Does the name “J. Y. Park” ring a bell? If so, chances are that you have brushed shoulders with the K-pop industry. While not a household name outside of K-pop fandom circles, this Korean songwriter and entertainment CEO also maintains the almost unexplainable role of “weird dad of the K-pop industry” – from overly-autotuned and […]
Tag: korean music
The Korea You Know Doesn’t Exist
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Self Harm, and Eating Disorders It’s the 2017 American Music Awards. In a packed theater, the crowd competes with the blaring music as individuals scream their favorite band members’ names — an all too familiar sight. From performances by the Beatles to One Direction, swooning fans are the staples of music awards […]
K-poppin’ Politics
On April 1, South Korea’s biggest Korean Pop stars arrived in Pyongyang to perform a joint concert with North Korean colleagues. The countries planned the three-day tour with meticulous attention to detail to avoid conflict over dances, lyrics, and costumes. They organized the concert, forebodingly titled “Spring is Coming”, as a gesture of good will […]