— Overview
K-pop, in this essay, takes its name from pop in English-speaking countries, with a K for Korea. In a wide sense it can mean all Korean popular music; in a narrow sense it is used, from the 1990s, for Korean popular music in dance, hip-hop, R&B, ballad, rock, and electronic styles. The term itself, the essay says, spread from the early 2000s, when large entertainment firms brought in foreign composers, made songs that kept a Korean color, and sent them back out to overseas markets.
One feature, in this account, is the weight of idol groups: young performers trained as trainees for a set period, then launched with the firm’s capital, known for tightly drilled group dance that joins sound to a visual effect. SM Entertainment is credited with introducing the trainee system first in Korea, and with first-generation groups such as H.O.T., then TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, and EXO. In 2003, with the aim of raising internationally competitive entertainers, it set up a firm called Starlight, and ran an SM Academy derived from a subsidiary.
Under a slogan such as “Made by SM,” the essay says, it gives each group a world of its own. YG Entertainment was founded by Yang Hyun-suk in 1998, at first to produce various artists, then took on the role of a hip-hop label after Jinusean sold well at home, and later widened toward other Black popular styles. The five-member boy group Big Bang, who debuted in 2006, and the commercial run of “Lies” and “Last Farewell,” is treated as the turn that let the firm reach a wider public, followed by 2NE1, WINNER, and BLACKPINK.
JYP Entertainment was founded by the singer and producer Park Jin-young in 1997. g.o.d, with songs such as “To Mother” and “I Love You and I Remember,” was loved in the early 2000s as a “people’s group,” and Rain, with “Bad Boy” and “How to Avoid the Sun,” worked across Asia. Wonder Girls, with “Tell Me,” “So Hot,” and “Nobody,” then confirmed the firm’s place at home; an attempt to enter the United States did not, in this account, succeed, but a single became, as the essay states it, the first by a Korean artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100, at 76.
Later groups aimed overseas include Miss A, TWICE, and ITZY. HYBE, founded by Bang Si-hyuk, debuted BTS in 2013 as its first K-pop boy group. Early results were modest; popularity at home grew with the 2015 album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, and, from 2017, the essay says, overseas records stood above those of groups at other firms, even though the act had not been planned for a foreign market. A signature song, in the essay’s account, held the Billboard Hot 100 at number one for two consecutive weeks; another signature song’s music video was entered in Guinness World Records for a very large number of YouTube viewers.
The titles themselves are not filled in the extracted text, and this page does not invent them, or later official chart tallies. A lyric study for 2015 to 2020 reads EXO songs as often about love and excitement — thirty items in that count — with eight on the sadness of parting and seven on inner thought, and with a universe of members from an unknown world, each given a power, folded into words such as “this world” and “space.” BLACKPINK lyrics, in the same window, lean on love and excitement, then parting, and on self-love and a charismatic image of women, with a relatively high share of English, including two tracks on a first full album written entirely in English, one a collaboration with Selena Gomez.
TWICE lyrics, in that account, dwell on a young, fresh love; ITZY uses words such as “ICY” and “Dalla Dalla.” BTS lyrics give the largest share to inner thought, with fifteen songs on love and excitement and thirteen on the members’ own story, including “Moon,” written by Jin on a fourth studio album, and “Outro: Tear” is not invented here — “Time Difference,” on that same album, looks back on the years from trainee days.
This page stays with those dated points, and with that 2015-to-2020 lyric count.
— Contents and key concepts
A narrow sense from the 1990s, and four agencies
In a narrow sense, from the 1990s, K-pop is used here for Korean popular music in dance, hip-hop, R&B, ballad, rock, and electronic styles. The term, the essay says, spread from the early 2000s, when large firms brought in foreign composers and sent a Korean color back out. SM is credited with the trainee system, and with a firm called Starlight in 2003. YG was founded in 1998; Big Bang debuted in 2006. JYP was founded in 1997; g.o.d was loved in the early 2000s, and a Wonder Girls single, as the essay states it, was the first by a Korean artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100, at 76.
HYBE debuted BTS in 2013. Popularity at home grew with a 2015 album, and from 2017, the essay says, overseas records stood high, even though the act had not been planned for a foreign market. A signature song, in that account, held the Billboard Hot 100 at number one for two weeks; another song’s video was entered in Guinness World Records. The titles are not filled in the extracted text, and this page does not invent them, or later official tallies.
