BTS. BlackPink. EXO. Twice. I’m sure these names are familiar. You’ll hear their songs and see their faces everywhere.
Korean pop (K-pop), otherwise known as Hallyu, is one of the biggest trends today, be it in the Philippines or in the other parts of the world. From fashion, music, to language, everything has been influenced by the Korean culture. Why is it so influential? Why are K-pop stars so adored? What makes it special?
Here are some of the reasons why Hallyu is such a trend.
Visuals
Korean idols are known for their porcelain white skin. Compared to western artists who have hard and edgy features, K-pop stars have soft features like thin lips, doll-like eyes, and button noses.
People claim that these artists look the same, but I tell you, they look way too different from each other. They also enhance their looks through their creative use of make-up.
Besides their physical appearance, the visuals of their music videos are also topnotch. From the colors, concepts, and other stuff, everything is pleasing and refreshing to the eyes of the viewers. Their music videos vary and each has its own different taste or style, so with the wide variety, there is always something for all.
Fashion
Unusual hair colors with astounding styles. K-pop surely sets the trend. Who would forget G-Dragon’s “seaweed” hairstyle from their “Fantastic Baby” music video? Or Sandara Park’s seemingly crazy but iconic hairstyles like the “palm tree” and “frizzball”?
Aside from hair colors and styles, Korean artists’ way of clothing had been exemplary, to the point that it’s slowly being adopted by teenagers nowadays. Their outfits give off different vibes according to their concepts. What’s more interesting about their fashion is that no matter how weird the combination of the clothes they wear, they can still pull it off and slay it like they were born for it.
Talent
This is the one of the greatest reason why fans are so addicted to K-pop artists. The vocalists can hit high notes. Their dancers can dance the sickest moves. Their rappers can spit words faster than our breaths. They are the real deal when it comes to performances.
They can even sing and dance well live. How do they achieve this?
Before someone becomes a K-pop artist, they go through years of tedious training. They train how to sing, dance, act, and showcase themselves in front of cameras. This process can take many years. This style of the Korean showbiz industry ensures the high quality of producing Korean superstars. All were trained and were expected to excel in giving performances.
The list is endless as to why Korean pop or Hallyu is drawing a lot of attention. One thing is for sure, this trend showed how cultural and language barriers can be crossed. (April Grace Asgapo, UM intern)