Photo credit: Victoria Pietraszek
A genre and a fandom that is unbelievably big, but that I know nothing about; K-pop. I do not think there is a single person that has not heard the word ‘K-pop’ before. Jung Kook, a member of BTS even opened the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But what does it entail and how does one become a fan? I spoke with Victoria Pietraszek, a third-year Creative Business student that knows a lot about the Korean music industry and even plans on moving to Korea this August.
So, what does K-pop stand for?
As the name implies, it stands for Korean pop music. It’s a general name for all the music that gets produced in this genre. There are a lot of K-pop bands and solo artists. 'There are a lot of K-pop bands and solo artists, with BTS, a seven member group, being the most famous one. Does 7 sound like a lot? There are also groups with 11 members like a band called Seventeen
What was your first experience with K-pop?
When I was in high school, a friend of mine was really into K-pop. She tried to get me involved as well, but that worked the other way around. I did not like it because I was almost forced to listen to it. But right now, 7 years later, I love it. I first listened to it again last December. Mostly because I, again, have friends that are into K-pop. I saw a BTS song on TikTok which I really liked, so I sent it to my friend, and she sent me more songs that I should listen to. One friend even gave me a BTS PowerPoint presentation with all the important information in it. And once I started googling myself, I got sucked into the K-pop world.
What is your favorite aspect about K-pop?
The Korean music industry is something different. There is a whole world created around this genre. The bands don’t only sing, but they also do choreographies, which makes it a whole show. If you buy an album, it will not only consist of a CD, but also a photobook, logbook, photocards, and handwritten texts. With that they make sure that everything they do is an experience.
How do you participate in this fandom?
I do not participate as much as others might do, it can be a very overwhelming fandom sometimes. Just like my friend who tried to force it on me. So, I do not openly contribute to the fandom, if I like something I will send it to my friend so we can discuss it together. There is an app/website called Weverse which makes it possible to connect with K-pop fans from all over the world as well as the Idols. But I mostly use it for livestreams and to see what Idols are posting (Idols is the name for K-pop band members or soloists).
You are moving to Korea – for what reason?
I want to work in the music industry and a lot of labels want you to have knowledge about K-pop as it’s getting very popular right now. Some K-pop artists are getting signed with Universal and/or Sony, so it is important to know their culture and industry.I am currently learning the language and cannot wait to move to Seoul for exchange. I think it will be an amazing experience.
Do you have any K-pop recommendations?
Of course! The following 3 songs are definitely worth listening to.
If I could give one more tip, it would be to just give it a try. I was stubborn when I did not want to listen to it in high school. But look at me now.
