I never thought I would like K-Pop. I was never a fan of boy bands (or girl bands for that matter), especially since One Direction dominated the music industry during my time in elementary and middle school. I was one of those kids that passionately disliked 1D and found the hysteria around them to be irritating. I didn’t understand why they were such a big deal to so many people. A few years later however, I found myself hearing some of their songs here and there. And, to my surprise…I kind of liked them. I picked up their albums, listened to more of their music, and soon realized that I had been too quick to judge them by their fanbase. I genuinely enjoyed their music and some of their songs are still buried in my playlists today. Looking back on this, I realize that my love of K-Pop came about similarly, in a funny twist of fate.
It was early June during the summer of 2021 and I was on my way home from a kayaking adventure on the lake with my sister. Like usual, she was driving while I got DJ duty. As I was trying to decide what to cue up, she suggested a new song she’d heard recently on the radio. That song was BTS’ Butter, which would later become the song of the summer, and also the song of our summer. I didn’t have any interest in K-Pop at the time, but like so many others that summer, I fell in love with the song immediately. And then I got a glimpse of the music video and my brain lit up faster than Christmas lights in December. Needless to say, we spent that entire evening on the couch watching it over and over again. I was dazzled by the colors, the sets, the intoxicating beat that would practically haunt my dreams for the best part of three months. And, unbeknownst to me, that was the start of something that soon became a passion.
In a way, K-Pop took me gently by the hand and said, “Let me show you something wonderful.” And, in a way, it also seized me by the collar and threw me in head first. Over the rest of the year, K-Pop has dominated so much of my life and headspace (probably more than I’d like to admit). But as I’ve come to know the genre and its nature and culture more fully, I’ve realized that, to those who find themselves immersed in it, K-Pop is a beautiful and complex form of art. It’s that artistic appeal that has made me, and likely many others, fall in love with it. Not to mention how incredibly gorgeous every single idol is (just stating the facts). In this article, I’ll be taking a closer look into K-Pop as a genre, but focusing specifically on the works of a few individual groups that I feel I have connected with the most so far.
Elements of K-Pop
I learned quickly that this genre has a very close relationship with visual media. K-Pop music videos are like the Hollywood blockbusters of the music industry. They’re cinematic and fantastical, with complex storylines and cliffhangers that leave you desperately wondering what happens next. Then you have performance videos, which are just as spectacular, from the sets to the fits. Regardless of whether or not the performance is live, every video is masterfully crafted, right down to the camera angles. It’s the colors, the untamed expression and creativity, the symbolism behind every element, the thrill of awaiting the unexpected thing that makes them so incredible. It’s visuals, music, and fantasy all rolled into one. Take TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s electrifying performance from the 2021 Melon Music Awards for example. The nearly ten minute sequence marries two of the group’s most popular tracks, 0X1=LOVESONG and LO$ER=LOVER, into a wintery, emotional storyline, complete with dazzling dance breaks and Taehyun’s gravelly vocals repeatedly stabbing me in the heart as usual. A rather dark ending leaves you wondering what TXT was trying to tell us with this performance.
One of the primary visuals in any K-Pop video is the element of dance. Until I discovered K-Pop, I wasn’t particularly a fan of dance. I admired it but didn’t feel any artistic connection to it. But seeing it in tandem with so many other art forms that I love taught me the beauty of contemporary dance as a form of expression. Dance has an incredible storytelling ability because it is always emotional and always passionate. It plays a huge role in capturing and characterizing the themes buried within the music.
Like the visuals of their videos, the lyrics and content of these songs are a huge source of inspiration for me. Reading the lyrics for K-Pop songs is a rather unique experience, seeing as you need to find English translations for them. Personally, I think it’s fun to listen to the songs and enjoy the music for what it is before diving into the lyrics. The words that make up these songs have always struck me for how raw and real they are. The messages that K-Pop songs convey are good ones. They are ones we need to hear more of. They speak of acceptance and self-love, encouragement to keep moving forward in a difficult world. So many songs also illustrate deeply personal inner feelings and experiences for the artists. When I read the lyrics to my favorite groups’ songs, I find myself understood perfectly by people I’ve never even met before. I can relate to so many feelings expressed within these songs, feelings I didn’t even fully know I had because I’ve never been able to put them into words in the ways that these artists can. It’s an incredibly validating experience. The lyrics are like poetry set to music, so beautifully and thoughtfully woven together, yet still full of emotional truth.
