Here Comes K-Pop

Humor Me

Tonight, Korea's biggest pop group, Girls' Generation, make their US television debut on David Letterman's Late Show. Why is this important? It's kind of like when The Beatles first performed on Ed Sullivan show, sans the musical importance (I'm not crazy). While not as sophisticated as the Fab Four, the 9 ladies of Girls' Generation are a force of their own. Between music, TV, and endorsements for everything from cell phones to bottled water, they are a multimedia juggernaut. They've enjoyed enormous success throughout Asia and Europe, and now look to make in roads into the valuable, and intimidating, US market.

Will they be successful? I'm not certain, but I think they have a good shot. First off, they're beautiful. Second of all there's 9 of them. That's a good start. While America is filled with über sexy Pop stars, most of them are of the bombshell variety; I don't know anyone who looks like Beyonce or Britney in real life. They're kind of unattainable products of the pop machine. Where as Girls' Generation aim to capitalize on their girlish sensibilities. You can see yourself working up the courage to ask one of them out if they went to your school.

Did I mention that there's 9 of 'em?

Musically, the sound isn't too different then anything we have on our own radio. K-Pop is your typical fusion of hip-hop rhythms with rock overtones. In fact, US producers have been reaching out to produce K-Pop music, and the Korean record companies are more than happy to oblige. (Look for future collaboration with Will.I.Am and Kanye West, I'm not kidding)

So what draws me to this foreign sound? Why have I become borderline obsessed with the Korean Wave movement? The answers are numerous. What I appreciate sonically of K-Pop is it's willingness to borrow from multiple musical periods. In many ways, K-Pop is more of an eclectic mix of Disco, New Wave, and 90's R&B than American Pop. These styles are a real soft spot for me. The fact that most K-Pop, until recently, has been entirely in Korean also adds to the appeal. When I hear K-Pop, I don't hear corny lyrics about school girl crushes or broken hearts, I just hear music. In this case, ignorance is bliss. The result is fun music. While I have deep appreciation for The Beatles, Dylan, A Tribe Called Quest, and Thelonious Monk, none of these artists provide the amount of bubblegum fun Girls' Generation does. I'm allowing myself to enjoy this.

Plus, there's 9 of them.

And with that, I off you a selection of great K-Pop singles. There's male artists in K-Pop too but I don't know anything about that.