Soothing Tunes Break into K-pop, Marking a New Easy Listening Trend in 2023

K-pop Embraces Easy Listening in 2023

The K-pop industry is witnessing a surprising trend in 2023, with the resurgence of easy listening, a genre known for its calming vocal and instrumental arrangements. This musical style, which debuted in the 1940s and is sometimes referred to as 'elevator music,' is shaping the soundscape of Korean pop music this year. Previously known for their high-concept tracks, a number of K-pop groups have begun to entice fans with easy-listening singles.

Fifty Fifty's Chart-Topping Success

One notable success story is the girl group Fifty Fifty, which reaped unprecedented success in Western music charts. Their easy-listening hit was instrumental in their achievements on the Billboard and Official Charts. Their single 'Cupid' has managed to maintain a presence on the Billboard’s Hot 100 for 25 weeks in a row and on the Official Charts’ Singles Chart Top 100 for 22 weeks, an extraordinary accomplishment for a K-pop girl group.

Music critic Jung Min-jae highlighted Fifty Fifty's approach, emphasizing their soft vocal tones and preference for song quality over strong performance hooks or visual impact.

New and Established Groups Join the Trend

SM Entertainment’s recently debuted boy band Riize entered the scene with 'Get a Guitar,' a laid-back track that diverged from their predecessors’ more intense debut singles. The song gained viral traction on social media with dance challenges, propelling it to commercial triumph. Riize's Wonbin attributed their success to a public preference for easy and agreeable listening experiences.

Boynextdoor, another rookie group from Hybe, released an easy-listening and medium tempo single noted for its approachable melody and choreography. Member Taesan expressed the group's aim for natural, relatable music during their debut presentation.

Not to be outdone by the rookies, established groups like Cravity returned with easy-listening tracks such as 'Cheese' from their 'Sun Seeker' EP, while Enhypen swapped their intense image for 'Sweet Venom,' a mellower tune from their 'Orange Blood' EP, which charted on the Billboard 200.

According to critic Kim Do-heon, the shift towards more simplistic and perceptible music reflects a response to audiences who previously found K-pop’s complex concepts challenging to digest.

trend, genre, charts