Arts

The Phillipian Playlist: K-Pop Edition

As an international phenomenon, K-Pop—short for Korean Pop—has reached unprecedented levels of success in mainstream popular culture; these days, you can find catchy Korean idol hits anywhere, from local American radio stations to an average Andover student’s playlist. From Twice to BOL4, The Phillipian’s music collection for this week is dedicated to those vibrant and irresistible K-Pop songs that make everyone’s day.

Aleena Kibria ’23

“‘Alcohol-Free’ by Twice… they are a girl group…they debuted a long time ago…they are just icons… [The song is] a fun summer song about being carefree [and] being drunk in love and I really like the dance performance that goes with it… [I like listening to it] at all times of the day. I can listen to it while I’m doing homework and [when I’m] outside in the quad with a speaker. It fits all events.”

Elise Zhang ’26

“‘Typa Girl’ by Blackpink… It feels really empowering, and I like the tempo and the beat of it… I like [Blackpink’s] stage presence in their performances [especially] their dancing and choreography… [I listen to it] when I’m just walking around campus, and there is no one around me and when I’m studying.”

Angela Zhao ’26

“‘Pink Venom’ by Blackpink… I think at the start, [the] traditional Korean [instrument], it sounds like a very different type of instrument. It’s not like the usual pop instruments. It’s very different from their old songs in that way… I think [the song is] emphasizing their girl power… [I listen to it] when I walk with my friends to dance, it’s a very high-beat and catchy [song].”

Kelly Bu ’23

“‘Telepathy’ by BTS… Yoongi, [a member of BTS], wrote it in 30 minutes, and that’s super impressive. It’s a love story to [BTS’ Fanbase], Army, which is so fun… [I listen to the song] literally all the time. Everyday I’m always playing BTS in the shower.”

Cris Ramnath ’23

“‘Bad Boy’ by Red Velvet… The vibes are just immaculate, the vocals are so great, the music video, [and] the fits are just the best… [I listen to it] honestly, whenever. All the time. When I just want to vibe, I play it… I’d say [my favorite part is] the chorus… Just ‘wow’. That’s all I can say.”

Robert Shin ’23

“‘Feel Special’ by Twice… if I were to recommend a song for someone to get them into K-pop, it would be this song… this is just—on its own—a really good song, and I love Twice… I think [when] working out, [listening to] K-pop is very underrated… [when I listen to this song,] I feel special.”

Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are the members of Blackpink

The seven members of BTS are Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.

“My favorite song is ‘To My Youth’ by BOL4. They’re a duet group, but I think she is a soloist now… because I’m a person that really thinks about the lyrics… I found ‘To My Youth’ as a really good representative [of] myself as a teenager because the song talks about the life of a youth or a teenager, as the title says… the emotions and feelings from how she sings, that really resonates with me.”