The first decade after the new millennium is finally drawing to a close. Having the most dense history of mankind with the most upheavals than any other generation, the change in culture in the past 10 years is no exception.
New content was constantly produced at an unimaginable speed, and a variety of new spheres were created. Both the producers and consumers of culture got distracted by some of the greatest-known turmoils and, as a result, were unknowingly swept up by the waves of change. Kyung Hyang Newspaper analyzed the last 10 years of Korean culture in closer detail.
‘Digital singles’, ‘bell sounds’, ‘ringtones’, ‘BGM’, ‘sound source’ – these are newly created terms of the 21st century that have now been added into everyday language. The following example will show how the meanings of these terms have changed in the past decade with regards to the mass music market, in comparison to past generations.
From ‘album’ to ’sound source’
When selling physical CD albums were at its peak, it was common to release 10~12 songs in one album which consisted of a variety of genres. During these times, there were many lively discussions about the singers’ musical philosophies and values that were sensed throughout the whole album, but ever since the establishment of online music sites where people were able to download a single song at a time, these discussions quickly became meaningless. Almost instantaneously, virtues of music on whether a song can catch the attention of the general public began to emerge.
The listening environment also began to change as a result of the materialization of MP3 players and other digital devices that made it easier for people to easily listen to music anywhere, as well as download and delete songs freely. Downloading background music for home pages, ringtones, bell sounds, advertisement songs and online games quickly became a leading trend in the music market, and this phase is only getting deeper. This change in phase is also currently bringing out progressive changes in the means of consumption and marketing techniques. Composer Kim Hyun Suk expressed, “The most principal feature to take advantage of on music sites is the one minute previews of songs – the established formula is that if you can’t catch the attention of the consumer in that one minute, it’s over. If you were able to feel the value of a song through music in physical albums, then the current era disgraces the value of music as if it’s some cheap accessory.”
Music experts evaluated that some idol groups and their agencies have managed to secure competitiveness at a global level. The major restructuring of the music market to make idols the core of popular music also modified the environment of the media. It is becoming more difficult to watch TV show programs with singers who are not idols. “As music genres become more biased, the range in personalities of musicians, which is considered the source of diversification for popular music, is rapidly shrinking,” expressed music critic Im Jin Mo.
Meanwhile, three of the eight respondents chose BIGBANG’s G-Dragon as one of the three singers whose activities will grab the most interest in the next decade to come.
Best Idol Groups
1. SNSD (7 Votes)
2. TVXQ (7 Votes)
3. Big Bang (5 Votes)
The singers who best pushed through the period of upheaval
1. Lee Seung Chul (4 Votes)
2. Lee Juk (3 Votes)
3. Kim Dong Ryul (2 Votes)
4. Crying Nut (2 Votes)
The singers who will grab the most interest hereafter
1. G-Dragon (3 Votes)
2. Jang Kiha (2 Votes)
3. IU (2 Votes)
4. SNSD (2 Votes)
Source: Kyung Hyang Newspaper + Translated by VitalWarning @ AKP
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