K-Pop in my life, for my life, and as my life.

K-POP - The word isn't as popular as now, a few years back when I was still in high school (2012). Just to let you know, I didn't know anything at all about Koreans,well, except for a few images of their models which I happened to see in google accidentally. Like any other people who have no idea about k-pop, I used to see Koreans, Chinese and Japanese as the same and the only people I can relate to these countries on the whole were Jackie chan, Bruce lee, Jet lee and Tony Ja. So as you can see, my knowledge about the existence of Korea was pretty much limited. I always have had this thought about East Asians that they couldn't/wouldn't be as cool as westeners since I've been blinded by the western bands and western pop music most of the times. But this prejudism of mine had become totally untrue after I came to know about them later via online communities and such. K-POP is the best thing that ever happened to me. And now it is a huge part of my life which I can't live without. Wondering why?

 Here's why...

HOW DID I FIND K-POP ?

       Someday around October 2012 when I was still in high school, me and my friends were discussing about the beauty standards being set in different countries. When the discussion took a turn towards fashion and a few certain questions were raised, I found myself talking mostly regarding East Asians, especially Koreans and how they have an eccentric sense and an extra-ordinary eyes for fashion. I then realized that somehow this particular country drew a lot of attention from me for their outstanding styling skills. There was even a friend of mine with whom I used to  do high-fives for our mutual taste. And that friend introduced K-drama to me for which I'm feeling eternally grateful. Boys over flowers was my first drama to watch and fell in love with. There was this OST song called "Stand by me" and it caught my ears instantly when I heard for the very first time. This led me to do the research and stuff after which I ended up knowing about SHINee. "Replay" was my glee and forever will be. Their unique voices and killer vibes gave me chills in a good way. After that, my fingers got really itchy and I started searching them further and there, I finally invented "K-POP". 
       

          After my unexpected invention of K-POP, I wasted no time in exploring other bands just like SHINee. Youtube served well enough to continue my exploration. And that's how I found more awesome bands like BIGBANG, EXO, BEAST, INFINITE etc. When I came across a very catchy but wierd music video called "Wolf", I let myself to do a check about the particular song's band artists and finally I came to know their name as EXO. At first I nearly gave up in knowing them because it was very much frustrating to recognize and remember their names since there were twelve of them and they all looked same for my eyes except for a guy named Kai. That too only because of his long hair which was exceptionally styled in cornrows. I thought I would never remember even their names correctly however hard I may try. But that was proven wrong later when I began to distinguish  them right no matter whichever makeup they were in. This again improved to the point where I could call out their names easily just by seeing the features alone (like the members' hands, eyes, jawline etc). That's creepy, I know.

WHAT MAKES K-POP TO STAND OUT IN MY EYES ?

The fact that it has many fresh-faced prodigies to exude a phenomenal variety set K-POP apart from any other genre. Their trailblazing approach towards music videos with addictive tunes and challenging routines in addition to some idiosyncratic concepts can draw any music lover like me. Besides " PSY-Gangnam style", there are some real noteworthy songs like BIGBANG-Fantastic Baby, 2NE1-I am the best, SUPER JUNIOR-Sorry Sorry, Mamacita, SNSD-Gee and many more. The songs are not only catchy but also they provide us a great audio-visual and emotional experience. K-POP live performances are no joke with it's insane production quality which comprises of amazing sound effects, theatrical lighting, captivating stage design and artistic pyrotechnics. 

WHAT IS K-POPPING ACCORDING TO ME ?

       K-POPPING is a bottomless pit where you will never get enough of it and there's no way you can get out of this alluring abyss. This may sound wierdly stupid but is an underlying truth which every k-popper knows. It's not entirely about enjoying their albums and concerts alone but there's much more than that. Idol's have close connection with fandom which includes their chances of direct chatting or sharing thoughts via apps like Vapp, IG,Twitter, Snapchat etc. Fandom is where we share all of our surging emotions and feels. To a fangirl, it's all about feels. It's not explainable, not with words. Only a fellow fangirl would know about its emotional significance that resonates within the fandom. Together, we grow with stars and shower them with our selfless love.If ever you are in need of a distraction from your endless suffering in life, then K-POP can offer that for sure.

K-FASHION- WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?

