Kwiram 1

Marissa Kwiram

Renee Lynch

ENGL 131 R

26 February 2024

[Video Essay Script]

K-Pop English Lyrics Aren’t What They Seem
(The Negative Impacts of Western Superiority on Language Politics in the K-Pop Industry)

Have you ever listened to a K-pop song and gotten to those English lyrics that just don’t

make sense? Me too. [Insert video clip of aespa’s “Dreams Come True” at 1:15, clip of TXT’s

“Cat & Dog (English ver.)” at 0:31, and clip of WayV’s “Bad Alive (English Ver.)” at 0:26.]

Have you ever stopped to consider why those lyrics exist and why they seemingly don’t work?

Hello and welcome to a deep dive into the negative impacts of Western superiority and English

language dominance on the K-pop industry and its artists. Whether you’re a fan of K-pop, a hater

of K-pop, or you don’t really know or care about K-pop, this video is for you. When it comes to

music, most listeners disregard the underlying politics that affect language choices of songs, so

the goal of this video is to emphasize the importance of considering these choices and their

influences in the context of the K-pop industry, and what you can and should do to help mitigate

their adverse consequences.

First off, I’d like to briefly examine how Korean culture has affected the global music

industry. You may have heard the term “Hallyu”, which translates to “Korean Wave”. It refers to

the worldwide spread and popularity of South Korean pop culture. Since the 1990s, Korean

music, specifically K-pop, has played an important role in increasing global interest in Korean
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culture, pushing Hallyu to become a global cultural movement (Jang and Chang 12). According

to an article titled “The Effect of Korean Wave (Hallyu) on the Music Industry”, there have been

four main impacts of Hallyu: “the globalization of K-Pop, diversified audience engagement,

digital revolution, and cultural interchange through Music” (Jang and Chang 15). [Display this

quote on screen] These findings highlight some key factors that both artists and other

professionals in the K-pop industry now must consider, like adopting a global perspective to

create a diverse fan base and increase market reach, catering content and social media

interactions to accommodate fans’ diverse demographics and promoting harmony among cultures

by emphasizing diversity in the production of music and visuals. [Display these three factors on

screen as summarized bullet points.] From an outside perspective, these ideals may seem

beneficial for K-pop artists and companies to implement. However, because of the newfound

international popularity of Korean culture and the dominance of the U.S. mainstream pop

market, the K-pop industry has faced new challenges: significant pressures on K-pop

conglomerates to capture the attention of the Western audience, consequential expectations for

artists to speak and sing in English, and unfortunate reinforcements of racialized bias among

English-speaking audiences. [Display these three main points on screen as bullet points.]

K-pop companies have been trying to break into the international music market and

maintain a foothold there since before Hallyu became a topic of interest across the globe. But

more recently, these companies have been taking creative measures to truly expand their market

reach and stick with those audiences. For example, SM Entertainment, one of K-pop’s “Big 3”

companies, has been a frontrunner in applying innovative strategies to increase their chances of

success in the West since the late 90s. In 1997, SM debuted a female trio group called S.E.S.,

which was the earliest example of the company’s goal to target the overseas market. S.E.S. was
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composed of members each representing a specific cultural, national, or linguistic identity.

[Display a photo of each member with their ‘identities’ in bullet points – this includes the

languages each member speaks, their nationality, and their culture. Highlight/bold the fact that

Shoo is Japanese and Eugene is American] This presented new opportunities for foreign market

success for the group, because SM was able to take advantage of “cultural proximity”, or

familiarity, with the members’ identities for marketing both in and outside of South Korea. Also,

using local producers and distributors for their Japanese releases helped the group meet the

standards of the Japanese market and gain popularity there (Kim 35). [Display these two points

with arrows to the word localization.]

