Photo courtesy of YG Entertainment.Pack your bags, pop lovers, because the action’s all happening in South Korea. With Psy’s “Gangnam Style” making its worldwide round on the pop charts, its notable to mention that there are other Korean artists creating waves in the genre. K-pop, or Korean pop music, is a well-established music-making machine that features artists trained in a variety of languages, song styles and choreography. For a brief taste of K-pop, here are the top 10 artists, videos and songs to get acquainted with:
1. Big Bang – “Fantastic Baby”
The five members of Big Bang are the South Korean kings of trendsetting fashion, high-energy videos and catchy hooks. Since the band’s debut in 2006, each member has enjoyed successful solo careers — regularly separating and collaborating with other artists or even themselves. Big Bang’s unique style and sound sets it apart from mainstream, conservative K-pop music and its vocal variety — whether on a hip-hop track or a weepy ballad — makes it an outstanding choice in the market.
2. Girls’ Generation – “Gee”
If Big Bang are the kings, Girls’ Generation are the quintessential queens. The group’s reign extends into every aspect of K-pop culture and has already infused itself into the global market. Its English track “The Boys” has earned the group guest appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and — as it most often does — it has recently re-released its popular track “Oh!” in Japanese. The infectious clapping of “Gee” and the repetition of the chorus (“Gee, gee, gee, gee, baby, baby, baby”) has solidified itself in K-pop history and cuteness overload.
3. BEAST – “Beautiful”
If someone were to hand a magazine to South Korean teens with BEAST on the front cover, they probably wouldn’t get it back in one piece. The members — frequent favorites of the game show circuit — can dance, rap and belt out any notes on your musical wish list. BEAST has only released two studio albums but its singles are catchy tracks that have turned the group into high school heartthrobs. The music video for “Beautiful” tells a full-length story of a bad boy student whom his sweetheart rejects for a nerd, and the second track, “I Like You The Best,” completes the saga.
4. 2NE1 – “I Am The Best”
The ladies of 2NE1 personify confidence. 2NE1 dominates an edgier side of K-pop and the ladies are certainly not afraid to take risks in fashion and intermittently bring up topics that concern young women. 2NE1 has become a role model for girls who may stray from the preppy, tailor-made looks and would rather paint the town red instead of painting their nails.
5. EXO – “MAMA”
All hail the newcomers. EXO has only debuted last year, and it seems the group will be sitting on its padded pedestal for a while. There are actually two parts to this band with 12 members: six in EXO-M for China and six in EXO-K for Korea. Its album “MAMA” was hyped with many teaser videos and fans practically drowned in their own saliva when the actual music videos were released. EXO combines the innocent looks with a pop-infused-rock sound that gives it enough malleability to squeeze into any fan girls or boys’ heart.
6. Wonder Girls – “Be My Baby”
With the help of the band’s record label and its most recognized owner, Yang Hyun-suk, the Wonder Girls continue to break into the U.S. pop market with songs in English and Korean. Its most recent all-English music video and song “Like Money” featured Akon and the catchy dance tracks go along with its darling choreography. “Nobody,” a throwback-to-Motown music video, is one of the most recognized dance and a star-studded visual jam.
7. Super Junior – “Mr. Simple”
The names of Super Junior idols are practically household names to any K-pop fanatic — and with as many as 15 members in one group — that’s saying a lot. From a choreography perspective, that’s a dancing nightmare. But the guys manage to pull it off every time, letting each member sing at least once and have their own spotlight moment in music videos. The infectious “Sorry, Sorry” track has received so much worldwide attention that even the same dancing inmates who covered Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” also couldn’t resist covering this tune.
8. 2PM – “Hands Up”
Classy, athletic, handsome — 2PM covers the bases in every girl’s dream of the ideal man. These are the guys girls want in their arsenal if they’re going out on a Friday night, or perhaps overcoming a recent breakup. “Hands Up” is a jam that gives two essential directions for a night out in a club: “Get your hands up,” and “get your drinks up.”
9. f(x) – “Electric Shock”
The gummy members of f(x) produce electronic-heavy singles with an emphasis on outfits that look like they’ve been raided from the most eclectic of closets. The girls are talented enough with their vocals as they are with their dances, and the five-member group is just as comfortable being cute as it is fierce.
10. DBSK – “Keep Your Head Down”
The pair of Changmin and Yunho provides two opposite sides of a well-manufactured coin: Changmin has the vocal talents to reach the highest of notes and Yunho’s dancing and charisma give the duo a great balancing act. With fire flames, bullet-ridden rooms and tight leather costumes, “Keep Your Head Down” is a track is both visually stunning and filled with everything pop music should have.
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