K-pop has always been a genre to play with structure and form, and it feels like this past year that playfulness has sent K-pop into a bit of an identity crisis. From the disappearance of bridges, to title tracks that barely run for two minutes, it’s safe to say K-pop — and pop on the whole — is evolving. Part of this evolution comes with what comes off as a crisis of the chorus: gone are belted choruses, and in are chanted key phrases or just a beat.
In a recent thread on some corner of the internet, I saw a discussion lamenting the rising prominence of nonsense choruses, particularly among 4th and 5th gen girl groups. Choruses that forgo even a chant for just… sounds. Admittedly, this is not my favorite “trend” in K-pop, either; however, the more I contemplated it, the more I realized it’s not a recent trend at all. K-pop has been showcasing nonsense for generations, with onomatopoeia being a go-to filler and inescapable earworm-maker.
So instead of bemoaning the ways K-pop is moving further away from what long-time fans are familiar with, this mixtape is a celebration of a true K-pop legacy: the nonsense, bouncy, and often addictive beep boop choruses and hooks that have spanned generations.
