How did K-pop become so popular throughout the world?

Is there any place nowadays where you can't discover K-pop? With K-pop now performing at Coachella, major American and British musicians working with Korean groups, and stadium tours throughout the globe selling out in seconds, it's safe to say that K-pop has cemented its position in music and established itself as a household brand. But how did this come to be? Here's how K-pop exploded in popularity, breaking through barriers all around the world.

Part 1: K-beginnings pop's

The KPop Craze featured that the term "K-pop" didn't exist in Korea until the early 1990s. Sure, there was Korean pop, but it was aimed mostly at the older generation, who had grown up listening to Korean trot (a genre with its own characteristic two-beat rhythm) following the 1970s ban on American pop.

Korean pop music grew in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, but it had its own distinct style that was rarely recognized outside of Korea. Younger folks get their pop fix by listening to international music. Then, in 1992, a television talent shows irrevocably transformed the face of Korean pop. Seo Taiji and Boys debuted with a hip hop, rap, and Europop sound, but with Korean lyrics. The judges didn't like it, but the people did, and the guys rocketed to the top of the charts.

Their popularity spawned a new generation of Korean singers who experimented with many musical influences, and K-pop began to expand throughout Asia. Idol bands were created particularly for a young audience, with people chosen to appeal to a worldwide audience.

Part 2: hallyu, or the Korean Wave

The word hallyu was developed to describe the phenomena of South Korean culture spreading and gaining popularity throughout the world. K-pop and K-drama originally gained popularity in other Asian countries, notably in the East and Southeast. Korea has completely adopted social media platforms such as Facebook (unlike other Asian nations like China, who have their own networks and rarely use international social feeds). This meant that K-pop could be readily shared online and spread throughout the world with minimal effort.

K-pop groups are built for success, not only musically, but also aesthetically. Perfectly executed dance routines, larger-than-life music videos, colorful clothing, and memorable melodies in the songs themselves are the ideal combination for appealing to a wider audience – particularly teenagers. Korean groups had become well-known across virtually all of Asia by the late 2000s, and K-pop was gaining traction.

Part 3: Gangnam Style.

We couldn't discuss how K-pop grew so successful throughout the world without including Psy. Gangnam Style was the first video to reach a billion views on YouTube, and it maintained the top place for five years. This was a watershed moment for Korean music, with the entire globe enthralled, showing that lyrics don't have to be understood to appreciate a song.

While Gangnam Style was more of a novelty song in the world of K-pop, it opened eyes and gave birth to a following. People all across the world began streaming K-pop in unprecedented volumes. The videos became famous thanks to the fans, with YouTube video views skyrocketing in a matter of hours. The Korean Wave has now spread throughout the globe, with these popular videos trending on everyone's YouTube home page.

Part 4: YouTube sensations

Without the Internet, where would K-pop be today? In the last few years, fandoms have exploded all over the world, with nearly every K-pop group now having their own dedicated group of fans eager to push their favorite artist to the top of web streaming platforms and shatter records left, right, and center.

In April 2019, BTS (Bangtan Boys), one of Korea's most prominent boy bands, released their track "Boy With Luv," which became an instant hit. It became the most-watched music video in the first 24 hours of its release, just days after Blackpink, a Korean girl group, accomplished the same feat with their single, "Kill This Love." Thanks to spectacular graphics, irresistible earworm songs, and dance routines that demand to be emulated – even if you have two left feet – K-pop had finally reached the charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, and was here to stay.

Korean is rapidly gaining in popularity as a result of the Korean Wave. Students enrolling in university Korean courses increased by 14% in only three years, according to a report by the Modern Language Association in the United States, and Korean is one of our fastest-growing language study programs at ESL, especially among under 18s! Thousands of people now visit the nation to learn more about the language, to immerse themselves in Korean culture, and to dance to K-pop tunes in the place where it all started.

Why not see what all the fuss is about? A language stay is an excellent place to begin if you want to learn more about Korean culture and the country that gave rise to the Korean Wave. You'll fall in love with Korea just as we did!