MUSIC: EVERYBODY'S LANGUAGE

  "Music happens to be an art form that transcends language." 

                                                                   - Herbie Hancock

     
     "Music is the universal language of mankind." 

                          - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

   "Music is a great energizer.  It's a language everybody knows."

                                                                              - Bill Hicks

I totally agree with these quotations.  Music is a universal language.  It doesn't matter if you understand the lyrics of a song or not, what is important is that you enjoyed the music.  This is what happens to a Korean song "Gangnam Style".  

Only the Koreans understand what the song says but everybody loves it. They love it in Europe.  It won Best Video in this year's 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards.  The whole world loves it.  As of this date, it is the number one most watched and the most liked music video in YouTube.  The success of this Korean song only proves that music is truly an art that transcends language.

K-POP: A BRIEF DESCRIPTION

What is K-pop?  K-pop is an abbreviation of Korean pop or Korean popular music.

K-pop or Kpop is a musical genre that consists of South Korean dance and music which is usually pop, hip hop and R & B.

It is one of the three forms of media that defines Hallyu or The Korean Wave which refers to the rising international popularity and visibility of the Korean entertainment, and of the increase of interest in the Korean culture.

K-pop became accessible to the international audience when Korean entertainment companies spread K-pop music videos via Facebook fan pages and YouTube.

K-pop not just consists of music and dance that originated in South Korea; it also includes South Korean fashion and style made popular by Korean idols which have the most following among K-pop lovers.  

Korean idols refer to female groups and male groups, and solo artists who are mostly teenagers and young adults.  They're usually idolized by the younger audience. But now, not only do they appeal to the youth but also to the adult music lovers as well.

Even though K-pop songs are in the Korean language (with a little bit of English) and could not be understood by non-Korean speakers, K-pop lovers love them for their upbeat melodies and beats accompanied by awesome music videos that always showcase the K-pop artists' unique and stylish dance choreography. Majority of K-pop music videos are wholesome and are safe for kids' viewing.

The charm of K-pop songs and music videos could not be underestimated since most of these videos are always on the top ten on the weekly charts in the different music channels in Asia.  Many of these music videos even peaked at the number one spot oftentimes pushing downwards the usual chart toppers such as Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and recently One Direction. 

Some people considers K-pop as a fad. Whether K-pop is a fad or not doesn't matter anymore. The fact is, music is a universal language that knows no language and boundaries.