What Is K-Pop?
Want to get into k-pop? We’ve got some answers to some basic questions.
Where is k-pop from?
Korea.
What Is K-Pop?
Think of it like Top 40 music. If you look at a Top 40 or Top 100 chart on Billboard Magazine, you will see all sorts of singers and genres who make up "popular music". In a very simple way, k-pop is the Top 40 music coming out of Korea. There are all sorts of genres and styles that make up popular music.
There is one sort of genre that is unique, that’s k-drama OST. It’s soundtrack music from Korean dramas, aka K-Dramas.
Tip: The rule where you put a “K” in front of it doesn’t apply here. Please don’t call it K-OST. No one will know what you’re talking about. It's called K-Drama OST.
*If you want to hear K-Drama OST, join us on Tuesdays 8-9 pm ET; We play a whole block of the hottest K-Drama OST.
Why is k-pop so popular?
We’re a k-pop radio station, so we’re a little biased. But it’s the best music ever. There are so many great idols and groups to discover. Then after your favorite groups break up, you can support the careers of the members as they become solo singers. Groups even come back for reunions many years later.
Can I listen to k-pop? Do you have to be a certain age to listen to k-pop music?
Of course you can. You can be any age, male or female, it doesn't matter. There are groups of grandmas who attend concerts.
Do I need to speak Korean?
Nope. Alternatively, it is cool to be able to understand the lyrics to a song or watch a k-drama without needing subtitles. Sometimes the chorus or words in the song are in English or Spanish. Sometimes whole songs are English. But it’s also cool to hear a song in Korean be able to sing along and know what you’re saying.
Tip: If you want to learn Korean faster, watch k-dramas. We suggest VIKI. Or use a language learning service like KoreanClass101.com
(Note: if you click on the link for KoreanClass101.com and sign up for their course, we get a small bit of money, because we're an affiliate…which we like.)
Is k-pop BTS?
This is a very common question.
BTS is just one of many k-pop groups and stars.
Before BTS there were years and years of very popular k-pop groups and singers. Seo Taiji & Boys, H.O.T and G.O.D were some of the first k-pop groups from the 1990's. Wonder Girls performed in 2009 on the Wendy Williams show. f(x) was the first group who performed at SXSW. Super Junior has been together since 2005. They've won multiple awards including The Kid's Choice Award in Mexico and the Teen Choice award in the U.S. For a long time, people thought Psy was K-Pop, when his hit song Gangnam Style become an worldwide hit. K-Pop was around before BTS and will be around after they retire.
Another way to think of your question like this:
Is pop music Beyonce?
Not really.
There was once a group called Destiny’s Child. You may not know who they are, but they had one member that became very very very famous…Beyonce. There are fans of Beyonce who do not know that Destiny’s Child existed. But Destiny’s Child were super famous back in the day.
10 years ago very few people had heard of Billie Eillish or Cardi B and 10 years from now, someone you’ve never heard of will be super famous. Popular music is always changing.
*If you want to hear old school k-pop, join us on Thursdays 8-9 pm ET for K-Pop Old School Thursdays. You'll hear the hits from some of the groups. Many of the idols that you hear today, belonged to a group. For instance, Chung Ha was in I.O.I, Hyolyn was in a group called Sistar. Henry Lau was a member of Super Junior M.
(It’s not new, but it may be new to you…kind of like if you just discovered Destiny’s Child)
Tip: K-Pop Wiki is a good resource for seeing a lot info about a lot of k-pop idols and groups all in one place.
What is a unit or sub-unit?
Sometimes groups have “units” or “sub-units”. That is when a couple or a few of the members perform as a group or duo. They are still part of the group. It doesn’t necessarily mean the group is disbanded. Examples of popular sub-units are V8 - Vernon & The 8 from Seventeen and Irene & Seulgi from Red Velvet.
What is K-Pop Slang?
Check out these videos from Tiffany Young & NCT127
*Check out this video from Tiffany Young, with her favorite Korean words.
NCT127 Teaches your korean slang
What is a “comeback”?
A comeback is very simply when a singer for group is releasing new music. It doesn't mean they retired.
What is a “stan”?
We’ve heard that it comes from an Eminem song, about an obsessed fan named Stan. But for purposes of k-pop, someone will say they “Stan” a group. It means they are a serious fan.
What is a “bias”?
You may hear someone say that a singer or group is or isn’t their bias. That means they really like them or they don’t like them at all.
What’s a k-pop idol?
A k-pop idol is another name for a pop star.
We’re gonna stop here…some of the fun of enjoying k-pop is learning this stuff on your own.
Can k-pop idols date?
Yes. But a lot of time they keep it secret to keep fans from finding out. It can be very hard on their careers. Sometimes when fans find out, the backlash is so strong, they have to leave their groups. See HyunA and Dawn. Our opinion is that we are grateful that they work so hard to bring us such good music and concerts. We are always happy if they find happiness in a relationship. After all, it's not like they'll be dating us.