Themes
Like a lot of music, a common theme throughout K-Pop songs is love. But not just romantic love. These idols express a passionate desire for others to love themselves, as well as their own love for their fans and fellow group members. One of my favorite examples of the latter is BTS’ “Friends.” In this emotional duet, members Jimin and V speak of their struggles to get along during the early days of the group. The lyrics of the song relay their story, their scuffles, quirks and how their struggles blossomed into a close friendship. It’s a beautiful love song between two best friends, born a mere month and a half apart, who bonded so deeply that they now refer to each other as soulmates.
The writer in me comes alive at the metaphors constantly woven throughout the lyrics of these songs. Personally, I’m a sucker for a good metaphor, especially ones I can relate to. I think they are particularly beautiful in this context, for they express what we feel in a creative, poetic way. I never would have thought to compare happiness to ice cream the way that TXT does in their song, “Ice Cream.” They’re right though…it’s something everyone wants and sometimes it feels like it just melts away, no matter what you do. Or take BTS’ “Whalien 52”: the entire song is a metaphor centered around the 52-Hertz whale, a single whale that roams the Pacific ocean and whose calls resonate at a frequency of 52 hertz, higher than that of other whales that share its migration pattern. This creature has been dubbed the “loneliest whale in the world” because its calls are too high pitched for them to be heard by other whales. BTS takes this melancholy tale and crafts it into a metaphor for the human feelings of loneliness and the inability to be understood by others. Their lyrics speak of feelings of solidarity and alienation (hence the title “Whalien”) that we all experience at times.
The themes of many K-Pop songs also revolve around the idea of youth and the pains of growing up. This is likely one of the reasons why it resonates so deeply with young people. The songs are relatable because they are written by youth for youth. Idols use their own feelings and experiences as young adults to appeal to others around the world. In Stray Kids’ “Mixtape: Gone Days,” the artists express their frustration at the agonizing pressure and expectations that many youth experience from the older generations. In this song, they urge their seniors to see the world from their perspective, to accept new, original ideas and ways of life. They give a voice to the desire of the younger generation to make the world a better place and learn from the mistakes of the past.
K-Pop serves their fans well with an abundance of content. And one of the beauties of this content is its versatility and diversity. The duality in many of these groups is simply astounding. One minute, they write sweet songs about love and acceptance, creating the most touching, heartfelt videos to go along with them. Then, the next moment they turn around and shock us with the edgiest, most energetic songs and videos, like BTS’ “Not Today” or Stray Kids’ “Thunderous.” Quite a contrast to works like NCT Dream’s optimistic explosion of color, “Hello Future.”
My Perspective
I find it remarkable that something has made such an impact on my life in such a short period of time. K-Pop feels like the manifestation of everything I love as an artist, one of those things that feels like it was meant just for me. Perhaps I connected instantly because I found music, one of the things I love most in this world, coupled so beautifully with the other artforms that I love. These groups embody those things about me that I can’t put into words, those emotions that I feel and can’t express.
To me, there is one word that truly sums it all up… magic. These artists always find new ways to surprise us, to create something new, fresh, and extravagant in their music and performances. Just when you think a performance can’t be topped… that’s exactly what they come out and do. The beauty of this genre is that it’s both fantastical and realistic at the same time. You have to admit… there is something quite magical about watching Jungkook fly as he serenades an audience with “Euphoria” during BTS’ Love Yourself tour (I bet the videos, stunning as they are, don’t even do it justice).
