Heeeeeeeeey Sexy Lady! It appeared out of nowehere: the summer hit surprise from South Korea, Gangnam Style by rapper and singer PSY. He’s already regarded as king of YouTube – his song has been viewed nearly a billion times. But is PSY is the forerunner of a Korean invasion? Only time will tell – but almost the whole of Asia fell for “K-pop” some time ago. Oppa! Gangnam Style! Op! Op! Op! Op! Op!
Historian William Tuk was awarded his degree for his work on the rise and production of South Korean popular music after becoming adicted to K-pop in Australia. “I had some Korean flat mates and they played that music all day long and watched the video clips continually”, the Leiden student explains during a call from New Zealand. “I loved it immediately – it’s actually much better than Justin Bieber, for starters. And quality-wise, it’s better than the Chinese version, J(apanese)-pop and music from Mongolia too.”
Tuk timed his thesis well, it would seem. “But it’s merely coincidence, of course, that Gangnam Style was a global hit just as I was doing my research.”
According to Tuk, in the world of K-pop, the visual aspect is essential and the influence of television is everywhere. “Bands are often stars before they have even brought out a CD, and concerts are sold out before there is a single. People can watch them on television before they’re on the radio.”
It is an actual industry: “Young children do auditions and if they make it through the selection procedure, they’re offered a contract. They are usually about thirteen then. The auditions don’t necessarily have to be in Korea - there are agencies in other Asian countries and there are even recruiters in Los Angeles.” There are large numbers involved: “Last year, they’ve launched 76 boy bands and girl bands. As far as that goes, PSY is not really typical of K-pop. He isn’t a product of this industry. He’s been a rapper for a long time and had to work his way to the top. But then, his performances really stand out. If you hear one of his numbers, you immediately know it’s him, which is frequently not the case with all these other acts. In fact, often, all the singing has been modified so much with an autotune music program you can’t hear any difference any more.”
Personally, Tuk likes Big Bang. “Five boys who all have good voices, and they’re a bit less polished and have more personality than their American counterparts like Backstreet Boys and N’Sync.”
The children have to follow a tough professional course of dancing and singing. “And then, when they’re about 17, they are actually introduced as a band. But by that time, they are already famous because of their appearances in reality soaps and documentaries about their lessons on television. When the members of a band have to plough through snow to improve their physical condition, the viewers suffer with them, as it were.”
Is that child labour? “The South Koreans certainly don’t see it that way: it’s a huge honour to be given the chance to be a star, and they know what they’re signing up for. Korean society focuses very much on achievement and hard work is part of that mentality.” However, Tuk admits that in the end, it’s all about appearances. “Most groups only have one member who can really sing, the rest are just fillers.”
“My girlfriend is Korean and she loves SS501. A lot of girls are in love with these boys. Why? Wait a min, I’ll just ask her.”(There is a short conversation in the background) “OK, these boys could be the the boys next door, and they can sing. You could follow them in a documentary about the time when their debute album was released in 2005 too, which has created a bond with them.”
In Tuk’s view, PSY’s success in the West is relatively coincidental: “Record companies in Korea centre primarily on other Asian countries, and the country itself is ideally situated between Japan and China. They don’t necessarily need to achieve anything in the West. In Asia, they can make much more money with less investment. It’s more lucrative to book a tour that sells out in Japan than to go to Europe or America for a few shows. The language is often a barrier too and some acts are just a little too inaccessible for the West.”
Nevertheless, a few have tried. “Girls Generation was on David Letterman’s Late Show and the girl hiphop band 2NE1 is recording an English album with producer Will.i.am. But there are also record companies who withdraw their acts from Europe and America and concentrate their activies more intensively on Asia.”
The overkill of K-pop in South Korea is not actually that bad, says Tuk. “In Korea, you are so overwhelmed with advertising that the bands are hardly noticeable. I once saw a building covered with neon and billboards which I assumed was a shopping centre until a friend told me it was a hospital. I have also travelled around Thailand and Cambodia and the music is far more noticeable there: it’s aboslutely all over the place there.”