k-pop culture
kpop culture.
Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self.
– Gretchen Rubin
After being immersed in the diverse yet addictive culture of k-pop idols, I would like to analyze what k-pop idols do that makes us so utterly mesmerized by them, their story, and their songs. Is it that their music provides such significant artistic value? Or have we fallen in love with them as a person? As a Blink, Nctzen, and Reveluv (a fan of BlackPink, NCT, and Red Velvet), it is fascinating to discover the reason behind our love.
Two of my favorite k-pop groups - NCT and Blackpink
I will primarily be using Blackpink and BTS to explore their appeal, as these two k-pop groups are undoubtedly the two most prominent representatives of the k-pop culture. Due to Blackpink’s recent album, “Born Pink,” and their World Tour, they have earned over 32 million dollars this year. Blackpink’s concerts are highly successful, making nearly 3 million dollars per concert. Likewise, BTS also has a thriving fanbase. BTS-related sales account for 0.3% of South Korea's gross domestic product. The reason behind all this economic success is simply one reason: people like these k-pop idols.
To begin, I would like to explain the word “Idolatry,” referring to the worship of an idol as if they were “God.” This appeals to the fans of k-pop idols. We worship our bias with extreme love, not allowing rumors or news to downgrade their value. This leads me to question, what are we worshiping? Is it the idol, or is it the image that they are representing? Oftentimes, k-pop idols are simply an image of what society defines as beautiful, hot, and cute. When society strives to have thin legs, a round face, big eyes, and double eyelids, you will find these qualities in a k-pop idol. I am not downgrading their value. I am simply stating what is true. (Despite understanding the lack of variety in our k-pop idols, I will still love them.) How often do you find a k-pop idol with dark-colored skin, small eyes, and a rounded figure? You won’t find one. Especially in industries such as the k-pop industry, where the idol’s physical image has more value than their talents, the very success of your k-pop group depends on how well they fit society’s definition of beauty. The k-pop industry takes advantage of the qualities we like in a woman or man and replicates them onto their idol. Through the promotion and training of their musical and artistic talents, they gain fans and become successful k-pop idols.
The reason behind our worship of these perfect standards is our desire to fit into society ourselves. Why should we like an idol who isn’t loved by society? Even if we like a k-pop idol differently from others, they are often already loved by a certain amount of people and appreciated for their unusualness. How do we maintain our love for someone when everyone else in your community disapproves of our idol? K-pop idols are a perfect physical representation of what society craves to become. According to Cambridge University Press, “Idols are useful psychological catalysts. They reflect sense data and pre-existing inner feelings.” In this case, the k-pop culture reflects our inner desire to fit into society. To prove that we also enjoy listening to k-pop, fans often resort to sharing or posting pictures of their bias on social media. What is the purpose behind this? To acquire approval of the online community.
When we love a k-pop idol, we often emphasize their hard work and motivating backstory. We do this to correlate their life with ours. We crave the reassurance of our idols being ordinary and real. When we hear stories of their loss and failure, these k-pop idols are normal, they are not a simple fantasy. They struggle with life, thus reassuring us that we, too, can become like them.
The k-pop culture relies on our love for these idols, sprouting from our insecurity and desire to fit in with our society. But over time, this love evolves. It morphs into a relationship. Not only our relationship with the k-pop idol but also a connection with ourselves and our inner hearts. Finding the truth behind our love is the first step to overcoming our insecurities and stepping out of the box society confides us in.
Citations:
"Idolatry - Wikipedia". En.Wikipedia.Org, 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idolatry#Etymology_and_nomenclature. Accessed 20 Dec 2022.
"BLACKPINK Becomes The First Girl Group In History To Earn Over $3 Million For A Single Arena-Concert In The US". Allkpop, 2022, https://www.allkpop.com/article/2022/11/blackpink-becomes-the-first-girl-group-in-history-to-earn-over-3-million-for-a-single-arena-concert-in-the-us. Accessed 20 Dec 2022.
"What's Behind The BTS Phenomenon? – DW – 06/13/2022". Dw.Com, 2022, https://www.dw.com/en/whats-behind-the-bts-phenomenon/a-62113315#:~:text=Their%20fan%20base%2C%20which%20has,sold%20over%2032%20million%20albums. Accessed 20 Dec 2022.