Shortly after S.E.S. debuted, SM refined their methodology for creating a global pop

sensation through a new solo artist, BoA. SM’s intent to reach international markets was still

notable with BoA’s production and marketing. But, in contrast to SM’s strategy of localization

for S.E.S., the company tried to target overseas markets by creating more universal pop music

that would overcome cultural and/or racial differences. This meant that BoA’s localization relied

significantly more on language and arrangement, rather than genre or traditional conventions

(Kim 36). For example, S.E.S.’s localization in Japan involved Japanese producers creating

music for the group that aligned with the conventions of the Japanese pop music genre. In BoA’s

case, her music was intended to transcend the barriers that these distinct conventions can create

for listeners. The company trained her holistically, incorporating Japanese and English language

learning, professional dance training, and vocal lessons. This training system later became a key

part of “Cultural Technology”, a concept created by Lee Soo-man, producer of SM. [Show Lee

Soo-man pointing to “Cultural Technology” with a glowing effect.] Using this training system as

well as other strategies like regional sub-units and variable unit systems [insert pictures of EXO
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and NCT, who make use of these unique unit systems], SM expanded the possibilities for

localization of their artists.

These localization techniques work well for markets in East Asia, like Japan and China,

because racial and language differences are not as much of a barrier for audience engagement.

However, in most other music markets, specifically in the West, they are not nearly as effective,

which leads me to discuss SM’s more recent strategies of localizing specifically for the Western

pop music market. In 2019, SM Entertainment announced SuperM, which was K-pop’s first

group both dedicated to reaching the US market and distributed directly in the US. Kim Young

Dae, co-author of The 50 Greatest Albums of the 1990s and author of BTS The Review: A

Compressive Look at the Music of BTS [show his books], wrote a dissertation on the evolution of

K-pop in the age of globalization, where he discussed some of the major factors of SuperM’s

targeting of the US music market, saying “[the group] was co-produced by Capitol Records and

SM Entertainment. While SM makes music and video with their songwriters and producers,

Capitol Music Group and its promotion partner Caroline are exclusively responsible for its major

distribution and promotion of the group to support their activity in the United States.” (48)

[Display quote on screen.] Because of this, SuperM is marketed in a similar way to the other

artists managed by Capitol, with live concerts, radio promotion, or TV appearances, and their

content distribution is treated as if the group was exporting goods. [Display a visual of two

commodities and where they are made (iPhones in China/other Asian countries and SuperM’s

music content in Korea) and both being exported to the US, using arrows to show similarity of

exporting goods to the US in both situations.] The group released their debut album only in the

US market, which topped America’s most prominent mainstream album chart, the Billboard 200,

as soon as it was released. Also, SuperM’s world tour, which promoted their debut album, had
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more dates in the US than in any other country. SuperM’s US-specific marketing shows how SM

Entertainment is pushing heavily for audience engagement in the United States, which in turn,

has urged other K-pop companies to do the same.

In addition to these marketing strategies, SuperM’s composition is a major feature of the

group’s success in the West. SuperM is considered a supergroup, consisting of members from

multiple different groups under SM Entertainment who have already been successful in the K-

pop market. Combined, the members of SuperM target the Chinese, Thai, Korean, and local

North American fans, due to their various cultural identities and language abilities. [Display a

visual of each member with the group they came from, their national/cultural identity, and the

languages they (can) speak.] SuperM’s success in the West can be attributed in part to their

English language abilities and usage. Two of the group’s members, Mark and Ten, are fluent

English speakers and are thus able to communicate effectively with American fans. Additionally,

Mark has written lyrics for some popular SuperM songs [display Mark’s writing credits for

SuperM songs and some example lyrics from his verses], which helps the native English-

speaking audience understand those lyrics that make use of linguistic conventions they are

familiar with. All members of SuperM have learned at least some English, both in training and

abroad, which allows them to pronounce English lyrics and engage with English-speaking fans to

a larger extent than many other groups. The composition, production, and marketing strategies

used by SM for the success of SuperM in the US music market have certainly been effective, but

mainly for audiences that already listen to K-pop. This is because the group makes it clear that

they are a K-pop group intended to target the audience that is familiar with the style of music, or

at least those who would recognize the members from their previous activities under SM

Entertainment (Kim 49). Although SM’s methods for localization have come a long way since
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S.E.S., SuperM still fails to target audiences in the US that are unfamiliar with K-pop, which is a

topic I’ll discuss more, later in the video.

Since the K-pop industry has started to market and produce artist groups with

international audiences in mind, pressures on K-pop companies to target those audiences have

become significantly more powerful. The Western music market, particularly the US mainstream

pop market, is one of the most prominent music markets in the world, but is at the same time the

most difficult for K-pop artists and conglomerates to gain and maintain a foothold in. Some

companies have attempted similar strategies to SM Entertainment, like unit systems and targeted

distribution, for gaining traction in English-speaking music markets, but most have focused

particularly on English language use. English has been present in K-pop song lyrics since the

1990s, but its usage has grown and evolved since the industry’s expansion to global markets.

