The origin of K-Pop - the result of a story or an unexpected phenomenon

I've been wondering since I got into this music style, but the professor at Busan University gave me the answer

I remember when I first got into K-Pop. Those piercing sounds seeped into my mind and played in tune with the vision, which captured every movement of the young stars that appeared on the screen. It didn't seem easy to me, and I guess that's what got me hooked. How could they move at that speed without losing their smile?

I kept investigating and found more groups and artists that offered content that was not the same, but similar in terms of visual power. That was a loop that I could only free myself from if I set out to do so consciously. I succeeded, but my mind kept generating thoughts about it and at the speed of light. Again, another question assailed my mind: Where did those sounds come from?

The answer was given to me by SONG Hyangkeun, president of “The Korean Linguistic Association” and “The International Society for Applied Linguistics of Korea”, and a professor at the College of Korean Language and Culture at the Busan University of Foreign Studies. Specifically, it was during the talk he offered at the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid.

"Koreans like to sing." Thus began his explanation of the origin of K-Pop, which he considers the result of an evolution of sounds that have marked the history of South Korean music. Proof of this population's passion for music can be seen today in the more than 33,000 karaoke bars they offer in the country. In fact, according to some documents from China that Mr. Hyangkeun showed in his talk, "Koreans enjoy music, dancing and alcohol." Just as he also pointed to a foreign business tour guide with the words "If you want to get along with Koreans, you should sing to them."

For them, the Koreans, K-Pop is part of their popular songs, that is, those that are "the most loved and sung". But its origin dates back to the end of the 19th century, when translated Western themes began to be interpreted. The turntables arrived in the country and that opened a path of musical discoveries.

So much so that in the late 1920s, they were inspired by all these songs to create their own. Although it was not until 1950 and 1960 when the American sounds arrived to finish triggering the success of all these hits.

Throughout history, music has become a weapon, sometimes more powerful than physical ones. Society has used it as a channel of protest, and that is something that Koreans also experienced in the 1970s. At that time, political and social unrest came. The younger generations tried to prove their existence through culture and what can spread a clear message repeatedly and without you getting tired of it? The songs.

If you want to get along with Koreans, you have to sing in front of them.

The youth revolution began. The time of jeans, beatlealized long hair, guitars and folk music. What were the songs most loved and sung by Koreans? Those interpreted by the artists of the youth revolution. What did we call the songs most loved and sung by Koreans? Popular songs, and young people were the exponents of all of them, something that is faithfully reflected in today's Korean society.

The 80s arrive, and with them, some of the greatest references of this art. While a Freddie Mercury moved to the rhythm of Radio Ga Ga on the biggest venues in the world, a surprising Cho Yongpil landed on the stages and televisions of Korea to mark an era of new dyes and risky styles. It is no longer only folk that triumphs, as various musical genres arrived with different melodies but remained faithful to the feelings of their people.

Cho Yongpil was the star artist of the first fan club created in Korea. We have to remember that fan clubs are a key factor in the success of today's K-Pop groups. They are responsible for flooding the largest cities in their country with images of their favorite groups on the marquees, as well as mobilizing thousands of people to achieve a goal. Normally, this objective is related to obtaining some recognition or the success on digital platforms of a release by their favorite artists.