Socio-Cultural

I’m Sexy and I Know It?

Written by Gil On November 29, 2011

We all know that K-pop is very heavy on the image, especially with the concepts, eyeliner, and general lack of clothing. I know that some ardent fans will argue that music in K-Pop is not just focused on drugs, sex, and money. They claim that it’s a lot more innocent. What world do you live in? If Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality didn’t exist, the lyrics of K-Pop songs would definitely be different. Would it be as blatant as songs in the West? Most likely not, but that does not mean that K-pop is always about innocent first loves. I can easily list off ten songs from male and female groups with blatant sexual themes. In fact I can list them right now, and in no particular order.

Female

Dr. Feel Good – Rania
Bubble Pop – HyunA
Change – HyunA
Abracadabra – Brown Eyed Girls
Sixth Sense – Brown Eyed Girls
Bo Peep – T-Ara
Bang – After School
Push Push – Sistar
Chity Chitty Bang Bang – Lee Hyori
Pop Pop Pop – Rania

Male

Back 2 U – 2PM
Love Song – Rain
I’m Coming – Rain
Hip Song – Rain
Before U Go – TVXQ
Breakdown – Kim Hyun Joong
Love Ya – SS501
Paradise – INFINITE
Oh Yeah – MBLAQ
Intoxication – Junsu

That took me two minutes to come up with and there are so many more I could list. Am I appalled by the provocative dance moves and hip thrusts? No. But I am irritated by the claim that K-pop is ‘innocent’.

As I pointed out earlier, Korea has the MOGEF to ban songs willy nilly for suggested themes, so the lyrics are not all about sex and drugs. The closest thing we have in America is the FCC, and we just can’t cuss in our songs– other than that it’s free game. Could you imagine a MOGEF banning songs in America? Libertarians would flip a shit. In K-Pop the lyrics tend to get not as scandalous as some western songs, but the image is very heavy on the sex appeal– because it sells. Asian cultures are all on modesty and innocence, but then you have pelvic dances, booty shorts, and chocolate abs. So why isn’t Rain and his glorious body rolls banned?

The reason I came up with is this. In K-pop, everyone dons a persona on stage. They become performers and their true personality is shed. 2PM for example, has a very heavy focus on the sex appeal of their members, Taecyeon is a total beast on stage ripping shirts off like there’s no tomorrow. But if you see his behind the stage shots and interviews he’s a dork, an adorable dork, but a dork nonetheless. Because K-pop celebrities are constantly on T.V. especially during their promotional periods, they can prove to the Korean viewers that they aren’t what their concepts deem. These celebrities dance sexily but they themselves “aren’t” like that. You don’t get that kind of T.V. presence if you’re an artist in America. You do a couple of interviews on late night, and that’s it. In Korea they are constantly doing variety and talk shows in which they can prove that while they’re sexy beasts on stage, that is not who they are in real life.

TAGS: 2PM, After School, Brown Eyed Girls, Hyuna, Infinite, Kim Hyun-joong, Lee Hyori, MBlaq, Ok Taecyeon, Rain, Rania, Sistar, SS501, T-ara, TVXQ, Xiah Junsu

Anonymous

infinite’s paradise was not about sex what so ever.

http://twitter.com/SNSDough Le Do

…which makes the dance that goes with it super awkward, if it’s not referring to sex at all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoTvxvofJ-c

Honestly, I never bothered to look up the lyrics, but I’m guessing it’s something about taking a girl to paradise or being in paradise with said girl. And there’s rhythmic pelvic thrusting with a spanking motion and and “uh…uh…” in the background vocal. Oh yeah, and the crotch grab each time that part comes up. But yeah, the music video’s definitely not sexy. I think when EatYourKimchi reviewed the music video they mentioned the gratuitous pelvic thrusting of the stage version that didn’t make it into the music video.

Anonymous

No, the verses are not really about sex. They are about possession and how it wouldn’t be paradise/happiness if the girl leaves.

That said, the rap is definitely about sex: about how he used to fill his body with sex but is now replacing that with alcohol since the girl is leaving.

saylor

Lol SNSD Visual Dreams. Maybe I have a dirty mind, but I thought that song was really just wow.
Anonymous

I’m not sure about the point you’re trying to make. Are you just annoyed at all the insane fangirls claiming kpop is superior ‘coz of their projected innocence? If so, then eff that, the ministry needs to take a hike, and listen to some RKelly while fan girls will just have to grow up.

