Quick Rant 6 | Why Do You Like Kpop? A Foreign Fan's Most Hated Question!

Quick Rant 6 | Why Do You Like Kpop?

A Foreign Fan's Most Hated Question
(A not so quick rant after all)

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted |12/21/19 | 2:50 AM PST

How often do us fangirls/fanboys get the question, "why do you like kpop?" I don't know about everyone else, but when I hear that the first thing that crosses my mind is, "Why do you like American Pop? Why do you like movies? Why do you like video games?" We're often asked this question as if liking Korean music is such a huge and completely foreign concept. I'm often torn on how to reply because it seems like such a stupid question to answer. I'm often stuck with replying with "what's not to like?" And that’s when I get even more snide comments.

Some that I've heard:

1.       "They don't even sing in English! How can you understand what they are saying!"

2.       "They all look like girls."

3.       "They're just trying to copy (insert artist here)"

4.       "They're all gay huh?"

5.       "I bet you only like them because they're trending."

6.       "So they're the Korean (insert artist here)"

You know what?!:

1.       SUBTITLES

2.       Stop putting genders in cages without flex! Men with make-up is SEXY. Girls don't have to wear dresses and heels!!!

3.       NO THEY ARE NOT!!! And if they do have a similar dance move or song, guess what? They probably collaborated with a producer that WORKED with that artist!!!

4.       No, and even if they were, what does that have to do with how amazing their music is?

5.       I'm a second gen myself, so this REALLY gets me mad. I sit there and I name off all the old artists I started out with and have to explain that I heard of PSY and BTS before they became global. Hell, I knew about BTS pre-debut! And guess what, new fans do enter because of trends, and that’s a good thing! As long as they're actual fans and not bandwagon riders! Build up them fan clubs!

6.       No, they're the Korean them! [or whatever country they're from because not all Kpop artists are KOREAN!!!]

So WHY do we like Kpop then?

There are a few things that come to mind instantly, and a few things that fans learn over time.

1.       Stage Presence/Performance

2.       Dedication

3.       Dance

4.       Vocal/Rap

5.       Instrumentals

6.       Breaking Gender "Boundaries"

7.       Fan Service

8.       Human Quirks 

1.       Stage Presence/Performance

The very first thing I noticed when I got into Kpop was the performance aspect as well as how they carried themselves on stage. Pure energy. Every time I watch a music video it's as if I'm watching a movie. They don't just sing in front of a camera or standing still on stage. They show emotions when they sing. Happy, sad, flirtatious, etc. They don't hold back.

2.       Dedication

Something every fan learns later on is about the dedication each artists puts into making their debut, as well as during promotions. Artists train for years, practice for hours, and have little to no sleep. They go to school, travel year-round, and even if they get a day off, some of them will still go out to be with fans! Some artists know more than five languages, all so they can communicate with fans or promote overseas.

3.       Dance

One thing I absolutely love is how most groups not only sing and rap, but they dance too! They bruise their bodies, tear ligaments, and nearly fall off stages in order to give fans a visual connection with whatever they're singing. Body language is a huge part of how a person communicates, which K-pop represents extremely well.

4.       Vocal/Rap

Have you HEARD some of these artist voices? Yun from Lunafly made me swoon every time he opened his mouth! And Cheetah is such a bad-ass! The list can go on and on. When you hear that smooth voice, or you get that perfect rap or vocal insert, it's perfect! Rappers are often overshadowed in Korea or stereotyped if they're in idol groups. This can lead to many different conflicts that artists must push through.

5.       Instrumentals

For band groups, artists learn so many different instruments. They have to play those instruments live at every even. And although this isn't any different from other bands around the world, I felt like I needed to mention that not all Kpop groups dance. And there are those who dance, but also know how to play as many instruments as a band does. And when you work in an industry that caters to mainly dancer artists, the struggle to transport instruments and make sure those instruments are kept up is hard. Unlike other bands around the world, they still fall under the Kpop logo, which comes with a lot of restrictions.

6.       Breaking Gender "Boundaries"

One thing I absolutely hate is when someone mentions femininity and masculinity boundaries. I hear it so often here in America. I'm not even a part of LGBTQ and I think views today are so messed up. Saying guys shouldn't wear make-up or girls shouldn't cut their hair short is ridiculous. Excluding any LGBTQ, fashion does not have a gender norm. If it looks good on a person, even if it was meant for a specific gender, that person should wear it. I love it when I see artists wearing clothes that cross genders.