I was introduced to K-Pop at the perfect time in my life. It added comfort and color to one of the most uncertain summers I’ve yet experienced, got me through several tough transitions, helped me connect with new people. It reminds me to be kind to myself, but to still push my own limits. It inspires me everyday in so many aspects of life and it brings out the artist in me. It’s a reminder of my love for music, for visual media, for words. And, when all else fails, it’s there to make me smile and give me a pick-me-up when I need it.
My love for this genre has grown since the summer, introducing me to so many new artists and groups along the way. But BTS is, and always will be, my first love in the realm of K-Pop. They never cease to impress me, not only through their incredible work, but also through their actions and personalities. Rarely do seven young men have so much power and influence in this world. And it’s even rarer to see them using it to spread a message of love and acceptance, of others and of ourselves. This is probably the thing I admire most about them. They’ve stolen my heart, just as they have so many millions of others’ and remind me of so many important lessons just by being who they are and sharing their music with the world:
They remind me that it’s ok to have bad days. Even when I don’t love myself, there is always someone out there who does (Magic Shop).
They remind me that I’m not the only one who feels lost sometimes (Lost).
They remind me to stop and appreciate the little things sometimes (Paradise).
They remind me not to worry so much and to live in the moment (So What).
They remind me that every day is a chance to start over (Zero O’Clock).
They remind me that I need not be afraid to spread my wings and fly (Outro: Wings).
I’m sure I could ramble on about K-Pop for another couple of pages but if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this: it is that music and art know no boundaries – not even language barriers. And I hope this gives you a little encouragement to try something new. Like I’ve learned, inspiration can come from the very place where you least expect it.
It starts with a cough —this album starts with a cough. It may not seem like much but, to any first-time listener, it’s a very real indicator of humanity, of sickness, of anxiety, all emanating from a boy from Grayshott, along the border of Hampshire and Surrey, England, with a way with words and an ear for jazz, hip-hop, soul, and bedroom electronica like no other. I came across Alexander O’Connor, better known by his stage name “Rex Orange County,” and his gorgeous voice during my first listen to Tyler, the Creator’s 2017 masterpiece Flower Boy, his vocals featured on the very first song “Foreword.” Immediately, I was hooked by his youthful sound and adolescent twinge and I quickly rushed to his Spotify profile to check out what else he had released. From there, songs like “Sunflower,” with a brilliantly warm music video to match, and “Best Friend,” which makes me cherish the love one person can share for another, played on a consistent loop in my head for weeks on end. But, it isn’t until now, sitting here at my desk during quarantine, that I am deciding to dive into one of Rex’s full-length albums, his debut album, Bcos U Will Never B Free. In hindsight, I don’t know why it has taken me this long. I should have done this a lot sooner.
Interestingly enough, Bcos U Will Never B Free was a self-released project Rex created in his bedroom, sitting on the floor with nothing but a guitar, a keyboard, and some basic recording equipment. Take the first song “Rex (Intro)” for example, as it perfectly combines these three aspects into a brilliant opening track. As Rex clears his throat before putting his mouth closer to the mic, the smooth ebb and flow of a keyboard slips in just below his voice, as he sings, “How you been? / Have you told your mother about me? / I heard you’ve been away to discover yourself with something… / Did I mention that you’re still on my mind, still that lonely guy, low yet high, don’t know why.” Clearly, from the get-go, Rex is dealing with something, more importantly, dealing with someone. A situation that has not entirely been resolved, all clouded by one very powerful force: love. Already, I can tell this is going to be a very prevalent theme across the remainder of the album.
The next song, “Paradise,” must make use of that recording equipment Rex has because I can hear two things right off the bat: a steady drum beat in the background and a xylophone. He sounds happier here, and funny enough, I think I have figured out why. This song is everything he wishes could happen between him and his significant other — his ultimate dream of a love-filled paradise. Throughout the track, he manages to create his own harmonization section and split his voice into a smattering of rich falsettos and falling countertenors, all while delivering the vocals using a style I can describe in no better way than “sing-talking.” As “Paradise” ends abruptly, the listener begins “Belly (Grass Stains),” a much more somber track, showing Rex in pursuit of the girl he loves, while at the same time questioning if “she was ever even [his].” There is an extremely subtle bass line in the background which, more or less, remains subdued by an ambient layer of synths, constantly popping up through the song’s four-and-a-half minute runtime.
