More sugar, please!
Mozart, bubblegum pop and K-pop’s unique brand of joy.
Let’s get specific! Just less than a week ago, center, face and oldest member of South Korean girl group TWICE, Im Nayeon released her solo EP titled IM NAYEON with the title track POP!. It was the largely anticipated and, as many would argue, perhaps long-overdue first solo debut for the 9-member group under JYP Entertainment, whose career spans more than 6 years as of now and throughout which they have established themselves as one of the most popular girl groups in the K-pop scene, both domestically and internationally.
The release was met with instant success, even debuting higher than all previous TWICE title tracks on Spotify and- what particularly piqued my interest- going viral on, mainly, K-pop Twitter on the same day: a clip of the music video featuring the song’s chorus with the caption “Like wow” and close to 80k likes. Kind of funny and simultaneously undeniably impressive and cool how this woman had a portion this large, of people from diverse K-pop fandoms, that normally spend half their time on Twitter taking shots at each other over this and that, collectively nodding at the unmistakable goodness of this cheerful little pop song.
All over the quotes and replies of said tweet were users commenting along the lines of “this is what K-pop should sound like”, “she’s bringing K-pop back”, “that’s how you make a K-pop song”. And I’ll be honest, at first it sort of bugged me; if you’re a K-pop fan, you know that, by definition, K-pop is more of an industry than it is a genre. If anything, if a thread that could tie a significant number of K-pop releases together sonically existed, that would actually be a combination of sounds, different genres and influences. It is one of K-pop’s musically defining characteristics that it cannot be defined- it cannot exist in one box of sonic descriptions, no matter how elaborate. It borrows from literally everywhere- for better or worse- to create its own collages with the glee of a mad scientist and that is arguably one of its most attractive traits.
Having these thoughts made me pay more attention to what those Twitter users were really saying, made me question where exactly that sentiment was coming from and what the people expressing it were subtly pointing at, even without intentionally doing so: a joy-shaped hole.
I noticed it around the time I was slowly beginning to get into K-pop- coincidentally because of BTS’s bright, lovey-dovey and pink all over, 2019 Boy With Luv- that it captured joy in a particularly unique way; unadulterated happiness, proud in its naivete and boasting it even. Infinitely layered, sparkly productions, vocals as sugary sweet as they come, choreography overflowing with cuteness and visuals rich with explosive color. Those characteristics make up a considerable chunk of performances you will find around the K-pop sphere, so much so that that very image has become its most well-known aspect to the rest of the world. How many times have you heard someone go “It’s too cutesy for me” or “Isn’t it all just bubblegum?” when they haven’t even dipped a toe in the music, and how many times have K-pop fans tried to counteract those takes in a tone that, to me, frankly sounds a bit whiny, when they “wish people would look past the cute stuff and see that K-pop is so much more than that- that it can do harder, darker, mature too”. While the range they speak of is undoubtedly there, giving the industry multidimensional charm, I believe it is just as worth it to take a step back, acknowledge the value in, yes, bubblegum and celebrate it for what it is.
There are several reasons why those songs made me feel in a profound way when I heard them for the first time, and they still do- trademarks that make them engaging to the ear and the heart alike. K-pop is known to be influenced by a variety of genres, eras and styles from different parts of the world, used to combining multiple ideas into your otherwise standard pop track. Its ability to make anything pop is, in fact, one of my very favorite things about it. And what this comes down to, for me, is that there is something incredibly special about bearing witness to the creative result of so many elements collaged together so harmoniously- for the most part. “More is more in K-pop”, as producer and songwriter David Amber says.
It is a fact that the K-pop industry ultimately has Motown to thank for its music-making and artist development system- being now its own version of a “pop factory”, something that the latter was also criticized for back in the ‘60s- and its gendered vocal bands, as well as those of the MTV generation in, later, the ‘80s and ‘90s, for its smart utilization of multiple singing members, in a savvy way that proclaims each person’s strengths and makes them essential to the unit. The songs themselves are created to cater to that nature, as K-pop takes things to a next level. Its polyphonic arrangements put emphasis on the voice as an instrument, as listening to K-pop can feel as if the many-membered groups are emulating an orchestra with their vocals; stacking phrases, ad-libs and harmonies on top of one another, often in a call-and-response manner- which the Motown sound also heavily features, having its roots in gospel music.
