J-Pop is the name given to Japanese pop music, while K-Pop is the name given to Korean pop music. What are the differences between these Asian music genres? Why is K-Pop more successful in the West?
These two categories are two completely different universes, from their genre, style, marketing, and accessibility. In this article, we will see a little about these categories of popular music.
Table of Contents
Origin and curiosities of K-pop
The history of Korean popular music can be traced back to around 1885, when an American missionary, Henry Appenzeller, began teaching American and British folk songs in a school.
In the early 20th century, Japan had a significant influence on the creation of popular music in Korea. Between 1940 and 1960, Western culture influenced South Korea. By 1970, Korea was influenced by Hippie and Folk culture.
In the 1980s, ballads had a strong influence on both music and style. It was only in the 1990s that modern K-Pop began to be developed with influences from rap, rock, and techno.
K-Pop currently encompasses pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, R&B, reggae, folk, country, and its traditional roots. K-Pop first dominated East Asia at the end of the century, then spread worldwide through the internet.
The Korean music industry was growing slowly, generating less than $500,000 a year. Only with the popularization of media, dramas, and viral bands was Korea able to earn over $2 billion a year.
With a very small domestic market, Korea saw no other option but to focus on the West. All the bands that emerged always aimed to win over the Western audience, with the help of various media.
K-Pop diversifies its access significantly. Some bands sing entirely in English, and I have seen Korean bands sing entirely in Japanese, Chinese, and even mix languages.
Origin and curiosities of J-Pop
Although Japanese music is not as popular in the West, Japan is the second-largest music market in the world, second only to the USA. J-Pop plays a significant part in this story.
Japanese popular music entered the mainstream in the 1990s, drawing inspiration from traditional culture and the popular and rock music of the 60s from artists like the Beatles and Beach Boys.
Before J-Pop, Japanese music between 1920 and 1980 was referred to as kayoukyoku. The history of J-Pop reintroduced several musical instruments previously used only for classical music, just as jazz did.
J-Pop is heavily featured in anime, stores, commercials, movies, radio programs, television, and even video games. Many J-Pop songs are initially made to serve as openings and endings for anime.
Before trying to define J-Pop as just another musical style, we must remember that the market in Japan is extremely large. There is absolutely everything in Japanese music, not just what is popular.
In J-Pop, we find Westernized songs, K-pop style music, cute concepts, lovesick girl concepts, hip-hop, ballads, rock, metal, Vocaloid, 80s/90s vibes, Visual Kei, etc.
The Japanese songs that generally reach the West are those OSTs from anime, dramas, movies, or those trendy bands that impact Westerners like BabyMetal, AKB48, and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
Differences between J-Pop and K-Pop
The musical style of J-Pop is a product of Japan’s pop culture, with a significant influence from the Beatles and Beach Boys. K-Pop, on the other hand, was influenced by American artists such as Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears.
Generally, foreigners have a wrong perception of K-Pop, believing it is only about the idols and not appreciating the music. In fact, many of the K-Pop fans themselves are more interested in the idols and the dances than in the music itself.
On the other hand, J-Pop has more musical influences than K-Pop. Its foreign fans range from 18 to 60 years old and are influenced by decades. K-Pop often gives the impression of Boy Bands that are fleeting.
The Japanese like to portray J-Pop girls as kawaii children doing strange and lewd things, while K-Pop appeals to a more adult sensuality.
One of the things that catches my attention in J-Pop is the mixture of traditional Japanese instruments with Western style. There are various unusual instruments present in Japanese music, even a bit of classical music.
The most popular K-Pop and J-Pop bands
Who are the most popular K-Pop and J-Pop singers, bands, or groups in the world? According to a Western survey with over 100,000 votes, we can present the following results:
Popular J-Pop Bands and Singers
- Babymetal;
- Perfume;
- Scandal;
- Yui;
- Kyary Pamyu Pamyu;
- C-ute;
- Morning Musume;
- AAA;
- Sakura Gakuin;
- Arashi;
- One OK Rock;
- AKB48;
- E-Girls;
- Miwa;
- Ikimono-Gakari;
- Ayumi Hamasaki;
- Muto Ayami;
- Exile;
- Nogizaka46;
- Hikaru Utada;
As a fan of Japanese music, I have to say that I don’t usually listen to any of the bands and singers on the list above. Although I know and like some individual songs from a few.
Popular K-Pop Bands and Singers
While 100,000 people voted for J-Pop bands, in the ranking below we have over 2 million votes. This shows the difference in popularity between J-Pop and K-Pop in the West.
- Bangtan Boys (BTS);
- EXO;
- BIGBANG;
- Super Junior;
- SHINee
- Got7
- Girls’Generation
- 2NE1
- Infinite
- f(x)
- BLACKPINK
- Red Velvet
- Seventeen
- Twice
- 2PM
- TVXQ
- VIXX
- iKon
- Highlight;
- Apink;
Why is K-Pop more successful in the West than J-Pop?
The answer is somewhat obvious; Korea is much smaller compared to Japan. This indicates that singers need to invest more in the external market than in the internal one. This makes the music more directed towards foreigners.
The Japanese market is very developed compared to the Korean market. J-Pop does not have a strong motivation to explore the external market, while K-Pop necessarily needs to.
Not to mention that K-Pop has American roots and makes a more sexual appeal, while J-Pop focuses on cuteness and Japanese culture. If it weren’t for the sexual appeal, the dances, and the appearance of the singers, K-Pop might not be as popular.
Japanese women have issues with their legs and height. Their legs tend to not be as straight and are not as tall as Korean women. This makes Japanese women focus more on kawaii things than on sensuality, attracting less interest from the West.
K-Pop has a strong presence of Rock, Hip-Hop, Jazz, R&B, Blues, and Soul. Meanwhile, J-Pop sticks a bit to unique styles that mix instrumental, classical, original, and more sentimental touches.
Koreans have facial and structural characteristics that provide more advantages for undergoing plastic surgery. This makes them more industrial and homogeneous to attract fans’ attention.
Although some find K-Pop strange, J-Pop also has many things that seem strange to Western eyes. From its visuals, concepts, stories, and ideas, everything sounds odd to foreigners.
When going abroad, K-Pop usually collaborates with local singers and artists, greatly increasing its fan base, while J-Pop generally participates in specific events related to Japan when going abroad. It is not possible to expand its fan base when they are already your fans.
The Japanese entertainment industry is extremely rigid and eager to remove videos, music, websites, and anything related to content that has not been authorized by them, making its expansion and sharing difficult. There are J-Pop songs that we may never be able to hear.
Is it worth J-Pop focusing on the West?
The reason K-Pop is more popular in the West than J-Pop is not because “it is better.” Thinking this way is absolutely wrong because the music market in Japan is huge.
If you think J-Pop is just groups like AKB48, let me tell you that you are wrong. The music industry in Japan is enormous and generates $3 billion a year just with its domestic focus.
A few years ago, just one Japanese band was able to generate more money than the entire K-Pop market. Unfortunately, this situation has reversed, as Korea has achieved a boom in the West, reaching billions.
This shows the importance of conquering an unknown market. If Japan focused more on the West, its profits could certainly be much higher and its music much more famous.
In fact, Japanese music is very diverse. There are countless unknown and unpopular musical styles in Japan that, if properly promoted in the West, would create a huge boom.
What do you think of J-Pop and K-Pop? Which do you prefer? What do you think needs to be done? If you liked the article, share and leave your comments. Thank you and see you next time! Don’t forget to subscribe!
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