4chan /bant/ kpop general FAQ:

4chan /bant/ kpop general FAQ:

>What is kpop?
You know what it is.

>Why is there a kpop general on /bant/?
1) It’s free real estate.
2) It seemed like a good idea at the time.
3) For various reasons, the posters here didn't like any of the other kpop generals.

>Why didn't you like any of the other kpop generals?
Everybody had their reasons, don't ask us to shittalk and gossip about the other generals, because we won't. Different culture, different posters.

>How long has the /bant/ kpop general existed?
Since the day the board was created. 05/04/17
https://archive.alice.al/bant/thread/21854/

>Are all the various kpop generals on 4chan different?
Yes, they are. All have a different culture and mostly different posters. I’d tell you how kpop generals on 4chan started, but that would be spoonfeeding.

The kpop general on /bant/ talks about kpop, but when there’s nothing new on the kpop scene to talk about, we talk about International/Random stuff too. While for example the general on /mu/ talks exclusively about kpop. There are also fewer posters here and it's slower paced. This also means that there's less anonymity which tends to lead to less shitposting and insults.

>Are there any rules on /bant/’s kpop general?
Don’t be rude towards the idols (that’s what the performers are called - idols) or the music. There’s no way to enforce this rule, but if you’re being annoying, people will eventually filter you or ignore you. Be a fairly nice poster and everyone will accept you. It’s okay to dislike things, just don’t be a tool about it.

>You just like looking at pretty Asian girls, you don’t care about the music.
Beats looking at the circus freaks in Western music and being pretentious about it.

>It’s just repackaged Western pop music!
Alright, we’ll keep that in mind, thank you for letting us know.

>What do you see in kpop? Why do you like it?
1) There’s no circus freaks.
2) The music is catchy, the choreography is fun to watch, the videos are creative, and of course, the girls are cute.

>I want to get into kpop, what songs would you recommend?
This is a playlist of some of this general’s posters’ favorite songs over the past few years. A lot of this stuff isn’t entry level but if you don’t like any of it, kpop is probably not for you.
If you like any of this, post in the thread and let us know. We like hearing positive feedback and we might be able to give similar recs.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_9qcRkRctoMoV9rrdwSt4GV

>Nah man, I want something more specific, don’t give me that cop out
Alright, fine. Below you’ll find a few arbitrary categories of kpop with a few select songs from each. These aren’t based so much on genre, as on “concept”. This is a term used in kpop to basically signify what sort of “feel” the song and group are going for.

Sometimes “concept” is synonymous with genre, but not always. Usually the concept refers to a combination of the genre of the song, the outfits the idols wear and the atmosphere and cinematography of the music video.

So pick which “concept” you want.

>I want that classic Asian music I imagine in my head – schoolgirl outfits, innocent videos and girls singing about boys they like or boys that don't like them or boys that they may or may not like who may or may not like them back.
This is what the various kpop generals on 4chan call “purepop”. You’ll find the playlist below

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm__Y9TZhqVbvBHxPgLQVHNnd

>Nah man, that stuff is too girly for me. I’m too *hardcore* for that sugary crap. I want something more *aggressive*.
Then the girl crush concept might be more your speed. See below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_9mBr6XykNz9kcXFmJrXPNq

>Yikes! Can I have something similar but without so much edginess?
Sure. The genre in the playlist below has been called “wall of noise” before and that’s an accurate description. It’s very divisive, but if you enjoy it, more power to you.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_8FwEewOIjwOaJ-UZFAeJD_

>Actually I liked the edge, but the songs were too tryhard and aggressive for me.
Then try the songs in this playlist and see what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_-nFWygAbCiCNlrEaxfHEjT

>Whatever, I just want to see some of those catchy upbeat kpop songs I keep hearing so much about.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_-tMVfAxmD9zEdprAThErfi

>I’m curious to see what sort of music the most popular kpop groups are releasing.
Okay, you can find the playlist below. This is based on which groups are most popular in Korea since Korean popularity makes or breaks groups in kpop, with much less emphasis on international popularity. A group can have 400 million views on youtube and still be considered unsuccessful if they aren’t recognized by the Korean public.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_-uvEO45wapfkuFPDkQ4Tan