Already, I’m in awe. By listening to just three songs off of Bcos, the range that Rex demonstrates is surreal. The songs shift from slow-paced to upbeat, and he successfully keeps the listener interested through authentic, metaphorical lyrics that evoke warm feelings of comfort and child-like nostalgia. Much of what I have listened to so far has the same sense of euphoria one feels when thinking back to their childhood, remembering all those silly things we did as kids that, now as adults, we no longer cherish. Yet, other parts capture an existential sadness, one that can’t be put into words, typical of our teenage years when we yearn for love that may not always be reciprocated. Pardon me for going out of order but, “A Song About Being Sad” tells of Rex’s experience placing a girl he loved on a pedestal only to find out that she wasn’t the person he thought she was. He details the expectations he had while with her, as well as the lessons he learned from falling out of love with her. He gets it. That’s why I love him so much. His lyricism, be it simplistic, is honest and extremely relatable. It’s clear that he was a lovestruck teenager once and, even now in his early twenties, it’s even more clear that he understood that phase of his life well. Like really, really well.
One of the music videos for the album, paired with the song, “Japan,” shows Rex sitting in a grassy outcrop while another person, most likely a friend, shaves his head. As he stares at the camera, he tells the story of losing a girl, likely the same one he has spent much of Bcos pursuing. He doesn’t seem angry, he doesn’t try to intimidate, and his body language feels welcoming. His silly expressions give him a youthful glow that feels so inviting and friendly. Scenes of him popping out from behind evergreen trees with a mischievous smirk across his face show his humor and kind spirit, both attributes of his that come directly across in the songs he sings. Personally, I am a huge Rex Orange County fan and cannot wait to see what other sunny ballads and personable admittances he will release in the future. Being a legal adult who still feels very much like a teenager, I am honored to have found a musical artist as understanding as Rex. I’ll say it again and again and again: he gets it — I’ll always love him for that.
It’s pretty ironic that I’m a Harry Styles fan. One Direction skyrocketed to the top of the music industry when I was only eleven years old. I had previously decided that I despised teen sensation Justin Bieber, so hostility toward One Direction only felt natural. Looking back, it definitely had something to do with proving to my peers that I wasn’t “girly”, but regardless I spent 2010-2013 as a big time 1D hater. Flashforward seven years, I’m nearly twenty-one years old and Harry Styles and One Direction are two of my most listened to artists of all time. Harry has always been my favorite of the five boys; I thought he had serious potential as a solo artist, and of course I’m totally in love with him. How could you not be?
Harry’s debut solo album proved what I had already suspected. He’s more than just a good looking boy band member. He’s a talented, genre-defying songwriter with a unique way of painting a picture for his listeners. Both Harry Styles and his sophomore album Fine Line demonstrate effortless jumps between styles from track to track. He also reminds me of flowers and warm rays of sunlight, so you could say Harry’s music brings me to my happy place. To celebrate Harry’s songs and reflect on his spectrum of styles, I ranked my top five favorite Harry Styles (solo) songs below, along with some blurbs about why I love them so much.
#5 Ever Since New York
I’m not sure which emotion it is, but Ever Since New York off of Harry’s self titled album makes me both incredibly emotional and numb at the same time. Is it longing? Regret? Emptiness? Something else entirely? The vague yet heaviness of this song pulls me in every time I listen. His repetitive, “oh, tell me something I don’t already know,” rings as loud as the catchy guitar riffs throughout the song. It’s a song I can listen to on repeat for as long as I want; it never gets old, the feeling just seems to ferment and grow stronger the more I listen. It’s haunting, wistful, and maybe even regretful, all without bringing down the overall mood of the album (that’s From The Dining Tables’ job). Ever Since New York lands at number five on my list for a few reasons. Mainly, I don’t have as much sentimental or personal connection to it compared to the other songs. I simply recognize how good of a song it is.
