How to Become a K-pop Superstar — in 7 Minutes | Charlene Kaye | TED

Overview

Charlene Kaye humorously breaks down the formulaic elements of K-pop music and performance, offering a satirical yet insightful guide to becoming a K-pop superstar. Through comedy, music, and dance, she highlights the genre's unique tropes, blending cultural critique with entertainment.

Notable Quotes

- You can eat my tangerine. Cause it's my birthday. Put your face in my peach. My watermelon. Cherries are red and berries are blue. It’s not about sex. We just really like fruit. - Charlene Kaye, on the euphemistic lyrics in K-pop songs.

- Twinkle, twinkle little star. Three little piggies go to market. Old MacDonald had a farm. Hey, girl, I'm a little teapot. - Charlene Kaye, parodying the seductive delivery of boy group nursery rhyme raps.

- There’s no such thing as warm in K-pop. - Charlene Kaye, on the obsession with extremes of hot and cold in K-pop song themes.

🎤 The Formula for Girl Groups

- Girl groups must balance contradictory traits: cute but not too young, sexy but not too provocative, and badass but not overly masculine.

- Songs often start with vocal fry and spoken lines, followed by exaggerated gestures like fanning oneself or blowing kisses.

- Lyrics use euphemisms, often referencing fruit to avoid overtly sexual themes.

- Performances incorporate playful elements like gun imagery, despite cultural restrictions on firearms in South Korea.

👦 The Formula for Boy Groups

- Boy groups consist of numerous members, often described as 23 ripped twinks.

- Their raps parody nursery rhymes delivered in a seductive whisper.

- Choruses feature synchronized shouting about guns and random foods like pizza and ice cream, blending absurdity with charm.

- Songs shift genres mid-performance to accommodate all members, with food references replacing sexual innuendos.

🔥 Hot vs. Cold: The K-pop Dichotomy

- K-pop songs obsessively focus on extremes of temperature, with titles like Winter Bear and Hot Sauce.

- Lyrics emphasize being freezing like an igloo or burning up a sweat, avoiding any middle ground.

- Charlene humorously critiques this trend, listing real song titles to highlight the absurdity.

💃 The Dubstep Dance Break

- A mandatory dubstep dance break includes exaggerated moves like glitching, miming, and making pizza in the Matrix.

- Performers end with dramatic poses, such as The Passion of the Christ, blending theatricality with humor.

🌟 The Uplifting Finale

- Finales feature inspirational lyrics like shining like a shooting star or climbing to the mountain top.

- All elements of the song return, culminating in over-the-top vocal performances and synchronized choreography.

- Flashlights from audience phones enhance the dramatic effect, creating a quintessential K-pop moment.