K-Pop’s roots are not an isolated cultural phenomenon

While K-pop may not be a direct representation of Black culture, there’s no denying that the foundation of the genre is inspired by Black music and culture.

The origins of K-pop date back to the early 1990s in South Korea when the music group Seo Taiji and Boys made their trailblazing debut in 1992. The group created the new youth-driven sound by fusing Western hip-hop, rock and pop with a blend of Korean music, and from there the genre evolved into more than being youth-driven.

Following their performance of their song, “Nan Arayo (I Know)” on national television in 1992, their performance marked the beginning of the start for the genre.

Coincidentally, K-pop’s emergence coincided with South Korea’s democratization. The cultural shift allowed for a greater exposure to Western music and catered to a new youth culture eager for a change and new sounds.

The new millennium marked the beginning of K-pop’s globalization when the genre achieved success in Japan through solo acts like BoA and Rain and group acts like TVXQ. With the use of the internet and social media becoming increasingly popular in the late 2000s, it has led to more global sharing through songs and music videos by K-pop artists. By the end of the decade, Wonder Girls became the first Korean group to land a spot on Billboard’s Hot 100.

In 2012, K-pop became a global phenomenon when the song “Gangnam Style” and its music video by Psy became a global viral sensation. The emergence of bands like BTS and BLACKPINK in the mid-2010s solidified the genre’s place in mainstream Western culture. Both bands have made a name for themselves as global superstars by breaking records and headlining major music events like Coachella and Lollapalooza across the globe. Along with achieving these major milestones, they also have devoted fandoms and a fierce social media presence.

As K-pop continues to flourish and soar to new heights, there have been discussions about the need for more appreciation and less appropriation regarding the genre’s roots.

Since the genre’s debut, several K-pop artists and agencies have been exposed for cultural appropriation using protective Black hairstyles, like box braids and cornrows, doing Blackface and using African American Vernacular English (AAVE), or using racial slurs.

Black K-pop fans have also experienced feeling silenced or marginalized within the K-pop fandom spaces when voicing their concerns about racism and appropriation. As a result, some have either boycotted, or left the fandom entirely.

In an Instagram video, posted by indie artist Jane Lee, who is Korean American, she shared how K-pop is Black music and culture and not an isolated cultural phenomenon.

“It is Black R&B, hip-hop and pop systemized through a Korean entertainment industry machine,” said Lee. She also shared how nowadays, most of the current K-pop hits are written and produced by Black people.

While well-known figures in the K-pop scene, such as Bang Shi-kyuk, the founder of HYBE (the company behind BTS) and Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, have acknowledged that K-pop is built on the sound of Black music, more needs to be done.

Historically, Black artists have been marginalized and penalized for the very things that K-pop artists can profit from. The least that people within the K-pop space can do is do a better job at giving credit and educating those on race and culture within the K-pop community.