Hello, Kaleidoscope World

Prelude: Boom goes the Dynamite!

Only recently did I join the millions of K-pop fans, but in that short time, I’ve been able to connect and reconnect with several friends who share a same love for the genre. I only have a few shared interests with these people, and music wise, we have quite varying tastes -- making me surprised with how fast we got along and how smoothly our conversation flowed.

I found myself thankful for the existence of K-pop, but also curious as to the reason behind these repeat interactions because of it.

I’ve come to rationalize it this way:

K-pop has a world of its own. Becoming a fan of it is like becoming a fan of any pro sport/league. This I find most especially true for K-pop idol groups. Idol groups, though of course not competing with each other, are like different teams in the NBA. You may only like one group, but you almost can’t help but get to know the others--whether out of curiosity or simply because they co-exist in the same space.

There’s even a common language for idol groups. They each have a fandom name (99.99% of the time with a very clever backstory and or a heartfelt meaning), a unique group greeting, collectible photo cards, much awaited comeback seasons, creatively designed light sticks, and more. I liken these to the rules or guidelines in a league. With my limited knowledge, there is no group that does not abide by these.

In addition, within each group, you have members with specific roles or positions, just like each basketball team would have a center, point guard, etc. You have main vocalists, dancers, lead rappers, visuals, maknaes (I know, not a position, but its always highlighted in every group), and more.

Once you start following even just one group, you learn about all these things. It becomes easy to translate that knowledge and apply it to any other group. Whether or not you and another person like the same group, you are able to understand each other and easily share your enthusiasm and appreciate (and probably also later start to stan) another group.

In comparison, Western artists/bands seem to exist in their individual spaces. You could follow one and and not be bothered by any other.. until they reveal a collaboration with someone else. There’s no “universe” for Western music. If me and a friend don’t like the same artist, the conversation can end then and there.

The strength of K-pop is that the industry churns out content like a tireless hamster on a wheel. There’s a plethora of content to share amongst each other: variety show segments, dance practice videos, music videos, +++.

K-pop offers so much more than just music. You don’t need to be a music aficionado to partake. You could be there for the performances, the visuals, the comedy or entertainment -- offering opportunity to connect with even a larger sphere of people.

Thankful for this K-pop connection.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection The lovers, the dreamers and me

K-pop has been growing in popularity ever since I first heard about it. My earliest memories date back to grade school. Big Bang, 2NE1, and Super Junior were the hottest groups. Everyone in our grade talked about them; it was inevitable to hear a few songs and watch some music videos.

At the time, I was heavily influenced by Western music and couldn’t fully grasp the concept of K-pop. Members dressed almost like cartoon characters, boys with long hair, 10 member-groups singing and dancing to music in a language I could not understand... ignorant 12-year-old me could not ride that wave, and through the years I never did. I never thought I was missing out, so I never gave it any attention.

Sometime mid-2020, I came across a video series on YouTube about (what I now know is called) an idol survival show. Being a fan of singing competitions, I was intrigued. It featured tween girls singing, dancing, and showing off their personalities just to be chosen to debut in a new idol group of the production agency. Through the two seasons, they of course performed covers of popular k-pop songs. By the time I knew it, i was unintentionally humming the catchy melodies. I was surprised I enjoyed it that much.

I knew the name of some idol groups, big agencies, and some signature dance moves. That was as far as I got into the world of K-pop until boom goes the Dynamite!

What a bop! I had the BTS’ “Dynamite” on replay for weeks. You might think that the song appealed to me because it was completely in English, but honestly, I didn’t even realize they weren’t singing Korean until after the tenth replay. Oops. To say the least, I was hooked. Thus, I began my descent into the deep.