How did you get into Kpop?

[Alexis]

안녕하세요!!!

It's currently 3am here and I can't sleep, so I thought I'd ask you guys how you got into Kpop/K music? How long have you liked it for? Who are your favourite artists? Why do you like it? Did you start learning Korean because of your interest in Kpop, or was it the other way round?

As for myself, I've been into Kpop for... some years now! XP I can't even remember when I got into it! XP Or how, for that matter...

But my favourite artists would have to be: 보아, 신화, SG 워너비, 이수영, 이요리, FT Island and more recently 소녀시대 (yeah, I'm a sucker for the poppy stuff! LOL).

What about you guys?

[Pamela246]

For me it was 동방신기 ! around 2 years ago!
We saw Balloons MV on youtube and since then have grown to love them, we have now collected all their music, dvds etc! (Not an easy task in UK!) We love the way they are so professional and sing so well - yet such utter dorks at same time! (They are my main reason I am learning Korean and have even seen them live during brief stay in Korea last summer - I just hope there are some concerts in September when I next visit!)

I love the sound of 하동견 voice and i have all his music too!

for sheer pop the Wonder Girls and Super Junior (is it me or have they been a little quiet since last album?) Se7en and 비 are also favorites in this house too!

And yeah - its 3am here too! I must be on korean time (9hrs in front of UK!)

[lindafay]

I was looking on youtube at the channel of this guy I am subscribed to. He had the video at the top as "Super Junior - Happiness", I watched it and it made me smile quite a lot because of how cute it was xD It was my first true introduction to Korean, despite having played games that were developed in Korea. It isn't why I decided to learn it, however That is still my favorite band, but I also listen to BoA and DBSK

[pnaikween]

I got into Kpop back in the 90's where it was all bout 1TYM, Shinhwa, Fly to the Sky and H.O.T
So as you can tell haha I'm an oldie lol but my current fave artists/group are DBSK, Ft Island, Epik High, Untouchable, BoA, Wondergirls, Big Bang, Classiquai (i think that's how u spell it haha..sorry) and many more.

[Jackiex]

I got into k-pop back in the days of napster. Actually it was thanks partially in part to American MTV (crazy right?). At the VMAs many years ago they had a category called "International Viewer's Choice" where they would show clips from the favorite videos all around the world. This was always one of my favorite parts of that awards show, just getting the opportunity, if only for a few seconds, to see what songs and styles are popular around the world. I remember in the year 2000 the South Korean winners catching my eye and ear! The winners were actually C.L.O.N but the funny thing about it was they initially mixed up the C.L.O.N music video with a Cho PD track playing in the back. It made for a cool look and sound. The sad thing for me was I had no access to this music at the time.

Then later that year, I got the internet and I was immediately hooked on napster (remixes and rare lives of my favorite bands?) It was only what I had dreamed of! One of the first things I did was search out these MTV international viewer's choice winners and nominees and download them. Out of all the music, some from Russia, China, Indonesia, India, Europe, and Latin America, I consistently liked the Korean songs the best. One day I was downloading some random K-pop and a boy messaged me. He had just immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea and was having some hard times adjusting, most especially with the language. I told him how much I liked the Korean music I had heard up until that point and he suggested I listen to some more like Seo Taiji. He told me he would make me a deal. If I taught him to speak better English he would tell me about great Korean music. He had himself a deal! We would talk almost everyday about K-pop and K-rock and music in general and I would help him with English.

Back then he had some weird computer that would cut off automatically every half hour or so. One day the computer cut off and never came back online. Napster eventually went bust and that was the last I have ever heard from my Korean friend. I've sent him many e-mails over the years, none of which have ever been returned or responded to. I lost touch with Korean music for many years only to rediscover it in 2005 and become more addicted than ever! Now the music is very popular in the west and breakthroughs in internet such as file hosting and blogs have given the West much greater access to the music than back in 2000. With the click of a few buttons i have a whole world of Korean music at my fingertips, but I still wonder about my long lost friend. He gave me 3 great gifts that i cherish to this day. A love of Korean pop culture, a desire to help people improve their English, and A love for the Korean language which is why I am here at Koreanclass101 this very day.

[Skyppr84]

My first was about 8-9 years ago. There was a Korean exchange student at my high school and she played S.E.S for me. I was able to download a bit of music from them, and it spawned off into H.O.T, Shinhwa, Fin K.L, and Drunken Tiger.

More recently I've been listening to Big Bang, Bi, and Sonyu Sidae(sp?).

I decided to start learning korean because of the music and because it's so pretty to read.