Can I become a k-pop star?
We can't answer that. That being said, there are a lot of tryouts. Follow us on Instagram, we post them on our social media. There are k-pop idols from all over the world like Canada, China, Mexico, Thailand, and the U.S. it's not an impossible dream.
What is a fan army?
Fan armys are fan clubs. When k-pop groups start they will announce their fan club name and their official colors. Here are some of the most popular fan club names:
BTS - Army
Girls’ Generation aka SNSD - Sones
Red Velvet - Reveluv
Twice - Once
BIGBANG - VIPs
f(x) - Meus
2NE1 - Blackjacks
Blackpink - Blinks
Super Junior - SuJu
Seventeen - Carats
MEOVV - PawmPawn
Tip: Use the k-pop idols name and their fan army name to find more of their fans on social media. You can also find their fan army name by searching the hash tag for the fandom name.
What is a k-pop group should I stan? What is a “stan”?
We'll answer the second question first. What is a “stan” or “k-pop stan”?
A stan is a fan who is very supportive of their group or idol. They support them as they go through their career.
What k-pop group should I stan?
That is not something we can answer. But it is a lot of fun to listen to different artists. We have a few suggestions:
* Follow us on Instagram. We include k-pop idols’ Instagram handles when we post.
* Check out our website blog. Follow us on YouTube to see up to date playlists, The Top 10 K-Pop & Beyond The K-Pop Charts: Upcoming Comebacks. Check back often, as we update these almost every day.
* Tune in from 8 -9 pm ET every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to hear the latest songs.
* Look at the news on Soompi.
* Follow k-pop writers, like Tamar Herman and Jeff Benjamin, on Threads for the best interviews and k-pop news.
* Check out our blog on our homepage for updated news.
Why is k-pop merchandise so expensive? Do you have a k-pop giveaway?
We don’t know. Yes we do!!!!
Tip: Enter our weekly k-pop contest. We give away posters, CD, stickers and stuff all of the time, so you can enter for a chance to win k-pop merch. Rules and restrictions apply. Se aplican reglas y restricciones. Right now our giveaway is only open to Canada (except Quebec, sorry Quebec), Mexico and the U.S. Due to high tariffs and customs delays, we are currently, sending our winners in Canada and Mexico gift cards, so that they may purchase their own k-pop albums.
Where to buy k-pop albums? Where is a k-pop store?
Some of the most popular places to buy k-pop albums include:
Music Plaza (Awesome place for magazines, stickers, posters, etc)
If you aren’t near a store or a big city, you can order on-line.
Is BigHit the only k-pop agency/label?
There are three big agencies, also known as the “Big 3”, BigHit & JYP x SMTown. Hybe is a large player. Alternatively, the “Big 3” existed before them. There are smaller ones like Pledis x 1thek x Stone Music x PNation x 1thek x Feel Ghood Music…we could go on. Agencies are always growing and merging and dividing and new ones are starting. The artists you love may work with multiple agencies.
Can I see a k-pop concert?
Depends on who you want to see and where you are. Artists tour year round.
Tip: Keep track of when k-pop tickets go on sale, sometimes they go really fast. Sometimes if there are a few left over you can pick them up on sale for a limited time, especially for smaller groups.
How do I know what other people are listening to?
* Tune in on Fridays. We play the requests from everyone all day long.
Why do I keep hearing about k-pop idols and mental health?
The life of a k-pop star can be very difficult. Imagine being 13, 14, 15, 16 years old and working all day and having to leave your family and friends. Then add a lot of bullying on-line and in person. There are stalkers who do scary things like sneak into their hotel rooms, and put cameras in their parking garage and stand outside their apartments. As you follow your favorite k-pop stars, you will also see the people who threaten them on social media. K-Pop idols are beginning to talk about the abuse they receive, labels are starting to sue people who harass them on-line and fans are starting to point out harassers to labels. Being a k-pop is glamorous and fun, but can also be difficult.
What is “Thank A K-Pop Idol”?
Three of our favorite idols, Jonghyun of SHINee, Sulli of f(x) & Goo Hara of the group KARA all committed suicide. We celebrate their anniversary each year by asking fans to post their favorite memories of these 3 idols and we give away their albums. You will notice we do not criticize k-pop idols music, appearance, gossip or make personal attacks on them. This is intentional. Idols are people, too. We appreciate all that they do. In honor of Jonghyun, Sulli and Goo Hara, we have launched the Thank A K-Pop Idol post each month. The purpose is to encourage netizens to show love and support for their favorite idol. We’ve also listed suicide hotlines in English and Spanish and one in English in Canada for our listeners. Life can be hard, we want listeners to know where to find a professional who is trained to help you.
That’s it for our FAQ…we may update it in the future.
* Don’t forget to download our free app. Or listen on our homepage, Apple Carplay, Android Auto x Apple TV.