>I like ballads a lot, do you have any kpop ballads for me?
Boy, are you in luck. Korea loves its ballads so if you get into kpop for the ballads, you'll never run out of new things to listen to, guaranteed. Try this playlist of kpop ballads to see if they're for you.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_--rVfWoH5IPXJPIo4KtLJd

>Most of this music is just groups, aren’t there any soloists in kpop?
There sure are, in fact some of them are more successful than the most successful kpop groups. Here is a playlist with some of Korea’s most popular soloists.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_97CB-TnA-ERXcHtua1t-3g

>Hey wait a minute, all of these songs have been very recent! Why isn't there any older kpop in these lists?
For your own good.

Kpop changes a lot over time and half the fun of following it comes from following the groups as they're active. If you start liking older kpop, not only will you be unable to follow the groups (because they're gone), but if you want to get into current kpop, you'll need to adjust to the music all over again.

In fact, kpop changes so much over the years that it's usually broken up into generations. Currently we're in the 3rd/4th Generation. Groups like BTS and Twice are 3rd Generation. The 3rd Generation started around 2014 and is ongoing. Groups like AESPA, IVE, (G)I-DLE are 4th generation and it started from around 2018. The 2nd Generation was from 2007 to 2014 and its most popular group was Girls Generation. The 1st generation was from around 1998 until 2007, represented by groups such as FinKL and H.O.T.

The easiest way to understand these generations is to think of them as different waves of Korean cultural expansion. Each wave is differentiated by the type of music and the groups that gain popularity. The First Generation was mildly popular around Eastern and Southeastern Asia. The Second Generation was more popular, with people around the world hearing about kpop and the Third Generation is why you can't go on social media without encountering a kpop fan asking you to stan their favorite group.

If you're still curious about older kpop, you can check out the playlist below. It features music from the Second Generation of kpop (2007-2014)* when its popularity really kicked off. The list is pretty long and sorted by publication date, so the further down you scroll, the older the songs will be.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_8c4RFOMDpHecEjjJ_fMWIV

*If a group that debuted in 2010 releases a song in 2018, it's still Second Generation

>Nice essay, which I didn't read, of course. Do you have any examples of what *even older* Korean music was like? Long before any idea of kpop existed?
Yes! You are in luck, we have a couple of autistic posters in this general who are scholars of older Korean music. Check out the playlist they made here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_9EQ6OaMWs5rxRYgOwjHQ5V

>Hey wait a minute, all of these have been female performers! What about male groups and soloists? What about BTS?
We’re generally not as familiar with male kpop, or gaypop as it’s called. It’s not just because we don’t like looking at dudes in weird outfits and makeup. Gaypop is generally different from girlpop, because the music is made to appeal to a different audience – angsty teenage girls.

In gaypop there’s more of a focus on ballads and low and mid-tempo songs in general. That said, there are some gaypop songs we do like, so below you'll find a playlist with them in it.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bFP6JBUm_-DgPOziOFRwdDKDQ5OQHZL

Just keep in mind that what you're getting isn't a good representation of actual gaypop, because we generally don't follow the groups. If you want to get into gaypop, you're better off asking somewhere else.

>How do I follow kpop?
1) Unironically check r/kpop for news. Just don't read the comments.
2) Subscribe to the 1thek channel on youtube, they usually upload most new songs.
3) Come to this general.

>How do I "acquire" kpop songs in some sort of audio file format for my listening device of choice?
A nice anon over on /t/ has got you covered. Read this:

https://pastebin.com/a22WqXGH

>How do I find kpop pics?
Twitter is what most people use. Go to Twitter, type your favorite idol’s name as a hashtag and go from there. You’ll find various accounts who do nothing but post photos of idols. If you're a bad enough dude, you can look up your waifu's name in Korean and post that into the search bar for better results. For example, instead of searching for "Seulgi", you can search for 슬기.

>These girls are pretty hot, I just want to jerk off to them.
>>>/r/kpopfap