and 5th gen for being bland is a result of ignoring EVERYTHING that's happened circa 2020. /finis
Addendum: the one (1) point I agreed with video essay's OP was that having 3 comebacks each year is not a great thing in the long run.
For artists, it's too much pressure and will have them perform while injured and/or recuperating from an injury. Meanwhile, for fans, it also puts pressure on them if they want to participate financially. So it's a burden for both artist and fans that could be avoided if comebacks were scaled down to 2/year.
Things get even more stressful for multi fans. It sets things up for burnout for everyone. IJS
Addendum 2: I got one (1) last point abt that 'make Kpop great again' video essay. I promise I'll move on after this, but it's something that I hadn't remembered until I looked at IVE's album's credits.
Right around, I want to say 2015-ish (maybe slightly earlier but no later than that), as the West started to move away from group concepts and (to a lesser extent) R&B songs, a ton of USian and otherwise Western songwriters started working with Kpop labels in a way they hadn't before.
So the mix-and-match between Kpop (as a musical genre) and the West was happening even if it wasn't so noticeable for ppl.
That thought popped up when I saw Dem Joinz being IVE's Heya producer.
It reminded me of how many (primarily Black) USian songwriters found a ton of work with Kpop labels. In the end, I think that although OP might have moderately valid opinions, she's also skipping whole parts that would weaken her argument.
IJS
😅
Interesting! I'm a total KPop newbie, so I have zero to contribute here, but love hearing from long-time listeners.
Gotta say, though, it's been very much an American fandom trope that "I only like bands you've never heard of!" I'm not saying that's the only reason some longtime KPop fans are unhappy, but I gotta think that's at least a little bit of it.
@tikistitch Eh, I'm a newbie too! (Like, I got into Kpop back in 2020.) BUT I'm pretty nosy w/r/t how the songs are created and who's behind them, etc.
And I know I've read at least 4 different articles abt USian and other Western songwriters working in the Kpop business. :P
That seems so cool, like what if the Beatles had worked on a song with Chuck Berry or Bob Dylan?
And, yeah, Mr. Tiki and I have been chatting about how the US music industry has moved away from bands in recent years. I told him I just watched The Rose play Coachella - guys and guitars, bass and drums.
@Glittery@tikistitch this is one direction erasure (but you’re right because after 1d groups died and this is why western fans moved to kpop in this essay I will,)
You have me scanning my playlist. I haven't really followed any bands since grunge! In recent years I've been playing stuff like the Hamilton soundtrack, or comedy bands like Flight of the Conchords. I guess western music just wasn't speaking to me much recently?
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