When K-pop gets sexy and sheds its cute image: from Monsta X to Taemin and NCT 127, 11 songs and videos that don’t hold back
- K-pop is known for being cute, coy and flirty, with oblique and abstract references to sex and sexuality
- Some K-pop songs and videos, however, go all out with sexual lyrics and imagery, surprising and shocking fans
In early November a K-pop fan account posted video of K-pop quartet Brown Eyed Girls performing their song Warm Hole in 2015. The song, which is overtly sexual, went viral across K-pop’s Twitter fan community, and the snippet, shared to Twitter under the title “beg doing things” – “beg” referring to the acronym for the female Korean pop act – rapidly gained over a million views.
The reason for the virality? The subject matter of the song shocked many fans, who expressed surprise that a song with such sultry lyrics was aired on Korean public broadcasts, especially given the stereotypical clean nature of K-pop.
Brown Eyed Girls have always been an atypical K-pop act in that the four members dictate their own musical direction and have regularly discussed topics including female sexuality and politics in their music. Their songs, including Warm Hole, have faced a backlash and been banned by some South Korean broadcasters.
They are certainly not the norm in K-pop, where dating rumours can still derail careers and love is usually sung about in the abstract, but neither are they outliers in the industry, reflecting how K-pop isn’t limited to one distinct style or genre.
Being cutesy, coy and flirty without being overt is standard for K-pop, with dance performances and lyrics often hinting at more. But sometimes acts skip that and just say it the way it is.