Although prominent with the groups, it would be good to note that K-pop soloists’ music doesn’t fall short when it comes to that fullness either. Rich backing harmonies, vocal arrangements that imitate that back-and-forth feeling of musical dialogue and the artists themselves taking on different roles in the same song, in order to showcase multiple skills, are tools that insert that playfulness in soloists’ music even when it’s only one person taking the stage.
K-pop likes to experiment with rhythm and think out of the box when it comes to composition, taking inspiration from jazz and, none other than, classical music with the insertion of chromaticism and unexpected turns into regular pop melodies. By having more intricate than average melodic lines, K-pop achieves to evoke emotions more effectively, so even when the listener doesn’t understand Korean, they can still get a good sense of the song’s meaning simply based on sound. Similarly, you will find a lot of text painting (the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics or story elements in programmatic music), which in turn speaks to the importance of concept and performance in K-pop. Things can be unashamedly theatrical on stage and the music has to assist that purpose more often than not.
I mentioned classical music because it truly is interesting to look at the ways in which K-pop channels it. After all, for many, classical music falls into the same category of foreign or indiscernible language, or none at all. It delivers its sentiment with shifts in tension, by speaking in melodies and turning emotion and story into sound. The K-pop industry’s love for it is undeniable, based on its repeated sampling and referring to famous pieces, but also in the way we could say its essence is embedded into the songwriting process. It’s less crazy than it sounds when I say I’ve seen people joke that if Brahms was alive today, he would love K-pop, since it utilizes many of the tricks he had up his sleeve back in the 19th century.
From “Aims and achievements of Johannes Brahms”, Encyclopedia Britannica:
Ultimately, Brahms’s power of movement stems partly from a source that may seem paradoxical. He was the most deeply versed of Classical composers in the music of the distant past, and he took the lessons he learned from the polyphonic school of the 16th century and applied them to the forms and the instrumental and vocal resources of his own time. Thus it was by way of a new approach to texture, drawn from very old models, that he revitalized a 19th-century rhythmic language that had been in danger of expiring from textural and harmonic stagnation.
Brahms’s signature way of going about composing, even inadvertently so, involved assimilating the techniques and styles of the past to write music that is fresh and original. To me, that also parallels Mozart’s gift of “turning the simple into the sublime”. Indeed, the Classical period was the first time when the power of operatic ensembles was really recognized, with multiple singers singing separate melodies at once, resulting in dynamic, layered pieces of music.
From “Music in the Classical Period”, Humanities LibreTexts:
In the music of Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven, we find tuneful melodies using question/answer or antecedent/consequent phrasing; flexible deployment of rhythm and rests; and slower harmonic rhythm (harmonic rhythm is the rate at which the chords or harmonies change). Composers included more expressive marks in their music, such as the crescendo and decrescendo. The homophony of the Classical period featured predominant melody lines accompanied by relatively interesting and independent lines. In the case of a symphony or operatic ensemble, the texture might be described as homophony with multiple accompanying lines or polyphony with a predominant melodic line.
As bizarre as it may sound, Mozart actually makes for a great reference point when we’re talking about bubblegum pop. We recognize Mozart most for his melody: the purity, simplicity and unforgettableness of his tunes.
From YouTube essay “The Genius of K-POP │How Korean Pop Channels Mozart” by Empire of the Mind:
Mozart composed mostly in major keys which means his music overwhelmingly sounds happy, positive, uplifting, serene. Because of this, Mozart has- shockingly- been called “shallow”. Lacking the intellectual profundity of Bach and the emotional profundity of Beethoven and the Romantics- with their grief, tragedy, agony and heroic defiance- Mozart seems glib, naïve, as if he is ignoring the human experience.
