Reflexive Essay: K-pop Adjacent Industries
Authored By:
ArNay Crew
Dr. T.Saeji
28 July 2017
K-pop adjacent industries
When people hear the word K-pop they probably automatically start thinking about the idols, colorful music videos, and the dynamic dances that they do. What doesn’t come to mind however, is how other industries benefit from K-pop and how they are connected.
The first two K-pop adjacent industries are the fashion and beauty industries. Makeup and fashion are very important to idols because their makeup and clothing style dictate their image. These industries are also very influential to an idol's life because they can be sponsors and therefore become another way for idols to make money. Idol fashion and makeup can also be considered very trendy thus making idols trendsetters, which in turn makes them popular icons for certain brands that then become popular off of the idols fame and both the idol and the adjacent industry benefit from one another.
Another key industry in the k-pop world is the dance industry. Without the intricate and explosive dances in k-pop, k-pop wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is. The dances in k-pop help fans feel like they can be a part of their idols life because they can also learn the choreography they do and even add their own twist if the feel like it. When fans do cover dances they are helping idols gain popularity and they also help the choreographer gain some attention as well which opens up opportunities for them with more k-pop companies. So the dance industry and the choreographers get benefits from being in the kpop industry because they gain popularity from almost every dance they produce.
The last industry that benefits from the k-pop industry is of course the film industry. Since idols are so popular getting to film them is a great opportunity, because it helps the camera crews gain film experience which helps them get more jobs. When music videos come out fans focus on how they are presented and if the video isn't the best filmers will get backlash along with the idols, but if a video is produced well, the idols, company, and anyone apart of the song and video are praised highly for their work.
When a k-pop video is made and the idols are strutting around in flashy outfits and there are crazy special effects within the video it's always good to remember that there are other industries involved in the process and not just the idols and their companies.
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