He’s got Gangnam Style, he’s a Gentlemen, he’s a champion—he’s Psy.

PSY

YG Entertainment

It is strange, isn’t it, that Korea’s biggest K-pop sensation can barely be classified as K-pop? Park Jae-sang’s goofy, fun-loving techno/rap music has long been a style unto itself in Korea. But against all odds, somehow in 2012 the rest of the world got the joke. Boy did they ever—1.8 billion YouTube views and still going strong!

An inveterate joker and music fan, Jae-sang was never much one for studying. So when his businessman father sent him to Boston University to study business, it wasn’t long before Jae-sang dropped out, bought a lot of music equipment and entered the Berklee College of Music. But even Berklee involved too much studying for the young Jae-sang, so he left that school and returned to Korea, where he was soon working on his own music career.

It wasn’t long before Jae-sang attracted the attention of Korea’s music industry. He rebranded himself as “Psy,” and in 2001 released his first album. In a sign of what was to come, Psy From the Psycho World was catchy dance-rap, with plenty of fun hooks and samples. Take “Bird,” for example, which was based heavily around a sample from Bananarama’s version of “Venus” but with Psy rapping on top. The album greatly annoyed the authorities, who fined him for using naughty words and bad language. It wasn’t even much of a hit and Psy himself didn’t cut a very glamorous figure, but he wrote nearly all the songs himself and created a sound that didn’t exist anywhere in Korea at the time.

Psy presenting “Gentleman” live in Seoul in April 2013.

FULL NAME

Park Jae-sang (박재상) December 31, 1977

KOREAN ALBUMS

Psy From the Psycho World (2001)

Ssa 2 (2002)

3 Mi (2002)

Ssajib (2006)

PsyFive (2010)

KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS

Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 (2012)

Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 2 (2013)

FAN CLUB Cho

OFFICIAL COLOR Black

A singer with a great sense of humor, Psy became one of the most unexpected icons ever.

His second album, Ssa 2, was more of the same, kicking off with “Shingoshik,” a sexy dance track that featured heavy samples from Park Ji-yoon’s classic track “Coming of Age Ceremony.” The powers that be hated this album even more than his first, and had it banned for sale to people under nineteen.

Finally, with his third album, 3 Mi, Psy had a genuine hit, “Champion,” out just in time for the 2002 Korea–Japan World Cup (a huge event in Korea then, especially as Korea surprised the world and made it all the way to the semi-finals). Based on the famous Axel Foley theme from Beverly Hills Cop, “Champion,” was the perfect Psy formula— catchy, odd and a lot of fun.

Sadly, just as Psy’s career was hotting up, he ran into a series of major setbacks, most significantly military service. This is mandatory in Korea and in 2003 it was for twenty-six months. But Psy was able to get out of active service and instead worked for a software company, a pretty sweet assignment. He was discharged in 2005 and released his fourth album the next year. But not long after he was accused of not having fulfilled his duties to the country and was instead working on his music and personal projects. He had to enlist in the military again and this time he served in the regular Army.

Psy did his duty and, finally, in 2009, he was free again. Now, a lot of K-pop stars worry that their careers might wither while they are in the Army as fickle young people move on to the next thing. Imagine how Psy felt being mostly out of action for the better part of six years.

Upon returning to the music scene, Psy signed with YG Entertainment and released his fifth album. It did all right, but nothing spectacular.

Psy performing in Seoul in October 2012 to celebrate the incredible international success of “Gangnam Style.”

Which brings us to the summer of 2012 when Psy released his sixth album, led by a single that you might have heard of, “Gangnam Style.” Wow!

“Gangnam Style” came out in mid-July and in Korea it did okay, spending a couple of weeks on the top of the charts, but nothing unusual. But the thing is, this time Western social media caught on. Reddit took note of it on July 28, Gawker on July 30. Several celebrities tweeted about it. And the next thing you knew, a phenomenon was born.

People were surprised in August when Psy shot past Girls’ Generation’s “Gee” to become the most watched Korean video ever on YouTube. And “Gangnam Style” kept growing. One hundred million views. Two hundred million. By the end of 2012, it had zoomed past Justin Beiber’s “Baby” to become the most watched YouTube video of all time, topping one billion views (although, strangely, it was only the third bestselling download of the year in the United States).

Psy’s follow-up, “Gentleman,” has done quite well so far, although it is not the phenomenon that “Gangnam Style” was. But 575 million YouTube views is nothing to sniff at.

Since “Gangnam Style,” life has been non-stop go-go-go for Psy, with endless TV appearances, meetings, concerts and more.

For all of Psy’s success, his role in K-pop is as unclear as ever. In many ways, his success has pulled him even further from the core of K-pop. But as a YG Entertainment artist, he is also in the middle of K-pop. Which in many ways is a great metaphor of K-pop itself.