English is now being used for artists’ stage names, as well as song and album titles. Producers

are also employing things like moderation and reformulation for writing song lyrics (Schneider).

Moderation describes the balance between English and Korean lyrics, functioning as a sort of

bridge between Korean and English-speaking audiences. [Show a diagram of a bridge with the

word “moderation” on top of it, with Korean speakers on one side and English speakers on the

other. Then show a video clip of GOT the beat’s “Stamp On It” with moderated lyrics.] On the

other hand, reformulation, which describes a ‘nonnative’ version of English that is unique to K-

pop music, most often acts as an expression of the artists’ distinct identities. [Show video clip of

EXO’s “MAMA” with reformulated lyrics.] While these methods of lyric production work

positively for reaching international markets while still maintaining a Korean audience and

identity, they have also proven to have some unforeseen consequences.

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Reformulation is mainly intended to reinforce the Korean identity of the industry and the

artists while fostering increased understanding for English-speaking audiences. Though,

unfortunately, the application of this novel version of English in song lyrics often backfires for

native English-speakers, particularly those unfamiliar with K-pop, due to linguistic expectations

and biased perceptions. A simple Google search for “bad K-pop English lyrics” will exhibit a

plethora of listeners who describe these nonnative versions of English as funny, cringeworthy,

grammatically incorrect, poorly written, or even accidental, based on their expectations for what

English should sound like. An article published by DC CopyPro, a website offering services for

“Korean businesses that wish to appear professional in a global market”, exemplifies this point

well, saying, “Agencies and artists spend time, money, and effort on composing, producing, and

choreography. It still baffles me why they don’t confer with a native English speaker about their

English K-pop lyrics.” (demizach) Many K-Pop companies do choose to seek feedback and

writing assistance from native speakers for English lyric production, but that choice is calculated

based on the purpose and intention of those lyrics in context. Now, to play devil’s advocate from

a native English speaker’s perspective, these responses are somewhat understandable. [Show clip

of SUPER JUNIOR’s “MAMACITA” at 2:44 and clip of TXT’s “Cat & Dog (English ver.)”

from the opening of video.] There are definitely some odd English lyrics in K-pop songs, but like

I mentioned at the beginning of this video, most people don’t consider the underlying politics

that influence this kind of language usage in K-pop. Reformulated English lyrics in K-pop music

are intended to serve as a unique expression of the Korean identity of the artists and the global

identity of the K-pop industry. It’s quite disheartening to see so many people, particularly

Westerners fluent in English, poke fun at these ‘unconventional’ usages of English or genuinely

refer to them as incorrect, rather than respecting or even attempting to understand their purpose.
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A prime example of the disrespectful and outright racist response to reformulated English

in K-pop song lyrics is from a YouTube video titled “cringe kpop lyrics I enjoy a lot”. Right off

the bat, the publisher refers to the lyrics as cringe, revealing their stance on the usage of

nonnative English in the K-pop songs shown in the video. About halfway through the video, a

clip is shown of (G)I-DLE’s “Nxde”, a song which includes many clever and powerful usages of

English to express the group’s rejection and protest of the sexualization and objectification of

women in the K-pop industry. The clip shows the beginning of the song, where Soyeon, the

group’s leader, opens with the lyrics “Why you think that ‘bout nude, ‘cause your view’s so rude,

think outside the box, then you’ll like it” ((G)-IDLE). These lyrics make use of the word “rude”,

which, in this context, refers to something that is “considered improper or offensive through

reference to a taboo subject, as sexual intercourse,” (Oxford English Dictionary). With this

definition in mind, these English lyrics are quite impactful. They encourage the listener to

reconsider their own perspective on the concept of “nude”, while questioning the listener’s view

of the topic being taboo. However, the publisher of this particular video humiliates the important

message of these lyrics: [show the video clip where they play that part of “Nxde” with their on-

screen text, saying, “the ‘only’ audience she’s trying to reach with that message are non native

english speakers” (nctiddy).] In the description of the video, the publisher claims they don’t

intend to hate on or disrespect the groups mentioned, but this statement in their video very

clearly reduces those lyrics to poorly executed English, which essentially has the opposite effect

of what they claimed to be their intention. Many other videos and articles discount reformulated