7.       Fan Service/Personalization

VLIVE. Enough said. No, but really. Artists have such a huge social media connection with fans. They post pictures or videos between places. They will take the time to stream and talk with fans. Shows like After School Club are my favorite things to watch. You don't get this kind of dedication from a lot of other global artists. This also ties in with the next part, human quirks!

8.       Human Quirks

They're not just idols, they're human. They show off weird traits or talents every chance they get. Want to see a female artist burp the alphabet? We got that. Wanna see a male artist do the splits dressed in drag? We have like a hundred of those. They're not afraid to embarrass themselves. They talk about what they ate or what they're craving. About how they miss they're families. They go down on their knees in the middle of concerts to bow to their parents in the audience. Amber Liu went on a hunt to "find her boobs" as a reply to a malicious commenters. She didn’t cry, get mad, or stay quiet. She did what she did because of her amazing personality.

Finally, here are a few videos and photos to show off how amazing K-Pop artists are!

1. STAGE PRESENCE/PERFORMANCE

2. DEDICATION





3. DANCE





4. VOCAL/RAP

VOCAL


RAP




5. INSTRUMENTAL





6. BREAKING GENDER BOUNDARIES









7. FAN SERVICE/PERSONALIZATION








8. HUMAN QUIRKS








NOTE: I do not own ANY of these videos!!! Credit belongs to the owners for these lovely gifts!!!

Quick Rant 5 | K-Pop Generations

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/8/19 | 4:22 AM PST

Quick Rant 5 | K-Pop Generations

There are many people debating which generation we are currently in, so I wanted to set up a timeline that I personally view as accurate. I have these split in certain ways due to timeline as well as the feel of these artists in comparison to each other. Would love opinions!

1st Generation | HOT, SES, GOD, Sech Kies, Shinhwa, Seo Taiji and Boys, etc.

-Foundation of Hallyu. The beginning of it all.

2nd Generation | Super Junior, SNSD, 2NE1, Kara, 2PM, SS501 (My first K-Pop), BigBang, etc.

-Testing boundaries and making idol goals.

3rd Generation | EXO, BTS, A-Pink, BTOB, Hello Venus, VIXX, AOA, Got7, Mamamoo, etc.

-More personal voices, emphasis on stage presence and fun theatrics/choreography.

4th Generation | Seventeen, GFriend, CLC, Oh My Girl, MonstaX, Up10tion, Twice, NCT, BlackPink, etc.

-Power Up, Fun Cheerful, Powerful. Starting to get younger idols making their debut. Multiple voices.

5th Generation | Current/Transitioning Into?

I’m debating if we are currently in the 5th Generation or not. I want to believe that this is still 4th, but at the same time the newly debut artists seem to have a different feel lately than most of the 4th Generation. Are groups like ITZY, TXT, & Everglow really the start of 5th?

I came to these conclusions by asking myself these questions:

-What year did they debut?

-What was the overall feel when they first started promoting?

-What is the current feel is still promoting?

-Would I really put this group in the same category as this group?

-Why do I feel like this group is of an older generation compared to this one who debut not long after?

-What are the commonalities across all in question?

With this I could find a separation between EXO & BTS vs Seventeen & BlackPink for example. This is also why I am hesitant to say we are still in 4th Gen. This might be a transitional phase we are in where I have to wait to see more debuts in order to make a clear decision.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 4 | Korean Fans Get All the Attention, but there is a Reason!

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:33 PM PST

Quick Rant 4 | Korean Fans Get All the Attention, but there is a Reason!

International Fans: "Korean Fans get all the Attention!"

YES. Because artists LIVE in Korea! Of course Korean fans will be able to get free concerts and have huge fan-signings or meetings! K-Pop is called K-Pop for a reason. They live there! Their companies are there! It’s where they produce their music, practice, train, and promote! It takes a LOT of money to send an artist over-seas.

Korean fans can pay LOTS of money to be able to have some of these 'perks.' Their 'free' stuff is not always free. People say that artists don't hold meetings the same way they do in Korea. There is a reason for that. Ethics! Each country has their own set of ethics. Their own version of good and bad that is not always the same around the world! Their companies are in charge of their well-being! If a fan accidentally gets too excited in Korea, fine, the artist can be cared for, maybe even come back a few minutes after whatever had occurred. However when this happens over seas there are factors that need to be considered! They have no place to go. They do NOT know the area, and the language is DIFFERENT.

Other USA-ers know how bad our health care system is for us US residents. Just imagine what hell they’d go through should the unthinkable happen. It is NOT that artists don’t love us or are un-willing to risk it, but sometimes their companies are not. I am NOT saying that international fans are bad or they would all harm artists, but sometimes fans can get a little extreme/burst into feels they can hardly control. It can scare companies and artists themselves.

