[비즈한국] Recently, there has been much debate regarding the growing preference for J-pop among young Koreans. A common denominator is visible among popular J-pop artists: the anime soundtrack (OST). While animations are usually sung by underground artists with strong vocal skills, in Japan, top-tier singers participate. In 2023, "Spinning Globe" (Chikyuugi), the theme song for Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli film "The Boy and the Heron," was sung by Japanese singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu. Yonezu is called a "multi-artist" because he participates in every aspect of production, including songwriting, composing, arranging, singing, performing, dancing, video production, and artwork. In fact, he first gained attention in Korea thanks to his OST work; his song "Lemon," featured in the Japanese forensic drama "Unnatural," was a massive hit.
Kenshi Yonezu was famous for being a singer who rarely revealed his face. That was his identity. However, as his true value became known through the power of anime OSTs, he began appearing in front of the public starting in 2023. This March, he held his first concert in Korea. The two-day performance was completely sold out. What is important is the composition of the audience: those in their 20s made up the largest share at 64.8%, followed by 30-somethings at 18.4%. The share of teenagers was 10.1%, which is lower than what is typically seen at idol group concerts. There is also a difference in gender ratio. The ratio was 46% male and 54% female, a difference of only about 8%. Usually, the gender ratio at concert venues is around 3:7 or 2:8. This is understandable considering that the primary consumer base for Japanese animation is in their 20s and 30s, a significant portion of whom are men.
The highlight of the Korean concert was also the OST. When he sang the soundtrack, the Korean audience sang along in unison. The song was "Kick Back," a 2022 hit that was also used as the theme song for the popular anime "Chainsaw Man." Even after becoming a top-tier star, Kenshi Yonezu does not hesitate to sing anime theme songs. This is possible because Japan has such a robust fan base for animation.
Additionally, the two-member unit YOASOBI saw tickets for their concert in Korea on December 9, 2024, sell out in just one minute. On stage, they performed various anime theme songs, including "Idol," the opening track for "Oshi no Ko," as well as "Monster" and "Yuusha."
The OST for "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is shaking up global charts. This is not solely due to the power of K-pop. The content was produced by the Japanese company Sony Pictures. Strictly speaking, it is the result of global demand for Japanese animation's capabilities; it just happens that the ingredients for "K-Pop Demon Hunters" were K-pop and Korean culture. The phenomenon of K-pop OSTs being popular in Japanese animated content follows the same context as the Korean younger generation’s enthusiasm for Japanese anime OSTs. As Korean movies and dramas create a global Hallyu wave, they have naturally led to an interest in Japanese animation, and it is perhaps natural to pay attention to the artists through the medium of those animations.
However, that is not the whole story. There may be things that are not being satisfied by K-pop. Looking at the musicians who hold concerts in Korea, they are not idol groups. Two-member units like YOASOBI and artists who handle everything themselves like Kenshi Yonezu enhance focus and buzz, easily ascending to the ranks of respected artists.
Japanese female solo singer Ado, who held her second concert in Korea on May 15, performs as a faceless singer. Ado gained massive popularity after singing the theme song for the 2022 animation "One Piece Film: Red." Although she is a virtual character singer, she is highly popular for her outstanding live skills, freely executing difficult freestyle vocal techniques. While the Korean virtual idol PLAVE is popular, Ado can be considered an artist-version counterpart.
We must also mention imase, who held a concert in Korea on April 19. He is called the "Japanese IU." He has been writing, composing, and singing songs since middle school. Japanese singer-songwriter Yuuri sold out two shows at the KSPO Dome during his second concert tour in Korea. It caused a stir that a Japanese singer managed to book the highly competitive KSPO Dome. It drew even more attention as it was the first time a Japanese singer had performed there in 21 years, since Namie Amuro in 2004. On December 17, 2024, Fujii Kaze held his second concert in Korea at the Gocheok Sky Dome. Perhaps to live up to the title of being the first Japanese singer to perform at the Gocheok Dome, he performed his own unique arrangement of the Korean folk song "Doraji Taryeong."
The rise of rock bands has also been noteworthy. King Gnu, considered a trendsetter in Japan, performed in Korea on April 20, 2024, and Official Hige Dandism, which performed on November 30–December 1, 2024, were also rock bands. Mrs. Green Apple is a rock band, and specifically, a mixed-gender band, which is now rare in Korea.
They are not just performing in Korea, but are touring worldwide. J-pop also has competitive idol groups. For example, the boy group One Or Eight and the girl group Cosmosy have benchmarked and upgraded from Korean K-pop groups. Like Netflix, J-pop is re-creating its own content empire by combining the strengths of Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
Korea, too, must move beyond the limitations of a music industry centered on K-pop and revitalize various music genres. It would be beneficial to combine music with cultural genres that young people around the world are passionate about, such as animation. Since Korean occult content is competitive, one could consider ways to integrate OSTs into that. What is important is not a specific genre, but reflecting the tastes and identities of the younger generation who consume music through storytelling.
The author, Kim Heon-sik, has spent his life since his 20s exploring the forests of popular culture, driven by the expectation that there is a way to make the world a better place through culture. In the 21st century, where artificial intelligence and quantum computers are active, he continues on the same path with the same belief.