K-Pop and the West

By Crystal S. Anderson

In K-Pop and the West, author Crystal S. Anderson dives into the history of K-pop's growth in popularity to explore the genre's significance for global music. Rather than focusing on eye-catching sales or streams, Anderson argues that K-pop's engagement with multiple genres and the consistent connections among Korean artists past and present makes it significant for popular music dominated by North American and European artists.

The book examines connections among contemporary artists that debuted during several eras between 1980 and 2018. This comparative approach reveals patterns of music production, where artists consistently engage with multiple music genres, and visual production, including choreography, concepts, and performances that change with each new generation of artists. Anderson traces the way these artists remix Western music genres like hip-hop, pop, electronic dance music, and R&B in novel combinations that results in keeping these genres in circulation, warding off musical amnesia.

While other artists might engage in the occasional throwback track, K-pop artists remix genres throughout their careers and remain relevant through their influence on later artists. Subsequent generations of performance-based artists also function as conduits exposing global listeners to Korean artists beyond K-pop. In this way, performance-based artists preserve the comprehensive nature of pop music at a time when many listeners are increasingly unaware of music beyond their genre preferences.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1496867831
• ISBN13: 9781496867834
• Release Date: June 2027
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Length: 192 Pages