Why You Might Like Kpop

If you were a preteen or teenager in the 90's and lived for manufactured boy bands, then I have good news for you; you might like Kpop.

At the beginning of sixth grade, I flipped to MTV, which was forbidden in my house, and saw three, long haired boys? girls? I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter; I was taken by those high pitched voices crooning out MMMBop. I soon became obsessed with my first musical group, Hanson. I began buying every Tiger Beat, BB, Teen Beat, and anything else that had their pictures on it. My room quickly became plastered from floor to ceiling with pictures of Taylor, Isaac, and Zak; at one point I had more than 300 posters on my walls. I joined the fan club and taped, on VHS, every performance that came on TV.  This group set me up to love music and introduced me to a world of cute boys.

I eventually moved on from Hanson, but never obsessed over another group again. They were my first and only true musical addiction. My next group was NSYNC. I remember hearing them on the radio with their first hit, I Want You Back. Five guys who sing and dance, what a wonderful concept! Justin Timberlake became my favorite, but I couldn't have him all to myself, I had to share him with several of my cousins. I saw them in concert three times, which is pretty good since I grew up 3 to 4 hours from the biggest cities that have large concert venues. Each concert was just the best thing I had ever experienced. I continued to like NSYNC until they disbanded in 2002; I still enjoy Justin's music, much to my husband's chagrin.

My cousin and me on our 14th birthday with our NSYNC cake

So, what does all this have to do with Kpop? When I listen to Kpop, I feel like I am back in the 90's. These groups can dance, can sing, and have so many members that there is no doubt you will find your soulmate if you just look close enough, I kid. One thing to note, when you decide on which member of a group will be your favorite, they are called your "bias". If you begin to like another member, then that person is called your "bias wrecker." This may sound silly, but it is serious business to some Kpop fans.

Besides the groups members being awesome, consider the music: the beats are great, the slow songs move you, and you will be impressed with the dedication that these group members have. They work a crazy amount of hours, learning choreography and then performing on variety shows several days a week. Then they go on tour and perform night after night. I don't understand half of what is being sung in the songs, but it doesn't matter. Music transcends spoken words and this music makes me happy and makes me want to dance.

Another thing that I appreciate about the majority of Kpop music it that is pretty clean. South Korea is a very conservative country and they are strict when it comes to what is viewed on the television and internet. There are many music videos that are banned if the clothing is too revealing or if the lyrics are too suggestive. Now many people may not mind these things, but I feel that in our Western society that we are bombarded with sexual images and it is affects the way the people view each other and how people interact with one another and it is not in a good way.

Now I don't want to lump all Korean music together, because there are different genres. There are groups and people who do hip hop, R&B, rap, rock, metal, and many other styles. I recommend looking at all and seeing what piques your interest; branch out from what you are comfortable with and try something new. Kpop is rising in popularity, so join the movement now so you can get the most Bang, Bang, Bang for your buck.

Comment below with your favorite group from the 90's or your favorite Kpop group!