Could K-pop have a place in the queer music scene?

BTS, KCON France in Paris on June 2nd 2016. Photo by Republic of Korea

In the modern age, music is everywhere; in high street stores, television shows, supermarkets, sports venues, places of worship - it is truly difficult to spend a day of your life without hearing a song, beat or a melody. We have reached a point in time where our brains have adapted to hearing music so casually that it is easy to forget why music exists. Music is endlessly adaptable – throughout history, it has been seen as a cultural vessel. Think of Blues, R&B and Jazz which all originated from African American communities in the United States; folk music from varying (predominantly European) countries, where people sing about their national identities; and Latin music from Ibero-America which encompasses sounds unique to Latin culture, such as maracas, conga drums and the marimba. Though not tied together through a shared region or location, the LGBTQ+ (or ‘queer’) community has its own culture – one that has been built on shared experiences, values and expressions. For decades, music has served as an important pillar of the queer community.

Gay bars and clubs have long been some of the only establishments where queer people could exist comfortably and socialise with people like themselves. These spaces often favour upbeat music by artists such as Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Madonna, and Cher. Everything about the clubs – the music, the company and the environment – served as a necessary distraction from the outside world, which wasn’t as accepting as it is now. As we shift towards a new wave of 2020s LGBTQ+ music, in which our ‘queer icons’ are actually queer, I would love to see the world make gay pop ‘camp’ again. When something is camp, it is exaggerated, playful and ironic. Campness disrupts conservatism – it takes tradition and blends it with innovation, turning it into something both old and new. In the present day, we have seen significant changes in the queer music scene. Now that artists are able to comfortably come out, there exists a wider array of music truly representing the queer community. We have Hayley Kiyoko, Kehlani, Chappell Roan, girl in red, Reneé Rapp, Young M.A, Lynn Gunn of PVRIS, Janelle Monáe, Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, Sam Smith and Ricky Martin. While it is absolutely incredible and inspiring to see openly queer artists being successful, it does sometimes feel bittersweet, as though we are slowly moving away from the campness of queer music.

I now propose something that may sound absolutely preposterous – but hear me out; K-pop should be welcomed into the queer music culture.

When you consider music of the past that has been considered camp, it had everything that K-pop has now. Glam rock artists, for example, rose in popularity in the UK during the 1970s, they adorned themselves with flamboyant, eye-catching clothing, hairstyles, makeup, and an abundance of glitter. Glam rock was therefore seen as camp, gender non-conforming and androgynous, introducing a new wave of self-expression. Artists such as T. Rex, David Bowie, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper and even though they don’t strictly fit the description of glam rock, I am obligated to mention Sheffield’s very own Def Leppard. Flamboyancy, androgyny, eye-catching clothing, hairstyles and make-up? K-pop has it all. Camp music doesn’t have to be explicitly queer – it’s supposed to be fun, memorable and completely over the top. Again, K-pop is checking the boxes. K-pop has a large LGBTQ+ fanbase, and it seems that most of these fans are attracted to how exciting K-pop is. It has intricate dances, interesting visuals and exciting performances; some of the things that queer fans are drawn to, especially when considering the popularity of Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Queen within the community. Queer fans often argue that K-pop music alone isn’t camp – it simply doesn’t have the ironic component. All of the outlandishness of K-pop – such as stage outfits with bright, clashing colours, out-of-place English words, and neon hairstyles – is more likely to be unfortunate than intentional. K-pop does, however, consist of several components which can be camp when done in a certain way. These are seen in groups’ flawlessly co-ordinated and intricate dances, fun concepts (which we are seeing less of in contemporary Western music), bright and eye-catching hair colours and experimental makeup. These all point towards a camp theme, and while some fans disagree that K-pop is wholly camp, it can be argued that it certainly is one of the most camp mainstream genres.

One component of campness that I haven’t mentioned, yet is highly relevant, is effeminacy. Generally, male K-pop idols are known for their feminine looks. In South Korea, the flower boy aesthetic is idealised. This form of soft masculinity places emphasis on attentive men who are open about their feelings and take care of themselves. Visually, these men wear make-up, have well-tailored clothing and long hair. These male idols do not hesitate to embrace femininity, blending it with masculine visuals to create a somewhat gender-neutral look. These can especially be seen when you look at pictures of Jimin of BTS, Taemin of SHINee and Felix of Stray Kids.

Now, to return back to the question at hand: Is K-pop camp? And if so, could it be camp enough to be recognised as a ‘queer’ music genre? Honestly, this very much depends on the viewpoint of the observer. To one person, who is unfamiliar with K-pop, a relatively tame BTS performance may be the most camp thing they have ever seen. To another person, who is familiar with K-pop, they may not bat an eye. In my personal opinion, I would argue that K-pop is camp due to its emphasis on all-things-bright, eye catching and over the top, though as an industry, it is moving away from unhinged concepts, which were seen in earlier K-pop. Like many other queer fans, I love eccentric K-pop, and my favourite camp K-pop songs would be Orange Caramel’s Catallena, PSY’s Gangnam Style and GOT7’s Just Right.

Would I personally recognise it as a queer music genre? For the most part, yes. I think it would be unfair and completely hypocritical to dismiss K-pop as a queer genre completely, as we have continually worshipped so many heterosexual ‘queer icons’ in the community.