But this is not only to misunderstand Mozart, but to misunderstand the nature of reality as Mozart saw it. Donald Tovey reminds us that, in order to understand Mozart, we have to rid ourselves of the pretension that tragic issues are intrinsically greater than any other, greater even than comedy or joviality.
[…] Mozart through his music is telling us that […] joviality is the heartbeat of existence.
Mozart never fell out of touch with his childish side. Instead, he channeled it into his most exceptional work and let it become his signature tell.
From YouTube essay “How TWICE Revitalized Girl Pop” by mera:
TWICE have created a space in K-pop where bubblegum isn’t an insult anymore but rather something worth celebrating because of how it makes us feel.
You can always hear a skeleton of pure pop underneath their releases. There is a vibrance of raw girliness TWICE has never backed away from.
TWICE’s discography celebrates femininity in all its glory, from girlhood to womanhood. It does so not only without shying away from the “immature” and “shallow” parts of it but with shining a spotlight on them instead. TWICE take sensitivity, romanticism, dreams and optimism seriously, keeping them at the forefront of their music even in their more visually mature moments. Ignoring the various pejoratives regarding their conceptual direction of “boring”, “simple”, “basic”- and following in the steps of Girls’ Generation, the 9-member girl group under SM Entertainment that previously led the second generation of K-pop- they took their predominantly young female audience by the hand and grew up alongside them, proving the diversity and vitality of their color pop to those who would listen.
Many would argue that all of this is nothing but contrived innocence; idols are highly trained to portray a specific image to the public, they follow strict rules in a puppet-like way, lacking the agency to take hold of the reins of their own career, or even the skills to do so- people love pointing all of this out when it comes to the “dark side” conspiracy theories. And besides the cultural differences between East and West in terms of what is considered appealing to the public, the increasing genuine participation of idol group members in the music and performance-making process over their years, as a way of asserting control over their output, and the industry’s groundwork in the case of sad or mature concepts being identical, I frankly don’t have much more to add as a counterargument. While the industry has its unique limitations, music is a line of work in South Korea just like in other parts of the world and that alone makes no concept “realer” than another.
What’s certain is the songs connect with the people and help people connect with each other. Into The New World was Girls’ Generation’s 2007 cheerful and hopeful debut single, filled with yearning for unconditional love and eternal happiness. After the group was propelled into stardom in the following years, the song became closely associated with protest culture in South Korea and the ability to unite people to inspire change in the social climate, constituting an empowerment anthem and a staple at feminist rallies and LGBT pride parades. Its deeper message is, of course, one that can be heard with a socially conscious ear.
From “‘Into the New World’: Girls’ Generation’s debut song lives on as Millennials’ anthem of solidarity” article by Yim Hyun-su:
K-pop columnist Choi said the song’s powerful lyrics were what resonated with many. The lyrics tell people to move forward despite obstacles and toward a new world.
“There is a part in the last chorus which goes, ‘I get stronger just thinking about you. Help me so I won’t cry.’ It shows everyone motivating each other,” Choi said. “And this message is being delivered by a group singing powerfully in unison.”
But it is no secret that pop songs have been resonating particularly with the LGBT community for decades. Songs full of joy and exuberance, danceable to a fault and bursting with theatrics and glamor. Not afraid to push “substance” to the side in favor of performance and the experience of soul-lifting jubilation, amplified when it’s collective. Pop, in its universal superficiality, possesses the innate ability to hold space for the listener to be whoever they want to be, even when that is rejected by society at large. And rejoicing is how we uncover truth about ourselves.
Donald Tovey says:
It is not only difficult to see the depths of agony in the rhythms and idioms of comedy, but it is not very intelligent to attempt to see them. Comedy uses the language of real life; and people in real life often find the language of comedy the only dignified expression for their deepest feelings.