Despite some scandals over the years, Psy is still going strong.

BOA

SM Entertainment

If one singer has defined K-pop for the past decade, it would probably be BoA. Chosen by SM Entertainment when she was just eleven years old, BoA released her first album at thirteen and became a major star in Japan by fourteen. Since then, she has released a steady stream of hits in both countries. Today, BoA is just twenty-seven years old but has been a major K-pop star for more than half of her life.

Like many stars, it seems, BoA did not intend to become an idol. She actually was accompanying her brother to an SM Entertainment audition when she was scouted. The founder of SM Entertainment, Soo-Man Lee, saw her and liked her smile, and that was enough to give her a chance at stardom. Her first album, ID: Peace B, came out just two years later, but did not make much of an impact at the time.

But from the beginning, SM Entertainment also had its sights set on Japan. BoA was sent to Japan to live (with a news anchor) and be immersed in the language. In Japan, together with music giant Avex Entertainment, BoA’s debut became a million copy seller and a major hit. Listen to My Heart, released in 2002, was the first album by a Korean to make its debut at the top of the Oricon album chart, and Valenti, in 2003, was even bigger.

For the next few years, BoA released hit after hit, alternating between Japan and Korea and Japanese and Korean albums.

Having firmly proven to be one of the biggest stars in Asia, BoA next set her sights on the West. She studied hard and put together her first all-English album, led by a big push for the song “Eat You Up.”

FULL NAME

Bo-a (권보아) November 5, 1986

KOREAN ALBUMS

ID: Peace B (2000)

No. 1 (2002)

Atlantis Princess (2003)

My Name (2004)

Girls on Top (2005)

Hurricane Venus (2010)

Only One (2012)

KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS

Jumping Into the World (2001)

Miracle (2002)

Shine We Are! (2003)

JAPANESE ALBUMS

Listen to My Heart (2002)

Valenti (2003)

Love & Honesty (2004)

Outgrow (2006)

Made in 20 (2007)

The Face (2008)

Identity (2010)

ENGLISH ALBUM

BoA (2009)

FAN CLUBS Jumping BoA (Korea), Soul (Japan)

OFFICIAL COLOR Yellow

If a single singer could represent K-pop, it would probably be BoA, one of Korea’s greatest icons.

BoA has been the biggest K-pop star in Japan for more than a decade.

BoA’s attempt to break into the American market in 2009 attracted plenty of attention, even if the conservative nature of mainstream media did not know what to make of her. But thanks to YouTube and other online music services, today the Western media realizes there are many different ways of measuring stardom.

And BoA keeps challenging herself. She was a judge on the popular Korean music program K-Pop Star, and more recently she has been trying her hand at acting. The year 2013 saw BoA’s successful acting debut in the Korean TV drama Expect Romance, as well as her first starring role in a Hollywood dance film, Make Your Move. Thanks to the continuing rise of K-pop, maybe this will be the right time for BoA to find her way into the hearts and minds of global audiences.

BoA was discovered almost by accident when the SM Entertainment founder saw her and liked her smile.

JAY PARK

Sidus HQ

The story of Jay Park’s rise to fame is one of the more unusual ones in K-pop, rising, falling terribly, only to rise again even more spectacularly, although the truth is, in many ways it is barely K-pop at all.

Jay Park started out as a typical teenager in Seattle, albeit a very talented one, listening to hip-hop and teaching himself how to b-boy dance and rap. It was Jay’s mother who encouraged him to audition with JYP Entertainment. Jay excelled, and in early 2005 he was brought to Korea to begin the rigorous training program. In addition to the usual gauntlet of idol training, Jay also had to work on his Korean, which was pretty basic at the time. It was a tough, lonely time for Jay, but the hard work paid off, and in 2008 he made his debut with the group 2PM.

Right away, 2PM was one of the hottest boy groups in K-pop, reeling off a string of hits and lighting the Internet on fire. The sky was the limit, or so it seemed.

Unfortunately, just as Jay’s career was taking off, someone unearthed some comments he had made online soon after coming to Korea, when he was lonely and having a tough time adjusting. They were not anything unusual for a frustrated teenager, but still they struck a chord with the public, and soon the public outrage built. Despite Jay’s many fans, he was forced to leave the group and JYP Entertainment in 2010. His young career seemingly over, Jay returned to the United States while 2PM continued recording its new album without him.

FULL NAME

Park Jae-beom (박재범) April 25, 1987

KOREAN ALBUMS

New Breed (2012)

Tktk (2013)

KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS

Count on Me (Nothin’ on You) (2010)

Take a Deeper Look (2011)

New Breed, Part 1 (2011)

FAN CLUBS

Jay Effect, Jay Walkers

Bold, confident and creative, Jay Park is the leader of a new generation of K-pop stars.

