By John Jewell

Copyright walesonline

While the Oasis reunion tour was undoubtedly one of the cultural highlights of the summer, it was also arguably indicative of how pop music now appeals to audiences across all age divides. If the Oasis phenomenon was remarkable for 50-year-old men drunkenly howling along to “Don’t look back in anger”, it was also notable for the attendance of fans who were not even a twinkle in the milkman’s eye when the band first broke up in 2009. One could be forgiven for thinking that the days of pop fandom solely as a form of teen expression and tribalism are finally over. C’mon kids, bring your dad – and even your grandma! As the Manic Street Preachers once sang, “Rebellion it always sells at a profit”. But the idea of pop music being for all the family has been something that has been growing for the past 30 years or so. And the music industry, as is the case with any other commercial entity, is one whose primary purpose is geared toward the generation of income. So, the best way to maximise earning potential is to appeal to as many people as possible. But in this 24/7 digital media culture, where algorithms and data collection dictate the makeup of much of what we access, the tendency is toward content which will appeal to the largest audience of consumers who live their lives, partially at least, online. In pop music terms, this means marketing to young people with a proliferation of familiar, non-revolutionary products and acts which mirror and replicate each other. Perhaps this is a partial explanation for the popularity of K-pop . K-pop, or South Korean popular music, has become a global sensation in the past couple of decades. Visually, most of the dynamics of the phenomenon are recognisable to those familiar with the tropes of traditional pop. There are young groups, both male and female, and solo stars. They are generally very young (performers often begin their careers at school age) and they sing and dance with an accomplished choreography which is precise and energetic. The movement also has its own “codes” or linguistic signifiers which can mix English and Korean terms and phrases. K-pop is also an entirely manufactured enterprise. As New York’s Music Business Ambassadors have stated, over the decades South Korean communication companies have developed a system for developing talent into billion-dollar money-making machines: “upon signing with these companies, selected trainees are placed under restrictive contracts that enforce intensive teaching programmes, curated identities and behaviours geared toward fan engagement and commercial success”. That is to say, long before prospective stars engage with the public eye, they are systematically trained for the stardom that may lay ahead. As well as the rigorous singing and dancing lessons, there is media-handling schooling and social skills coaching. Proficiency in several languages is preferable. If an artist or group can show a cross-cultural appeal, they can more easily relate with potential audiences around the globe. The impact that K-pop has had in the UK alone is quite astonishing. In August, Blackpink , the girl group with 94.8 million subscribers to their YouTube channel , headlined Wembley Stadium for two nights attracting 120,000 paying spectators. They follow in the footsteps of boyband BTS who became the first Korean group to perform at Wembley in 2019. BTS are really quite something. 2022 was a stellar year for them which saw them achieve several milestones. On social media their reach extended to becoming: the fastest act to reach 10 million followers on Instagram, the most streamed group on music platform Spotify and sell the most tickets for a livestreamed concert (756,000). This month they have broken even more records , with the video for their tune “Dynamite” now amassing more than two billion views on YouTube – marking the first time a K-pop boyband has ever achieved the feat. And it’s not just Korean pop music that has impacted upon Western markets. The “Hallyu” – (Korean Wave) of culture – also encompasses film and television, fashion and food. Parasite , a film released in 2019, became a worldwide hit which won many awards including an Oscar for best film. A still unique achievement for a non-English-language work. Parasite attracted audiences due to the universality of its themes. The juxtaposition of the haves and have-nots transcended the Korean language and critiqued the divisions present in all capitalist societies. Social media was central to its global profile as sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube et al were platforms for discussion and related content creation, which were part of the “Hallyu”. The success of Netflix’s Squid Game would not have occurred were it not for the trailblazing Parasite. Dealing with similar topics of social inequality and how the weakest members of society are exploited by the rich, the show has become the most popular programme the streaming service has ever broadcast. As a result, the opportunity has risen for Korean artists to showcase their talents to broadcast and streaming services who are keen to maximise earning potential. In the UK, the significance of South Korean culture was highlighted in a 2024 survey conducted by online food delivery firm Just Eat. Research of 2,000 UK adults found that nearly half of those surveyed (47%) regularly purchased South Korean-inspired goods and services, with 42% of the total spending dedicated to beauty and fashion and the remaining 58% to food. Indeed, the same research found that the worth of South Korean products to the UK economy is £3.5bn. Are there not initiatives to sell us Korean foods in all our major supermarkets? Perhaps most telling is a recent report by the International Monetary Fund which states that South Korea is now top of Global Soft Power Index, overtaking the usual leaders such as the UK and US. Soft power is a term which refers to a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to military pressure. This result shows that in the future the capability of the West to continue to shape the cultural norms of the world is being seriously challenged.