25.3.27, K-Pop summer: How the UK is (finally) embracing Korean pop

[김상태]

Aespa recently sold out Wembley Arena and will return in June to play the SM Town festival in Twickenham

최근 웸블리 아레나를 매진시킨 에스파가 6월 트위크넘에서 열리는 SM 타운 페스티벌에 다시 돌아옵니다.

Six years ago, Amber Clare was a devoted One Direction fan.

6년 전, 앰버 클레어는 원 디렉션의 열렬한 팬이었습니다.

Scrolling through Twitter for information about the band's solo projects, she saw a reply that said "Listen to Icy by Itzy".

밴드의 솔로 프로젝트에 대한 정보를 찾기 위해 트위터를 스크롤하던 중 "Itzy의 Icy를 들어보세요"라는 답글을 보게 되었습니다.

Intrigued, she clicked on the link. It changed her life.

호기심이 발동한 그녀는 링크를 클릭했습니다. 그 순간 그녀의 인생이 바뀌었습니다.

"I'd never listened to K-Pop before that point but I immediately became a fan," she says.

"그것을 듣기 전에는 케이팝을 들어본 적이 없었는데, 그 즉시 팬이 되었습니다."라고 그녀는 말합니다.

"And now Itzy is the reason I have my job."

"지금은 잇지 덕분에 제 직업이 있죠."

Today, Clare is the marketing and social media manager for K-Stars, the UK's first and biggest shop devoted to Korean pop music.

현재 클레어는 영국 최초이자 최대 규모의 한국 대중음악 전문 매장인 K-Stars의 마케팅 및 소셜 미디어 매니저로 일하고 있습니다.

Based in Manchester, it started as a small business in Manchester's Affleck's Palace in 2019.

맨체스터에 본사를 둔 이 매장은 2019년 맨체스터의 애플렉 궁전에서 소규모로 시작되었습니다.

"You'd order things by PayPal, and then the CEO would pack them up by himself and ship everything out," Clare recalls.

"페이팔로 물건을 주문하면 대표가 직접 포장해서 배송하는 방식이었죠."라고 클레어는 회상합니다.

Now it's a two-storey emporium, based on Deansgate, with a staff of more than 20 dedicated K-Pop enthusiasts.

지금은 딘스게이트에 위치한 2층 규모의 매장으로, 20명 이상의 K-Pop 애호가들로 구성된 직원이 근무하고 있습니다.

It's a sign of how the genre has exploded in the UK, even though radio and television has largely shunned all but the biggest acts, like BTS, aespa and Blackpink.

라디오와 텔레비전이 방탄소년단, 에스파와 블랙핑크 같은 대형 가수들을 제외한 모든 가수들을 외면했음에도 불구하고 영국에서 이 장르가 폭발적으로 성장했다는 것을 보여주는 증거입니다.

"It's still kind of a niche - but it's not a small niche," says Clare. "In my head I'm the only Itzy fan, but when I went to see them in concert, it was sold out.

"아직은 틈새 시장이지만 결코 작은 틈새 시장은 아닙니다."라고 클레어는 말합니다.  "제 머릿속에는 제가 유일한 잇지 팬이라고 생각했는데, 막상 공연을 보러 갔더니 매진이었어요.

"I was like, 'Wow, where have all you people been hiding?'"

나는 '와, 다들 어디 숨어 있었나' 싶었죠.“

In fact, the UK is now among the top 10 countries that follow K-Pop on Spotify, with the boyband Ateez placing two records in the top five of the UK album charts last year.

실제로 영국은 지난해 영국 앨범 차트 톱 5에 걸그룹 에이티즈가 두 장의 음반을 올리는 등 현재 Spotify에서 K팝을 가장 많이 듣는 상위 10개 국가 중 하나입니다.

This summer, Blackpink will play two nights at Wembley Stadium, with Stray Kids pulling off the same feat in Tottenham.

올 여름, 블랙핑크는 웸블리 스타디움에서 이틀 밤 공연을 펼치며 스트레이 키즈는 토트넘에서 같은 위업을 달성할 예정입니다.

Meanwhile, Twickenham Stadium will say "anyong haseyo" to one of K-pop's longest-running festivals.

