by Valeria Pacheco
Everyone listens to different kinds of music, from Latino music and classic rock, to indie and blues. All kinds of music can bring joy and relaxation; music can even help us focus and it can inspire us.
Pop and rap are top the charts in 2018; artists making waves include Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and plenty more.
But recently, a group called BTS (also known as the Bangtan Boys) has come into the American music industry. BTS is a Korean pop group who have slowly made their way to the top.
Why have they suddenly come up, though? Their sound is spreading worldwide and people definitely have something to say about it.
When K-Pop started coming to the United States, some people were in favor of it, others weren’t.
I talked to my fellow classmates about this issue. I wanted to know: Why do people feel negatively towards K-Pop? Why has it suddenly spread out? Why is it adored? I asked my classmates these questions along with questions about whether they had listened to it and if they could give their opinion on it.
The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) senior Karen Nguyen said she doesn’t listen to it, but would consider listening to it. She had heard some songs playing from her friends.
“It’s just not my thing,” Nguyen — who is a visual artist — said. “I’m not opposed to opening up to it a bit more, though.”
Senior Ramon Ceasar, also a visual artist at ChiArts, said he has listened to it, and in fact, he enjoys it. He said he likes the melody and beat of the genre.
“I like music from different cultures, I like to keep myself open to that,” Ceasar said.
ChiArts senior Mia Buzo (visual arts) said she would assume that the genre is very “poppy.” She said she’d consider listening to it.
“I think people dislike it because of the language barrier. They find it hard to understand,” she said.
People who don’t speak the language might find it frustrating to listen to music with lyrics that they don’t understand.
But when it comes to something new and mainstream, others tend to steer away from this.
This is because the people know that this has become a “trend” and they do not want to fit into social norms, meaning that they think the music is overrated.
Music is subjective, just like everything else. But ChiArts students are ready to try anything, and K-Pop is on the list.