English lyrics in K-pop songs to the point that the meanings and purposes of those lyrics are

completely overlooked.
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Other racially biased responses to more standard uses of English in K-pop lyrics continue

to exemplify the intense superiority complex and linguistic expectations of Western listeners. In a

YouTube video titled “Kpop English Fails”, the publisher plays a clip of SHINee’s “Ring Ding

Dong”, teasing the group for their pronunciation of “ring”. [Show clip of that video, with the text

“Ling ding dong” when the lyrics are “Ring ding dong” (LoveKpopSubs13).] Another example

of these inconsiderate responses is from a Reddit post by nabi_14 [show the post on screen], who

discusses their experiences listening to awkward English grammar, pronunciation, and sentences

that don’t make sense in K-pop songs. They explain how they feel frustrated with these lyrics to

the point where they can’t listen to them without cringing, saying “it really shocks me that all

these big groups don’t have some type of feedback from English native speakers before releasing

these atrocities… [these companies] actively decide to make their artists sing in English, so they

are supposed to make sure they do it right [in my opinion].” (nabi_14) “Atrocities” is a very

strong word to refer to unconventional lyricism and pronunciation. While, yes, I can understand

the expectation for companies to teach their artists standard English pronunciation, it is at the

same time completely unfair to assume that those companies made the artists sing in English or

that they did not already have the artists practice English pronunciation. The expectations for K-

pop artists to incorporate English lyricism are already very significant. To add to that the

expectation for “standard” English pronunciation and usage is both biased and discriminatory.

Not every English lyric is meant for native English-speaking listeners.

Although there have been numerous negative responses to K-pop music from Western

audiences due to unconventional English language uses, there have also been significantly

positive reactions, specifically in relation to BTS, a group which has not heavily relied on

English lyrics for reaching the US music market until very recently. BTS, a seven-member K-
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pop group formed by BigHit Entertainment, has captured the attention of many international

audiences, even those unfamiliar with K-pop, relying on more than just language or musicality.

BTS debuted in 2013, from a small, newly formed company. Their rise to fame was no small

feat, as they struggled with significant underfunding, unreasonable schedules, and unwelcoming

peers (St. Martin). By 2015 though, BTS debuted their first album on the Billboard 200, “The

Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2”. Shortly after, BTS’ popularity exploded across the globe.

In 2018, BTS’ album “Love Yourself: Tear” debuted at No.1 on the all-genre Billboard chart,

being both BTS’ first Billboard 200 chart-topper and the first K-pop album to reach No.1

(Billboard). Since then, the group has continued to receive highly esteemed awards and

achievements, competing with artists from around the world. Nowadays, BTS is considered

incomparable to other K-pop sensations in terms of their popularity and achievement both

commercially and musically (Kim, 2). [Display some of their achievements, including Grammy

nomination, Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist since 2017, and most-awarded group in

BBMA history as of 2022 with 12 wins overall.] You’re probably wondering how they got there.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t by releasing full English songs or albums, or even by relying on lyrics

employing native English conventions. [To continue, talk about how BTS was able to maintain

their Korean identity and still find success in the US mainstream pop market by using unique and

universal narratives/messages. Reiterate their achievements in this market with mainly Korean

language songs, but also highlight their more recent successes with full English songs – “They

currently share the record for most number-one singles on the Billboard Global 200 with six.

This includes three English-language releases: ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Butter’, and ‘Permission to Dance.’”

(Schneider) Discuss some of their universal narratives within their full/mostly Korean songs and

why they are impactful and engaging for non-Korean speaking listeners and those unfamiliar
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with K-Pop. Explain how their full English songs do not intend to disregard their Korean

identity, but rather celebrate their diverse fan base and increase their universality even more.

