The Use of English in Kpop
In the last few years, Kpop has gained a huge western audience. A common trend in the Kpop groups that become widely known, not just in Korea, but internationally, is English. Most Kpop groups will have English names that help them connect with international audiences, not just Korean audiences. Another common aspect found in Kpop groups is the use of English stage names, which would help connect the members to international audiences by making their names easier to pronounce for international audiences. Something that connects international fans to the music is the use of English in songs, not just in the lyrics but the titles too. Kpop has not only spread Korean music, but also the Korean language as many people are starting to take classes on the language. The inclusion of English in Kpop spread the Korean language and culture to international audiences..
A common theme in the Kpop industry is the use of English for group names. Most groups will have names that will translate to Korean when written, but for the most part they almost always use the English version of the name. Groups hardly ever use the Korean version of their name, even when performing in South Korea. When they introduce themselves it’s almost always a combination of English and Korean. Groups introduce themselves with a short phrase that is in English and then goes onto introducing themselves in Korean. The use of English in their greeting allows for Western audience to get to know the group more. It allows Western audiences to understand their group concept and helps introduce them to the group with the use of a common language. With group names, most will opt out of using Korean names and use English names. For instance, BTS in Korean is Bangtan Sonyeondan, but they are known globally by BTS. If BTS had not shorten their name to BTS, International audiences would be turned off by a name that sounds foreign to them. By having English group names, it allows groups to reach wider audiences. Many International audiences are turned off by the foreign nature of Kpop. Many have not listened to songs in other languages, especially Asian languages (Chun). By using English, the Kpop industry is letting International audiences know that there is something that will be familiar. Groups will not only change their group names, but will also have stage names that are in English.
Many performers have stage names, but not all stage names are in a completely different language. Kpop performers often have names in English that are easier to pronounce than their actual Korean name. Performers with names in English help spread the groups popularity to a International audience by allowing the International audience a name that sounds familiar and easy to say. "It is thus unsurprising that this highly mobile genre is tugged by disparate language norms. While marketed as distinctly 'local' to South Korea, with most songs performed in Korean, it also displays a salient 'global' orientation(Chun)". As group members play a big part in the groups appeal, international fans might be turned off by some members if they can not pronounce their names. Suho from the group Exo is an example of this. His real name is Kim Junmyeon. His actual name is foreign looking and sounding, and this might cause many international fans to be turned away from getting into the group. This could cause problems for the group's overall popularity internationally. But if they use English stage names, it opens a door for International audiences to be able to communicate with their favorite Kpop idols. Another way International fans can connect the with Kpop groups is the use of English in song titles.
Kpop songs almost always have a title that is in English. The songs that have titles in Korean usually are followed by a translated title. This is not always the case for songs that have an English title. Songs like, for example, "Hi High" by Loona have no Korean translation. Songs that have no Korean title are introduced in English even on Korean music shows. But, this allows an exchange of languages. It allows for Korean fans to use and learn English, and it also allows for International fans to be able to access to the songs. It makes it more accessible to International radios by having a title that is in English, and allows for listeners to request songs 0n the radio. Also by having an English title, if it plays on the radio it can attract new fans and create opportunities for the band itself (Wolfson). A Kpop song that is getting played on the radio very often these days is "Fake Love" by BTS. If that title was in Korean, it would not get played on International radios because there would be a language barrier that most people are afraid to cross. Another way that English helps attract international fans is by having English lyrics.
All title tracks songs since the emergence of the first Kpop idol group in the 1990s have had English in them. Before that, the songs were completely in Korean and their music industry was very much kept within the borders of their country. But with the emergence of the first Kpop group, came the want and the need to expand their music industry to reach other countries. With that hunger for a global reach came the use of English as a way to link cultures. The title tracks, which are the singles and the most popular songs from Kpop groups, include English all over the song, but most the most popular spot is the chorus. An example would be from Twice's "Dance the Night Away" where the chorus includes the lyrics "Let’s dance the night away, dance the night away" (Twice). While the chorus is extremely simple, it’s just enough English the Korean speaking people would not have complete trouble with it and that international people would be able to latch onto it. English lyrics do not just come in the chorus, but are sprinkled into the song at various places. "Lyrics peppered with English phrases, the singing style is resolutely syllabic of "western" pop, and dance is an integral element of the performance (Lie)". The English phrases make the songs seem less foreign to International audiences. It gives them something familiar to sing along to. But many Kpop groups have started going out of their way to record all English versions of their songs for their international fans.