#4 Woman
Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?
Another off of his debut album, Woman takes on jealousy in a low-key and psychedelic fashion. This song stuck out to me from the first time I listened to the album way back in 2017. It doesn’t sound like any of the other songs on the album, yet fits in so well. It explores the selfish feelings that always bubble up when seeing an ex move on. The lyrics are dramatic and biting, I can hear the pining in Harry’s voice in each verse. One of my favorite parts of the song comes in the last minute or so; the instrumental stretch includes a hypnotizing bass riff paired with intermittent wails from a guitar. The melodic combination of lyrics, instrumentals, and vocal style of Woman are what put it at number four in my list.
#3 Canyon Moon
If Ever Since New York is a song of longing and emptiness, then Canyon Moon is its antithesis. An upbeat tempo and cute lyrics combined with fun whistling beside the guitar strumming never fails to lift my mood while listening to Canyon Moon. I don’t think this song is included in many other Harry Styles fan’s top five lists, but something about this song keeps bringing me back.
Despite how little lyrics there are in this song compared to some of his others, they paint some very clear and specific pictures in my head as I listen. I see a crystal clear night sky filled with stars while someone I care about sits next to me. I see myself and my best friend driving with the windows down in the middle of summer, smiling and singing the words to our favorite songs. I feel Harry’s excitement as he chants, “I’m going, oh, I’m going home,” and it’s intoxicating. I guess I just really like summer and what it brings, and Canyon Moon represents that concept for me.
#2 She
I only needed to get a few seconds into this song before deciding it was a new favorite Harry Styles song of mine. It’s another example of a perfect brew of musical elements that just makes my heart and my ears feel. Especially when looking at the lyrics, which present the tune as a faux-love song. I think we can all agree that “she” is not a physical person, but is rather a metaphor of some sort. I personally think of it as a metaphor for femininity, as Harry regularly defies gender roles through music and fashion and receives criticism for it. Next to it’s lyrical theme, She is a beautiful blend of masterful guitar riffs, strong piano chords, and rhythmic drums. The song builds up in a crescendo throughout the first three minutes or so to burst into a passionate chorus after the bridge. Then we hear over two minutes of instrumentals as the guitar spills out the emotions Harry put into this song. The fact that I got chills multiple times while writing this review is pretty telling, the way She seems to wrap me up in its music is why it comes in as my number two favorite Harry Styles song of all time.
#1 Two Ghosts
At the number one spot is Two Ghosts, a song that has been one of my absolute favorites since it came out in 2017. It’s another example of a guitar part that seems to sing along with Harry, playing into the feeling of mourning the lyrics portray. It’s another song about reflecting on the past, but instead of being hopeful like Canyon Moon or regretful like Ever Since New York, Two Ghosts illustrates mourning and loss. Harry looks at someone he lost and repeatedly reminds himself that things are different at the present. “We’re not who we used to be,” emerges as the theme; coming to terms with the fact that time moves on, and things change whether you want them to or not.
Harry Styles came out at a major transition period in my life; it was the end of my senior year in high school, I lost a lot of close friends and needed to cope with the fact that my two closest friends were moving thousands of miles away from me in the fall. Two Ghosts resonated with me, as it echoed the same feelings of loneliness and dejection I experienced. Don’t worry about me, I pulled through that rut when I got to college, but Two Ghosts still sits as my favorite Harry Styles song, reminding me that both Harry and I can get through anything. Not to mention, he references one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs in the lyrics.
There you have it folks, a brief inquiry into my top five favorite Harry Styles songs. If you’re also a fan of Harry’s music, I hope you agreed with the songs I chose and the analyses I made. If not, or if you have other ideas/songs, send me an email at wvudgm@gmail.com and I’d love to discuss more about Harry’s music! For those of you who may not be familiar with Harry’s music but read anyway, I hope this inspired you to check out his music more thoroughly!
