A Kaleidoscope of Sounds and Colors: Popular Music and Arts of Asia

These vocabulary flashcards cover the key terms, artists, instruments, and genres associated with Asian popular music (C-pop, J-pop, K-pop, and Indi-pop) and instrument classifications as detailed in the lecture.

C-pop (Chinese popular music)

Musical genre known for catchy tunes and melodies designed for singing along, utilizing techniques called "hooks" and "earworms."

Cantopop (Cantonese Pop)

Cantonese-language music originated in Hong Kong that rose to popularity in the $1970s$, known for beautiful ballads and elements from western pop, rock, and jazz.

Mandopop (Mandarin Pop)

Popular music in Mandarin Chinese that appeared in the $1970s$; a major music genre in Chinese-speaking regions.

Jay Chou

A singer, composer, and producer often hailed as the "king of Mandopop" known for his ability to mix different music genres.

Jolin Tsai

A Taiwanese singer and dancer active since the late $1990s$, well-known for her lively stage performances and catchy pop music.

Inner Mongolian pop

A genre influenced by traditional music that incorporates techniques like throat singing and the horsehead violin (morin khuur).

Hokkien Pop

Also referred to as Taiwanese pop, it is sung in the Hokkien dialect and became extremely popular in the $1890s$, featuring lively rhythms influenced by folk music.

Chordophone

Musical instruments that have strings and are bowed, strummed, or picked to produce sound.

Idiophone

Musical instruments that produce sound when they are hit, shaken, or scraped.

Electrophone

Musical instruments that require electricity to amplify their sound.

Aerophone

Musical instruments that require the movement of air to produce sound.

Membranophone

Musical instruments that produce sound via a skin or stretched membrane.

Guzheng

A plucked zither chordophone with $21$ strings often featured in modern Chinese pop folk music.

Erhu

A $2$-stringed bowed instrument (chordophone) known for its expressive and melancholic sound.

Pipa

A $4$-stringed lute chordophone with a long history in both traditional and contemporary Chinese music.

Dizi

A bamboo flute aerophone with $6$ finger holes, known for its clarity and purity.

J-pop

Short for Japanese pop music, it originated in Japan and became significant in the mid-twentieth century.

Arashi

A Japanese boy band formed in $1999$ by Johnny and associates; the name translates to "Storm."

AKB48

A Japanese idol group formed in $2005$ named after the Akihabara neighborhood, which initially aimed to have $48$ members.

Hikaru Utada

A Japanese American singer-songwriter who debuted at age $15$ and is renowned for her sophisticated musical tastes and captivating vocals.

Namie Amuro

Legendary singer and dancer known as the "Queen of the J-pop" and recognized as a trailblazer of the modern genre.

K-pop

Short for Korean popular music, covering genres like pop, hip-hop, and R&B from the culture of South Korea.

EXO

A South Korean Chinese boy band established in $2012$ under SM Entertainment management.

TWICE

A South Korean female group formed in $2015$ by JYP entertainment, known for bright, colorful, and catchy songs.

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan)

Also known as the Bangtan Boys, a boy band from Big Hit Entertainment known for lyrics about social concerns, mental health, and self-love.

Army

The global fan base of the South Korean boy band BTS.

BLACKPINK

A South Korean girl group created by YG Entertainment that blends pop, hip-hop, EDM, and trap.

Indi-pop

A type of Indian music adored by many that uses various regional languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Punjabi.

Chaiyya Chaiyya

A famous $1998$ Bollywood song by A.R. Rahman from the film 'Dil Se'.

Tum Hi Ho

A romantic Bollywood ballad from the $2013$ movie "Aashiqui 2" sung by Arijit Singh.

Gayageum

A Korean zither-like chordophone instrument.

Haeguem

A Korean bowed string chordophone instrument.

Janggu

A Korean membranophone instrument shaped like an hourglass drum.

Kamariya

A song from the $2018$ Bollywood film "stree" that blends traditional folk themes with contemporary sound.

Vaaste

A viral romantic song sung by Dhvani Bhanushali and Nikhil D'Souza.