Reemphasize how their success is based on their authentic narratives, distinct identity within the

K-Pop industry, and original and creative strategies for marketing and music production, rather

than localization techniques or direct targeting of the US audience. (Schneider)]

[For the final body paragraph, compare BTS to female K-Pop group BLACKPINK and

their targeting of unfamiliar Western audiences (targeting being similar to BTS), but emphasize

the two groups’ key differences. Discuss how BLACKPINK has relied on using the English

language for many lyrics as well as for full songs. Also discuss their direct marketing in the US

with touring and Coachella. Explain how, while they are engaging well with the US audience

familiar and unfamiliar with K-Pop, in a way, they’ve disregarded their unique Korean identity

because of imbalanced English/Korean lyricism in their music (way more reliance on English,

compared to BTS, discography-wide) and lack of reformulated English (instead, they’ve been

using more native versions of English – even including dialects like AAVE (Schneider).)

They’ve had many successes in the US, – “BLACKPINK, a girl group who debuted in 2016, first

hit the Billboard Hot 100 with their single ‘Ddu-du Ddu-du’ in 2018. In 2022, their singles ‘Shut

Down’ and ‘Pink Venom’ both reached number one on the Billboard Global 200 in consecutive

months.” (Schneider) – but, in a way, it’s hard for audiences unfamiliar with K-Pop to use

BLACKPINK as a gateway to other K-Pop artists because of their disregard for linguistic and

cultural conventions of the genre, unlike BTS.]

[Finally, for the conclusion, discuss the importance of K-pop artists maintaining their

identity as Korean musicians/singers/representatives and global sensations. Discuss how these

issues of expectations for idols to speak/sing in English, pressures on K-Pop companies to

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incorporate English, and racist/biased judgements based on language need to be addressed by the

AUDIENCES to make a change – tie this into why K-Pop artists should maintain their Korean

identity by not forcefully using English in an attempt to gain Western attention, why foreign

audiences should look into and try to understand the meanings of popular K-Pop song lyrics

(English lyrics) instead of reducing them to poorly-written or incorrect uses of English, and why

it is important for audiences to honor the unique identity of K-Pop artists, being both Korean

representatives and global sensations, by acknowledging and respecting linguistic choices in K-

Pop music.]
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Writer’s Note

For this piece, I have chosen to write in an academic essay format, with the intent to use

my writing as a script for a video essay, uploaded to YouTube. Presenting my research in the

form of a video essay would allow me to reach my intended audience in a direct manner. K-pop

content is mainly uploaded to YouTube, which is the same platform I would upload the video

essay to. I believe this mode will target audiences who view/interact with K-pop content as well

as those who may not know, understand, or care about K-pop content, which aligns with the

purpose of my work. My goal is to inspire my targeted audience to acknowledge, respect, and

better understand the language politics in the K-pop industry, as the linguistic choices are deeply

tied to the identities of the artists making and executing those choices. Although the conventions

of the video essay genre generally call for a more casual tone, I have chosen to maintain a

somewhat academic tone for my writing. I believe that the issues I examine are very serious

ones, and I do not think entirely, or even mostly casual language would suit the tone of my

argument and evidence.

Throughout the writing process, my claim evolved in two significant ways: certain parts

of the complex claim became more implicit, and the subtopics shifted to align with my overall

argument. Initially, my claim spanned about one page in MLA format. I felt that, considering the

conventions of the genre, my argument may be more impactful and digestible if I shortened my

complex claim and moved certain parts to other areas of my work. For example, the “road map”

for my argument now reveals itself in the topic and concluding sentences of each body

paragraph. Additionally, my counterargument has been included, implicitly, in the section

examining racially biased perceptions of K-pop English lyricism. I also reworked my initial

claim by changing a subtopic which addressed linguistically reinforced stereotypes in K-pop

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music to a subtopic examining reinforcements of racialized bias among English-speaking

audiences in the West. I feel as though my final claim truly encompasses the discussion I present

in my piece, with consideration for the video essay genre.

After performing extensive research on K-pop language conventions, cultural and

linguistic hybridity, the Korean Wave, global music markets, and localization strategies, I’ve

found that the conversation surrounding language politics in the K-pop industry is an expansive

one. There are many factors that influence language usage in K-pop music, but I have yet to

come across any significant discussion of the influences of Western superiority and English

language dominance on these language politics. I feel that this work is an incredibly important

contribution to this conversation, as it introduces a new factor, Western superiority, which

influences the linguistic choices in K-pop. This piece also argues that there are multiple

negativities with Western superiority’s impacts on language politics in K-pop: pressures on K-

pop companies to capture the attention of Western audiences, expectations for idols to sing and

speak in English, and reinforcements of racialized bias among Western audiences, particularly

native English-speakers. I believe that these problems must be acknowledged and further

discussed in an academic setting to refine potential solutions, building from those mentioned at

the end of my work.