Once again, the Internet would come to the rescue. In March 2010, Jay started a YouTube channel, where he posted a video of himself singing BoB’s “Nothin’ on You.” In less than a day, that video landed two million views. Just like that, Jay got his career back.

Jay Park has an edgy side that sets him apart from a lot of K-pop.

But he’s also comfortable being cute and fun.

This time, however, Jay was going to do it his own way. He started writing his own music, still plenty of melodious pop but also harder hip-hop and edgy dance tracks. On June 18, he returned to Korea where 1,000 fans were waiting for him at the airport. He released a three-song mini-album in July, and even though he wasn’t on a major music label any more (he signed with Sidus HQ, a group better known for its big roster of acting talent), it quickly hit No. 1 on the charts.

A skilled rapper and composer, Jay Park is not just a K-pop star, he’s simply a global star.

Jay has also turned out to be a good actor and performer. He did several guest spots on the Korean edition of Saturday Night Live, and in season 4 he actually joined the cast of the show.

Today, Jay is a rising star, with one foot in K-pop and the other in Western hip-hip and pop. He sports plenty of attitude and tattoos, far beyond what most of K-pop is comfortable with, but he also performed H.O.T’s classic hit (and ultra cute song) “Candy” with H.O.T member Moon Heejoon for a popular Korean variety show. Western producers who have spent time with Jay in the studio are all impressed by his vision and abilities.

How ironic is it that Korea’s top crossover K-pop stars in 2013 would be Psy and Jay? The two men could not look any more different—Jay all abs and tattoos, Psy, er, not so much—but both are stars between two worlds, bringing a different element to K-pop while also bringing K-pop to the rest of the world.

RAIN

Rainy Entertainment, Cube Entertainment

Rain has not only spent much of the past ten years as perhaps the biggest solo star in K-pop, he was also the first K-pop star to make a significant impact in the West, although that impact wasn’t so much for his music as his acting. Rain had a role in the big-budget Speed Racer and then starred in the gory action film Ninja Assassin. Most importantly, he had a “feud” with TV talk show host and comedian Stephen Colbert. When Rain beat Colbert on a Time magazine Internet poll for top international celebrity, Colbert declared mock war on Rain, which only ended after Rain came on The Colbert Report and beat Stephen in a dance-off.

Rain grew up in a poor family in the western side of Seoul, in a neighborhood surrounded by universities. But Rain’s dream wasn’t to be a scholar, it was to dance. All the while he was growing up, Rain danced incessantly, practicing his moves with friends at various practice rooms in his neighborhood.

His first attempt at joining a K-pop group, Fan Club, was short-lived and not terribly memorable. When the group disbanded in 1999, Rain just kept dancing and auditioning for different music labels. Despite oozing talent, he just wasn’t able to convince anyone he had what it takes.

He’s suave, he’s dynamic, he’s Rain.

FULL NAME

Jung Ji-hoon (정지훈) June 25, 1982

KOREAN ALBUMS

Bad Guy (2002)

How to Avoid the Sun (2003)

It’s Raining (2004)

Rain’s World (2006)

Rainism (2008)

KOREAN MINI-ALBUM

Back to the Basic (2010)

JAPANESE ALBUMS

Eternal Rain (2006)

Rainism (2008)

JAPANESE MINI-ALBUM

Back to the Basics (2012)

FAN CLUB Clouds

OFFICIAL COLOR Silver

Having just finished his military service, Rain is ready to thrill fans like never before.

Until, one fateful day in 2000, he scored an audition with Park Jin-young. Park recognized something about Rain. “Tiger eyes,” he said. He forced Rain to dance and audition for hours, pushing him relentlessly. But when it was all over, Rain had a home at JYP Entertainment.

For the next two years, the training was tough, as it is for everyone in K-pop, but the thing is, Rain excelled. Each month, when JYP Entertainment made its talent evaluations, Rain kept winning. It wasn’t long before the company realized they had something special, and in 2002 Rain released his first album, Bad Guy.

Even then, he wasn’t an instant superstar. It wasn’t until his third album, released around the same time he starred in Full House, a TV drama that became incredibly popular all over Asia, that Rain took the leap to super stardom.

With his fifth album, Rain left JYP Entertainment and created his own record label. It was a tough period for him, but he still wrote most of the songs on his album and toured all over Asia and America—and acted in two Hollywood movies!

In July 2013, Rain completed his military service, and soon after signed up with Cube Entertainment. Everyone is waiting to see what Rain has in store for the next phase of his career.

