As the decade comes to a close, there is much to be said about how the world of music has evolved to what it is today. Recently, a South Korean newspaper known as the Kyung Hyang chose to investigate these changes as a way of reflecting upon some of the most influential affects of the decade.
Mainstream music has been changed in the past 10 years as a result of one term – ‘sound source,’ which represents several other phrases, including “caller ring,” “BGM,” “ringtone,” and “digital single.” These terms have come together to bring about the change in mainstream music that has occurred in the past decade, reports Kyung Hyang newspaper.
In addition, eight experts in the mainstream music industry were brought in to reflect some of the greatest changes in the music industry over the last decade, which have been listed below:
1.) From record to ‘sound source’ – With the introduction of mp3 players and other digital devices, people may now listen to music at any given point in time. Because we are now able to download and erase music within the blink of an eye, it is far easier to enjoy music than it was during the ‘record age,’ when one had to wait for CDs with limited genres of music to come out one by one.
Because people are now able to enjoy music in the forms of homepage background tracks, caller rings and ringtones, commercial songs, and online gaming music, the music industry has been able to advance greatly and promote various releases far more easily. There are now many more opportunities for marketing and advertising music, report music industry experts. Composer Kim Hyunsuk states, “On music sites, there is now the ability to preview one minute from a song. It has become a bit of a declaration that if the song cannot capture the consumers’ ears in that one minute, it’s no good. In comparison to the value of music through albums in the past, the value of music today has become that of a cheap accessory.”
2.) Leaning towards specific genres deepens – The birth of the digital music market has also created a shift in common music content. Experts claim that “hook” songs, dance tracks, and ballads with a “cattle driving” singing style have captured the hearts of many listeners over the past decade. For example, ballad group SG Wannabe quickly gained much popularity soon after their 2004 debut for their “cattle driving” ballads which were known for appealing sounds and emotion-filled vocals. Their style soon became a sort of guide for other ballads and ballad groups. Unfortunately, it appears that this style may actually be losing popularity as well, as it was recently noted that people have been getting sick of their style, which invokes sadness in many listeners.
Dance tracks, however, have held a stable niche in the music market for quite some time. After the generation of HOT and GOD in early 2000, netizens turned their attention to DBSK, who did not disappoint. Agencies were able to shoot for foreign markets in countries such as China and Japan with the birth of the idol group trend, which eventually led to the kpop trend. Because idol groups became so popular, the media atmosphere has changed greatly. Some critics view this as a bad thing, claiming that it has made seeing individual singers as opposed to singing groups quite rare to see on television and other media outlets. Music critic Im Jinmo shares this viewpoint, saying, “When music became concentrated on one genre, the individuality of a single musical artist became harshly endangered.”
3.) SNSD, DBSK, Lee Seungchul…. Which singers and groups have been the most loved by the general public over the past ten years? This very question was asked to many producers, music critics, and management companies, who were told to pick the two idol groups which they felt had dominated the music industry most often. The most commonly shared answer? SNSD and DBSK.
Representative for Fluxus Music Kim Byungchan attempted to explain SNSD’s massive success by stating, “SNSD is the girl group with the highest number of appearances in commercials.” A composer added onto this, commenting, “With all nine members have distinct personalities, they are truly the most accomplished girl group in Korean girl group history.”
When asked to reflect upon DBSK’s success, MBC Radio PD Nam Taejung responded, “They went head-on and took over Japan’s Oricon chart with their musical skills and showy appearances. They are an idol group that has helped introduce kpop into the Japanese entertainment industry.” Critic Kang Taekyu then analyzed the success, stating, “DBSK put their singing skills forth and created a new standard that other Korean idols must now pass in order to enter foreign music industries.”
It was also noted that for some veteran singers who experienced the Golden Age of the 20th century, the past decade may have been especially difficult to endure. When asked to nominate the one singer that was able to withstand all changes despite any difficulties, half of the music experts chose Lee Seungchul. Universal Records director Park Jin reasoned, “After debuting in the 80’s, he not only has the necessary singing skills to stay a successful artist, but he was also able to release hit songs by going along with the changing generation’s trends.”
Overall, here are the votes that the music directors made in each category. Please note: all votes are out of 8.
Best Idol GroupSNSD – 7
DBSK – 7
Big Bang – 5
Singer Most Able to Withstand Changes in Music IndustryLee Seungchul – 4
Lee Juk – 3
Crying Nut – 2
Artist to Pay Attention to in FutureG-Dragon – 3
Jang Giha – 2
IU – 2
SNSD – 2
Source: Kyunghyang via Naver
Translation: ch0sshi@kpoplive.com
Written by: shadesofgrey@kpoplive.com