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Works Cited

aespa. “[STATION] Aespa 에스파 ‘Dreams Come True’ MV.” YouTube, SMTOWN, 20 Dec.

2021, youtu.be/H69tJmsgd9I?si=jQ7wPw1lsy6uwxQL&t=75.

“BTS: Biography, Music & News.” Billboard, http://www.billboard.com/artist/bts/. Accessed 2

Mar. 2024.

demizach. “Do poorly-written English K-Pop lyrics drive you up the wall?” DC CopyPro, 18

July 2021, https://dccopypro.com/2021/07/18/more-poorly-written-english-lyrics-in-k-pop.

EXO-K. “EXO-K 엑소케이 'MAMA' MV (Korean ver.).” YouTube, SMTOWN, 7 Apr. 2012,

https://youtu.be/KH6ZwnqZ7Wo?si=CCGZajLRjZLdWdPa&t=96.

(G)I-DLE. “(G)I-DLE - ‘Nxde’ Official Music Video.” YouTube, (G)I-DLE (여자)아이들

(Official YouTube Channel), 17 Oct. 2022, https://youtu.be/fCO7f0SmrDc?

si=bc6ewQ5DrH0yB08s.

GOT the beat. “GOT the beat 갓 더 비트 'Stamp On It' MV.” YouTube, SMTOWN, 16 Jan.

2023, https://youtu.be/likYKQXBLbw?si=rdVqANkybVvJFeRO&t=39.

Kim, Yŏng-dae, and Shannon Dudley. The Pursuit of Modernity : The Evolution of Korean

Popular Music in the Age of Globalization. [University of Washington Libraries], 2020.

LoveKpopSubs13. “Kpop English Fails.” YouTube, 10 Aug. 2013,

https://youtu.be/D6_5Wr3kHAc?si=Hda7OuP97mDYlR5A&t=15.
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nabi_14. “Weird English lyrics/pronunciation can actively ruin a kpop song.” Reddit,

r/unpopularkpopopinions, 26 Aug. 2022,

www.reddit.com/r/unpopularkpopopinions/comments/wylyf7/weird_english_lyricspronunc

iation_can_actively/.

nctiddy. “cringe kpop lyrics I enjoy a lot.” YouTube, 19 Nov. 2022,

https://youtu.be/3g0MYvKrBYQ?si=uEd5gqMCiuroXtv7&t=228.

“Rude, Adj. & Adv. Meanings, Etymology and More.” Oxford English Dictionary,

www.oed.com/dictionary/rude_adj?tab=meaning_and_use&tl=true#24748735. Accessed 2

Mar. 2024.

Schneider, Ian. “English’s Expanding Linguistic Foothold in K-Pop Lyrics: A Mixed Methods

Approach.” English Today, 2023, pp. 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078423000275.

St. Martin, Emily. “5 Revealing Takeaways from the BTS Biography ‘Beyond the Story.’” Los

Angeles Times, 12 July 2023, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-07-

12/beyond-the-story-10-year-record-of-bts-biography-k-pop#:~:text=Breaking%20into

%20the%20industry%2C%20BTS,and%20bullying%20from%20the%20public.

SUPER JUNIOR. “SUPER JUNIOR 슈퍼주니어 ‘MAMACITA (아야야)’ MV.” YouTube,

SMTOWN, 28 Aug. 2014, https://youtu.be/q_krT35dgDM?si=lcrDUqKF_1lIGJ9_&t=164.

TXT. “TXT (투모로우바이투게더) ‘Cat & Dog’ Official MV (English ver.).” YouTube, HYBE

LABELS, 3 May 2019, https://youtu.be/nvO17uPanBY?si=EVgokcjuJBUrkKg8&t=31.

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WayV. “WayV 威神 V ‘Bad Alive (English Ver.)’ MV.” YouTube, SMTOWN, 29 July 2020,

https://youtu.be/sB2YVGPPXW0?si=5WZf_xRkbnfL5Rcv&t=26.

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