I've already said your comment pertaining to the US is incorrect. There is not a mountain of Korean pop acts whose music is worlds apart from their American counterpart. Three of the measly six groups you listed have many songs even written by American/Western composers, so who are you kidding. If this is what you choose to believe in order to feel better about listening to a genre that's null of artistry and creativity, that's your prerogative.
And yes, I was using a Kai avi. Isn't he a God?
False. American pop sounds like typical 'pop'—still using elements from the 20's-50's when American pop culture was being shaped. Japanese pop has its own distinct sound that's very unique to Japan (you won't hear it anywhere else). C-pop is formulaic and most Chinese countries follow this pattern, and Euro music is quintessentially European with the same melodies and beats used time and time again. Kpop is the only mainstream genre that sounds like a mix of other countries music. As I mentioned in an earlier post there are groups whom I think are progressive and offer something new to Kpop, but they're in the great minority.
The proof really isn't is a solid thing that I can show you in a photo or something, the proof is in the culture(s). South Korea has literally taken every successful and popular thing to come out of Japan and tried to pass it off as Korean—specifically music and movies. Japan had Johnny's Entertainment with their young homo-esque boy groups that were just bringing in the money in the 90's, and Korea hopped on that wagon with the same exact set-up. You have a vocalist, you have a rapper, you have the visual, etc etc, all things Japanese companies were doing years before Korea.
Korean movies? They weren't even on the map until they started copying Japanese horror flicks like Ringu and Ju-On. They took every element from Japanese horror films and put them into their movies just as they did with their music. Honestly Korea has followed suit when it comes to many things and it's amazing just how much of every other culture is in Korean pop culture. I have to say Koreans are masters at taking something, adding their own little twist to it and then convincing people that it's actually Korean and it's fabulous.
Girl this ain't no graduate dissertation calm down.
And I don't see why language is a problem. Most pop songs are meaningless and about the same things (I love you, let's party and dance all night, etc). Do you really pay attention to lyrics when listening to Top 40 radio?
K-Pop is hot, and I think it will become even hotter worldwide as the years go by. We'll see what happens though.
Also, the comment about Koreans in K-pop all looking the same was incredibly ignorant. I have no idea what groups you've been looking at. Also, the part about 40 members in a group? You must be thinking of AKB. There are no groups in K-Pop that have over 40 people.
I have no idea what groups you've been looking at. Also, the part about 40 members in a group? You must be thinking of AKB. There are no groups in K-Pop that have over 40 people.