It started on an average Saturday afternoon; I was at my cousin’s house.  She is the epitome of a K-pop fan girl.  I made fun of her for liking K-pop because it sounded so ridiculous right from the beginning, but that day she convinced me to listen to a band called SHINee.  Throughout the whole song, I made fun of their wardrobe and hairstyles, but I couldn’t deny the fact that their dancing and singing didn’t sound too bad. At that moment, I realized why there are so many people who love K-pop.

K-pop is pop music that originates from South Korea. It has taken over most of the music industry in Asia, and is now making its way to the rest of the world. It is a very wildly-cultured form of music. It’s a mesh of everything, and even though I don’t understand a single word in any of the songs I listened to, it isn’t as bad I thought.

There are millions of K-pop bands, such as 2NE1, Big Bang, WonderGirls, TVXQ and Girls’ Generation. They have been appearing more frequently on many news channels, and many bands have been on world-wide tours. Before 2010, I hadn’t heard of K-pop anywhere. Little did I know that K-pop was on the rise, and that I would be caught in the wave.

I believe that people sound be less close-minded about K-pop because all music is different and has different strengths. Even today, I still listen to American songs more, but if I ever come across a K-pop song, I won’t hesitate to listen to it.