Conference Agenda

K-pop lyrics present a paradox: in an industry that equally targets domestic and international markets (Fuhr 2016), what kind(s) of comprehension can be expected of listeners? This paper explores the specific use of English lyrics (pervasive in K-pop from its inception) via a sustained analysis of S.E.S.'s "Dreams Come True" (1998) and its remake by aespa (2022). These songs include, in addition to their Korean and English lyrics, an "alien rap" in pseudo-English whose evolving linguistic treatments—"translation" into unrelated Korean, parsing into nonsense English, and purely phonetic representation—parallel listening practices of international K-pop fans approaching Korean lyrics.

I propose that K-pop lyrics and K-pop listening induce a symmetrical relation that challenges prior theories of English usage in global popular music. Just as English in these songs seems to signify pop or hip-hop as genres themselves (Frith 1991; Hesmondhalgh 1995), Korean lyrics become industry, genre, and ethnic signifiers to international fans. Similarly, just as English proficiency has become a source and signifier of cultural and human capital in Korea (Cho 2021), Korean lyrics can become a signifier of "Cool Asia" (Galbraith 2018). Moreover, the idea of English lyrics as a way to communicate internationally and sell music in global markets (Moody 2006, Benson 2013) is greatly complicated by lines like those quoted in this paper's title, which do not seem to target native or even fluent English speakers.

To conclude, I dwell on the limited role of semantic meaning in any of these listening strategies, and in moments like the "alien rap" from "Dreams Come True." I propose K-pop as a prime site of what Adam Bradley (2017) calls "gestalt listening": a mode in which lyrics are heard mainly as part of the music, instead of for their significance as words. By giving a rich corpus of lyrics intended for various degrees of comprehension, K-pop thus both substantiates and gives texture to theories of lyrical inattention, including those of Simon Frith (1988) and Carol Vernallis (2002/2004). And by capitalizing on a double cultural otherness, K-pop shows how opacity can be at least as powerful as localization for globalized music industries.

At the 2022 64th Grammy Awards, K-pop group BTS performed their recent single “Butter.” The selection was hardly surprising: “Butter” had been a summer 2021 major hit that shattered previous records with the speed and breadth of its ascent up the charts. Yet, the performance was also a notable one in terms of K-pop’s status in global pop spheres. For “Butter” followed BTS’s other major hit “Dynamite” (2020) not only in dominating the charts in consecutive summers with retro dance/pop styles, but also as the group’s first singles entirely in English crafted entirely by U.S.-industry songwriters, producers, and executives. In a genre that has proven difficult to define in musical terms, “Butter” seemed to sever K-pop’s already tenuous ties specifically to Korea not only musically and compositionally, but linguistically now as well. The song—with BTS’s Grammy performance—in other words, seemed to push the boundaries of K-pop decidedly away from the “K” and more toward “pop” in a Western sense.
But the trend of broadening K-pop’s boundaries has proven much more than unidirectional—away from Korea and toward the West. Indeed, the recent breakaway work by BTS’s own rapper/songwriter Suga (aka Agust D) has embraced traditional Korean music (gugak), history, and imagery in ways that push the uncommon use of Korean instruments in K-pop from the background into the very center. While recent scholarship has focused on efforts to incorporate K-pop-like elements into Korean traditional music (primarily for the sake of marketing and viability), little attention has been paid to the inverse phenomenon: the incorporation of gugak into K-Pop. This practice recalls the “Chinese Wind” (Zhongguo feng) style in post-2000 Chinese popular music, which integrates Chinese traditional music, culture, and history into the Western-influenced styles that lie at the foundation of Mandopop. This paper uses Agust D’s work as an entryway into an examination of gugak’s role in recent K-Pop, offering a snapshot of the techniques and effects of this approach, and asking the question of whether such works mark the beginnings of a rising “Korean Wind” trend or merely isolated examples in the eclectic world of K-pop.

During the first solo tour for any BTS member, a man stood on stage in Seoul, South Korea as 38,000 fans cheered. It is here that the K-pop idol told the sea of ARMY (BTS’s fandom name), “You can call me SUGA, or Agust D, or Yoongi!” The crowd screamed as the artist began to sing. K-pop idol Min Yoongi is best known as SUGA, a member of the K-pop boy group BTS. However, Min, the man, uses two vocal personas when performing his music: SUGA and solo artist Agust D. While stage names in K-pop are not novel, the existence of two personas performing alongside a 'legal' name is unique. Both of these personas voice differently, allowing Min to use ARMY as confidants, sharing with them feelings of depression, pain, anger, and lust through his voice. In this paper, I build on the work of voice scholars Adriana Cavarero, Steven Connor, Alexander Weheliye, and Nina Eidsheim to analyze how Min’s embodiment of voice offers a fresh understanding of how K-pop idols, who are produced and shaped by their entertainment companies, use voice to shape their public personas.

By closely listening to Min’s discography, I use my trained ear, as a girlie and member of the BTS ARMY, to uncover how he vocally distinguishes his personas. When I listen to SUGA’s songs his voice sounds sharp, articulated, and precise. He raps with a distinct staccato flow, using heavy breathing and exaggerated inhales to take up space in a listener’s ears. In Agust D’s music, I hear a heavy Daegu satoori [dialect]. Here, he plays with a variety of rapping styles; sometimes rapping at high speed, sometimes slow, sensual, and heavy, sometimes singing high above his natural range, but always prioritizing the message and production of his songs over technical vocal ability. Min’s intentional vocal manipulation, which may seem "fake" at first listen, emerges as a tool to express what he wants to convey as his inner essence. For SUGA, Agust D, and Min Yoongi, inner essence lies within the persona. Persona becomes something that is controlled, not inauthentic.

While extensive research has been conducted on K-pop since 2000s, particularly focusing on groups like BTS and the visual and intricate choreography of dance music, there has been limited scholarly attention on the foundational ballad genre that significantly shaped the Korean music scene. In contrast, ballads, which served as a foundation for the globalization of Korean popular music, have seen a decline in prominence during this period.

This paper aims to fill this gap by examining the ballads of the 1990s and early 2000s, a period that has been relatively underexplored in academic discourse. By analyzing these ballads, the study seeks to offer new insights into their role in reflecting and influencing societal changes during that era.

The 1990s and early 2000s marked a transformative period in South Korea's popular music scene, with ballads and emerging K-pop styles serving as mediums for expressing modernization narratives and reflecting societal shifts, economic development, and cultural globalization. This era saw the integration of Western musical influences with traditional Korean elements, reflecting themes of love, loyalty, societal change, urbanization, and technological advancement. By analyzing lyrics, musical composition, and performance aesthetics, this study explores how these songs narrated the nation's modernization and shaped national identity during a pivotal time in South Korea's history. The paper also notes the shift towards dance-oriented music since the 2010s, characterized by dynamic visuals and intricate choreography, which has significantly influenced the music industry and related cultural products like K-dramas.

This paper investigates the transition from ballads to dance tracks in Korean pop music and explores how this evolution has mirrored and influenced the thematic content of K-dramas. By analyzing the lyrical content of popular songs and the thematic elements of K-dramas from both periods, this study aims to provide insights into the reciprocal relationship between music and television narratives in South Korea. The findings will highlight how shifts in musical trends can influence broader cultural narratives and societal perceptions.