If you’ve been watching the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, you’ve probably come across some incredible sounding music already, especially if you watched the outstanding Opening Ceremony.
But what are those songs? Who sings them? How can you listen to them? I’m here to give you an insight into these songs and introduce you to the world of K-Pop! So, let’s begin, shall we?
Gangnam Style – PSY
This is arguably the one song on this list that needs no introduction. We all remember this going viral in 2012, but PSY’s Gangnam Style being the first song to play during the Opening Ceremony just emphasises its importance to South Korea. Many, including Choe Kwang-shik (the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism), have expressed how Gangnam Style has played an important role in introducing Korean culture, language and lifestyle to the rest of the world and this occassion is no exception.
Likey – TWICE
The girls that played when the British Winter Olympic team walked out! TWICE is becoming another worldwide phenomenom from South Korea, with Likey and its respective album Twicestagram becoming TWICE’s debut on Billboard’s World Albums and World Digital Song Sales respectively, at number one – which also made TWICE the first female K-Pop act to lead on both charts. It’s not really a surprise, though, considering, the catchy choruses that a lot of TWICE songs have; Likey is definitely one of the cachiest, though! Definitely a group to look into if you haven’t already heard of them!
Fantastic Baby – BIGBANG
Fantastic Baby is one of those songs which is deemed as a ‘classic’ for most K-Pop fans. Released in 2012, it’s another song which has an incredibly catchy chorus. Alongside simple choreography, Fantastic Baby follows the simple yet effective formula for a good K-Pop song. BIGBANG themselves are a group who are not to be forgotten about. They have a unique sound about them and are well-known for their experimental and diverse genres. Hey, there’s a reason why they’ve been dubbed as the Kings of K-Pop!
DNA – BTS
The question I want to ask is “Who hasn’t heard of BTS?” The Korean group has been taking the world by storm as of late, particularly with their recent hits DNA and Mic Drop, to the extent that they were even able to collaborate with American electro house musician Steve Aoki! BTS have been influenced by hip-hop as well as R&B and rock, but they have also been known to experiment with various different genres – their solo songs on their 2016 album Wings featuring genres such as neo-soul and gospel. BTS continue to experiment with DNA focusing on more future bass and EDM genres.
Red Flavor – Red Velvet
And finally, the group which are arguably the least known as this list (but that doesn’t mean that they’re not as talented!). Red Velvet are a group under SM Entertainment and are known for their dual concept – their “red” concept which is bright and bubbly and their “velvet” concept which is more elegant and mature. Red Flavor follows their “red” concept more so than their “velvet” one, due to it primarily being a dance-pop song that has a summer vibe, but it’s definitely been a hit for Red Velvet as it charted highly on several charts and was even named “Song of the Year” by GQ Korea!
So, they’re the K-Pop songs that were featured in 2018’s Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony! Other K-Pop songs such as EXO’s Electric Kiss are also being featured throughout the Olympics. For instance, Electric Kiss was featured in some behind the scenes footage of what it’s like to live in the Olympic Village (source) – so be sure to keep an eye out for any other K-Pop songs during the next two weeks!
Take a listen and let me know in the comment section below which one of these songs you enjoyed the most!
Until next time!
– Amelia xo
I’m not really into K-pop…but lately I have been enjoying listening to it more and more because of Kwenzqoatl’s awesome blog. BTS really is very good…and of course who doesn’t love Psy? Great post, as always 😊😊
Haha it’s was great to hear some Kpop. I’m familiar with all these artists twice in only heard about them late last year. Red velvet have some good stuff, def gotten into them big time. Now… BTS I’m not hugely into them as everyone else is I know but I like some of their songs lol