is there a rec of links for a beginner to kpop, like top groups or things to know. i can't seem to find one anywhere sorry to bother you
A Beginner’s Guide to Kpop
(aka, good lord i’ve wasted so much time on this)
I’m gonna introduce you to some basic groups and songs and terminology for Kpop. Be aware that I’m not an expert or anything, but I can help you out with some of the basics you should know if you want to get into it!
First, some words/terms to know.
A group, or band, is exactly what is sounds like. Most bands are usually either male or female (but some, like Akdong Musician or MFBTY, aren’t gender-specific) and usually range from four to twelve members (with some exceptions, like Orange Caramel and Seventeen.)
An idol is any single member of a group, regardless of gender.
For each group there is usually (but not always) a division of vocal, visual, dancer, and rapper. Vocals sing, visuals are the aesthetic draw/face of the group, dancers dance, rappers rap. Some members can fill more than one of these roles – for example, BTS’s Jungkook, who is a vocal, dancer, and rapper. Or MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, who is a vocal and rapper.
A bias is your personal favorite member of a given group, while an ultimate bias is your favorite member out of any group, period.
A debut is a group’s very first song/MV that is being promoted. A comeback is a group’s newest song that is being actively promoted or made into a music video. Usually comebacks are accompanied by appearances on music shows, or even full albums.
Aegyo is a Korean term for acting cute, making adorable faces and talking in a high-pitched voice. (I didn’t know what this was until like a month after I got into Kpop, and it left me so confused at the time lol)
A group’s Maknae is the youngest member. All older members are considered a Hyung/Oppa (a term that equates to ‘older brother’, shown as respect) or Noona/Unnie (a term for ‘older sister’, also shown as respect).
A Saesang fan is a creepy stalker fan. These are the people who sneak into idols’ dorms, who find their numbers and call them in the middle of the night, who write them letters in menstrual blood, and all kind of other nasty scary things. Don’t be like that.
There are some others, but these are the most important. That being said, if you do not speak Korean, please don’t throw Korean words around as an accessory. Show some respect for the language and those people who speak it, please. Don’t be that fan that’s like “OMG OPPA I LOV YUUUUU SARANGHAE” please don’t do that
Now, some top groups you should know about.
(To anyone who is already in the Kpop fandom, please don’t get mad or say I’m ignorant if I don’t mention a group I should have mentioned. I might forget one. Also, again, I’m not exactly a Kpop expert.)
The groups I’m naming are ones that have made a very significant impact on the industry, or continue to show strong success today. That being said, there are a ton of influential groups, and I can’t really fit all of them on here without it getting too long.
Some original, old-school groups to know are SHINHWA, Baby V.O.X., H.O.T., and Fin.K.L. These guys are like…. some of the OGs. We’re talking about the some of people who started what’s considered modern Korean entertainment industry. This was arguably the first ‘wave’ of Kpop music, and it hit around the late 90′s through the early 00′s.
The next ‘wave’ brought some names and songs you might recognize, and this era is what people (who don’t really know much about Kpop) generally associate with Kpop. Artists like Shinee, 4Minute, Super Junior, Girl’s Generation, TVXQ, 2NE1, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, f(x), and yes, PSY. A quick youtube search will bring up the top songs from these bands – most of the groups I just listed are even still active, despite debuting in 2005-2009.
Around 2010-2012, the genre began gaining recognition on a more global scale. VIXX, EXID, CN-Blue, Orange Caramel, SISTAR, INFINITE, Ailee, Block B, A-Pink, BTOB, AOA, and EXO are popular artists that debuted under this time frame. This is when Kpop started to pick up steam in the global market, with more international hits coming from the Korean market (like PSY’s Gangnam Style or Big Bang’s Fantastic Baby, both of which you have probably at least heard of before).
Kpop has exploded on a worldwide scale recently, bringing around a ton of new groups. 2013-2016 has been a timespan of massive international growth for the industry. This has led to the debut of tons of groups, but most notably – BTS, Akdong Musician, GOT7, MAMAMOO, Red Velvet, Winner, Oh My Girl, Monsta X, Twice, Seventeen, iKon, GFriend, Cosmic Girls, and NCT. That sounds like a lot, but there are a lot more I could name.
That’s your brief history lesson on Kpop eras and group debuts!
A few popular/influential songs from some of the groups listed above.
(I had to pick and choose, because I couldn’t do every group. For each band I’ve listed an older song first, and then a newer song second. And it’s okay, you’re allowed to be a little bit freaked out by some of the older stuff. It’s okay.)
I’ve starred*** some of my personal favorites – I know it’s biased, of course, but those are just personal suggestions if you don’t have much time! I love pretty much every song on this list, though. I tried to choose songs that showcased each group’s strengths and growth over the years.
SHINHWA - Perfect Man / This Love ***
2NE1 - I Am The Best / Come Back Home
Shinee - Lucifer / View ***
Super Junior - Mr. Simple / Devil
Girl’s Generation - Gee / Lionheart
Big Bang - Bad Boy / Bang Bang Bang
f(x) - Electric Shock / 4 Walls ***
EXID - Every Night / Hot Pink
Block B - Nalina *** / Toy
EXO - Growl *** / Lucky One ***
AOA - Miniskirt / Good Luck
BTS - I Need U *** / Save Me ***
MAMAMOO - Piano Man / You’re the Best ***
Red Velvet - Ice Cream Cake *** / One of These Nights
Seventeen - Adore U *** / Very Nice ***
Twice - Like OOH-AHH *** / Cheer Up
Monsta X - Trespass / All In
Oh My Girl - Closer / Liar Liar ***
NCT - The 7th Sense *** / Fire Truck
This doesn’t cover the whole Korean Music Industry.
There is a lot more to Korean music than just boy groups and girl groups. There are tons of solo artists, indie artists, and hip-hop artists that I haven’t mentioned, and the groups I’ve already mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. But if you’re just interested in learning about the more mainstream Kpop, the list above is a great place to start!
As far as solo artists go, I can highly recommend Zion.T, Lee Hi, DΞΔN, and Ailee.
Getting into Kpop can be a gradual process, especially for a non-Korean speaker.
You pick things up as you go along, you learn what is and is not appropriate to say. It can be daunting at first, when you’re just learning how everything works. Honestly, it took me months to get a firm grasp on music shows and comebacks and promotions and variety shows and all that kind of stuff.
The Kpop music industry is wildly different from any Western music industry, so if you’re more familiar with Western culture, there may be some things that confuse you. If you want to get into Kpop, please have an open mind and be respectful of cultural differences. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but please do it respectfully!
Also, if you choose to follow Kpop idols on Twitter or Instagram, please be polite and leave kind/positive messages. If you look it up, there are lists of several translations of supportive messages (eat well, take care of yourself, i’m supporting you, etc.) that you can send in Korean, if you wish to.
Kpop can be overwhelming at first. Trust me, I’ve been there. If you’re having trouble with learning a group’s names/songs, your best bet is to look up member profiles on Youtube or Google. The most helpful thing to me was watching music videos that had the members’ names on the screen! That helps to give some face recognition.
(A tip – never memorize members by their hair color, because they change it up literally all the time.)
I hope this has been comprehensive and helpful, and I’m really sorry if I left anything out! If you’re looking to get into Kpop, I really think this would be a good place to start, and make things a lot less overwhelming.