한편, 트윅컴 스타디움은 케이팝의 최장수 축제 중 하나인 '안녕하세요'를 맞이할 예정입니다.

사진2

K-Pop artists tend to be prolific. Itzy have released 80 songs since their debut in 2019

케이팝 아티스트들은 다작을 하는 경향이 있습니다. 2019년 데뷔 이후 80곡을 발표한 잇지(Itzy)

Established in 2008, the SM Town Live festival is a showcase for artists signed to the SM Entertainment Label, one of the industry's key players.

2008년에 시작된 SM타운 라이브 페스티벌은 업계의 핵심 플레이어 중 하나인 SM엔터테인먼트 레이블에 계약한 아티스트들의 쇼케이스입니다.

To celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary, they're transplanting the event from Seoul to Middlesex.

올해는 창립 30주년을 기념하기 위해 서울에서 미들섹스 지역으로 개최지를 옮겼습니다.

"It's essentially a multi-day festival all in one, because you've got so many artists all at the same venue, jam packed into the space of three or four hours," says Reese Carter, of boyband Dear Alice, who'll be among the performers in Twickenham.

"그것은 서너 시간 동안 많은 아티스트들이 한 장소에 모여 있기 때문에 사실상 여러 날에 걸친 축제라고 할 수 있습니다."라고 트윅컴의 공연자 중 한 명인 보이밴드 디어 앨리스의 리즈 카터는 말합니다.

"It's non-stop. You've got to prep yourself, because you'll definitely want to dance."

"논스톱입니다. 분명 춤을 추고 싶을 테니 준비해야 합니다.“

"It's very down to earth but it goes straight to your heart," adds Ten from K-Pop group WayV.

케이팝 그룹 WayV의 텐은 "매우 현실적이면서도 가슴에 와 닿는 음악"이라고 덧붙입니다.

Targeting the UK

SM holds a unique place in Korea's musical history. Founded in 1995 by Lee Soo-man, it is widely credited with establishing the K-Pop template.

SM은 한국 음악사에서 독특한 위치를 차지하고 있습니다. 1995년 이수만이 설립한 이 회사는 K-Pop의 틀을 확립한 것으로 널리 알려져 있습니다.

It was the first company to introduce the trainee system, where young talent goes through intensive training that lasts months, or even years, before making their "debut".

이 회사는 젊은 인재들이 수개월 또는 수년에 걸친 집중적인 트레이닝을 거쳐 '데뷔'하는 연습생 제도를 최초로 도입한 회사입니다.

And it dominated what's known as the "first generation" of K-Pop idols, with bands like H.O.T. and S.E.S.

또한 H.O.T., S.E.S. 같은 밴드와 함께 K-Pop 아이돌의 '1세대'를 지배했습니다.

The Twickenham show will pay tribute to that three-decade journey, with a line-up that includes everyone from Red Velvet, EXO and Girl's Generation to current chart-toppers like aespa, Riize and all of the sub-units of boyband NCT - which boasts more than 20 members.

트위크넘 공연은 레드벨벳, 엑소, 소녀시대부터 현재 차트 1위를 달리고 있는 에이스파, 라이즈, 20명이 넘는 멤버를 자랑하는 보이밴드 NCT의 모든 하위 유닛까지 모두 포함된 라인업으로 지난 30년간의 여정에 경의를 표할 예정입니다.

"That's very rare," says Ten, one of the group's most recognisable (and chatty) stars.

"매우 드문 일입니다."라고 이 그룹에서 가장 인지도가 높고 수다스러운 스타 중 한 명인 텐은 말합니다.

"The last time we had an NCT concert as a whole was two years ago. It's so difficult to schedule every group to be in the same spot at the same time."

"NCT 전체가 마지막으로 콘서트를 한 것이 2년 전이었어요. 모든 멤버가 같은 시간에 같은 장소에 모이도록 일정을 잡는다는 것은 정말 어려운 일입니다."

But that's not all. The concert will also feature what's been billed as "a group of promising trainees", known for now as SMTR25 – showcasing the future of the label.

"Performing alongside the senior artists we've admired since our trainee days, as well as our talented junior artists, makes this an incredibly meaningful experience for us," said aespa in an email to the BBC.

