Lifestyle

The K-Pop world | Which K-Pop group is better?

AUTHOR : Sreejita Karmakar

Introduction

In the past few decades, we have watched the scene of music change all over the world. The metamorphosis has produced worldwide musical sensations like The Beatles, Queen, Backstreet Boys leading up to One Direction. While all this was taking place, in another part of the globe – specifically, in South Korea – a musical revolution was being started. In 1992, the first Korean Pop (hereinafter referred as K-pop) boyband came into existence, called Seo Taiji and Boys. They not only included English in their lyrics but also introduced dance moves into their music, creating the modern K-pop which is seen today.

The World of K-pop

Through the years, many generations of K-pop idols have reigned over the field. H.O.T, Shinhwa, BIGBANG, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, 2NE1, BTS, GOT7, TWICE, BLACKPINK, MONSTA X, TXT and, ITZY to name a few. Standing today and gazing across the glamorous ocean of K-pop artists, one simply cannot pick one and drop others. Many people end up becoming a multifandom for life, like yours truly. Therefore, to set things right, there is no way one can say that a particular K-pop group is better than another. But surely there are ways in which one can choose their favourites from the multitude of options.

Different K-pop Concepts

Firstly, K-pop groups debut with different concepts. Concepts are almost like genres or the type of sound or look preferred in the K-pop industry. For instance: BLACKPINK (currently the Biggest Girl Band in the world) are artists working under the Girl Crush concept. TWICE songs are generally under the Cute concept, songs by Dreamcatcher are under the Dark concept, MONSTA X is slightly under Boy Crush, and so on. And since every listener has their own taste, all these different concepts cater to their needs. And sometimes listeners jam to all concepts at once for a change of taste or otherwise. 

The Fans

Now coming to the fans of these myriad tastes of music, there are many fans who connect to some artists on emotional levels as well. Explaining further, we all know that in the world we live in today people are suffering from problems manifold – mental illnesses, personal dilemmas, family issues, and the list goes on. Time and music are magical healers, we are told. Scars may fade away from the skin but the remains of the experiences in our minds are rarely erased. K-pop has become a household term for many such sufferers worldwide. 

My K-pop Experience

I can say from experience because just two years ago, I was depressed and lost. The path in front of me was blurred and I needed guidance and someone to tell me I could conquer what my heart desired. As human beings, we all face times when we cannot explain the storm raging inside us but we need an outlet to stem the pain. When my spirits were at their lowest, BTS (the Biggest Boy Band in the world right now) helped me get up on my feet. The barrier of language and the defined border of two different cultures slowly ceased to exist for me. I became mentally healthy and started many projects of my own which I never imagined taking up in the first place. Two years later, I’m a changed person, and that too in a good way. 

BTS told me to love myself through their songs, and I did just that. They asked me to follow my dreams no matter what others say and I am still blindly chasing my dreams. Their songs like 21st Century Girl, Spring Day, Magic Shop, and more helped me heal. They gave a famous speech at the United Nations for Generation Unlimited which is a global partnership for young people to get quality education, training, and employment by 2030. For me, BTS members are not only K-pop idols but the people I respect and look up to. 

K-pop Songs with Deep Meanings

Others around the world have been helped by other artists when they could not find their voices, dreams, and passion. 

The song María by Hwasa of MAMAMOO is a gentle reminder that one should love their bodies and stop thinking about what society has to say. Someday is a song by U-KISS which says “Eventually a day to smile will come.” Also, since Pride Month has just commenced, the songs Please Don’t by K.Will and One More Day by Sistar & Giorgio Moroder, deserve to be mentioned out of several pride songs in K-pop, as they represent the LGBTQ community not only in South Korea but all around the world. 

Conclusion

To sum it all up, a person new to the world of K-pop would be on the losing side if they were to pick just one group and not try out songs by the others. There is such a broad range of variedly talented K-pop groups and even K-pop soloists, that it would take days to come up with just a few favourite artists. In the end, it all comes down to which K-pop band became your saving grace when you needed saving, a boost of confidence, and self-love.

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