The Pros and Cons of English in K-Pop

   We’ve all heard it, and maybe even made fun of it, but the fantastic elastic fact of the matter is English in K-pop has had its ups and downs. And while it’s safe to say that my perspective is somewhat biased given that I’m a native English speaking person, it’s clear that using English to spread the Hallyu wave is not without its difficulties.

   English in K-pop is a chiefly commendable nod towards K-Pop’s unparalleled global mindset. Not just with English, K-Pop explores many foreign languages, thanks to and as its supporting industry spreads its influence into the international music marketplace. (There aren’t too many music companies that offer more than one language on their homepage, much less four like YG Family does….) Whether it be debuts in Japan or other ventures in surrounding parts of Asia, in just a few short years K-Pop has has been cropping up all over the world. At the very least, the K-pop industry should be commended for its commitment to its heaps of international fans, while most other artists/industries don’t seem to care as much. But as the waves topple over the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans simultaneously, will having to speak and sing English clearly hinder the mega pop machine?


   Whenever English in K-Pop is mentioned, plenty of bad translations and mispronounced lyrics spring to mind, and one of two reactions can occur. Sometimes fresh K-Pop listeners have the tendency to poke fun at say Secret’s “mazzick” pronunciation of their song “Magic”, or B1A4’s “joom joom my heart like a locket” in “Beautiful Target” without much consideration or forethought to the linguistic differences between the Korean and English languages. At other times an idol’s effort to broaden his palette through the use of English is considered “cute” by hardcore fans despite the general negative connotation. Take for example MBLAQ’s Mir on Mnet’s MBLAQ Goes to School. Lauded by international and Korean fans alike for his so-called “adorable” English, his efforts were charming, but not necessarily legitimate. Cute, funny or incorrect, a Korean idol’s pronunciation (or mispronunciation for that matter) of English is always being watched.
   So what does this mean? Obviously international fans have accepted Korean music even when they don’t understand Korean, so despite language barriers the Hallyu wave is still going strong. But specifically in the realm of English-speaking markets where “engrish”, as some have dubbed Asia's English, will be received less than favorably, this could prove problematic for future expansion. One of the most troubling examples of this would be that of the American debut of Girls’ Generation’s “The Boys”, the English version. Despite being phonetically and grammatically correct, the lyrics were extremely awkward.

The lines:

I know life is a mystery/ I’m gonna make history/ I’m taking it from the start

Call an emergency/ I’m watching the phone ring/ I’m feeling it in my heart

   Not necessarily incorrect per se, the lyrics barely have much to do with each other or with “bringing the boys out” as the song is supposed to suggest. While trying to find depth in any pop song has its difficulties, if SM Entertainment hopes for Girls’ Generation to succeed in the harsh American music industry, the lyrics should at least be more cohesive. And with 2NE1’s looming US debut, it’s easy to see the early trepidation some may have considering previous K-pop attempts to break into an “English-only” market.
   Nevertheless YG Entertainment should expect a lot of success from 2NE1 (who recently experienced much international recognition in the States after winning MTV Iggy‘s “Best New Band in the World” title) thanks to the group’s incredible linguistic skills–numbering as many as six languages between the four of them so far. As long as their English lyrics are catchy and make sense (as they normally do), as Will.I.Am said on TVN’s People Inside, they should “have a really big shot” with their American debut.
   Still problems with English translations in Korean music happen, and yet the music itself stands alone, unmatched. For a country like South Korea, who continues to cater to non-Korean audiences worldwide, and having received major recognition in such a relatively short time, that’s got to say something.