“Okay-pop is simply regardless of the f— you need”

Various Okay-pop collective Balming Tiger have shared their ideas on the present Okay-pop trade.

Final week, Balming Tiger carried out at SXSW’s Tiger Den occasion, the place they spoke to Rolling Stone about what Okay-pop is of their view and their hopes for the way forward for Korean music.

“In our opinion, [K-pop] shouldn’t be a style as a result of, in Okay-pop, there’s R&B, hip-hop and every thing. So, you possibly can’t actually specify what style it’s. Okay-pop is extra of a phenomenon,” mentioned rapper Omega Sapien when requested to explain their “various” Okay-pop sound.

“So, Okay-pop is simply regardless of the f— you need, however we needed to do much more regardless of the f— we wish, so we added ‘various’ within the entrance,” he defined.

Later, the collective shared their ideas on rising woman group NewJeans, who they named as one of many largest present musical tendencies from South Korea. “They embody Korean subculture and conventional Okay-pop collectively. So, I’ve huge respect for them. They’ve a vibrant future forward,” shared Omega Sapien.

The rapper additionally praised the work of producer 250, who had labored on NewJeans’ December 2022 observe ‘Ditto’, including that each 250 and Balming Tiger are creating their very own sound in Okay-pop.

“5 years in the past, it was all about bringing influences from outdoors of Korea. So, we had been absorbing American hip-hop and pop,” mentioned Omega Sapien. “However now, with us and 250, we’re able to do our personal sh-t and supply our personal sound. So, that’s the motion in Korean subculture.”

Earlier this yr, Balming Tiger had been named as one of many artists on NME 100 for 2023. “[Their music] a lot much less polished than Okay-pop is usually thought of, however gritty and gloriously enjoyable,” wrote NME‘s Rhian Daly.