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By Rebecca Brooks
Staff Writer

What is K-Pop?

K-Pop is Korean pop music that consists of various girl groups, boy groups, and solo artists. It encompasses other genres of music such as rock, hip hop, R&B, and dance.

The genre has started to become increasingly popular here in the west, most notably with Psy’s “Gangnam Style” that has become the most viewed video on YouTube.

With idol groups such as Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, and EXO, K-Pop has become so big that a convention is held in America for it every year, called K-Con. At K-Con, several idol groups and artists travel around America and perform at different venues for K-Pop fans. Some artists have even started to tour here on their own, holding shows in major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Dallas, and L.A.

Though K-Pop is obviously mostly not in English, music is very much a universal language that has no barriers. K-Pop also brings back a lot of old school boy band/girl groups vibes from the 90s and early 2000s. However, K-Pop is an entirely different world that works quite differently from the western music industry. That being said, it’s nice to have a place to start in order to get into the genre.

Here is a playlist “starter pack” for anyone that wants to get into K-Pop. Let us know your favorite songs and groups/artists in the comments below!