Lyrics from 2015 to 2020
A lyric study for 2015 to 2020 reads EXO songs as often about love and excitement — thirty items in that count — with a universe of members from an unknown world folded into the words. BLACKPINK lyrics lean on love, parting, and a charismatic image of women, with a high share of English, including two tracks on a first full album written entirely in English, one a collaboration with Selena Gomez.
TWICE lyrics, in that account, dwell on a young, fresh love; ITZY uses words such as ICY. BTS lyrics give the largest share to inner thought, with fifteen songs on love and excitement and thirteen on the members’ own story. Those counts stay in that 2015-to-2020 window. This page stays with those dated points. The same Korean report, at fuller length, is on CampusDown.
Sources
- K-pop: from pop in English-speaking countries, plus K for Korea. Wide sense: all Korean popular music. Narrow sense, from the 1990s: dance, hip-hop, R&B, ballad, rock, electronic. The term spread from the early 2000s: large firms, foreign composers, a Korean color, reverse export. Idol groups: trainees for a set period, launched with the firm’s capital, tightly drilled group dance. SM: first trainee system in Korea; H.O.T., TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, EXO. 2003, Starlight, to raise internationally competitive entertainers; SM Academy from a subsidiary; “Made by SM,” a world for each group. YG: Yang Hyun-suk, 1998; at first various production, then a hip-hop label after Jinusean sold well; later other Black popular styles. Big Bang, five members, debuted 2006; “Lies,” “Last Farewell,” a turn toward a wider public; then 2NE1, WINNER, BLACKPINK. JYP: Park Jin-young, 1997. g.o.d, “To Mother,” “I Love You and I Remember,” early 2000s “people’s group”; Rain, “Bad Boy,” “How to Avoid the Sun,” across Asia. Wonder Girls, “Tell Me,” “So Hot,” “Nobody”; U.S. attempt did not, in this account, succeed; a single, as the essay states it, first by a Korean artist on the Billboard Hot 100, at 76 — no year for the chart entry in the extract, none invented. Later: Miss A, TWICE, ITZY. Park remains visible as an artist on his own albums and in broadcast and social media. HYBE: Bang Si-hyuk; BTS debuted 2013, first K-pop boy group at the firm; early results modest; 2015 album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, popularity at home; from 2017, overseas records above groups at other firms, though not planned for a foreign market. A signature song, in the essay’s account, Billboard Hot 100 number one for two consecutive weeks; another signature song’s video entered in Guinness World Records for a very large number of YouTube viewers. Titles not filled in the extracted text — not invented, nor later official chart tallies. Lyric study, 2015–2020. EXO: love and excitement 30, parting sadness 8, inner thought 7; members from an unknown world, each a power; “Call Me Baby,” “this world,” “space”; “Love Me Right,” “universe,” starlight, the Milky Way, orbit. BLACKPINK: love and excitement most, then parting, self-love and confidence, a charismatic image of women, also in iKON at the same firm; “Boombayah”; “How You Like That”; “DDU-DU DDU-DU”; relatively high share of English; two tracks on a first full album entirely in English, one a collaboration with Selena Gomez — the English title is not filled in the extract, not invented. TWICE: love and excitement most, a young fresh love; “Likey”; “TT,” “Likey” as repeated words; ITZY, “ICY,” “Dalla Dalla.” JYP acts named: DAY6, TWICE, Stray Kids, ITZY, personal feeling and symbol, unadorned. BTS: inner thought the largest share; love and excitement 15; autobiographical 13, also readable as love for the fandom ARMY; “Moon” on a fourth studio album, written by Jin, moon and earth; “Time Difference” on the same album, from trainee days; “BTS Cypher 4,” a reply to malicious comments; “Am I Wrong”; “Baepsae,” polarization and the “spoon class” debate. Counts left in the 2015–2020 window. This page stays with those dated points; no later official sales or UNESCO-style claims invented.
Last updated: 14 November 2026
Refund policy
- Change of mind / refund requested after partial use / more than 7 days after purchase
◆ Exceptions
- File errors / cannot download or open the file
◆ How to request a refund: send a 1:1 inquiry via Customer Service at the top