Hello, and welcome to “Debra Tries…” The series where I review topics and activities that I would not normally take part in on a normal day. For example, I will listen to music, watch movies, TV shows, play video games and even eat foods that lie outside my comfort zone. Today’s topic: K-Pop bands.

  For this edition of “Debra Tries..”, I enlisted the help of K-Pop connoisseur, Em Khor, to introduce me to the world of Korean pop. Normally, I listen to pop songs and artists. It may sound basic, but it is what I love. So today Em and I will be going back and forth, sharing our opinions on the 11 songs Em picked out a week prior. Then Em will show me their K-Pop merchandise collection, this includes cover art, albums, pins, light sticks, hoodies and so much more. Without further ado, let us get started on “Debra Tries K-Pop.” Oh boy was it interesting.

1. Replay by SHINee

Em:

   I knew from the beginning of our conversation, I needed Debra to listen to this group. SHINee is the boy-group amongst idols, inspiring many known artists today to even audition. Their debut song remains an iconic one that all K-Pop listeners should know. The five-member group revolutionized the industry and is famous for starting many trends, including dance videos and really solidified the respect for K-Pop groups and their choreography. Even over a decade, and many years of inactivity as a whole, fans come back to support the February comeback “Don’t Call Me”.

Debra:

   Starting with “Replay” by SHINee, I knew I was in for a ride. Em has previously mentioned their love of SHINee, as they were one of the first K-Pop bands, debuting in 2008. First impressions wise, it was okay. I noted that the overall sound was really pretty, it was even making me move side-to-side as I listened. Although, I did faze out a couple times, treating the song as background music more than it actually catching my full attention. The second time around, we watched part of the music video. Let me tell you, it gave out a lot of Backstreet Boys and early-2000’s vibes, which drew me in a little bit. Sadly, the pure cringe of this throwback made Em stop the video in its tracks. 

2. Tempo by EXO

Em:

   EXO fans have gone through a lot over the years, members leaving and being introduced as well as the inevitable enlistments required of any Korean male of age. Popular for their intricate storylines and some of the best vocals in the industry, there is no doubt that EXO is one of the most successful groups. ‘Tempo’ is famous for the bridge, and is commonly referred to as the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of K-Pop.

Debra:

   Next up was “Tempo” by EXO.  At first listen, I was a little scared. It sounded aggressive, as though the group was mad at me. Take into consideration that I do not know Korean, so all I have to go by was their tone.Though it did help there were some lyrics in English, such as “Don’t mess up my tempo” and “babygirl.”  Despite this, I absolutely love their vocals. I could tell that the members have loads and loads of talent in their voices.

3. Psycho by Red Velvet

Em:

   One of the songs that defined 2019 K-Pop was ‘Psycho’ by Red Velvet, whose concept is based around being a dual group that can perform two opposite kinds of sounds. The ‘Red’ of their name symbolizes the more summer-y and pop sound and the ‘Velvet’ being a nod to the more RnB and dark concepts. This song is one of their more popular ones and was known across fandoms, especially that high note in the beginning.

Debra:

   Full disclosure, the first couple seconds of “Psycho” by Red Velvet sounded like Ariana Grande. I guess that was what caught my attention. However, this did not last long. I got really bored, really fast. I even got the urge to check my phone one or twice. I will give Red Velvet some credit where credit is due, those girls have amazing voices. Maybe I would like a different song of theirs, but this one was not it.

4. Don’t Need Your Love by NCT DREAM, HRVY

Em:

   I wanted to be considerate of Debra’s music taste, and include at least one song in the list that I knew she would enjoy. NCT is both a difficult group to explain and the most straightforward. The 23-member group has the concept of always adding more members, as shown by the recent addition of two for the group’s collective album. Each subunit consists of a set of either fixed or depending members promoting songs. NCT DREAM is the subunit made of the youngest members, and in this song they collabed with Western artist HRVY. I wanted to make sure that Debra knew that there are many collaborations between artists from the West and K-Pop, as the genre became more popular in our side of the hemisphere. I also figured she would like the ‘One Direction’ boy group energy from it and the addition of more English lyrics.

 Debra:

   “Don’t Need Your Love” by NCT DREAM and HRVY was the best song out of these 11. The beat was amazing, the singing was exquisite and best of all, I got major One Direction vibes from this track. For those who do not know, I have been a 1D stan since I was eight years old, so hearing this song brought a lot of memories back. Not to mention, the cover art was *chef’s kiss*.