In the last three years, some Kpop groups that have a large international fanbase, not just a Korean fanbase, have recorded songs completely in English. One example of a group that has released an English version of is NCT 127 with the release of "Regular (English Version)". NCT 127 is a subgroup of the group NCT. The group NCT itself is made up of people from different nationalities including Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, American, and Canadian. So it’s not surprising that the group released an English version of their title track with the release of their first full length album (Brown). The song, "Regular", opens up with the lyrics "I like shining, you be lyin' I be grindin', you waste time" (NCT 127). This sets the tone of the songs and lets the person listening to the song know what the song is about. It also lets the fans know that this version will be almost to completely in English. Because NCT is so multinational, they have released many songs in other languages not just in Korean. But for groups without any foreign members, it can be surprising when they release an English version of a song. For example, the group Red Velvet released an English version of the song "Bad Boy". They released the Korean version earlier in the year, but released the English version a couple of months ago. While originally the lyric was in Korean, the lyric "Put you 'round my finger, imma tell you what you wanna hear running through your mind, get you hooked I’ll have you shedding tears"(Red Velvet). The lyric in English lets listeners understand what the true meaning of the song is and how Red Velvet are truly trying to say with this song. Groups making songs in completely in English shows how much they want to reach out to their international fans and help make them feel included. These groups put their best efforts into a song in a complexly different and unknown language for international fans to understand and enjoy. But not only are groups making songs in English, many fans are learning Korean.
With the rise of Kpop coming in the mid to late 2000s, a rise of people taking Korean classes has emerged. Many more college students are taking Korean classes. "The Modern Language Assn. reported that Korean language enrollment rose 45% from 2009 to 2013 (Gordon)". Around the year 2009, groups like Big Bang and Girl's Generation were starting to gain an international audience. Many listeners wanted to know what they were saying, so they started learning how to read, write, speak, and understand Korean. This is still something that happens today when people start listening to Kpop. With people taking Korean classes, it shows the true impact of Kpop worldwide.
The Kpop industry uses English to reach an international audience. Groups use English name to help fans connect with them. Idols use English names so it’s easier to connect to their favorite idol and boast the group’s popularity. They use English for their song title and pepper English all throughout their songs. Kpop has truly integrated into Western culture with the inclusion of groups at award shows and having articles written about them. Kpop will hopefully be the start to people getting interested and wanting to learn about other cultures.
Work Cited
Brown, August. "NCT 127 is Leading the Next Generation of K-Pop."ProQuest, May 16, 2018, https://search.proquest.com/docview/2039943512?accountid=66820.
Chun, Elaine W. "How to Drop a Name: Hybridity, Purity, and the K-Pop Fan." Language in Society, vol. 46, no. 1, 2017, pp. 57-76. ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/ 1872760313?accountid=66820, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0047404516000828.
Gordon, Larry. "Korean-language classes are growing in popularity at U.S. colleges." LA Times, April, 2015 http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-korean-language-20150401- story.html
Lie, John. "What is the K in K-Pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity." Korea Observer, vol. 43, no. 3, 2012, pp. 339-363. ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/ 1268147490?accountid=66820.
NCT 127. "Regular." Regular-Irregular, SM Entertainment, 2018.
Red Velvet. "Bad Boy." Summer Magic, SM Entertainment,2018. Spotify, https:// open.spotify.com/track/78HD9IN4cKE1MMHWeVJPWh?si=Nf8Ba7- cRYCXeeCCNlGnDw.
Twice. "Dance the Night Away." Summer Nights, JYP Entertainment, 2018. Spotify, https:// open.spotify.com/track/5ilOXZ0vqTX69rjRubPivH?si=Y73nDi9DQ26s1QjfqufPIA
Wolfson, Sam. “English Is No Longer the Default Language of American Pop.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 31 May 2018, www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/31/ bts-love-yourself-kpop-us-charts-changing-american-culture-reggaetron.