[비즈한국] Popular music has often been a target of criticism. This is because there are simply too many 'love songs.' Popular music has even been belittled as nothing more than 'love ballads.' The reason there are so many love songs in popular music is that it is a subject that resonates with the general public. Love is a narrative that one can instinctively understand and empathize with, even without extensive musical training. The same assessment has been applied to K-pop, which centers on idol music. Yet, at some point, songs filled only with love ballads began to disappear from K-pop. It is clear that while songs exclusively focused on love have decreased, love remains a major theme in K-pop. However, this is different from the early 2010s, when K-pop was synonymous with love songs. Is it because of the criticism that they only sing about love? Or is it because there is no one to share love with?
The first observable phenomenon is the rapid rise of girl groups. Since the 2010s, the number of girl groups has grown significantly, and an important point here is the increase in female fans. In the past, girl group fandoms consisted largely of men, particularly older male fans. From a fandom business perspective, these fans had limitations. They were easily confined to two frames—being either 'sexy' or 'cute'—and showed little interest in women's social lives. Fandom cohesion, sustainability, and purchasing power also lagged behind.
Since the 2010s, when female fandoms began to lead, girl groups have also shifted toward tastes preferred by women rather than men. Girl groups that emphasize a confident, independent attitude or relatable peer sensibilities have gained more popularity than those with merely sexy or cute styles. BLACKPINK highlighted the persona of 'girl-crush' fashionistas early on, and BABYMONSTER continues that lineage. Examples that actively highlight peer sensibilities can be found in NewJeans. IVE is representative of a confident and lively style. 4th-generation idol girl groups such as (G)I-DLE, LE SSERAFIM, aespa, ITZY, and KATSEYE all belong to this category.
Since K-pop generally represents youth, it cannot be trapped solely in love songs. Furthermore, Gen Z does not hold grand fantasies about love. Boy groups are no longer confined to the frame of love either. Rather than heteronormative romance, they sing about the struggles, wandering, dreams, and hopes experienced during their formative years. K-pop has received an explosive response from youth around the world with its musical style and lyrics that provide strength to endure or overcome difficult situations. This is because K-pop helps them endure the challenges faced during the turbulent period of their youth.
Changes in cultural perceptions of women have also contributed to the expansion and growth of K-pop. K-pop songs have gained significant popularity, especially in regions with a strong interest in women's active and proactive social participation. For fans in those regions, it was as if they were encountering their future selves through K-pop.
A while ago, an SNS post written by a Japanese fan on an internet community became a hot topic. It discussed how love songs have decreased in K-pop, though its diagnosis of the cause was puzzling. To summarize: 'I can understand why South Korea has such a low birth rate, as romance songs in K-pop have genuinely decreased. Specifically, female artists only sing songs about how "I am truly special" or "We are the best just for being alive." Where have the romance songs that were once so crazed that they seemed intense enough to die for disappeared?'
The perspective is that the increase in only children due to low birth rates has strengthened self-centeredness. This is linked to the song lyrics, reflecting the difficulty of being satisfied with current life. However, there is no correlation between low birth rates and the decline of K-pop love songs. K-pop represents the hearts of youth who are interested in self-realization, not self-centeredness. It does not contain only Korea's specific circumstances. K-pop reflects the reality that young people around the world are deeply contemplating their current state and future, while striving to manage their lives well.
In particular, girl groups have grown significantly, surpassing boy groups, and by capturing the sentiments and emotions of their peers, they have expanded and solidified their female fandoms, moving beyond the monotonous focus on love ballads. This context serves as an important momentum for the sustainability of K-pop. For K-pop to remain a companion for the growth and happiness of youth worldwide, moving beyond love songs was a natural progression. This trend is bound to continue.
The author, Kim Heon-sik, has been walking through or navigating the forest of popular culture phenomena since his 20s, with the expectation that there is a path to making the world a better place through culture. He continues on this same path in the 21st century, where artificial intelligence and quantum computers are active.