Sex sells, and that’s the bottom line.
mija

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was sexual? Nahhh……. i dont think so
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http://twitter.com/nowheregirl1993 Fatouma

Mirotic seemed more sexier than Before You Go :L

Maddy

It had two bondage kinks with ropes and scarves and Changmin flopping and being sexy in water and Junsu was wearing very very tight leather pants. I agree. More than the lyrics, I felt that the MV had some sexual implications. Still very very tame if you compare with something like Rihanna’s S&M, but still suggestive. I’m not complaining though. lol

Anonymous

Want sexual themes are in Love Ya?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001274217212 Janice Mok

I’m guessing they’re talking about SS501′s dance in that song…doing that infamous Face Arousal, Rauchy Thrusting dance A.K.A ‘F.A.R.T’ dance. XD

Mes

dont forget 2PM-All Night Long!!! Big Bang has a lot of songs that are sexual especially GD’s Breathe, Don’t Go Home, Make Love (big bang or taeyang), and many others

Shante Payne

make love isnt sexual

http://twitter.com/lannixh0llaaa Lanni Tran

I don’t think Back 2U nor Before U Go were sexually themed at all. Lyrics nor MV, there were pretty clean /: I agree with all the other songs listed tho LOL; especially Rain’s ((((((x i love rain to death tho <333
http://twitter.com/dokidoki_danger Jonsu

why don’t write about songs with second meanings, like Pink Rocket from Dal Shabet? i’m pretty sure they sing about a penis
http://other-worldly.org Justine

Have any of you guys seen 2PM’s Back 2U live? I may be a 2PM stan but I have (a lot of) moments where I cringe when they take off their shirts on stage. I’m not an advocate of jjit-2PM. THEN….. I saw their Back 2U performance a few weeks ago live.. I was just.. O_______________O =O=O=O I couldn’t believe it and I suddenly understood why the demand for their performances like that is high. Although of course I would still have my shirtless cringe moments.

frou-frou

Justine you took the words right out of my mouth! I was ecstatic when they launched into ‘Back 2U’ (coz I love that song and I wasn’t sure if they were gonna perform it) and then I got completely, utterly derailed by Taecyeon’s hips. Frankly I find all their shirt-ripping just so cheesy and chippendales-esque, but in that moment, I finally understood why girls are crazy about them.

http://other-worldly.org Justine

It was crazy wasn’t it? I wasn’t even expecting them to take off their shirts in the first place then suddenly… BAM!!! LMao. I knew they were gonna perform it coz I already looked for the Seoul setlist but I thought they were gonna hold back in taking off their shirts especially in these parts of Asia (Indonesia & Malysia) but they did. LOL.. my 11 year old sister freaked the hell out. She was recording the fancam and totally flipped.

Dylan

That was a topic that could have been explored a lot more thoroughly than this post seems to…but it just kind of abruptly stops. :-/

and then the crowd hates

All of their posts do that.

Meh

well not really. i don’t know which articles you’ve read, but surely there’re lots of well-written articles here in seoulbeats.

and then the crowd hates

Uh, I’ve read a good amount. Only some of them finish out strongly.

I didn’t say they weren’t well-written. I just meant that they often have strong hitting subjects but not enough text and proof to back it up.

MoreThanWords

Which ones don’t finish out strongly? I’ve read most of them, and I can say 98% of them are pretty good articles. :/

Anonymous

When cute and innocent songs like SNSD’s “Gee” are immensely popular globally, it will lend a very average person with a complete outsider’s viewpoint to tell you that K-Pop and Asian music is innocent because it’s just present, even in its smallest form. The innocent image is such a unique perspective in music that isn’t found in popular music in other cultures. Thus, it gets that label of being innocent. It doesn’t mean there aren’t sex-themed songs here-and-there, but sex-themed songs are something you can see in all forms of music across the globe. You don’t see Lady GaGa and Britney Spears rockin’ out the neon colors and making adorable faces to the camera. What’s unique to popular Asian music is the bashfulness and innocence that exists, and as a result, that’s how it gets categorized as. I believe people like to classify based on their differences and not what they share in common, otherwise people wouldn’t say K-Pop was any different than any other pop music and thus not pay any attention at all.
jo

technically junsu’s intoxication is japanese.. but it’s difficult to not list it cause it’s.. well i think it’s self-explanatory LOL
http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

