K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop; Hangul: 케이팝) is a musical genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it comprises all genres of "popular music" within South Korea, the term is more often used in a narrower sense to describe a modern form of South Korean pop music covering a range of styles including dance-pop, pop ballad, electropop, R&B, and hip-hop music.[1] The genre emerged with one of the earliest K-pop groups, Seo Taiji and Boys, forming in 1992. Their experimentation with different styles of music "reshaped Korea's music scene".[2] As a result, the integration of foreign musical elements has now become common practice in the K-pop industry.[5]
K-pop entered the Japanese market at the turn of the 21st century and rapidly grew into a subculture among teenagers and young adults of East and Southeast Asia.[3][4] Currently, the global spread of K-pop and Korean culture known as the Korean Wave is seen in Latin America,[5][6][7] India,[8][9] North Africa,[10][11] the Middle East,[12][13] and elsewhere in the Western world. This is owing largely to Internet social networking services.
Characteristics-Audiovisual contentAlthough K-pop generally refers to South Korean popular music, some consider it to be an all-encompassing genre exhibiting a vast spectrum of musical and visual elements.[21] The French Institut national de l'audiovisuel defines K-pop as a 'fusion of synthesized music, sharp dance routines and fashionable, colorful outfits'.[22] Songs typically consist of one or a mixture of pop, rock, hip hop, R&B and electronic music genres.Systematic training of artists
Management agencies in South Korea offer binding contracts to potential artists, sometimes at a young age. Trainees live together in a regulated environment and spend many hours a day learning music, dance, foreign languages and other skills in preparation for their debut. This "robotic" system of training is often criticized by Western media outlets.[23] In 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported that the cost of training one "idol" under SM Entertainment averaged US$3 million.[24]
