There's Nothing Like a First Impression

Hello all, my name is Audrey Clingenpeel. I’m a 20-year-old K-pop fan and have been for over two years now. I’m so thrilled to kick off this blog. The K-pop Diaries will be a place where anyone can come and celebrate their love for K-pop music, in all its forms. I cannot wait to dive into these topics and further my opinions. I look forward to discussing all aspects that exist within this industry. You may not agree with everything I’m going to say but that’s what keeps things exciting, right?

For my first entry, I thought why not hit the ground running and start by discussing my first impressions of K-pop groups. Every K-pop fan can remember the first time they felt struck by certain artists. It’s a feeling that sticks with us for the rest of our lives.

Girls Generation

Let’s start with the very first K-pop group I was ever exposed to. I remember seeing a video on YouTube that featured a clip of the infamous queens of K-pop, Girls’ Generation. But, at that very moment, I only knew them as these glamorous mysterious-looking women with incredibly long legs. I was looking at the music video for their timeless single “Genie”. I was mesmerized by their white uniforms and glowing faces. Not only was I visually entranced, but I was also a little freaked out. They reminded me of robots. I ended up forgetting about them a few minutes later and went about my day.

BTS

But, it wasn’t until a few years later that K-pop properly crept it's way back into my life. It was my freshman year of college. I and a few friends went over to this girls' dorm down on my hall. Her name was Bethany and she had posters of the K-pop boy band, BTS, all over her wall. I remember so vividly thinking ‘why do they have colored hair?’ It was all very strange to me but to say I wasn’t intrigued would be a lie. When I got back to my room that night, I searched BTS online and never looked back. Their music videos met every one of my expectations. The bright over-saturated effects, the visuals, the outfits, and the upbeat exciting sounds heightened every one of my senses.

BLACKPINK

Soon after my discovery of BTS, I was introduced to dozens of other K-pop artists. One that stood out, in particular, was the ever-so-popular BLACKPINK. I saw four beautiful girls dancing and singing their hearts out. Their debut music video titled Boombayah was the very first video I ever watched from them. I saw an explosion of colors, lights and effects. But, this time it was females doing it. I felt instantly connected to BLACKPINK and their story. I couldn’t wait to learn more about them.

The last group I’ll discuss is Red Velvet. Although Red Velvet is one of my ultimate groups today, they didn’t use to be. I was first introduced to them with their music, which I loved. Peek-A-Boo and Ice Cream Cake were the first two songs I heard. But, they didn’t have the kind of concepts I was used to. Their concept was constantly evolving, something K-pop groups don’t normally do. They made bold choices and at the time, I didn’t appreciate them for how well thought out they were. I also didn’t vibe with their humor or personalities. They were much more like siblings than bandmates, which was also something I wasn’t used to.

Red Velvet

But, after a few months, I slowly but surely adjusted to the members of Red Velvet and began to see myself in them. Now, I am properly obsessed. I own almost all of their Korean albums and hope to continue to collect them in the future.

The thing is, with K-pop groups, it’s not always love at first sight. Sometimes it takes time to grow and learn, and that’s okay. It’s just important to always keep an open mind because you never know what can happen.

That is all for today's discussion. Next week we will dive right into the rookies of K-pop. We’ll discuss their strengths and weaknesses as groups and how I hope they evolve in the future.