K pop fandom creeps me out for numerous reasons but one weird thing is that it’s the only music following I can think of where I have never actually seen the fans talk about the actual music.
first of all, there are numerous counts of fans discussing the quality, the content, and the merit of their group’s music. so, like, we do talk about it.
what you also have to keep in mind when looking at a market that strays from the west, is that kpop in and of itself is a multifaceted entity; in which music does exist, but there are also variety shows, livestreams, weekly live stage performances, CFs, and an entire six weeks of promotional activity directly after an artist’s or artists’ come back where fans are nearly overwhelmed with the amount of content - musical, digital, and physical - that is thrown their way.
kpop is not just a genre of music. it is a culture - and one that revolves heavily around exposing fans to a generous amount of media and content as well as the music that they produce. the appeal of kpop can most definitely come in the form of appreciating the lyricism and masterful production and composition skill that’s certainly there, but as is the case for most foreign fans, we gravitate because of a connection we feel towards the idol or idols, in whatever way that may be. is this not similar to western standom? are you not compelled by your favorite television series’s moving plot, or your favorite character’s endearing quirks?
there is a popular misconception floating around that kpop stans are somehow lesser in intelligence because we listen to music in a language that may not be our native tongue. moreover, it is also a common belief that we don’t have a dialogue pertaining to the musical technicalities of what we’re listening to.
i call bullshit. we are in the Big Year of 2018. subtitles exist, translators are abundant, and duolingo is as free as ever on the app store. the issue a lot of people have is not with kpop itself, but with the notion that something nonwestern has amassed a level of acclamation that - in their eyes - is ludicrous for artists who come from over there, and so you will do whatever you can to discredit both its success and the supporters of its success.
your ill-conceived xenophobia radiates microscopic dick energy. grow up.
