Somebody Please Buy a Guitar and Play It Loudly

Note: Now we enter the phase of my life where I look at the music that kids are listening to and complain about it.  I promised that I would never do it, but it's come to the point where I am doing it.  Admitedly, it's not all music.  It's just K-Pop (Korean Pop).  I'm not complaining that it's too loud or that I don't understand what those crazy kids are listening to.  In fact, I understand why kids are listening to it and it makes it even worse for me.

First, lets look at the newest example of K-Pop to come out:


I'm not going to analyze the musical content, because that's just a waste of time.  It's drivel, but to be honest, I can deal with a lot of drivel.  Drivel isn't what bothers me; it's everything else around it.  Honestly, they could probably be singing Rogers and Hammerstein and I don't think anyone would know the difference.

The thing that really bothers me is the over-the-top theme of "I'm a slut, but I'm innocent."  This drives me nuts.  Listen, if you're going to be a slut, good for you.  Be a slut.  If you're going to go the innocent route, kudos.  But the slutty and innocent thing wears thin, especially when it is during the whole video.  I can see the record execs now: "The girls will like them because they are cute.  The boys will like them because they want to have sex with them.  We're geniuses!"

Admittedly, there are also K-Pop boy bands, like so:


Ok, this song is actually a little better.  But that's a little like saying waterboarding is a little better than the iron maiden.  Now, instead of a bunch of girls, it's a bunch of guys.  Other than that, it's pretty much the same thing, except that I can see less leg.

It's not like I go looking for K-Pop music, either.  It just comes to me.  It's blaring from the corner store.  It's on in every restaurant.  If I want to buy something, it's guaranteed to be on the PA system in the store.  And of course, a bar wouldn't be complete without some girl band music in the background.

Overall, the feeling that I get is an enormous feeling of conformity.  I feel like it's saying "Look!  We have 9-10 people doing the exact same thing and who look interchangeable.  You can do it too."  And it works.  If you go to any street corner and start singing "Sorry, Sorry", I guarantee everyone around you will start doing the same dance.  There are even online competitions where middle-aged dudes in suits film themselves doing the same dances.  I get it.  We're all the same.  Be the same.  Conform, or look like a wierdo.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but where are the guys with long hair and tatoos?  Where's the angst?  Where's the rebellion?  Damn it, Korean kids, get some guitars, turn 'em up and let's hear it!