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KPop for Americans: Terms you should know

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It wasn't that long ago that I would have defined Kpop as a throwaway genre akin to some weird variant of hiphop mashed up in the cringiest way with R&B. It took a full year for me to understand what was going on in that industry. I didn't realize that it was not the music that is the final "deliverable"; it's the idols themselves. This is strikingly different to Western music..the closest I can think of in terms of brand affinity would be Taylor Swift, but even she doesn't reveal as much of herself as the most introverted idol. It's invasive, but this life is clearly entered into voluntarily (the autonomy of very young people is something Westerners need to adapt to when looking at Asian cultures). The way to Kpop understanding is through the fandom. Even if you want to get into the business or technical side of Kpop, you still need to immerse yourself into the social construct of the industry. So in the interests of getting you acclimated, here is a
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BabyMonster and the death of empathy.

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 One really nasty consequence of the KPop industry is a phenomenon known as "saesangs", or the milder "netizen", used in the same context. It refers to what Americans would call a combination of trolling and cancel culture. These antagonists manifest themselves in social media posts, talking about an idol's weight or some social media gaffe that may not have even happened. In a world dominated by negative energy online, these are some of the most unsophisticated bottom feeders in existence. And you may be one of them. Case in point: Baby Monster. Touted as the revitalization needed at YG, the seven girls starred in an obviously rushed pre-debut fake documentary with manufactured drama followed by some real drama in the form of a member not debuting with the others and yet another drama around one of the girls' stage name. But after some delay, they debuted with "Batter Up", which objectively (as much as possible, anyway) seemed derivative in parts,
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Itzy comes back with "Born To Be"

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Trends are such a funny thing in KPop. It's so self-evident that rigid concepts sweep through the industry as producers keep finding the next new thing that resonates with consumers, but fans and idols alike will passionately deny it, claiming that THEIR group is unique and that it's all about the music. OK. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But doesn't the vibe of this video conflict with their recent themes? Itzy started very strong with Dalla and Loco and Swipe. Very quirky with strong individuality among the members and the aesthetics of what Koreans call "HiTeen"...for Americans, think Lisa Frank meets High School Musical with some anime thrown in for flavor. But now? We are back into "Weapon" territory with darker themes, lava, and that urban Tomb Raider look that BlackPink started with "Kill This Love". Dreamcatcher's "OOTD' and even Viviz's "Untie" have that non-gritty dark thing happening. But people, th
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How Red Velvet Films Their Stages

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 SM posted a video yesterday as a treat to fans seeing a very lightly-edited take of their performance at Inkigayo of "Chill Kill". It's really amazing how much content is created from a single even in KPop...their creatives are at the absolute top when it comes to being able to get every bit of value from every frame, pixel, or second of content. And yet, still no dance practice or performance video of their best song, "Wildside". :)
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Charlie Puth Reacts to Left Right

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  Kpop fans absolutely love when their biases are noticed by Western artists, and Charlie is one of those stars that bridge the gap between Pop and Kpop fans. I know underneath all of this is crass commercialism, but XG becoming more noticed can only be a good thing. There's no reason why they could not be as big as BlackPink.
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Insomnicsy finally met Dreamcatcher

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  Well, it finally happened. If you are a Somnia, you are undoubtedly aware of the YouTuber Insomnicsy. Her content is exclusively comprised of Dreamcatcher videos. Her editing and production choices are remarkable, and her intro guides and "This is" series (updated annually) are extremely well thought-out. And she's been doing this for years. On occasion, Dreamcatcher will mention her videos, but I've never heard them mention the channel specifically. I don't usually comment on videos, but I've mentioned a few times on her videos that I really think the Dreamcatcher company should coordinate with her. She is a true influencer in the best meaning of the word. She's also extremely kind and wholesome without being cringy. This is very rare in the Kpop fandom. And now we see that she has met them in person! I was a LITTLE disappointed that they didn't know more about her, but she got warm receptions across the board. I hope it was everything Insomicsy wan
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