[ColorMePurple]

Hmm... I think the first Kpop song I heard was called "Moon" (but I think they changed it to "Fall in Love") by Lena Park. Sorry, I can't write any of their names in Korean!! I think she's a wonderful singer, she just doesn't sing "sugary pop" type stuff like the Wonder Girls and Jewelry, who I also like. Then there's Lee Hyori and Son Dambi.

I think I randomly typed in "Korean music" one day in YouTube and "Moon" came up. Since then, I've been hooked. I'm also half Korean, so I was wondering what kind of music people were listening to in Korea. Now I want to learn Korean because half of my family speaks it and I was never taught it as a child. I hope to be fluent one day and be able to easily understand the singers in both popular and traditional Korean music today.

[DBSKfan24]

In august 2008 I found out of korean music. How I found out of it is becuase When i was on a website called gaiaonline.com I wanted to send someone a message so I went to there profile and I found a youtube video i watched it. it was a korean band called epik high. I thought they were really good so i decided to search all of Epik high's songs and i loved them, then i saw a show with tablo in it, I decided to search more and I found a video where they wer ein star golden bell, i then found out of Moon heejun, ss501, and super junior through that show. Then I was watching super juniors show, EHB, And dbsk were in there.
my fav bands/singers are,
1.DBSK
2.Epik high
3.shinee
4.Super junior
5.SS501
6.Shinhwa
7.Jang woohyuk
8. moon heejun
9.H.O..T

[camydeleon]

Got into KPop last May 2008

From 2006, I was a JPop + Anime person.
I discovered Super Junior in 2007 but didn't pay attention to them.

May 2008, I discovered TVXQ because of certain videos, interviews and shows they appeared on TV. With that, I started like KPop.

June 2008, I knew about Big Bang, Super Junior, SNSD, Shinhwa and etc. However, I didn't focus on them but mostly TVXQ.

August 2008, I found out about SHINee. Because of SHINee, I broadened my search on KPop and so I learned more about Super Junior, SNSD & BoA (since I only wanted to know about SM Town first)

Then to now, June 2009
I'm a total KPop fanatic. Because of KPop, I'm learning korean! ) Haha.

[andrewpardillo]

mmm... i started liking kpop when i was in 2nd yr high school.it started when i watch the drama series save the last dance for me. so i search the OST of the drama in the net.

my first k idol singer s howl & j. i really liked their "song perhaps love " after dat i always searching in the net for another song and there i discovered TVXQ and Super Junior...

and now... i am a 100% kpop adiK!hehe in fact the content of my mp4 is 95% kpop.but it doesn't mean i am not patrionizing our own song.( i dont download local song for my mp4 for i always heard it in Radio.)hehe

[jintana23]

I started with Kdramas and OSTs. I have heard a lot about Kpop singers and songs, but my interest went for dramas. Not long ago, a friend of mine lent me TVXQ's the first rising sun concert DVD. After I watched the DVD, I fell in love with them. They are good performers. They're going to have concerts here in Bangkok in 3 weeks. I can't wait to see them live for the first time.

[luanne77]

Hehe, I started listening to Kpop because of my Korean roommate... I was showing her traditional Québec music (I'm French Canadian) and then she showed me H.O.T. "Candy", and I was like "Wow, sounds cool!" I asked her what that "castle place" was, and she said it was "Lotte World", this indoor amusement park/shopping center that she used to always go to when she lived in Korea, more than 10 years ago.
I started learning Korean because I loved the sound of the language from all the songs I heard (I continued listening to other artists such as Super Junior, Big Bang, Bi, Boa, etc) and I even started watching some Korean dramas, all to help me learn Korean... I went to Korea last April (for a violin competition, LOL). I even went to Lotte World!!! I was all excited, I was like, wow, this is where H.O.T. was!!!

[ChartierCB]

I lived in Korea from 2001 to 2004 and spent a month there in 2008. During that time, I heard MANY K-pop songs. I cant remember them all but I will tell you the one song that stands out in my mind to this day is Deli Spice's 차우차우. I still blast it to this day

[SuJuRocks]

I was searching on the internet I saw "U - Super Junior"

[tony0682]

I started listening to KPop in 2000 while I was in college. The first song that I heard was a song my gf at the time was playing in the car, All For you by Cool. From there I went to 1TYM, Drunken Tiger, H.O.T., etc, etc.. Now I usually pick up any songs that are good for singing at 노래방. Usually older songs by 임재범, Solid, 김범수, Panic and 김민종.

I'm pretty up-to-date with new music coming out since I watch the Korean music shows every week, Inkigayo, Music Bank and Music Core as well as variety shows. My new favorites are 2PM, 2AM, K.Will, 나비, Super Junior, 메이트, 2NE1, 8Eight..etc.etc.