Global Pop Playlist Project 3 PDF

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Ariella Joffe 904-166-558

Korea: Man OR Made https://play.spotify.com/user/ahjoffe/playlist/6fVG7zK3KlhUVQ5JLVgkO2 Today’s Korean music has two approaches: top-down or bottom-up. Historically, music was bottom-up; an artist had something to say and expressed himself through music, using lyrics, instrumentation, and genre. The end of the 20th and early 21st centuries showed change in the Korean music industry, where the agency controlled the artist’s and the music. Music became a “production chain,” with a specific design of how to produce artists, thereby massive success in terms of popularity and financial success. Throughout all modern Korean music, there is the influence of Western musical styles, which vary from Rock to pop, from instruments to computer generated. Music is produced like a commodity, but some artists find flexibility within. 1. “Gee.” 2009. Girls Generation. Korea. K-pop. Girls Generation is one of the most popular groups to come from the “factory system.” This song shows a blend of Western and Korean styles, in terms of composition and verse. Their music video has colorful visuals and dance routines. 2. “History.” 2012. EXO-K. K-pop. The band, formed by SM Entertainment, has two sections, one Korean and one Mandarin speaking, which address the differences in language, culture, dress, etc. They are a perfect example of top-down factory musicians produced in Korea. Their songs are created by the world’s best writers and producers, Western choreography, etc. 3. Gangnam Style.”2012. PSY. Korea. K-pop. The top viewed Youtube video ever, Gangnam Style spread K-pop across the world. This song was able to gain world-wide audience, especially Western, which the entertainment agencies are striving to do. The lyrics of the

Ariella Joffe 904-166-558

song are satirical, making fun of the wealthy district of Gangnam. The song describes the upper-class lady’s, noble during the daytime and crazy at night. While PSY is part of the YG Entertainment group, he wasn’t produced in the same factory manner as other k-pop artists. 4. “Lies.” 2007. BigBang. K-pop. Out of hundreds of k-pop artists, BigBang stands out because of their diversity and their stage presence. Their music has the ability to appeal to a broader mainstream audience and is not the same cookie-cutter music put out by other k-pop bands. Their music crosses the cultural and language divide; it isn’t merely Korean centered. They constantly renew their image, from genre played (ballad, hip-hop, electronic) to visual and clothing style. 5. “LA SONG?” 2014. Rain. K-pop. Rain is a singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. He has been influenced by hip-hop and R&B, artists like Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. He’s a national star with an international presence and fan-base. His approach is artist centered, rather than focused on the record agency. LA Song is a fusion of old school hip-hop, electronia, rock, and funk music. The music video shows Rain in a multicultural setting with world dancing of various groups, which coincides with his effort to push to international borders. 6. “Like Money.” 2012. Wonder Girls feat. Akon. Korean dance pop. The song is entirely in English and features a known American rapper, which showcases their desire to push for the Western market. 7. “Fly.” 2013. Geeks. Korean Hip-Hop. The song mixes English and Korean languages. The Geeks are a duo of two rappers, who are both also lyricists, composers, and producers. The song gets it feel from hip-hop, with rapping and electronic backing. They are bottom-up,

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going from releasing covers and mini-albums on to signing with the record label WA Entertainment. 8. “Come Back Home.” 1995. Seo Taiji and Boys. Korean rock/rap. Taiji was one of the first Korean artists to bring American pop sounds and dance styles to Korean music. The song has a distinct rap R&B feel, from the dancing and the singing. Seo Taiji and the Boys were an artist-driven bottom-up group and were the first major successful group in the Korean music industry. 9. “Severely.” 2012. FT ISLAND. Korean rock. The song is about loving too much, the difficulty in letting, and trying to get through it. It is rock music, with an instrumental band behind the lyrics. Every member of the band takes part in writing the lyrics and composing the songs; it isn’t done by the agency. 10. “Who Are You.” 2015. BoA feat. Gaeko. Korean dance pop. It is a self-produced record, but BoA is backed by SM Entertainment. Who Are You was written by BoA featuring rap, some hip-hop, and both English and Korean. The tune is electronic dance-pop, with guitar and bass in the back. The lyrics discuss the excitement of a man and woman meeting on a blind date. 11. “Why Am I Like This.” 2014. San E. & Kang Min Hee. Korean Hip-Hop. Lyrics sung in Korean with a few English words thrown in. Western in style, specifically R&B. It is a male rap song with a female vocalist for the chorus. This is very prominent in today’s Western music scene. 12. “Crashday.” 2010. Crash. Korean rock. A bottom-up band, founded before the new method of Korean music was created. Even though they weren’t made by that industry, they

Ariella Joffe 904-166-558

have managed to remain on the scene and in prominence since their founding in 1991. They are a true rock band with stage diving and slam dance....