Photo from Pixabay
When you are trying to discover a new genre of music or a new artist it can be difficult since we all have our regularly played artists and we have playlists that took us hours to put together. It’s also difficult to know where to start looking or in this case listening. I had this dilemma as well, until one day a friend recommended that I start listening to Korean Artists. I was a bit skeptical at first but decided to give it a try.
To start off I would like to note that before I started listening to these artists I was lacking very much in my motivation and my mental health wasn’t going so great. So when I listened to the songs my friend recommended to me I fell in love with it. I could feel all the emotions in the songs and as I was listening I caught myself smiling. As I indulged myself into the music and the artists I realized it was working. I was more in tune with my emotions but the music wasn’t all that helped. Being apart of some of their fandoms helped me have a distraction that actually made me happy. I would watch interviews and look forward to them releasing new music or hearing about a new project they were working on.
Korean Artists aren’t limited to one genre of music, although the most popular one may be K-pop. Up until recently Korean artists weren’t as well known. Yet now one of the most popular groups worldwide is the Korean boy band, BTS. To add on even that group isn’t 100% Korean pop. Some specialize in Rap and others sing softer melodies.
We also need to realize how amazingly talented these artists are. Knowing how to connect their emotions to the song lyrics and making their audience feel what they are feeling. All the hard work they put into making new songs and releasing new albums for their fans. They also always find new ways to shock us each and every time they make a comeback. And when you watch them perform it amazes you each time.
Once you start branching out into different genres you notice similar vibes you take interest in. It’s also okay to have a mix, for instance I like DPR LIVE, BTS, ATEEZ, and ENHYPEN who all take a different approach when they create music. It’s all about what you can vibe to better.
Now of course not everyone will go through the same experience I did while discovering these new artists but I hope you have your own journey with them no matter how long it takes or what your emotions are through it. So whether you start with K-pop, K-rap, or K-r&b just give it a try and who knows it might lead you to introduce these artists to more people.
Arianna Ocampo – Global Citizenship Experience Lab School – DMSF