Of course there are three Rain songs on that list. XD
and then the crowd hates

Ah, how is Before U Go sexual? I can’t even pick up any undertones…?
And some other ones you chose, like Paradise, all because they mention lying together doesn’t automatically mean sex. I mean, honestly. I get that a lot of times sex is alluded to and shit, but are we that perverted and corrupted that even the simplest of things can be dirty?
kc

for a while there I’d just watched Korean MVs, I haven’t actually watched an American Music video since… well I guess back in early 2000s mostly because I’ve never really liked Pop music (from a rock family) until Kpop distracted me… it was about a year an a half ago, I was surfing Youtube when I came across Lady Gaga’s video for Alejandro and well… I couldn’t get through it, I was just so surprised at how dirty it was that I just sat there in shock wishing I could unsee what I’d just seen… I mean it never really effected me before, sex in movies and such were just things that I shrugged off, but as I sat there I couldn’t help thinking “my God, I think Kpop has brought back my innocence.”
really, I’m perfectly fine with sexual undertone, hell, even Junsu’s intoxication doesn’t beat out some of the porn the american Music industry puts out… I really just wanna sit there and enjoy a story, enjoy good Choreography, I mean I don’t even mind sickingly cute things at times…
IDK, I just think that a good majority of music out there is only listened to because it’s about sex, drugs, money and violence, and while sometime it’s ok every once and a while, it seems to make it so any other singer that doesn’t want to write about that can’t get popular.
but that’s just me, I don’t feel like watching people get it on in every video I watch, I mean that’s what porn’s for right?

Anonymous

I can’t get through any of Lady Gaga’s music videos. They’re so bizarre and perverse. The beginning of “Born This Way” freaked me out and I was confused as to why they were making sandwiches in “Telephone.” Were they making sandwiches? I haven’t seen it in a long time. But I think Lady Gaga does this for the “shock” factor or whatever. Katy Perry’s music videos often consist of her drawing as much attention as possible to her tits and I don’t really care for them either. I don’t really listen to a lot (hardly any) pop, though, from all cultures. I like rock and alternative music more. From what I can tell, Western music videos usually have a strong storyline instead of just dancing or a mixture of dancing.

By comparsion, Kpop IS more innocent. I mean, at the MAMAs, that “steamy kiss” between Hyuna and Hyuesung was on the cheek! And it was so scandalous! (lol)

Florence + the Machine has some cool music videos. I like her music video for “The Drumming Song.” Taylor Swift’s music videos are always cute, my favorites being “Mine,” “You Belong with Me,” and “Love Story.” Beyonce is fierce in all she does. “She F*cking Hates Me” by Puddle of Mudd makes me laugh. “Never Gonna Be Alone” by Nickelback made me cry. That’s all I can think of now.

ME

This comes to my mind while reading this article:
I’m a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk

I’m too sexy for my car too sexy for my car
Too sexy by far
And I’m too sexy for my hat
Too sexy for my hat what do you think about that(I’m too Sexy by Right Said Fred)

Just make a small amendment, ie: ‘model’ to ‘idol’, ‘catwalk’ to ‘stage’ etc..
I agree with kc, I turn to KPop just because I thought at least I wouldn’t see any bikini on the stage or MV. But… with the latest short, shorter, shortest, more shortest… I wonder… maybe next year I have to change the channel (of my cable TV…) kekeke…
noiha

oh well, how can we grasped a meaning of “sexually-related” if what you’re doing here only provide us with the list and grumpy comments below. write an analysis so we can understand. i know some of the songs in the list shared the same reason of why you accused it as “sexually-related” so it’s not that you have to write every song’s in-depth analysis. and how come we suddenly get into the difference between American and Korean artists’ appearance in TV? and why would you choose “I’m Sexy and I Know It?” as a title? i’m sorry if i’m stupid but i can’t seem to relate this article as a whole.

dearest gil, you put up interesting topic but rather fail to deliver it. well, there’s a room of improvement for anyone, so keep writing dude!

p.s. junsu “intoxication” need not to pass MOGEF since it was released in Japan. MOGEF wouldn’t pass words like “body check”, right? haha.

p.p.s. am i the only one who thinks “pajama party” by super junior happy has an implicit meaning? i mean, what are grown ups doing in “pajama party”? ”tonight together~ tonights let have a dandy little party. lets have alot of fun with just the 2 of us. up on the sofa, up on the couch, lets jump around. like little kids, lets harness ourselves to the sky above and jump with excitement” — oh yeah. they’ll just jump around up on the sofa. :p
Anonymous

I’m just confused by some of the songs on the list…
Anonymous

Have you realised how dirty SNSD’s The Boys actually is??
Now here’s what I’ve realised from the Korean version of the song – (english translation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbKlqo3CUaA

“Bring the boys out” – Who are the boys? Where are they? Throughout the entire song the girls are talking specifically to “the boys”. Technically, at their age, they should be bringing the GUYS out, or the MEN out. If the term ‘boys’ is not meant to be demeaning, then it must be referring to my little boys down under…

