K-pop Influence on Australian Youth

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Introduction

Korean pop music, or K-pop, is a genre of music from Korea. The music is the combination of electronic, hip-hop, rock and R&B. The rise of K-pop is considered to be the “second wave” of Korean cultural influence, the “first wave” being Korean dramas. Korea has expanded its cultural influence throughout the world, and Australia is no exception. At present, the wave has expanded beyond entertainment, in which it could be considered as the third wave, covering a wide range of culture including games, language, cosmetics as well as tourism.

Origin of K-pop in Australia

Korean wave is the term used to refer to the growth of Korean culture. This cultural phenomenon began with the popularity of Korean dramas in 1980-1995 (first wave), then the emergence of Korean idol groups in 1995-2010 (second wave). Korean drama was introduced to Australia because part of a Korean drama I’m Sorry, I Love You was filmed in Melbourne, which ignited curiosity of the local Korean community in Australia. Then K-pop was introduced to Australia at around 2005-2007. Some of the most well-known groups were Big Bang, 2PM and Girls’ Generation. The Korean concert was held for the first time in Australia in April 2007 by the Korean singer Rain, called “Rain’s Coming” at the Acer Arena. With the rise of social media such as Facebook and YouTube, the information about K-pop could be easily shared and searched by the fanclub.

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The Popularity of K-pop

With its increasing popularity, many people wonder how K-pop manages to break the language barrier. One of the main reasons is the use of social media. Social media play the significant role in the worldwide popularity of K-pop as it allows the artists to interact with their fans around the world. In addition, by following the artists’ social media, the fans can quickly receive the latest updates. The use of social media like Youtube, Twitter and V Live makes it easier to engage with the audience in the west.

The South Korean boy group BTS’ latest single “Boy With Luv”, featuring an American singer and songwriter Halsey, has been breaking online records with their music video on YouTube. The video has reached 74.6 million views in the first 24 hours. YouTube has increased the accessibility of K-pop to the public worldwide, whereby people could easily listen and share their favourite music videos.

Another social media that contribute to the rise of K-pop is Twitter. In 2018, K-pop has set a new global record of 5.3 billion tweets last year. Twitter is the best place for people to go and become informed about the lastest news as well as interact and exchange thoughts with other fans regardless of where they live around the world. Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific are the top three regions that tweeted the most about K-pop in 2018. Twitter has enabled people to discover a community that share their thoughts, creating a group of “official” fanclub which is recognised by the newcomers who may begin to be interested in K-pop.

The third most popular application that is vital to the rise of K-pop culture is V Live. It provides the fans with the most reliable news on K-pop and broadcasting services platform. Moreover, it offers more than 256 different channels for artists and labels, which allows the fanclub to choose their favourite channels of different K-pop artists so they would be informed with the most updated news about the artists. Since the application attracts the users by having the live broadcasts of the artists, it allows the fan to comment during the artists’ performances. Furthermore, the availability of a heart button allows the viewers to show their love to the artists as they could continuously press the button.

Positive Effects of K-pop

The intricate dance moves in a synchronised manner in K-pop are the attractive sight that inspires the new generation to imitate. As the result, dancing becomes a new hobby of many teens which promotes exercising. In addition, the strong online community of K-pop has brought together a group of people who shares similar characteristics and preferences, which make it easier to make friends online. The music also allows the fans to experience another culture without having to physically travelling there, which has developed the consumers’ open-mindedness. Thanks to K-pop, many teenagers become more curious about foreign countries and perceive K-pop as the opportunity to learn beyond their own local culture rather than a threat that could affect their mind and destroy their identity.

Furthermore, many K-pop songs address a variety of mental states that people normally encounter, such as depression and anxiety. The songs would usually contain inspiring and uplifting messages which could help improve the listeners’ conditions. For example, Jimin who is the K-pop artist from BTS performs his single titled “Promise”, containing the lyrics “Baby you could be your light.” Even though the song could be interpreted in many ways, one of them is to not rely on others since they are responsible for their own happiness. Self-love is the prevalent message that constantly appears within the lyrics of BTS’ songs.

Negative Effects

As K-pop has created entertaining videos in addition to social media which enable the fans to enjoy hours of music, it is not surprising that many fans would develop addiction to K-pop. The addiction of K-pop usually results in sleep deprivation and skipping meals, which causes many health problems in the people. Asthenia is a health condition in which a body does not have enough energy, making the patient feel weak. Many young fans of K-pop typically experience this because they spend too much time searching for information about K-pop and watching music videos, which can also result in a debilitating eye condition. Also, the extended amount of time spent on this activity leads the lack of exercise and social contact with friends or family because they would lock themselves up in their rooms and not doing any extracurricular activities.

In addition, not only K-pop can cause diseases, but it also can influence their fans in many bad ways. For example, Seungri, who was a former member of a very reputable boy band called Big Bang, was in a scandal relating to sex tape and human trafficking alongside with other well-known singers and celebrity. They were caught sharing sex videos without the women’s consents. This scandal also effects on the entertainment industry financially. The five major South Korean entertainment companies lost 17.52 percent in value (cnbc.com, 2019). The market value dropped from 3.35 trillion won(2.8 billion USD) to 2.76 trillion won(2.3 billion USD).

Consequences of K-pop

K-pop has undeniably influenced the fashion industry. Bold prints and bright colours have become the standard features of K-pop. Since many fans cannot directly connect with their K-pop idols, buying the same clothes is one of the ways for them feel closer to these stars. For instance, the search for a checked shirt by Virgil Abloh increased by 120 percent after the rapper Suga from a famous K-pop band called BTS wore it. Moreover, the use of makeup amongst male K-pop stars has given rise to the makeup lines for men, such as “guyliner”, lip tint and brow fillers. Consequently, more than 20% of men cosmetic market goes to South Korea.

Conclusion

K-pop has made its name in the world due to its unique melody, sophisticated dance moves as well as positive messages. With the increasing use of social media, the wave of K-pop is expected to continuously rise. Despite the slight drawbacks of its influence and a few people in the industry, one cannot deny that it plays a crucial role in shaping the minds of its fans who are typically teenagers and young adults.

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