One media outlet recently pointed out how the current popular K-pop songs differ from those in the past. They also explained the supposed reason behind it.
Media Outlet Highlights Current Popular K-pop Songs Mostly Being From Girl Groups
On Oct. 3, Wikitree released an article explaining the commonality between the current popular K-pop songs. They also highlighted how K-pop girl groups are doing well at present.
First, the media outlet noted that the K-pop girl groups stand out more this 2022 than boy groups. NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM, in particular, are expanding their fandom at an impressive pace, while IVE and aespa (who both boast a tremendous popularity despite them being in the industry for only one to two years) are also making great strides.
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In addition to them, (G)I-DLE, TWICE, ITZY, STAYC, BLACKPINK (who made a comeback after about two years), and Girls' Generation (who came back to commemorate the 15th anniversary of their debut), continue to make a mark in the music industry.
Wikitree then said that this fact can be easily confirmed in the music charts. For instance, on the Circle Global K-pop chart for August 2022, the top 10 is dominated by K-pop girl groups. BTS is the only boy group to join them on top of the list.
As seen in the picture above, BLACKPINK's "Pink Venom" took No. 1, followed by NewJeans' "Attention," NewJeans' "Hype Boy," TWICE Nayeon's "POP!," IVE's "LOVE DIVE," Girls' Generation "FOREVER 1," IVE's "After LIKE," ITZY's "SNEAKERS," BTS' "Dynamite," and LE SSERAFIM's "FEARLESS."
How Do Current Popular K-pop Songs Differ From the Past? News Outlet Explains One Factor
Setting the popularity of K-pop girl groups aside, Wikitree stated that there is one characteristic that makes current popular K-pop songs such as the ones mentioned above different from the past. It's the fact that the tracks nowadays are only two minutes long, which is much shorter than before.
According to Yonhap News, the length of dance songs that form the basis of K-pop has been noticeably shorter recently. For example, the length of most of the songs that made it to the Circle Global K-pop Chart top 10 is less than three minutes.
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In particular, TWICE Nayeon's "POP!" is two minutes and 49 seconds, while IVE's "LOVE DIVE" and "After LIKE" are both two minutes and 57 seconds, LE SSERAFIM's "FEARLESS" is two minutes and 49 seconds, and NewJeans' "Attention" is two minutes and 58 seconds."
Looking at popular K-pop songs from 2012, 10 years ago, PSY's "Gangnam Style" is three minutes and 42 seconds, SISTAR's "Loving U" is three minutes and 38 seconds, BIGBANG's "Fantastic Baby" is three minutes and 52 seconds, etc. It is clear that they were one minute longer than the dance songs at present.
As per Wikitree, music industry officials interpreted this change as the way to go with the rise of short-form content such as TikTok videos, Reels, and YouTube Shorts. This is because the short-form video challenge has become an essential means of promoting a new song.
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In fact, when a K-pop artist drops a new track, they always start a dance challenge on social media platforms such as Tiktok.
Wikitree further said that it has been analyzed that the length of K-pop songs has become shorter as it has to show both the melody and the chorus of the song within a short time of one minute.
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Written by Maria Scott
