Joseph Hwang
K-pop consumption way is mimicking. This consuming way means that fans should be able to imitate the artist’s music and dance.
1. Formations
At first, music and dance were inseparable. Although they are distinct art forms, they have often been experienced together for the sake of enjoyment.
K-pop presents music and dance to its audience at the same time. Several factors contribute to this trend, but the collaborative nature of K-pop artists stands out as the most important. With multiple members performing in unison, the genre effectively showcases their ability to synchronize movements perfectly to one track. Consequently, the audience feels a sense of unity and connection through the carefully choreographed group performances.
When performing a group dance, the group members have to decide on the formation of the performance. The role of the choreographer in K-pop is weighty and significant, but it still needs more social recognition. Formation is crucial in group music. Formations change throughout the performance, and combining changes conveys different artistic personalities to the audience. However, the media tends to emphasize only specific group members due to camera angles and video editing limitations. A kind of distortion occurs through the screen, which is unavoidable. Fans can only see the artist as the media chooses to show them. Even if the digital revolution has shifted media power to the viewer, the viewer cannot preclude the domination of the producers until the content distribution.
Group formations add to the fun for fans to see the relationships between members. The formation of group members allows for the formation of complex fandoms. In K-pop fandom, the relationships between fans are more complicated and sensitive than in other music genres. This phenomenon is inevitable in the K-pop industry, characterized by group formations. This formation gives fans a reason to gather in public squares instead of staying home to express their fandom. Fans have a desire to recreate group dance formations as a way to express their love for artists. The fandom environment allows K-pop fans to showcase their tastes to the world. They know that reacting to their favorite “oppa” position is an appropriate way to enjoy the music and express their love for the artist simultaneously.
2. Memes
For fans to reenact a K-pop artist’s dance and its members’ formations, it must be easy and addictive. While fans may be able to imitate more complicated dances and songs, they must be easy, simple, and recognizable to spread. If it’s also fun, that’s a plus.
The entertainment business entrepreneur must efficiently distribute content to spread quickly and widely on social media. While it’s possible for a producer to intentionally create content to meet these requirements, in today’s social media world, fans are likelier to develop and distribute their content. Digital content with a short playback time and a distinct personality is entertaining and easy for the general public to follow. It is called a “meme.” The dictionary definition of “meme” is “a social custom or culture that is repeatedly reproduced and imitated.”
The content of a meme should be suitable for viral distribution. The content must have an inherent playful energy that draws in the masses and must be something fans will want to play with. It should be visually and aurally recognizable and fun enough to feel comfortable sharing with friends. Memes with an implicit sense of empathy that you might feel marginalized from your peer group if you don’t know something often drive viral distribution. The “horse dance” in Psy’s “Gangnam Style” is an example of K-pop. The chorus of Rosé’s “APT.” also fits the bill.
3. Video Platforms
“Memes” are meant to be played by fans, so the message must resonate, and the format needs to be fun for them to share with others voluntarily. Creating a meme, whether a still photo or a short video, requires a network to spread to the masses. We call this network “social media.” In the early days of K-pop, YouTube played this role, followed by Instagram and TikTok.
Each video platform is a “system to show for the user” rather than a “system that the user can see.” This difference means that the platform needs a massive audience, and it’s not feasible to show them all the videos at once, so the system will unilaterally show them selected content by the system. This mechanism is called an “algorithmic system.” The platform mechanically presents candidates for viewing to the user based on its criteria, and the user chooses content from a limited set of examples suggested by the algorithmic system. In this world, the “algorithm” is king, not the user.
No matter how robust the algorithm may be, the platform seeks to boost engagement within its extensive user base. As a result, the system is likely to showcase content that is either popular or resonates with users’ interests. The algorithm often tends to elevate “memes” on the platform. Furthermore, the worldwide surge of K-pop significantly depends on the benefits this video platform offers, a trend that appears to remain strong.
4. Mimicking
Mimicking is a popular way to consume content. As fans imitate their favorite artists, they experience a sense of identity and presence within a community of like-minded people and a sense of belonging as peers. Since K-pop artists are mostly groups, the K-pop fandom that follows them has a collective destiny to bring together a diverse fan base that favors each member. This characteristic explains why K-pop fandom has developed stronger community bonds than other popular music genres.
The motivation to mimic the music and dance of their favorite K-pop groups vibrantly provides energy for the fan community’s bonds and sense of belonging. K-pop fans gather to mimic music and dance, and they take the time to practice over and over again. Video platforms continuously provided the material for fans to practice their mimicry, and K-pop industry participants were able to capitalize on the enthusiasm and organize K-pop cover contests for K-pop fans. These contests have become a feedback loop that has made the K-pop fandom even more cohesive. This mimicking is at the core of how K-pop has become a global cultural phenomenon.
This type of mimicry-driven collective fandom is rare around the world. More importantly, fandom is a community with a strong bond between its members, one of K-pop’s most prominent characteristics and strengths. People say that K-pop’s global phenomenon could quickly fade away, but when it does, a K-pop artist comes along and provides a source, fans turn it into a meme, and fans worldwide spread the meme on social media and follow along. As long as this mechanism continues, K-pop’s fever will be a global phenomenon that will be hard to fade away.
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