Confessions of A Kpop Fan (1 of 3)

I remember last year our block had a retreat together with another block for three days in Calaruega in Batangas, a retreat place very much known to Thomasians. On our second night, we had this talents night. Urged by some of my classmates, two of them, known to be officers of the Korean cultural organization in UST, performed a routine. They danced to the song, "Oh Nana" by K.A.R.D. I got into the song that I later asked another classmate for the title and artist. I searched for the song back at home the following day. The song got me for a long time, and I had the remaining months of my first semester playing it on a regular basis.

I stated it in the title. Now I write it again here: I'm into Kpop, and here's my story of how I got to be one.

Clickbait

To begin with, before K.A.R.D., Blackpink, and other groups, I have heard a lot of Kpop before when I was in high school. Mostly, I heard songs from 2NE1 and Super Junior. I would frequently hear and see them on Myx. I remember bopping into Super Junior's "Sexy, Free, and Single" and mimicking "Ai? ai? ai?" in ShiNee's "Dazzling Love" during 3rd year high school. I also remember during my fourth year in high school I got hooked into 2NE1's "I Love You" and "Come Back Home". But I was not a Kpop fan that time. It's so far from me, especially that I was into alternative music during that time.

Fast forward towards the end of my third year in college. I saved a very very short video on Facebook. Because I'm using a public computer on an area where it is supposed to be silent, I could not listen to that video. But one way or another, it got me curious: what is happening in there? A group of females dancing on the stage, while the camera pans to a group of male audiences likely copying their dance. At least that's how I see it.

Later on, when I finally heard the music on the video, brief as it was, it got me in a way. It made me wonder what song is playing in the background. And then I found it out to be the first lines of a song from what I guess is the first Kpop group from the current Kpop scene that I got acquainted to—Twice, the so-called Korea's national girl group. And the song is "TT", like that crying emoji. I searched for it, I listened to it, and—like a pop song that hooks, I had an LSS to that track.

I'm convinced that's where it started.

The good thing about YouTube is that it gives you recommendations to what to click and play. It got me listening to an album from a Japanese jazz pianist, and surely it got me expanding my Kpop playlist.

I then got clickbaited on f(x) (which I love for their 4 Walls album), Red Velvet, Apink, Girl's Day, Sunmi, Winner....and—most of all—Blackpink.

My fandom with the girl group Blackpink started with a click on a recommended video. I was caught by the simplistic design of the album, like a sticky note or a wallpaper about to lose its stickiness or a glossy magazine about to be opened. 

The first notes I heard came from a piano riff. It amounted to sixteen counts. It sounds like a piano that you would usually hear from a pop song. 

Then came that drop. Again, it got me hooked. I was caught by the music. "Playing With Fire" was another LSS and repeat. It made me think that sounds like theirs is something worth listening, worth playing on the radio.

Alternative to usual pop

I realized some things about this fascination with the Korean pop genre. 

I was initially there for the music. The music got me. Before the beauty of the visuals and the artists in general, before the way they perform on stage, and before they way they are filmed for music videos, it was the music.

I got fed up with what Western music offers. Not that I totally hate it. And perhaps I just have to give more effort in finding music I'll like (actually I have appreciated some of them, thanks to 87.5 FM1). But Kpop is just so unique it is a good alternative to what one's ears get used to.

I have my own reasons I got fed up with some of the chart-toppers. It's the same old stuff. So much curse-filled, druggified, sexified, YOLO-fied (I'm afraid, from lyrics to visuals). And it apparently became so generic. There are only few contemporary music worth hearing. Better say it in Filipino: Piling-pili na lang talaga. (Which is also a good reason to listen to OPM more. I'm rooting for it, don't worry.). You may not agree with me, but that's—again—how I see it.

Benefits of friendship

I might as well add that, seemingly, Kpop fans and listeners like me are benefiting from a good exchange of things within the Orient. Philippine TV networks have been benefactors of Korean dramas airing in the afternoons and late evenings most of us I guess have grown up watching, or at least seeing. Korean stores and products are also thriving in malls and public places. Korean food has also been introduced (and loved) here as restaurants open with such food on their menu, like Samgyupsalamat near the UST campus at the Dapitan side.

And I guess the benefit I personally witnessed is something personal. Our church has partnerships with Korean pastors who are continuing their ministry in this country. I recall one of them telling us in our annual conference that he will do his best to help and support our church.

I see my interest in Korean music as a way of benefiting from the friendship Philippines has with the Republic of Korea. Philippines was there supporting South Korea in the Korean War, defending itself from the invasion of the North Korea.

So it seems that this cultural exchange is, for me, a benefit of the ties between the two counties, nay two worlds.

(To be continued)

Part 2 is up! Click here.