The hope is that shows like this will open a few doors - because, for all the strides K-Pop has made in the last couple of years, bands have consistently prioritised America over Europe.

It's a logical step. The US is the world's biggest music market, so it offers more opportunities for touring and merchandise sales, while an MTV Award performance or a concert for NPR's Tiny Desk series travels further internationally than an appearance at the Brit Awards.

"The situation here isn't as good as what the American industry gets," acknowledges Amber Clare.

"Every single K-Pop group, if they announce a world tour, America will always be on the map - but European countries are always left wondering if they're going to be included or not."

Things are changing, though.

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WayV are one of six "sub-units" of the band NCT, who predominantly sing in Chinese - another important market for K-Pop

In a crowded market, labels are increasingly turning their attention to the UK – where the anglophone media has international reach, and there's a baked-in affection for boy and girl groups like Take That, Spice Girls, Girls Aloud and Little Mix.

To make inroads, bands have teamed up with some of Britain's biggest artists.

Aespa's 2023 single Better Things was co-written by Raye, while Le Sserafim collaborated with PinkPantheress on club anthem Crazy and with Jungle on their latest song, Come Over.

Last year, SM went one further – creating a British boyband and putting them through the K-Pop machinery.

That group was Dear Alice, whose gruelling traineeship was documented in BBC series Made In Korea.

Having survived the process, the five-piece finally premiered their debut single, Ariana, at a massive SM Town concert in Seoul in January.

"These shows are timed down to the second," says singer Blaise Noon. "When we got our time to go on stage, it was literally like, 8:30 and 48 seconds. It just shows how so well thought out is."

Bringing the production to London is evidence that SM has its sights trained on the UK, he confirm‎s.

"In the UK, we produce some really amazing boy groups, so I think we have that connection in the culture. So I think they definitely want to hit it. I can see it getting bigger and bigger every day."

Ten, who releases a new solo album, Stunner, next week, says he's already experienced the devotion of UK fans.

When his group WayV last visited England in 2023, "we were surprised that people could sing along to our songs, because we sing in Chinese", he says.

"This opportunity with SM Town, I feel like it's going to open a bigger market for K-Pop in the UK.

"I hope so, because I'd like to come and perform my solo stuff to my UK fans too."

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Dear Alice - stylised as dearALICE - are the first British band to be taken under the wing of K-Pop label SM Entertainment

The opportunity is there.

Nine of the 10 best-selling albums in the world last year were by South Korean artists, illustrating the music's broad appeal - but none of those records charted in the UK’s Top 50.

Lack of radio exposure is one factor - but listeners can also be put off by clunky English lyrics or the sudden-but-deliberate stylistic shifts that characterise K-Pop.

If you're willing to dig into the genre, though, you can find some of the most audacious and indelible hooks music has to offer.

One by-product of K-pop’s (relative) obscurity is the bond it creates among fans. There's a sense of belonging that comes from discovering and nurturing your "bias", outside the glare of the mainstream.

It’s a relationship bands foster by a fire hose stream of social media content, where dance challenges, video diaries and photoshoots are posted daily.

Dear Alice experienced the impact of that effort at a UK meet-and-greet last weekend.

"It felt like we were hanging out with a bunch of our mates," says Dexter Greenwood.

"They were just cool people," adds James Sharp. "We're starting to recognise faces and remember people on this journey - and I think there's going to be more and more."

By the time they play Twickenham in June, the group promise to have more new music to showcase.

In the meantime, though, they want to introduce their labelmates to some of the UK's finer customs.

"We've got to order a bunch of Greggs for the SM family," says Noon.

"A whole banquet of sausage rolls."

[울산자전거]

Aespa recently sold out Wembley Arena and will return in June to play the SM Town festival in Twickenham

최근 웸블리 아레나를 매진시킨 에스파가 6월 트위크넘에서 열리는 SM 타운 페스티벌에 다시 돌아옵니다.

[울산자전거]

Six years ago, Amber Clare was a devoted One Direction fan.

6년 전, 앰버 클레어는 원 디렉션의 열렬한 팬이었습니다.

[울산자전거]

"And now Itzy is the reason I have my job."

그리고 이제 Itzy가 제가 직업을 가질 수 있는 이유입니다."