Idio-cultures & K-pop

Written by: Izzy Sinclair J

An idio-culture is a set of understood standards shared by a group that is used as reference in future interaction. In the context of music, this can be seen with standards within a genre or even the fanbase of a single artist that are often the mark of if a song or artist is considered “good.” While this is often seen as a generally shared set of standards within fans of one group or genre, there is still variation in the idio-culture for each person. Different songs even within the same genre can appeal to different groups or types of people. Content of idio-culture can change over time and if affect by things like the greater culture of society that this smaller group culture is a part of.

One example of extremely strong idio-cultures can be seen in the fanbases for different Kpop groups. Fanbases often effect the reputation of a group based on their own behavior, either welcoming in new fans or being more defensive of a group which can create disinterest for new potential fans. More long term and fanatic fanbases of Kpop groups often buy more into the standards of the artists themselves instead of the music alone because of the nature of the Kpop industry to market not just the music but the people behind it as well. Within the Kpop genre there are several small idio-cultures instead of just one large one for the entire genre because it’s not as clean cut of a definition as seen in American pop. Kpop groups can create a variety of genre style music from rap and pop to R&B and electronic but still be considered part of this Kpop definition. This causes multiple different idio-cultures that are similar to idio-cultures for American based music genres. Fans of more rap-based groups will have entirely different standards than those that enjoy more pop style music.

My own preferences of Kpop music steers me closer to a smaller idio-culture with a focus on electronic genre in Kpop. The music I often find myself enjoying will include things like drum machines, synthesizers, and loops that are used as a base for the group’s performance. On surface level the music can feel dense, with lots of layering of different sounds or instruments in addition to the vocals. While some may view this style of music just noisy or too busy, I enjoy it because it makes the listening experience engaging beyond just early listening. You can realize there’s a whole other layer in a song that you never realized despite having heard it 100 times. It’s mentally engaging in a way that keeps my attention. My own relationship with music also explains some of why I think this style of music is “good.” Because I use music to cope with things like over-stimulation of the senses, having heavier and more layered music can distract me from outside sounds or situations which can help me relax. This doesn’t hold true for everyone even if they rely on music for similar issues. I like drowning out the bad stimulation while others might prefer quieter or less layered music to simplify the stimulation they’re getting. It’s ultimately my own personal preference that draws me to certain characteristics in music and shapes my standards for “good” music.