Sadly, Rain’s mother died before his first album came out. But even after all these years, he clearly still carries her in his heart. When he was released from military service, the first thing he did was drive to the cemetery where his mother’s remains are kept to pay respects to her. Even though hundreds of fans were waiting for him at the gates of the military camp, Rain’s thoughts were with his mother. Despite all the accolades and hits and movies, in many ways Rain is the most introverted of K-pop stars.

YOON MI-RAE

Feel Ghood Music

Over the past twenty years of K-pop, there has not been a performer as talented as Yoon Mi-rae, aka Tasha. K-pop employs a lot of rapping, but most of it is a uniquely Korean style. Tasha, however, raps as fiercely and sharply as anything out of New York City, with a boom like MC Lyte and the musicality of Monie Love. She is also a great singer, with a powerful, soulful voice that can handle a wide range of music.

Born in Texas, Tasha came to Korea as a teenager and started putting together a group. Eventually, Uptown would make its debut in 1997 and put out several albums, but a drug scandal led to the group’s break-up in 2000.

Tasha was clearly the group’s stand-out member and soon launched a solo career. Although never in the upper echelons of K-pop, Tasha was always deeply respected, whether recording more R&B/soul or full-out hip-hop.

Unfortunately, after a couple of albums, Tasha had some major problems with her record label and it would take years before she could free herself and record again. But when she did, it was probably her most important album, T3—Yoon Mi Rae.

For the first time, T3—Yoon Mi Rae, featured both her English initial and her Korean name and the album was Tasha’s most personal. Most notable was the song “Black Happiness,” a painfully honest reflection of what it was like growing up half-Korean and half-black in a society that often did not respect mixed-race couples and their children. She sang about being pointed at and whispered about, about hating the color of her skin and how music was often the only way to transcend her troubles.

Tasha had been dating the godfather of Korean hip-hop, Tiger JK, co-founder of Drunken Tiger, for many years. Then, in 2007, they got married and soon had a son, Jordon, perhaps laying the groundwork for the next generation of Korean superstars.

Yoon Mi-rae, aka Tasha, has one of the best voices in all of Korean music.

Since then, Tasha has recorded several singles and done some great tours, as well as hosted the audition-survival show Superstar K. Too on the “real” hip-hop side to be fully K-pop, Tasha has never abandoned that side of her persona. Together with her husband and label mate Bizzy, the three formed a dance-music group MFBTY in 2012, with a wonderful song “Sweet Dream.” It was never a big hit, but it served as a solid reminder that you never should get too hung up on genre. Artists like Yoon Mi-rae and her husband are always bigger than any label.

NAMES

Yoon Mi-rae; Tara Reid; T; Tasha

May 31, 1981

Former member of Uptown, Tashannie

Also member of MFBTY

ALBUMS

As Time Goes By (2001)

Gemini (2002)

To My Love (2002)

T Best (2003)

T3—Yoon Mi Rae (2007)

A great rapper and singer, Yoon Mi-rae is married to one of the first Korean rappers, Tiger JK.

IU

Loen Entertainment

At first, IU was a big failure in the Korean music industry. As a young adolescent she auditioned around twenty times for many music labels, never getting that lucky break. At long last, Loen saw something in the cute young singer and decided to take a chance. They wouldn’t regret it.

Making her debut at just fifteen years old, after only a year in training, IU’s first single and mini-album in 2008 did not make much of an impression on the charts; IU said it “failed horribly.” But she was growing as an artist and kept working, and by the time her first full album came out the next year, IU was clearly a hot new talent to be reckoned with. With “Boo,” IU and her company went with a cuter look, and considering how young she was, it was a good match for her style.

Since then, IU has gone from hit to hit, with light-hearted, infectious songs like “You & I” and “Good Day.” Her second album, Last Fantasy, released in late 2011, did especially well, lighting up the charts. It’s probably no coincidence that with Last Fantasy, IU was getting increasingly involved in her own songwriting.

IU is considered the little sister of the Korean entertainment industry.

FULL NAME

Lee Ji-eun (이지은) May 16, 1993

KOREAN ALBUMS

Growing Up (2009)

Last Fantasy (2011)

KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS

Lost and Found (2008)

IU … IM (2009)

Real (2010)

JAPANESE ALBUMS

I.U (2012)

Can You Hear Me? (2013)

FAN CLUB U-Ana (unofficial)

OFFICIAL COLOR n/a

In 2012, and just nineteen, IU had her first concert in Japan and also released a Japanese-language album, helping to spread her popularity overseas. Now twenty years old, IU is already releasing her third album. Already, though, the young teenager has grown into a mature young woman, with songs and a style reflecting those changes. While IU has joked before about getting married and settling down, it’s clear that the beautiful young singer will be a major force in K-pop for as long as she wants to be.

IU is just twenty years old but already has three albums to her name.