K-pop, or Korean pop, a genre well-known for its musical catchiness, carefully orchestrated choreographies, flamboyant style, and novelty, has become one of the most popular music genres in the world, boasting over 150 million fans, according to Social Fans Geek.
In the US alone, there were a whopping 9.2 billion streams of K-pop music in 2023, as it overtook China as K-pop’s second biggest market, just behind the country of K-pop’s origin: South Korea.
However, the roots of modern K-pop music, can be traced back to traditionally Black music genres, and Black creatives are still behind some of many K-pop songs of the last decade such as NCT 127’s “Favorite (Vampire)”, and Red Velvet’s “Dumb, Dumb”.
In fact, Seo Taiji and Boys, the first K-pop ‘group’ that was formed in the early 1990s, derived many of its musical themes and artistic identity from Black-influenced music such as jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. The group are generally credited with the creation of modern K-pop, characterised by the combination of Korean and Western music.
Many in the Black community have returned the favour in their support for K-pop music, and various K-pop artists like Anteeniya Bell, a Black-Korean visual artist who notes in an opinion piece that: “I spent my formative adolescent years as a K-Pop fan.”
Nonetheless, Black music’s remarkable influence on the genre has not been as widely celebrated and rewarded in the K-pop industry as perhaps is deserved, to the point that Black creatives like Micah Powell have had to respond, sometimes publicly.
Though other Black creatives like Lil Rod, and Thaddeus Dixon noted that some K-pop labels respect the music they create more than in the US, that respect does not always translate to rewarding opportunities for those behind expanding Black music’s legacy within K-pop.
This, however, has not dimmed the love for K-pop music among upcoming Black creatives like Dnaiyaa Benford, a blossoming K-pop songwriter and topliner who hopes to continue doing what she loves in K-pop songwriting, albeit without so many hurdles to jump over.
She says: “I definitely think people don’t realise just how much we are behind the scenes and always have been. Early in the game, there was only [approximately] 50 to 100 song submissions a month with the big three companies in Korea (SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment). Now there’s over 20,000, I’m sure even more now. That just goes to show how early Black creatives have been in that industry for a very long time.”
She, like many Black creatives, did not originally start in K-pop, but rather transitioned into it: “Being honest, I wasn’t a fan. I had Korean family members, and I was part of a Korean community, so, when I wanted to spice up my sound as I was releasing music as an [K-R&B] artist, Korean just naturally flowed. I already had these Korean aspects in my life, and it was kind of coming from more of a family-oriented standpoint rather than a fan. Once I started making that type of Korean and English music, I had to be seeing people that have already been doing this before me.”
When asked what improvements she hopes to see within the K-pop industry for Black creatives, Benford noted that the answer is more nuanced, as many songwriters across other genres have been through the same struggles.
She says: “K-pop aside, all songwriters across the board have been fighting for compensation for a long time, and still are fighting, and I definitely support that. I think [it’s] just having overall a good team behind you and consistently seeking help. I think there’s a certain release of ego when you’re pursuing this career and realising that this does not just happen to me, this is happening to many other people.”
One good example of this is Tiffany Red, a Grammy-award winning US songwriter, who has penned songs for the likes of Jennifer Hudson and Zendaya.
Red started 100 Percenters, an organisation that helps advocate for proper compensation and fair treatment for creatives within the music industry, particularly among the marginalised.
This came after she went viral in 2020 for an IG post where she pointed out that she was paid only $9,000 dollars by SME in royalties for NCT U’s “Boss”, a K-pop hit, which at the time had amassed over 120 million YouTube views, plus millions of streams on various streaming platforms.
Benford says: “There’s gatekeepers, for sure [but], I honestly think that there’s space for us. I feel like literally the only thing that’s changed in making K-pop is just the language. I think if you love making music, you can make K-pop, especially because now they really want good songs, [and] they want us to write the songs in English. There is space for everyone, and you can really make a name for yourself in this field.”
Rodnae ‘Chikk’ Bell, a multi-platinum K-pop singer-songwriter agrees: “For Black creatives going into the K pop industry, make sure you’re good, because that is what’s going to set you apart. Don’t get so caught up in trying to prove that you’re Black, and you’re worthy. Just be really good, that it’s obvious.”
When asked what case she would make for Black creatives further exploring the world of K-pop music, Benford pointed out that while she is all for it, it really comes down to perspective.
“I encourage it. I think we’ve definitely progressed, [but] depending on who you’re talking to, we might have regressed. I think the world has seen K-pop progress in the last five years, and how big K-pop truly has been, and is becoming.”
“Perception is everything, and really just acknowledging that there may be struggles everywhere you go. I personally prefer to be able to go out and have my daily life, but still do what I love doing.”
“I think with that perception, pursuing music in [South] Korea won’t be a problem. That could be being naive in some people’s minds, but I call it optimism.”