Got Your Favorite K-pop Groups? Now Get to Know the Foreign Songwriters and Producers Behind Their Songs!
South Korea is a small country. In fact, the whole country, as well as its northern neighbor, might even fit within Michigan. But something groundbreaking was established within this small country, which dominated the world by surprise - K-pop!
In 2019, a BTS concert sold out its tickets within just 90 minutes at London's Wembley Stadium (it can accommodate 90,000 spectators). During the first 24 hours, BLACKPINK's MV for "Kill This Love" garnered over 56 million views on the video-streaming platform YouTube.
These are remarkable achievements given that the globe wasn't even aware of K-pop a decade ago. With K-pop becoming one of the largest industries in South Korea (BTS itself contributes $4.65 billion of the country's GDP), entertainment firms hire the best producers and songwriters to render their next records, and several of them come from the United States.
And while they have partnered with some of the nation's biggest stars, such as Justin Bieber, Iggy Azalea, or Bruno Mars, a lot of them are commending the K-pop industry as their redemptive aspect in striving to stay alive in the US.
THE STEREOTYPES
Behind: "Bad Boy" by Red Velvet, "Kiss My Lips" by BoA, "Press Your Number" by Taemin, "Devil" by Super Junior, "Gucci" by Jessi
This musicianship and production team includes Ray Romulus, Jonathan Yip, Charm, and Jeremy Reeves. The Stereotypes may have kicked off inside Yip's spare space in the early '00s, but they are now one of LA's biggest producing groups, working on songs like "Somebody to Love" by Justin Bieber, "Beg For It" by Chris Brown, and "Deliver" by Fifth Harmony.
But a chance to drill down into the K-pop realm portrayed itself when SM Entertainment executives visited them in LA.
SM then hosted them to Korea, and there, they started to produce over 20 tracks a week. Although it was difficult to work, Yip claimed K-pop encouraged them to be innovative in diverse situations from what American music might have encouraged.
MELANIE FONTANA AND LINDGREN
Behind: BTS's "Euphoria," "Boy With Luv," "ON," "Trick It" by TWICE, "Crush" by I.O.I, "Crown" by TXT, "Bon Bon Chocolate" by EVERGLOW
The dynamic couple duo, Melanie Fontana (songwriter) and Lindgren (producer), experienced working with the highest profile in K-pop, BTS.
Since helping to compose Justin Bieber's "Home This Christmas," Fontana's songwriting profession sparked off when she was only a teenager. She began her K-pop path in 2013, contributing to compose "Stay Girls" for Girls' Generation.
But her life has been changed completely when she started to help BTS's Jungkook compose "Euphoria."
Big Hit Entertainment contacted her again after seeing Fontana's expertise to write and produce more tracks for the septet.
The duo went straight to the studio, and "Boy With Luv" was created after they sent ideas back and forth between LA and Seoul.
BEKUH BOOM
Behind: "Eyes, Nose, Lips" by Taeyang, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du," "Whistle," and "Kill This Love" by BLACKPINK, "Goodbye Road" by iKON
Thanks to Bekuh Boom, 25, BLACKPINK's "Boombayah" is simply pronounced as "boombayah" and not "boombayay."
When YG Entertainment's popular producer, Teddy, sent out a message to composer to help craft BLACKPINK's debut song, he let her understand that he would want the title for the music video to be "Boombayay." However, she read it as "Boombayah," then, there was the track that enabled BLACKPINK to burst on the scene.
With Bekuh's music and lyrical expertise, BLACKPINK became immediately one of Korea's top girl-bands. However, with "KILL THIS LOVE," Bekuh made a point of saying she began to feel far more achievement as it landed on American iTunes.
CHIKK
Behind: "Overdose" and "Monster" by EXO, "Mr. Mr." by Girls' Generation, "Why" by Taeyeon, "Red Dress" by Red Velvet, "Kick It" by NCT 127.
During her first year of musicianship, Rodnae "Chikk" Bell had already been composing for major US stars like Jennifer Hudson, Iggy Azalea, and Jordin Sparks. She was doubtful when her publisher approached her if she preferred to fly to Korea.
In 2013, Chikk traveled to Korea, and although it was her first exposure working with international artists and in a different country, she headed home to write two massive successes - "Mr. Mr." and "Overdose."
