As K-pop expands its global reach and the barriers between countries fade away, it’s becoming imperative for idols to successfully learn other languages in order to connect with fans worldwide.
In fact, this has already been going on for quite some time now. BoA was one of the first K-pop idols to reach out to Japan, thus establishing a strong Japanese presence that continues today. BIGBANG's Seungri is so fluent in Japanese that he is a popular host there. Before joining SNSD, member Sooyoung actually debuted in Japan as part of a duo, and Super Junior's Mandarin language sub-unit, entitled Super Junior M, became such a massive hit in China that they even appeared on Chinese postal stamps!
Nowadays, we're even seeing groups like BTS, NCT 127, GOT7, Red Velvet, and Monsta X becoming more and more popular in the United States. There are now groups that are even focusing on promoting in other countries instead of Korea— like K-pop group Baikal who promotes primarily in Russia! It just shows just how truly global K-pop has become.
Sprinkling in English words has been a common theme in K-pop songs for a long time, helping the genre become a lot more accessible. And speaking of accessibility, idols sings their own songs in other languages all the time. Artists often sing in Japanese, Chinese, English, and in more recent cases, they even sing in Spanish as well.
Although the group's original Korean tracks are always the most popular, there are undoubtedly times when we must admit a preference to the versions available in other languages as well. In fact, there have been times where I found the non-Korean version to be superior to the Korean version. As such, check out a few of the K-pop songs I think sound better in other languages.
1) SNSD- "Mr. Taxi" (Japanese)
Starting off the list is SNSD’s "Mr.Taxi." I personally think the Japanese version is the better version. The Japanese version was recorded in 2010, and it shows. The Japanese lyrics flow better with the beat, and the overall construction of the song fits better with those lyrics. The Korean version uses more English, I guess in an attempt to fill in the gaps left behind by translating it to another language.
2) SEVENTEEN's Jun and THE8- "My I" (Chinese)
Next up is "My I," a duet sung by THE8 and Jun, members of boy group SEVENTEEN. To me, the Chinese version sounds a lot slicker than the Korean version— as smooth as a freshly waxed kitchen floor. The Korean is not bad at all; it’s a great song. But the Chinese version sounds cooler in my opinion. The wispy and twangy Chinese vocals match well with the beat of the song whereas the Korean lyrics have a sharper, more piercing sound.
3) BLACKPINK - "As If It’s Your Last" (Japanese)
This was a hard decision to make, because I love the Korean version of "As If It's Your Last." However, I just had to give it to the Japanese version. The Japanese version has a certain swagger that outshines the Korean version. My favorite part of the song is the chorus that is super infectious. I love its fierceness. It’s like a model strutting down the runway. I love Rosé and Jennie singing the pre-chorus that leads up to Lisa’s chorus. Both songs have this chorus, but the Japanese version sounds like a sword that it sharp and to the point.
4) NCT Dream - "Chewing Gum"(Chinese)
The Chinese lyrics match really well with the “Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-chewing gum” lyric and bubblegum pop beat. This time, instead of a wispy nature, the Chinese lyrics match the playful nature of the song, as well as the school boy characters the boy group is playing up. The Chinese lyrics lead up nicely to the chorus and truly do match with the childlike quality of the song.
5) EXO- "Mama" (Chinese)
I’m choosing the Chinese version over the Korean version, but just barely! Both versions are great in their own right. They’re bombastic songs. However, I feel that Chinese lends itself better to the theatrics and the fierceness of the track. As a result, the Chinese performance also sticks out to me the most. In fact, I can say the same thing about a lot of EXO’s Chinese songs. I don’t think people expected EXO-M to be as great as it is, but they consistently deliver great tracks. The Chinese version of "El Dorado" is another great example.
6) G-Dragon ft. Park Bom- "Black"(Japanese)
I’m choosing the Japanese version of G-Dragon’s "Black" because of its different feature. The Korean version has Jennie from BLACKPINK, and the Japanese version has Park Bom from 2NE1. I’ll admit that I love BLACKPINK, but I enjoyed Park Bom’s performance more. G-Dragon’s performance is great in either language; there’s little different between the two. It speaks deeply to his talent as someone who can bounce back and forth between two languages without issue. However, Park Bom’s sultry vocals hit me harder than Jennie’s more demure vocals. For this song, Jennie’s higher range voice (as she was younger at the time) sounds more innocent, while Bom’s voice evokes someone who’s been through some things.
7) Super Junior- "Devil" (Japanese)
I found myself loving the Japanese version of "Devil" by Super Junior more than the Korean version. I noticed in the Korean lyrics, there were small pauses in the lyrics of the song due to the enunciation of Korean consonants. As such, I ended up liking the Japanese version better as the lyrics just flow right through the song. To my understanding, Korean has some hard consonants which require those extra "uhs" at the end. That's why I often think Korean works best in hard-hitting bangers. However, in smooth tracks, I find myself preferring the Chinese or Japanese lyrics more.
8) BTS- "MIC Drop" (English Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlv5_Bs8aw
BTS starts off the "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)" in Korean to stay true to their roots, before they go into all-English lyrics that resonated with international fans. Although the Korean version of "MIC Drop" was popular, the remix with English lyrics became a massive hit, staying at the top of charts and being played on American radio stations for weeks.
I also want to give a shout out to BTS’s rendition of their song "Danger" in Vietnamese. There isn't a full Vietnamese rendition of the song, but even the piece of it they sung backstage was amazing. I’ll admit that I don’t have the best ear for Vietnamese, but to my understanding, the boys did a great job at singing in Vietnamese. You can check it out by clicking here.
BONUS: GOT7 - "Lullaby" (Korean, English, Chinese, Spanish)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epHZfp8tsOY
Perhaps no other group has shown the growing global appeal of K-pop quite as much as GOT7. The group is extremely popular around the world, with mega fanbases in places like Thailand, Brazil, and many more. Recently, the group decided to release their title track in four different languages! "Lullaby" was dropped in Korean, English, Chinese, and Spanish! Although full versions are available for each language, we decided to include this sampler mix from YouTube that lets you hear a portion of all four versions, showing off the true global appeal of K-pop, especially GOT7.
What do you guys think of the list? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did I miss out on a couple of songs? Let me know your own thoughts by tweeting to us @whatthekpop1.
KyeongJun is a writer for WTK, where he gushes about his love for Korean rock music (You guys need to listen to Jaurim). When not writing, he's obsessing over the latest memes. You can also catch him on WTK Radio where he hosts a show every Thursday night at 10 p.m. EST.
Media: As Credited
Featured Image: SMTOWN
*The opinions in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect WTK as a whole.
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