Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

What do you know about the Korean pop music industry? When I see the pop stars on TV, I just think they're so untalented as singers / musicians. It all looks like marketing to me. Try to sell some cds, posters and keychains. All that is needed is a cute face or a weird one. Korean pop music is to music what Hollywood is to the art of film - all gloss no substance, make a quick buck or 1000 won.

Are there any Korean pop stars that have lasted more than a year or two? Is making a living doing art frowned upon in this country?

[laogaiguk]

Some of them have catchy tunes. But yes, it's just a business, like back home. But I swear, whenever I watch these boy bands (or girl ones too), they can't dance worth sh!t. Not even close, and I can't say what they are doing is dancing, it's barely moving around.

[Dev]

I'd really like to know some Korean singers / groups that are worth listening to. You know. Some talented people who are doing something serious.

The Korean film industry is making some very interesting films that are worth your time. I like Korean films.

How about in other musical genres? Are there any Koreans worth a listen? Maybe in Jazz? It looks like there is a real void in the music biz in Korea.

[bobbyhanlon]

i think the general indie scene has some decent acts.. however anything in the korean charts is pretty much sh1te. john lennon once said there are only five songs, but in korea, there's only two- the soppy love ballad, and the wannabe-gangsta faux hip-pop tune featuring some guy with a lame attempt at facial hair and fubu gear, and a sexy girl going 'oohh baby i need you' in the chorus (which, incidentally, is ripped off from the black eyed peas).

anyway there are some good indie bands, rollercoaster are the most talented i think, deli spice are good too, as are asoto union/windy city, the last drunken tiger album was great too, ghetto bombs, nell, nastyona, thats about all i can think of now. slim pickings but i like the ones i mentioned here a lot.

[Hollywoodaction]

[Hollywoodaction]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

It's difficult to say this music is bad without sounding like an old fart, but yes, most of it is truly awful and completely derivative. Someone with as much standing as E Hyori rips off Britney Spears (now, there's reaching for the top) and no one seems to care. Sometimes I think about the giant corpus of great classic rock in the west, and how pififul things are here; can anyone even possibly imagine a 'classic k-pop' station? Not even the hardest-core yay-for-Korea type brags about their music-- "You westerners only have Led Zeppelin, but we Koreans have Boa!"

I can think of only a few reasons. One, the visual performance and, coff, dancing seems more important than the audio product. Two, it's still a very young industry here. Three, music sharing is so endemic here that probably the best bands are underground or unsigned. There is some fairly decent live music around.

Ken:>

[doggyji]

[billybrobby]

where are the charts? in america you can go to www.billboard.com Where do you go to see the Korean charts?

[Hollywoodaction]

[LL Moonmanhead]

The korean 'music' industry is run by gangsters. FACT.

[stevieg4ever]

korea has a lot of good music imo. the problem is that you rarely hear it through the mainstream media. 서태지, 드렁큰타이거, 시비마스 are all worth checking out the pop music is the same as the us uk stuff. although the girls are way hotter lol (ses, fin kl, et all)


i have to confess that i only found out about the above bands through friends. after i left korea

[flotsam]

Screw the pop stuff. But there is plenty of good music. Click the link in my signature for a great track.

I will be marrying the singer soon.

[Demophobe]

It's getting very difficult to find music in modern pop. Entertainment is abundant, but for it to be masquerading as music is almost criminal.

냄비문화...

[sid]