5. Fancy by Twice

Em:

   Talk about iconic. Twice is a girl group that always has hit albums, and usually a title song that becomes the year’s best one. ‘Fancy’ was praised all across K-pop, and was a song every fan of the genre knew of. The iconic choreo was learned by many, and the chorus was engraved into every fan’s brain. This was another song that defined the sound of K-Pop in 2019 and was regarded as the best and obvious choice for music awards winner of the ‘Song of the Year’ Daesang, which is a highly respected award meaning the Grand Prize. This song lived in K-Pop-stan Twitter’s head rent free, one would not be able to go on social media without hearing this song blasting.

Debra:

   “Fancy” by Twice was interesting to say the least. I got bored quickly, but I also wished I could see the concert version of the song. I bopped my head while listening, but phased out for some parts. I feel like if I heard it more often, it could really grow on me. 

6. DDU-DU DDU-DU by BLACKPINK

Em:

   Blackpink is one of the most successful and famous groups out there, not girl groups and not K-Pop groups, but in general. They blasted into popularity from their 2016 debut, promising fans a new girl group, unlike the others, with a new sound that wasn’t really found in K-Pop then. The “DDU-DU DDU-DU” music video broke a number of world records, with its impressive 1.5 billion views. The members have become the models and spokespeople for many brands, and most recently starred in a documentary focusing on climate change and the impacts it has on the environment.

 Debra:

   “DDU-DU DDU-DU” by BLACKPINK was iconic. At first, I was thrown off by its gibberish-sounding title. This quickly withered away. The music was amazing, the vocals were fantastic and the rapping was top-notch. The music video made me appreciate the song even better. The pretty colors, editing and sheer amount of hype that came from the music video was astonishing. Also, I have to mention this, one scene reminded me of Taylor Swift. For some background knowledge, I have been obsessed with Swift since before I can read. I know everything there is to know about her. Anyways, in one scene, one of the band members is swinging on a swing on a chandelier. This is exactly what Swift does in her 2018 hit music video, “Look what you made me do.” Back to the topic at hand, both the song and the music video got me so hyped and put me in a good mood for days to come. 

7. God’s Menu by Stray Kids

Em:

   Stray Kids are easily making their way up to be part of the biggest boy groups in South Korea. One of the youngest artists on this list, they have introduced a new sound and integrity to K-Pop being one of the most open about the process and constantly doing new things. Even the music video for this song was revolutionary and used influence from Black rap artists. Their connection to their fans is one of the most genuine and strong, which granted is the point as in K-Pop, fanservice and being connected to audiences is one of the biggest thing’s idols have to do. Whether it’s interactions on social media or fan meetings, Stray Kids really drive this home. Also, speaking from personal experience, Stray Kids in concert is one of the best moments of my life.

 Debra:

   “God’s Menu” by Stray Kids made me very intrigued. For the most part, it caught my attention. I remember writing down that it sounded like a song that can be played in a club or school dance. The pure energy that came from this track made me wanna get up and dance a little bit.

8. Jopping by SuperM

Em:

   The Avengers of K-Pop, SuperM is one of the biggest modern projects in the industry and it really pays off. The ambitious idea of selecting a couple of members from previously successful groups and putting them into one was unheard of and unprecedented. Members from SHINee, EXO, NCT and WayV make up this boy group of immense talent. Some of the best vocalists, lyricists, dancers and rappers make up this group that debuted with ‘Jopping’. One of the rap verses was widely spread throughout social media and the song was hyped up by fans of those groups and otherwise. The collaboration between SM Entertainment and Marvel was so mind-blowing, with that and the addition of the idea of online concerts made K-Pop enthusiasts amazed for months.

Debra:

   I honestly do not know what to think about when it came to “Jopping” by SuperM. This is one of those songs that will grow on me over time, though I did really like the beat. Due to the lyrics “right to the left,” I was reminded of the “Cha Cha Slide.” So, take that as you will.

9. ON by BTS

Em:

   It’s nearly impossible for any fan of music and cultured things to not know BTS, even Debra told me that she knew of them beforehand. There is too much to say about this group and their accomplishments in just a little blurb: being the first of many things such as the first K-Pop artist to really succeed in the Western industry and breaking countless records mostly their own. Map of the Soul was an album that really showed the new sound of BTS and included a story within the lyrics that deeply resonated with many listeners. The boy group is easily the most popular and successful K-Pop artist out there, even redefining music to the point where many consider them to be outside of the boundaries. The Korean Wave was heavily led by this group and it would be a disservice if I didn’t put them on a list about kpop.

