Just Listen

Post date: May 9, 2025

By Hillary Lai

Should people be ashamed of the music they listen to? Music is made for anybody to enjoy, although not every song is palatable to all audiences. There are people who keep up with every trending pop song, even with the increasingly vulgar themes within them, and those who prefer classical music untainted by lyrics. It is clear that many genres exist and there will always be a song for anyone. Music is found in every culture and should be a universal expression of sound. However, some genres are silently (and sometimes even outwardly) shunned in America, despite having nothing wrong with them. Foreign music, especially Korean pop music, harbors a stigma rooted in xenophobia and stubbornness that many people are unwilling to admit to. Of course, it all comes down to preference, however, it is clear that media critics still reject foreign music as a whole due to these prejudices, which in turn creates a sense of shame in listeners of these songs. Music is meant to be enjoyed without these concerns, and Korean pop music should not be a topic that is so difficult to discuss.

“K-pop”, as it is widely referred to, is not even the genre people believe it is. The only difference in these songs that separates them from other genres is the language their singers speak. The songs themselves do not get to determine this either, as many K-pop idols, as these singers are commonly referred to, have released music in complete English, yet their songs are still classified as K-pop just because they are Korean. In the American media, there is no need to make these classifications for singers of European descent. Asian music, especially K-pop, is considered different and “weird” to listen to. This need to clarify makes it difficult for listeners to enjoy the music they listen to freely. Admitting to being a K-pop listener feels more like a confession than a simple fun fact. 

There is an argument commonly made by those who critique K-pop in America, and it is that many of its listeners do not understand Korean. Unfortunately, what critics do not realize is that music is meant to transcend language barriers, and if the meaning of a song is of such high importance to critics, looking up the translation is just as easy as playing the song. Additionally, the people who cry “you can’t even understand what they’re saying!” are the ones who are listening to the latest trendy songs full of inappropriate lyrics. Is there any point to understanding a song if the words belted do not amount to anything meaningful?

Music should not be restricted to immediate understanding (Besides, analyzing lyrics for meaning is half of the fun in understanding anyways!) and instead should be enjoyed for what it is. Songs evoke emotions through methods that surpass words and K-pop especially is notorious for its different sound styles. Once again, K-pop is only classified by its language and this term fails to cover the wide expanse of genres present throughout the songs in this category. Understanding that these songs are no different from any other song is the first step to take in destroying the stigma present in the music industry. Being a listener of Korean pop music should not be something that makes people feel ashamed.