        With fashion being peaked at it's core, K-fashion has now become a commercial juggernaut. KPOP stars are considered as the trend setters of Korea and they bring a new definition for fashion. Idols never hesitate to flaunt their unique styles as  a fashionista and they sometimes surpass western stars' in terms of intensity and originality. The costumes in most of the K-POP music videos are usually colourful and strange but in a good way. Their makeup will always be on point and flawless. The current trend goes by dying of hair with funky colours and refined styles.The styling range varies from long to short hair with or without involving the curls/waves/straights. The styling is done in such a way that it enhances the outfit well and more. The K-Idols always manage to look dashing even in their casual attires like sweat pants and baggy shirts. Some notable fashionistas who often turn heads with their Airport fashion are G-Dragon-BigBang, Dara-2NE1, KEY-SHINee, Jessica Jung- A former SNSD member and the list goes on. 

HOW FANGIRL LIFE CHOSE ME ?

I started fangirling at the year of 2013 because of EXO. What started out as a hobby, turned into a track of obsession. I may sound like a possessed teen but when I say I feel happy simply by their existence, it's true as universe. They're more than just an idol group and I couldn't stop falling for them. They made me to love and stan K-POP as a whole. It felt overwhelming to have a bias (favourite idol) who managed to own my heart just by the mere way of him being himself. I fangirl over everything my bias does.Then came the bias wreckers (someone in a group who catches your eyes often and tests your love for your Ultimate Bias) to ruin my perfect bias list. There are even some wreckers who tried to ruin my already ruined bias list to the point where I stopped ranking the biases in order to prevent myself from collapsing (Okay, I'm exaggerating here but that's what we fangirls do). I used to adhere to the fact that having butterflies in your stomach is only possible when you are in a relationship. But once again, K-POP idols proved me wrong. 

Fangirl life is never easy to begin with. As a fangirl, I have to go through a roller coaster of emotions that always has something to do with my bias group. But that's not just it. Apart from having to endure everything from friends poking fun at me to family members disapproving, I also had to encounter people who throw judgemental or scornful looks at me just because they don't understand why I love what I love the way I love it. It's not like I care because it's not an illness to worry about and even if it were, I wouldn't want a cure. Fandom and fangirling has touched every aspect of my life and I've met lot of good friends through this journey. By being a fangirl is how I got out of my comfort zone and I couldn't be happier that I am one.

HOW K-POP BECOMES MY INSPIRATION ?

Behind all the fame and success of K-POP stars lie years of dedication, hard work, perseverance and sweat. A few aspiring stars are just 10 years old when they do audition. One cannot become a K-star if they just win over the audition. Passed trainees must go through rigorous training system for years, spending atleast 12 hours a day in the studio, conquering every pitch and perfecting every dance move. They have almost no time for their family or friends, let alone love relationships. A trainee life may be hard to endure, but an Idol life is just as demanding. With exhausting schedules and having very limited time to sleep or eat, they inevitably become night owls earning both stress and money.  Despite the tiring Interviews, Reality Shows, Live Performances and Fan signings, Idols still put a smile on their face wherever they go and work hard as ever to produce great results. 

Everytime they step-out from the dorm/home, their life becomes transparent to the whole world. Fans/paparazzi chase them everywhere they go, so the word "privacy" plays a very narrow role in their daily life. They also sometimes tend to receive hatred for no proper reason. Though they tend to get hurt a lot, their will power and strength to overcome any hardships will give anyone goosebumps. They aren't enduring everything only for money or fame but also for their fans. All those struggles and pain will be gone in a trice, once they hear fans screaming their name and shaking light sticks cheerfully for them. Hearing the melody of fan chants while seeing a colourful ocean of their own fandom is what K-POP Idols live for. Their story and history will bring tears to your eyes and the hardships they faced will make you feel compassion towards them. They taught me so much about life through their interviews and reality shows like how to conceal the sadness through smile, how to move forward despite the negativity that's trying to pull us down and how to get up whenever life hits you hard & harder. They showed me how to find happiness from little things in our life and how our life can be simple yet beautiful. I dare to dream only after knowing what they went through and how they still chose to pursue their dreams without giving up. Needless to say they are my true inspirators. They gave me the courage to follow my dreams and I'm taking my first step by writing this.

          

Thank you for reading this till the end :)

(Article spinning involved)