Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, M.S.L.S.

University of South Carolina Lancaster

A recent Rolling Stone article discusses the major thread of American R&B in Kpop music. A producer notes the attraction towards the genre, sharing, “Korean pop music likes differentiation and changes,..the average American song is four melodies, maybe five. The average K-pop song is eight to 10. They are also very heavy in the harmonies. The one-loop beat doesn’t work over there…” (Leight, 2018)

Well – we stan complexity.

In this edition of “Let Us Introduce You To…” we showcase a song that highlights how that nostalgic R&B feel is built in Kpop by using numerous beats, harmonies, and even rap cadence to hook listeners by producing a new sound that simultaneously feels familiar. 

Artist: SHINee

Press Play to Hear “Lock You Down” from SHINee’s album The Story of Light EP 3 (released June 25, 2018).

Lock You Down’s beats echo…

Artist: Vanity 6

Press Play to Hear “Nasty Girl” from Vanity 6’s album Vanity 6 (released August 11, 1982).

Learn more about Vanity 6 – a girl group that was produced by Prince.

SHINee Minho and SHINee Key’s rapping cadence echoes…

Artist: Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock

Press Play to Hear “It Takes Two” from Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s album It Takes Two (released August 9, 1988).

Learn more about Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, and read about how this song became a classic!

Happy Listening!

Works Cited

Leight, E. (2018, May 2). How American R&B songwriters found a new home in K-pop. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/how-american-rb-songwriters-found-a-new-home-in-k-pop-627643/ 

 

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