Youth x K-Pop: “Why do Teenagers Like Listening to

 K-Pop Songs Even if They Can’t Understand the Lyrics?”

Growl - EXO

Na eureureong eureureongeureureongdae
Na eureureong eureureong eureureongdae
Na eureureong eureureong eureureongdae
Neo mulleoseoji aneumyeon dacheodo molla

           These are some parts of lyrics of one Korean song that has gone viral in 2013 and it seemed that it did not go viral in only South Korea but also many countries including Thailand. When I was in high school, I heard this song every single day until I could sing along with it without knowing the meaning of the song. Throughout every year, there must be at least a song from South Korea that goes viral in Thailand. And now, it’s the year 2020 and even many years have passed, the trend of listening to Korean songs is not decreasing at all but continuously rising. I go to the bar at many places, and I will always hear Korean music being sung in every bar I go to. Moreover, most of the people who go to the bar could singalong with the songs. I wondered if those who love to listen to Korean music understand the meaning of the songs, so I have created a poll. Surprisingly, the result of the poll illustrates that most of the participants in this poll do not understand the meaning at all. If they do not even understand a single word, why they still keep listening to K-Pop songs?

   The result from 73 participants

The Coming of K-Pop Songs in Thailand

          In late 1990, the Korean wave was gradually creeping into South East Asia, and that meant Thailand as well. Before Korean songs are popular, Korean series or movies were the first popular movement and it could open the way for other Korean cultures. In the 2000s, K-Pop songs started to gain popularity and many Thai people started to listen to Korean music. Due to the popularity of K-Pop in Thailand, Thai music label like Kamikaze has adapted its style of music to compete with K-Pop. Unfortunately, Kamikaze had been popular for several years, and then it was shut down. On the other hand, the trend of K-Pop is still popular until these days.

Sorry Sorry - Super Junior 

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry

Naega naega naega meonjeo

Nege nege nege bbajyeo

Bbajyeo bbajyeo beoryeo baby

Shawty, shawty, shawty, shawty

Nuni busyeo busyeo busyeo

Sumi makhyeo makhyeo makhyeo

Naega michyeo michyeo baby

Why do teenagers love listening to K-Pop songs even though they don’t know the meaning of the lyrics?

          As I also wonder what the reasons for teenagers listening to Korean songs are even if they know nothing about its meanings, I have asked a question about  this. There are 30 answers from different teenagers and half of them mention that they listen to K-Pop because of artists. 

          This shows that artists or Idols play important roles in teenagers’ lives. It influences the decisions of young people and it possibly has larger effects on finding the identities of themselves as teenagers are in the progress of becoming. Both boys and girls are on the way of finding what they want to be. As they identify themselves with Idols, they would follow their Idols!

Teenagers Identity Themselves with Idols

          The images of Korean idols that are portrayed to the public affect the perception of teenagers not only in South Korea but also Thailand. Those who follow the idols will be called “Fanclub” and the Fanclub is considered as the pop culture. Fanclub is a person who would follow their favorite idols to respond to their emotional aesthetic  and that can creates the trust in idols of teen Fanclubs (Rinboon Nuchnomboon). Because of trustworthy images of idols, teenagers have got passion in their artists and become Fanclub who passionately follow and support the idols. Therefore, they have identified themselves with those idols and follow whatever idols do such as dressing. So it is very normal for teenagers to listen to K-Pop song even though they don’t understand any single line of the song since they just want to support the work of their favorite idols.

- Kannika Kaewwijit