So is substance that much of an objective thing? Just over a year ago, NME described IU’s fifth studio album, LILAC, as offering “pure pop escapism”. It’s no coincidence that the city pop-inspired title track features the nearly 14-years-active in her career, award-winning singer and songwriter at her most ethereal sonically- with cotton candy-tinged vocal delivery over the twinkly production- while simultaneously, perhaps unseemingly, introspective thematically. In LILAC, IU presents several sparkly and syrupy pop moments, through which she tells stories of gaining self-confidence and embracing uniqueness, while celebrating growing older- essentially throwing a party in growth’s name and welcoming the next stage of her life with a thankful grin and open arms. It’s certainly danceable. And as real as it gets if you’re willing to go that deep.
It's apparent that I’ve been focusing on the girls since that is, unfortunately, where the most rigid conceptual dichotomies apply. In the most recent years, the K-pop girl group scene has become oversaturated with “girl crush”, a concept right at the opposite end of the spectrum “bright, cute and bubblegum” sits at one edge of, that represents the idea of bossy, sexy, almost violent femininity, reflected in its dark colors, aggressive, in-your-face delivery of confident lyrics, powerful choreography and loud, noisy beat drops. Obviously, there is a lot to unpack regarding both ends, in terms of representation and what or who each concept serves depending on the execution and context, which I won’t be doing here. On this note, I want to take it back to the joy and to the smiles put on people’s faces by Nayeon “bringing K-pop back”.
The point is that we get so used to shunning joy, until we realize we can’t live without it. “I stir up your mind bewitchingly”, “you can’t get away from me”, “pop, you want it” Nayeon sings in POP! and that combined with the timing of the release is a testament to TWICE’s clever rise to success, by staying true to the core of what they’ve always known how to ace, while reinventing everything around it and adding more of their personal colors in the process. To me, it's also as if I’m hearing joy itself when I listen to her. It’s painfully easy to consider joy a luxury or to feel like it has no place in our lives when we are constantly preoccupied with things of vital importance. But just like you think you’ve outgrown your inner child, suppressing and denying it, yet it’s somehow right around the corner at every turn, getting you excited over the tiniest of things: joy always finds a way.
As Mary Oliver teaches us in “Don’t Hesitate”, “If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.” I will add: as silly or frivolous or small as it may seem. “It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
Referenced (and generally helpful sources):
“Why K-Pop Is More Complex Than You Think” by Sound Field
“Aims and achievements of Johannes Brahms”, Encyclopedia Britannica
“Music in the Classical Period”, Humanities LibreTexts
“Why Listen to Brahms?” and “Why Is Mozart Genius?” by Inside the Score
“The Genius of K-POP │How Korean Pop Channels Mozart” by Empire of the Mind (the point of view is a little negatively biased towards K-pop and I didn’t agree with a few comments, but this practically planted the seed in my head for this post)
“How TWICE Revitalized Girl Pop” by mera (just excellent)
“‘Into the New World’: Girls’ Generation’s debut song lives on as Millennials’ anthem of solidarity” article by Yim Hyun-su for The Korea Herald
“IU – ‘LILAC’ review: a near-perfect, wide-ranging pop gem from K-pop’s darling” by Sofiana Ramli for NME
“Don’t Hesitate” by Mary Oliver
Relevant:
“Why We Listen to Music With Lyrics We Don’t Understand” by Romano Santos for VICE
“Girl Crush and Cute Concepts, Exploring Ideas of Femininity Thru K-Pop Girl Groups & Sunmi” by han likes pop
[SM Classics] 서울시립교향악단 'Feel My Rhythm (Orchestra Ver.)' MV by SMTOWN (this is a little edit to include this orchestral rendition of Red Velvet’s Feel My Rhythm by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra here, which was released a day after this essay was posted and simply couldn’t be illustrating my point more perfectly)
The songs mentioned have been added to the ‘Of The Moment’ playlist.
Thank you so much for reading! Comments are always appreciated. Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I wish you a weekend full of joy!
wow, this was truly such a well-written and thoughtful essay! i loved reading it and i can't wait to check out the sources you mentioned as well.