KAI Pop

Is KAI-Pop Threatening the Future of K-Pop?

What is K-Pop?

K-Pop (or "K-poop" as it's often called by its dissenters) has carved a niche on the modern music scene, with boy and girl bands at the forefront of this cultural wave. Their music captures South Korea's traditional values and contemporary sounds, but it owes its popularity to a holistic approach to performance art and impressive dance routines. The bands' fresh-faced doll-like looks and meticulous training regimes have won them armies of screaming fans from the iKid generations.

A New Threat Is Emerging

The K-Pop craze is still vibrant and appears to have survived the maturing of the original bands and the once fanatic armies accepting their fates as 30-year-old adults with fantasy-busting responsibilities. New bands have been quick to sprout where the mighty originals once stood, and the K-Pop scene has been successful in keeping itself fresh. However, a new threat is dawning...KAI-Pop.

Image for KAI-Pop

When I write KAI-Pop, I mean this:

Some K-Pop bands are using AI-generated lyrics to churn out albums.

Are Lyricists Getting Lazy?

Keen to ride any waves of popularity, some new bands are churning out albums every six months, rather the industry-standard of 3 years, and working at such a pace requires reams of lyrics. Like the rest of us, K-Pop lyricists are turning to the likes of chatGPT to get them started on their writing tasks. Those who have admitted using AI to kickstart their creative juices claim to be merely evaluating its pros and cons. However, the truth is that, going forward, fans will be listening with suspicious ears, never really knowing how much of their favorite song was AI generated.

The Armies' Loyalty Is Being Tested

Some ardent fans see no issue with their stars using AI, claiming it is simply AI returning the words back to the originators. It's a fair point. It is, after all, how AI works. However, others feel that they will lose touch with their heroes as AI distances fans from the artists' personal thoughts and emotions.

AI generated texts are cliched, unnatural, and repetitive. You can spot an AI-generated prose (e.g., a business letter or work email) a mile away. AI-generated verse, on the other hand, is harder to spot. But, the quality of AI-generated lyrics is not the issue. The lyrics might be amazing, especially if they've been tinkered with. Who cares what chatGPT thinks? No one. That's the issue.

In the End, Life Catches Up

The popularity of K-Pop is, in no small part, down to the fans remaining fiercely loyal over a long period, way beyond the point when they should have moved on to something more serious and productive in their lives. K-Pop's fans have followed their heroes with rose-tinted glasses, receptive ears, and donkey blinkers to the point of cult fanaticism. However, as soon as fans start to question the originality and integrity of their idols, the bands' days are numbered. In the end, we're all too busy to listen to regurgitations by chatGPT. Eventually, real life catches up, and should fans remove those glasses and blinkers, they will be confronted with life's challenges far sooner, and K-Pop's fanbase will melt away from the top down.

Furthermore, if the newly coined phrase KAI-Pop (KAI rhymes with eye) catches on, it could signal the start of K-Pop's decline.

AI-Generated Verse Is Pretty Good!

Here is an AI-generated, K-pop-style verse about a love lost. This verse has not been tampered with. It came directly from chatGPT. It took 5 seconds to write. I think you'll agree, it's very K-pop-y. So, now what? Well, throw in a few dance moves, and watch that pocket money come rolling in. It begs the question, why wait 6 months to knock out another album?

In the neon lights, I see your shadow dance,
Memories in vivid color, we never stood a chance.
Your laughter echoes in the songs we used to play,
Now I'm reaching through the silence, since you've gone away.

Every street we walked is empty, feels so bittersweet,
Wishing I could find you in every heartbeat.
Lost in this city, where our dreams once flew,
Girl, I'm still here, always loving you.