Understanding kpop terms

Minyo

Korean folk music; 'songs of the people.'

Arirang

The most famous Korean folk song.

Pansori

Traditional Korean musical storytelling.

Sori

Sound or singing.

Aniri

Spoken narration in pansori.

Ballim

Gestures used in pansori storytelling.

Eolssu / Eolssigu

Vocal reactions or encouragement from the drummer/audience in pansori.

Pangmul

Percussion-based farmer music connected to harvest wishes.

Talchum

Korean mask dance / traditional musical drama.

Sinminyo

New folk music from the 1930s.

Sin

New.

Yuhaengga

Popular or trendy songs.

Yuhaeng

Trend or fashion.

Ga

Song or music.

Gisaeng

Traditional Korean female artists trained in music, dance, art, and literature.

Heptatonic scale

Seven-note scale.

Pentatonic scale

Five-note scale.

Rock and Roll

1950s popular music genre mixing blues, R&B, country, honky-tonk, and bluegrass.

K-Rock

Korean rock music.

A-FKN / AFKN

American Forces Korea Network; a U.S. military broadcast network that spreads American pop music in Korea.

Heavy Metal

Loud, intense rock genre with strong guitar sounds and dramatic visuals.

Sinawi

Korean heavy metal band name meaning traditional Korean ensemble music.

Baekdoosan

Korean heavy metal band name referring to Mt. Baekdu.

Trot

Korean popular music genre associated with nostalgia, pentatonic scales, minor keys, and older generations.

Foxtrot

American ballroom dance style connected to early trot naming.

Enka

Japanese popular music style that trot was often compared to.

Collegiate Folk

Folk music connected to college students, acoustic guitars, and youth culture.

Ballad

Emotional, usually slower popular song style.

Sinsedae

'New generation'; urban middle-class youth culture in 1990s Korea.

A&R

Artist and repertoire; label work involving finding, training, producing, and promoting artists.

MIDI

Digital music technology used in music production.

Sampler

Device/tool used to record and reuse sounds in music production.

Idol

Trained pop performer produced and promoted by an entertainment company.

Trainee

Person training under a K-pop company before debut.

Hip-hop

Music and cultural style involving rap, dance, fashion, DJing, and social expression.

MC

Rapper or performer in hip-hop.

Diss

Insult or attack in rap/hip-hop lyrics.

Gangsta rap

Rap style focused on street life, violence, and social realities.

R&B

Rhythm and blues; a genre focused on soulful vocals, rhythm, and emotion.

Reggae-style music

Music influenced by Jamaican reggae rhythms and style.

Hallyu

Korean Wave; global popularity of Korean entertainment.

K-pop

Korean popular music; often refers to idol-based Korean pop but can also refer to a broader cultural phenomenon.

J-pop

Japanese popular music; a term that influenced the naming of K-pop.

Audition

Tryout for a company, show, or performance opportunity.

Survival show

Competition show where trainees/idols compete to debut or join a project group.

Trainee survival show

Idol competition show featuring trainees from entertainment companies.

Project group

A temporary idol group formed for a show or special project.

Ranking manipulation

Unfair changing or fixing of competition results.

Fandom

Community of fans who identify with and support an artist/group.

Ttechang

Group/crowd singing or coordinated fan chants.

Fan chant

Organized words or chants that fans shout during performances.

Dance cover

Fan performance copying idol choreography.

Fancam

Fan-recorded video focused on one idol or performance.

Jjikdeok

Photo fan who takes professional-style pictures of idols.

Homma

Homepage master; fansite operator who posts idol photos/videos.

Fansite

Fan-run page/account dedicated to sharing idol content.

Sasaeng

Stalker fan who invades idols’ private lives.

Light stick

Official glowing fan item used at concerts.

Schoolboy trope

Rebellious yet sweet young male idol image.

Dandy

Gentle, stylish young man image.

Metrosexuality

Masculinity focused on beauty, fashion, grooming, and self-care.

Spornosexuality

Muscular, athletic, sensual, stylish masculinity.

Misogyny

Hatred, mistreatment, objectification, or dehumanization of women.

Objectification

Treating a person like an object instead of a full human being.

Sexualization

Presenting someone mainly in a sexual way.

Voyeurism

Pleasure from secretly watching someone.

Scopophilia

Pleasure from looking at someone sexually.

Fetishism

Sexual focus on a specific object, body part, clothing, or role.

Dehumanization

Treating someone as less than fully human.

Non-Korean idol

An idol who is not Korean but participates in K-pop or K-pop-related industries.

Virtual idol

Digitally created idol or idol group.

Global idol group

Idol group created for international audiences, often with multinational members.

Local/global K-pop

K-pop-related music that mixes Korean industry influence with non-Korean markets or members.