 Debra:

   My first thought of “ON” by BTS was that this song sounded different than the other songs Em showed me. My second thought was that the initial singer sounded like a teenage heartthrob. A Korean Harry Styles if you will. Even though I zoned out a couple of times, I did notice how well BTS can sing. Like whoever made that high note at the end needs a raise.

10. WANNABE by ITZY

Em:

   ITZY is a relatively new girl group, but their choreography and verses have become well-known. The beginning verse was so popular on social media in 2020, fancams were made and challenges based on the dance spread. While the rest of the songs I gave Debra were instantly hits in the fandoms, or were by very big artists, I wanted to make sure that I included a song by a group that has a lot of potential to be as big as those on this list. I think one of the best factors in the K-Pop world is that any artist has the potential to blow up in popularity, or spark a trend and become a phenomenon. While they might be known outside of South Korea, that doesn’t diminish their achievements and take away from the quality of the music.

 Debra:

   I really do not have much to say on “WANNABE” by ITZY, mainly because I liked it so much. Let me just say, the members of ITZY are really pretty and they have a lot of talent. The whole time I wanted to dance and just vibe to the song. I also loved the song’s self-appreciation message.

11. Save me by BTS:

Em:

 As I showed Debra music videos after the first initial listen, I got reminded of one of my favorite ones from BTS. “Save Me” in comparison to the songs I showed her was more solemn and slow, and the music video was a desaturated one-take of simple dancing. It was more to represent the vast range K-Pop has, from music sounds to visuals and more. Throughout this experience, I only had her listen so for the first time Debra was seeing the imagery connected to the song as well as the English translation.

Debra:

   For “Save me” by BTS, we only watched the music video and did not listen to it beforehand on Spotify. My initial reaction was that it reminded me of that one “Victorious” episode when Robbie had to pretend to be a motivational speaker with jelly legs. Why did I make this connection, do you ask? Well, it was because the first minute of BTS danced seemed like they had jelly legs. So that made me laugh. Oh, I also got more One Direction vibes as BTS did a similar dance to the one 1D did in their music video “Best Song Ever.” If you cannot tell, I loved their dancing skills. At one point, I thought one of the members broke their neck from moving it too fast. The song itself was a little annoying at some points. The main premise was that they needed someone to save them (roll credits). The whole time I am just thinking “I get it, you need help, stop whining about it and do something.” Despite my annoyance, I loved the pure experience of watching this video.

Merch/Promotions:

Em:

   Both of us talked about the differences between merchandise and promotions of K-pop and western music. I showed Debra my collection of K-Pop merch, which included albums, light sticks, photocards, and posters to her surprise. Although the idea of multiple versions of albums was already known, as Debra’s knowledge of Taylor Swift came in, the size of albums and the photobooks weren’t. The group BIGBANG established the idea of light sticks that represented the group and fandom, each being personalized to that group and would be used in concerts to show support. The concept of photocards was also new to her. I didn’t go too in-depth but it is a whole thing, where fans collect as many as they can, or only collect those of a certain member and trade or sell them online. Overall, promotions are also very different, as with a new album comes multiple teaser pictures and videos that give fans a glimpse into the new concept of the album, since each one of each group has its own premise.

 Debra:

   Em showed me a lot of their K-Pop collection. Boy was I impressed and confused at the same time. As they went in-depth on their different promotions and merchandising different K-Pop bands do, I tried to relate it back to something I knew more about. So of course, I thought of the one and only Taylor Allison Swift. She always had some version of promotions to keep fans interested. In her “Lover” era, she had four deluxe editions of her album, “Lover.” On her website, she would sometimes sell old limited-edition merchandise from her earlier years. The point I am trying to make is that I tried hard to understand how K-Pop promoted their music, videos, albums and merchandise to appeal to fans.

Debra’s overall analysis:  

  What an experience. After listening to 11 songs, watching 2 and a half music videos and looking at hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise, I can now say that Debra has tried K-Pop. So, the question is, what did I think about it? Honestly, I liked it a whole lot and my respect for the genre has definitely grown. I now understand why people are obsessed with it (talking to you 11-year-old Em). Though this is not necessarily the genre of music I normally listen to, now I can listen to it without being as confused as I was initially.  I am so glad I got to try K-Pop with Em today and got to share this mind-blowing experience with them.