Ballad, Trot, OSTs and More: Get To Know Other Genres Big in Korea

South Korea's vibrant music scene is packed with artists far beyond those in idol groups.

YOUNHA (Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)

What exactly is K-pop? Internationally — and especially in the West — the term has become synonymous with girl groups and boy bands (“idol groups” in K-pop lexicon). But some Korean music industry executives argue that the genre should have a broader definition. “K-pop is less about a specific style and more about a representation of what happens to be hot in Korea,” says Bernie Cho, president of DFSB Kollective, a Seoul-based Korean artist and label services agency. “Right now, similar to the U.S. charts, a wide range of genres in Korea is currently popular and therefore, by default, K-pop.”

Indeed, South Korean popular music encompasses much more than idol groups. The country’s vibrant scene is packed with artists from different genres, many of whom are backed by smaller labels that lack the resources to heavily promote them abroad. In fact, idol K-pop isn’t even the most popular type of music in South Korea ­— more on that below, along with the other major genres that Koreans are listening to these days.

Read the full article on Billboard.