This does not always stop artists or companies from letting their artists run free now and again though, which shows they do in fact care about foreign fans.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 3 | Artists are NOT Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:33 PM PST

Quick Rant 3 | Artists are NOT Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend

I get it, we’ve all played that joke on a friend or family member when they accidentally see our phone screens. People always ask me, 'who is that?' when they see Taemin as my background, especially family I have not seen in a while. However, it can get a little weird when over exaggerated or . . . worse, the person actually believes that that artist is their significant other. I think that when fans attend concerts in wedding dresses they look ridiculous! Really though. I mean I get the prom dress/suit thing for those who skipped their proms to attend concerts. You’ll probably hit up a nice late-night dinner afterwards, but dang. When a bunch of ten-year old’s are screaming that the twenty-year old performing is their 'lover' I cringe. I mean, I’m twenty-four. I’m not as young as most of the 4^th gen fans, but I’m not as old as 1^st gen fans either . . . though not by much. I get the joke, I do the joke, but please don’t be a believer of your own joke or take it to extremes. This is mostly towards female fans. Most male fans are pretty laid back, though they do have their moments. If you want attention so bad, try not to drag other fans down with you.

This has NOTHING to do with cosplaying, which is a very common form of flattery. However, there is no such thing as cosplaying that person's bride/husband. That's just stupid, and then you end up on the news as crazy girls who don't know the reality they live in.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 2 | Views on Kpop from an International Standpoint

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:21 PM PST

Quick Rant 2 | Views on Kpop from an International Standpoint [Media/Non-Kpopers]

NOTE: This is NOT to bash any groups mentioned in this post. This is a rant about how I feel the media is not accurately covering what Hallyu truly is, and is instead using it to bolster themselves. Some even diving in without any knowledge whatsoever.

Okay, lets get this started. I love BTS as much as the next person, but as a fan, I sometimes think that maybe the media is putting too much on their shoulders. To me, the current view of Kpop through international eyes is a copy of what we true Kpoppers faced a few years back when PSY’s “Gangnam Style” started trended worldwide. All of a sudden new “Kpop fans” arose claiming they were one of us, but knew only one thing . . . how to mimic a dance. This went on for a little over a year before thankfully dying down and releasing us of those insincere fans.

I’m NOT saying that PSY didn’t open doors to real fans, but many more fake ones appeared than I could stand. Currently, BTS is the one in the spotlight, though luckily there seems to be more questions of interest than false fans already taking their claim to the boys. However, it is the medias turn to be annoying! The international media I’ve noticed now assume any male Kpop group in existence that travels to their country (mainly in the US), is BTS. Take poor NCT and Lay. They collaborated with Jason Derulo, but some media networks claimed they were all part of BTS. When BlackPink and MonstaX did interviews, many questions became “so what do you think about BTS?” With some (NOT all) interviewers not even having any research done at all, about Kpop in general, excluding who they are interviewing at the time.

I do not think that uneducated people (in terms of K-Knowledge) should be in charge of interviews or story coverage. I do not believe that by looking up a profile, they should feel like they know who they are interviewing. Before the media tries to use an artist to boost their own views, they should consider learning the basics. K-Pop 101 I call it. Basics like Hallyu, companies, training, positions, etc. Simply research that would helped them better understand fans. Reading a blog or forum would help as well. No cheesy falseness.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 1 | Defining "Underappreciated" Kpop groups/soloists

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted |5/7/19 | 9:40 PM PST

Quick Rant 1 | Defining "Underappreciated" Kpop groups/soloists

NOTE: This is NOT to bash on any artists at all. All groups are amazing and have fans that love them. This post is simply to provide a rant of how I believe the term "underappreciated" is too loosely used or incorrectly used by fans.

Underappreciated artists are artists that have a small fanbase; including currently growing/just starting out, or artists that peaked then diminished quickly. This does NOT include soloists/groups that spent YEARS topping the charts and now have solo activities, military enlisting’s, contracts ending/ended, members leaving, etc. These are artists that are from small or unknown companies, artists that had one hit wonders then fell short, artists that are good solo, but not in groups, etc.

Special Exceptions: Artists that have fallen in popularity due to the company themselves under-appreciating the artists. Though this is NOT the same as FANS under-appreciating that artist.

When you claim that one of the top selling artists in all of Kpop is underappreciated, it's just annoying for those who truly follow groups that are underappreciated.

Examples

Underappreciated Examples: KNK, The Rose, VAV, 100%, ACE, MAP6, etc.

NOT Underappreciated Examples: BAP, NCT, Up10tion, SHINee, Super Junior, BlackPink, Girls Generation, etc.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!