K-Pop

Growing up half in Seoul, South Korea and half in Hong Kong, I would say I had a very unique and international upbringing. When my grandmother’s friends would ask me, “which do you prefer? Hong Kong or Korea?”, I’d never know what to say. Even to this day, I have trouble answering that question.

In Hong Kong, all my friends came from different backgrounds and this diversity was embraced and celebrated. Our school held an international fair, and one of my most vivid memories from the fair includes stopping at the India booth with Kanika, who is from India and is still one of my closest friends to this day. The booth was giving free henna tattoos, and out of curiosity, I stepped up and got a henna tattoo.

I had always seen my Indian friends and their mothers have them on their hand, so I was always curious about everything about them: from how the intricate patterns were crafted with paste onto the palms of the hands, then how you were supposed to let it sit on your hands for several hours, and finally wash it off once it had stained your hands. When I finally was able to get a henna tattoo myself, I was so mesmerized by each little detail of the flower that was stained onto my hand. From this experience, I became fascinated with the diversity of the world and the beauty behind discovering cultures different than my own. I also felt it enriched me and further deepened my understanding of the world.

When I moved back to South Korea when I was ten years old, I started attending a school where 98% of the student body was Korean or Korean American, which is no surprise given that South Korea is the most ethnically homogeneous country in the world. As much as I embraced the diversity of Hong Kong and the international school I attended there, once I started going to school in Korea, I realized I had lost touch of my Korean side.

One of the ways I reconnected to my Korean heritage was through music, specifically listening to a lot of k-pop. While I have grown out of k-pop a little now, recently I’ve been listening to more k-r&b and k-hip hop.

Here are some of my favorite k-pop tracks and a brief overview of the content of the song and the artists who sing it:

“STEP” by KARA

The first song is Step by Kara, one of the oldest k-pop girl groups that was formed in 2007 by Korean record label DSP Media and disbanded in 2014. Behind the catchy beat and the melodic “lalala”s, the lyrics talk about having the courage to pursue something new in life, whether it be a love interest or a new career. The lyrics emphasize to go with the beat and to up the tempo, symbolizing bravery.  

“Genie” by Girls’ Generation

Next, we have Genie by Girls Generation, a band formed by SM Entertainment in 2007 and disbanded in 2017. The lyric that is continuously repeated is, “소원을 말해봐,” which means “tell me your wish.” In the song, the girls are promising to fulfill their lovers’ every single wish as a testament of their love.

“CRY FOR ME” by TWICE

The above song is by Twice, a girl group formed through a survival show called Sixteen in 2015 by JYP Entertainment. Quite the opposite of the previous song, this song is about feeling vengeful about a relationship gone wrong. The girls of Twice beg their ex-partners to cry for them (or at the very least pretend to cry for them) out of spite from being mistreated. Very different to TWICE’s usual bubblegum pop repertoire, this song proves that they can also pull off a darker and more mature sound.

“Good-bye Baby” by miss A

Continuing on with the breakup mood, the next song is Good Bye Baby by Miss A, a group formed by JYP Entertainment in 2010. Tired of the lies and crocodile tears from their exes, Miss A bids them farewell, but asserts that their relationship was a good show and entertaining nonetheless. There’s no song more empowering and uplifting during a breakup.

“Unfair” by EXO

Brightening the mood up again, the above song is by EXO, a boy band formed in 2012 by SM Entertainment. This song was one of the side tracks on their Christmas album, and talks about the boys’ infatuation towards a girl. The song is called “Unfair,” because they’re expressing that they believe it’s unfair that someone can be so beautiful and wonderful.  

“Running Through the Rain” by Yugyeom

Ending on an energetic note, the final song is by Yugyeom, a solo artist who had his start in Got7, a 7-piece boy band created by JYP Entertainment in 2014. In this bass-heavy R&B track, Yugyeom professes his love for his love interest, describing it as running through the rain. Not even the unpleasant vigor of the rain and wind would stop him from getting to his partner.

Here’s the full playlist on Spotify for anyone that wants to listen: