‘Op op op oppa gangnam style ‘ kept singing nonstop in my head. Soon enough, the loud yet catchy beat began to fill the background. My friends and I exchanged glances and looked around the restaurant to find many people around us cracking a smile, also recognizing the tune. Without speaking a word, we knew we were all thinking the same. It was just the previous night that I, a Chinese girl, had linked my non-Korean friends to a Korean music video that went viral.
As a typical Korean-pop fan, I had long awaited for this particular music video to come out. Familiar with the nature of the artist, Psy, I knew he would produce something jocular and witty. Upon seeing it, I knew my friends would like it too. Soon after its release, many American celebrities tweeted and shared their interest in the video. Check out Psy’s Gangnam Style yourself.
I had begun listening to K-pop music since middle school, when my Chinese friend first introduced me to the culture. Almost immediately, I gained interest, and I filled my iPod with discographies of my favorite Korean bands. Without realizing, I had immersed myself into the sea of Korean-media fans. I started to watch Korean films and dramas; I felt almost accustomed to their language. Don’t get me started on their food because I can go on and on. In short, I occasionally find myself craving kimchi or bulgogi, and the best places to find Korean food are either at Korean Town (32nd St and 6th Ave) or at Flushing. I have not yet tried the Korean food vendor outside of the Vertical Campus building, but from the rich aroma escaping the cart as I pass by everyday, I just know it will be good.
This is why I love staying in the city. New York City is amazingly and conveniently diverse.
I like how you talk about becoming part of a media culture. I had the same experience in high school. Although I am of eastern european dissent, nearly all of my closest high school friends where Asian. My interest, or should I say obsession, with k-pop and k-dramas began when my friend showed me Jay Park’s Abandoned music video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmPMZlsDlVY). I loved it so much that I spent all night watching every YouTube video I could find relating to that song. My friends soon introduced me to k-dramas, which introduced me to more Korean bands and the cycle just continued. Just listening to music and watching dramas got me interested in all of Korean culture–food, language, customs. I found myself even trying to learn Korean and planning to study abroad in Seoul. Since high school ended, however, I’ve found in hard to keep up with my interests but maybe some day I’ll re-emerse myself in as you describe it, a “sea of Korean-media fans.”
Like you and many others, I had a k-pop phase that eventually phased out. But like many others, a glimpse of k-pop comes back to haunt us with this surprisingly catching tune known as Gangnam Style. Many of the people who listen to this don’t speak or understand any korean and generally see it as a funny video. But if you know the lyrics, it really does say a lot about the Style that is in the Gangnam area. For instance, I find it funny when he mentions how girls are willing to pay more for coffee than lunch. I find that songs like are both funny and important to exposing varying ideas to the audience while providing a unique source of entertainment.
I recently got into K-pop so I can relate to that interest you had back in middle school. Of course I don’t understand what they are saying, but the songs are really catchy and now Gangnam Style is stuck in my head again. It’s insane how popular that video got in the past couple of months, but I guess with a catchy tune and a funny music video, everyone, including American celebrities can get a listen of a new culture.
When i first saw Gangnam Style on YouTube, I thought this Korean music video by PSY was just a parody of Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E6J9LNe6LI) because they are similar in so many ways. Since I don’t speak Korean, I did some research on this viral music video over the Internet, and surprisingly, Gangnam Style introduced me to a new lifestyle, a rich and seemingly absurd one. But guess what? I loved it.
Looks like this will be my semester to learn a little about K Pop!