Trigger warning: This article mentions sexual assault. Please practice self-care.
When I started listening to K-Pop in middle school, I definitely didn’t expect it to get this popular. BTS is literally taking over the world, and they created a huge new group of K-Pop fans. So, for these new fans, I decided to make a list highlighting some other amazing and underrated Korean artists.
- Royal Pirates
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Royal Pirates is an indie-rock Korean band most known for their songs “Drawing the Line” and “Fly to You.” They have been on hiatus for a while with one of the members, James, leaving the group due to an injury and other members off to the army. I put them on the list anyway because they are the perfect segway into the Korean indie scene for an English-speaking audience. They have some songs in English plus they still have a pop-y vibe despite being a band.
- LYn
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I like to call LYn a hidden popular artist because a lot of Korean Drama stans probably have listened to her music — they just don’t know it. LYn’s songs include “My Destiny” and “Back in Time” for famous dramas like My Love From the Star and The Moon Embraces the Sun. Her independent pieces are what need more hype, like “Thank You My Dear” and “Miss You… Crying.” Both are beautifully sad songs perfect to listen to during a break-up. Her delicate entrancing voice earns her a secure spot on this list.
- K.will
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I’m not sure if K.will is really underrated or if people just forgot about him. His popularity extended outside of Korea due to his song “Please Don’t.” People were most shocked by the music video that challenged audiences to question their viewpoints. Instead of the male lead pining after a female lead, he is actually gay and loves his male best friend who is getting married. It showcases people’s inherent bias in assuming the male lead is straight. His other songs are amazing as well. They’re usually cheerful with bits of humor, but any Korean artist talking about gay rights definitely goes down as a must-listen in my book.
- Gain
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Gain is very similar to K.will — a Korean artist speaking about injustices. Her song “F*** U” talks about sexual assault while in a relationship, displaying the reality of an abusive relationship. Gain also created waves with her song “Paradise Lost” which was accompanied by an iconic dance move that, at the time, was seen as too sexual for Korean audiences. I see Gain as the Korean artist who fights against content bans, and it may be cliche to say this, but she’s an absolute queen.
- HYUKOH
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Okay so, HYUKOH, compared to everyone else on this list, is definitely the most popular. They solidified their popularity with the help of Hyungdon on the TV show Infinite Challenge, which helped bring them out of the indie scene and into the mainstream music industry. I mostly wanted to bring them up because their recent world tour was canceled, and I had tickets, and I’m still bitter. However, don’t sleep on their unique music. Songs like “Comes and Goes” and “Die Alone” are classics with a unique chill quality. This is a band that lives close to my heart and should be on everyone’s playlist.
I hope these artists will help new K-pop fans see beyond the canon of Korean pop and inspire them to dig deeper into the world of Korean music. I’m also hoping it will diversify people’s playlists with great bands and soloists. Korean music is diverse in itself, and I challenge you to fall into that rabbit hole.