Joseph Hwang 1. K-pop’s Growing Stature and Influence At some point, the Hollywood production system began demanding the casting of K-pop idols. In the initial stage, they invited K-pop idols to join as guest vocalists for the OST recording projects in Hollywood films or dramas. However, they are now seriously considering casting K-pop idols as central or major supporting characters in movies and dramas. I acknowledge that this phenomenon reflects the influence of K-pop, aligning with the growing impact of K-pop’s soft power and its expansive global fandom. Jimin , a member of BTS , is the first K-pop artist to sing the OST for the Fast and Furious franchise. He participated in the OST recording as a vocalist, and the album was released in 2023 alongside that movie. We can discover other similar K-pop artists besides Jimin. Furthermore, Jennie of BLACKPINK was cast in The Idol, HBO’s original drama, and attended the Cannes red carpet, marking her debut in drama. 2. Why Hollywood...
K-pop: Reverse Chart Run, Based on the Artist Younha’s Case
Joseph Hwang
1. Younha, A Singer-songwriter K-pop Artist
Younha began her career as a professional solo artist, debuting in Japan in January 2004, before shifting her focus to her role as a singer-songwriter in South Korea. As you may know, her status as a female solo K-pop artist is relatively rare compared to the trend of group artists in the K-pop industry, such as IU, who is a solo artist not affiliated with any girl group. This suggests that Younha and IU can be viewed as capable of taking on the role of music producers, given their skills. Unless faced with unavoidable external factors or serious health issues, professionals like Younha and IU can consistently produce music, indicating that their musical careers may extend well into the future due to their exceptional talents. Moreover, this situation implies that their musical careers and personal brands may be inseparable from any pressures or incidents caused by another impresario within the K-pop industry. They possess the discretion, power, and authority to protect and maintain their dominance in the business, owing to their music-producing abilities and personal publicity rights derived from the inalienability that comes with being a solo musician.
2. Outbreaking Pandemic
The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, which spread worldwide in late 2019, forced humanity to restrict or halt all activities, including economic and social interactions. This phenomenon was an unfamiliar experience for everyone, and civilians wondered what they could do, including in the entertainment industry, such as worldwide concert tours that crossed national borders, aside from staying home and enjoying their solitude due to immigration control shutdowns in almost every nation. One of the few solutions that acted as a savior was the connection to the online world, which facilitated non-face-to-face contact. There weren’t many options in every dull situation. People engaged in online MMORPG games and sought content that interested them on YouTube and other platforms as much as possible.
Individuals watched videos on YouTube during the pandemic to pass the time, cope with boredom, and escape their reality. Initially, they enjoyed the clips they had purposefully searched for, and soon after, the algorithm’s suggestions encouraged them to explore other video content.
3. Her Encounter with the Universe
Younha was no exception to this situation. During her time in isolation, she scoured through the scrap heaps on YouTube, like other explorers, in search of something worthwhile. Eventually, she stumbled upon documentaries that introduced the cosmos. As we all know, these were likely to trigger a plunge into the infinite realm of curiosity about the universe.
Predictably, the YouTube algorithm led her to endless cosmos content, and she became immersed in those scientific insights. Her unique experiences during this period became a wellspring for her new album. While it may seem unusual since most K-pop lyrics convey romantic narratives within a pop music framework, Younha chose to express her thoughts in the new album using scientific language inspired by YouTube’s cosmological documentaries. This demonstrates that her creative endeavor has broadened the expressive scope of K-pop, reaching further than in the past.
Regardless, Younha released her new album, which is officially her sixth, filled with her extraordinary adventures and explorations.
4. Reverse Run on the Music Charts
In South Korea, “reverse run” refers to driving a transport vehicle in the opposite direction of the roadway. However, within the K-pop industry, it often describes a situation where previously released music singles or albums re-enter the higher ranks of music charts after spending a long time in the lower ranks since their initial release.
The number one tune from Younha’s title song “Event Horizon” is part of her 6th regular repackaged album “End Theory: Final Edition,” released in March 2022. This song failed to capture the audience’s attention at the time of its release. It seemed to linger beneath people’s interests. However, Younha consistently engaged in promotional activities for her new album at college and university festivals, regardless of public responses. At this point, she made exceptional efforts, posting video clips of her performances on festival stages. She uploaded them to her YouTube channel, and the clips gradually gained popularity among the public. Her fans also posted videos they recorded themselves of Younha’s live performances on each channel following her. The viral marketing began unintentionally.
We can assume that Younha and her fans’ repeated attempts have led to changes in the video platforms and music charts, influenced by the algorithms. It has been 222 days since its release. The song “Event Horizon” ranked at the top of the Melon music chart in South Korea on November 7, 2022, thanks to the reverse run. The reverse run of “Event Horizon” also occurred at the other K-pop charts with other tracks from the same album, such as “Ort Cloud.”
5. The Algorithms and Thresholds
Many K-pop experts assert that this event and phenomenon arose from platform algorithms. Some also clarify that while the conclusion likely stemmed from the algorithms’ reactions, the algorithms could not take action—including activation responses—without considering the live performance videos shared by Younha and her fans. The resources provided to initiate the algorithms were sufficient to surpass the thresholds established by the artist and the numerous posts from fans, even as the algorithm system functioned mechanically and logically. This outcome was celebrated as a victory for both algorithms and fandoms.
Before this reverse run, a previous instance occurred, like the song “Rollin” by the artist “Brave Girls.” This example is also similar to Younha. Occasionally, comparable events involving Younha and other K-pop artists may happen in the future due to the combined effect of the artist and their fandom. Artists and fans create their own content immediately after the release or debut to respond to platform algorithms.
The significance of combined and collaborative self-produced content between artists and their fans will continue to grow. Official music videos were crucial in the past, but self-made digital content is being highlighted more because of algorithmic influences. This era marks the age of the algorithms.
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