Here’s the proof -”Are you alright? GET UP”
“Is the dark world making you lose strength?” – Yeah, I guess my pants are a pretty dark place to my little boys.
“Show me your wild side, my boy! Bring the boys out!” – Notice the consistent heavy panting from Tiffany
“Girl’s Generation make you feel the HEAT” – the chorus lines after pander to the male ego
Jessica’s lines make no sense – but my boys are definitely flying high at the moment.
“Shake the earth” – Yup done.
The rap – I wanna “dance” right now. I will lead you. “Come out”, “Just keep going”, “keep up” “we don’t stop” ends with “BRING THE BOYS OUT!” – man they sure want my mini-me
The once ‘”clogged up” future. The future is “spreading” before your eyes. – enough said
“If you haven’t started yet, don’t be scared… Bring the boys out!” – hmm, maybe I should let my boys out!
“Open your heart and come out!” – AARRGHHHHH, they are out! NNGGEEGNN….

On a entirely serious note though, the song can be seen as a ‘strong women’ anthem and the lyrics would slightly match that context, however, as the whole Korean version of the song is in the second person, the lyrics refer to a specific person – you. As ambiguous as the lyrics are, SM inserts one line, and only one line, that refers explicitly to who the intended “you” is – Taeyeon’s “I think I’m falling more and more for you, who is becoming more perfect” (My heart). It is almost subliminal compared to how explicit songs like “Gee” and “Genie” are about love.

Notice the placement is also right before the climax of the song – the high note “my heart” by Taeyeon (hmm, the only line referring to the male species – put right before the song climaxes? Nice innuendo there SM). The line is 4 minutes deep into the song that no one would really notice. The ‘YOU’ referred to in the song, assuming the lyrics are consistent, is aimed without a doubt at a male (no one in Korea is a homosexual, derp derp).

Now I’m sure the English translation of the Korean lyrics are not 100% accurate, but it’s certainly clear that The Boys is still a song aimed at the Oppas/Uncles while masquerading as a girl power anthem.

The English version is a complete 180 of the Korean version. It is all about “I”, “Me” and “We” – what the individual can achieve. Despite the fact the English lyrics are nonsensical and still refer to the male, it is definitely alot more empowering than the Korean – “I can see you notice me, but you can’t touch this!” In that context, ‘the boys’ also makes a lot more sense in that it put’s the girls in a position of power – “All these typical boys lusting after me, I need a man who knows how to rock”.

All in all, it’s a pretty piece of clever marketing by SM. If the English lyrics reflected the true Korean meaning, SNSD would come across as sluts to international fans – the lyrics feel like ‘the girls’ are already on their knees, just waiting for the boys to come out.
If the Korean lyrics reflected the English meaning, SNSD would seem too tough and strong for a group relying on the money of Oppas & Uncles (and within the Korean patriarchal culture).

Is kpop sexy? For sure. How sexy is it? It depends on what country they are marketing to.

Anonymous

What the hell is wrong with the formatting when I post. It was spaced out perfectly before -.-

martian

LOL go read the lyrics to genie. Singing it without knowing what it means is cool. singing it after knowing what they are actually saying… feels very very very different…

Music=Love

lol do you know your comment is longer than the actual article?
Anonymous

you know, one reason why i came to kpop is because i don’t understand the meaning of the song except i looked it up in the internet. and it’s not like i can remember each word’s meaning when i listen to the song. if i understand every single word and able to grasp the “hidden meaning” while i played the songs, i wouldn’t even touch the songs, just like i’ve been very selective in my local songs.

now that you write this i can’t really enjoy snsd “the boys” again. haha. :p

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Roselle

I just found out what they are actually talking about in Teen Top’s Don’t Spray Perfume… and let me just say: whoa, they’re supposed to be teenagers? I also looked at the translation for GD&TOP’s Don’t Go Home (this was before I read about the issue with the song) and I was so surprised at what they were talking about. It was not too far off from some American songs. Also, I really didn’t know the lyrics to Rainism were so dirty, but I guess I should have known since he mentions a “magic stick” and is doing some uncomfortable-to-watch choreography.
I like kpop because most of the time I have no idea what they’re talking about. Most of the songs seem to talk about falling in love, but I suppose it’s never as innocent as that. I think I prefer singing the Korean lyrics without knowing what they’re talking about.
http://twitter.com/damia909 Nur Damia

if the south korean government can ban rainbow’s A performance on public tv, then why can’t they filter/ban all those songs that has sexual elements in it? and if they ARE really sensitive about the sexual part, then why do they let the idols(especially 2pm and rain) rip off their shirt on stage? stuffs that i just dont understand on kpop -.-
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