Is It Still Considered K-Pop If The Lyrics Are English? K-Netz Debate

With the rise of all-English (or nearly all-English) songs by Korean artists, K-netz is debating what is considered a K-pop song. Keep on reading to learn what they think.

The Rise of English Lyrics in Korean Artists' Songs

On March 7, 2024, a post titled "I wonder if a song with barely any Korean is still considered K-pop" was uploaded to a popular South Korean community forum.

The post gave three songs as an example. One is BTS Jungkook's hit solo song, "Seven (feat. Latto)." It is noted that this song has no Korean lyrics at all, and is sung entirely in English. This caused many to wonder if the song is considered K-pop just because Jungkook is Korean and is part of a K-pop group.

The other two songs used as examples were BLACKPINK's "Pink Venom" and NewJeans' "Super Shy."

While both songs have Korean lyrics, a large majority of the songs are in English. As the choruses of both songs are primarily in English, many are unsure if they would still be considered K-pop.

Are English Songs by Korean Artists Considered K-Pop?

Soon after the post was uploaded, many took to the comments to share their opinions. Reactions to the questions were understandably mixed.

Some believe that it is still considered K-pop, as the artists who release the songs are based in Korea, and are more often than not ethnically Korean. It was also noted that no matter where you listen to these songs, many automatically link these artists with the genre.

However, it should be noted that although people consider it K-pop, they are not fond of the overuse of English lyrics. As the songs are released and promoted in Korea, they believe the songs should primarily be sung in Korean.

Still, some people refused to accept such songs as K-pop. They state that if songs are sung mostly in English, then they are simply considered pop.

Some comments read,

• "No matter where you listen, the listener recognizes these as K-pop idol songs."
• "It's so-so when they use too much English..."
• "it's pop."
• "Of course it's still K-pop. It is totally K-pop."
• "I think it's still K-pop."
• "I think it's pop, but it annoys me how Westerners would force our songs into the K-pop category and isolate us based on a country."
• "Isn't it just pop?"
• "It's still K-pop, but I hate it."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

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Written by Alexa Lopez