Man about awesome:The P-Pop Wave
MANILA, Philippines - Who would’ve thought that after the first Korean Wave, or hallyu, swept through our TVs and radios a few years back, it would again rise up and come back for another round of K-Pop, Koreanovelas, and weird hairdos? Remember the time when adoring fans would attend sold-out concerts and listen to foreign songs they can’t even understand? Or guys sporting long hairdos and wearing crotch-choking jeans? Well, it’s back, albeit a more local breed.
Quickly becoming popular around the web and in some local music and radio stations is the type of genre that blends K-Pop with our own brand of music. It’s what kids these days describe as P-Pop, a musical genre consisting of hip-hop, electronica, and R&B music that stems from a broader genre known as Original Pilipino Music (OPM).
Similar to K-Pop and J-Pop, P-Pop takes its roots from fashion, music, TV, and movies. It even creates its own popular subculture of young adults and teens that religiously follow their idols’ preferences in fashion and style. Similar to how Jejemons religiously follow their Jejekings and Jejequeens in terms of everything, to our dismay.
With the advent of NU 107’s death (rest in peace), come out the girl groups, the boy bands, and solo artists of P-Pop. To name a few: Pointen, Pop Girls, Riversyd, RPM, XLR8, and 1:43. Fanboys and fangirls of these artists love them because of their pretty-boy or cute-girl looks and their unique style. For them, these P-Pop artists bring in something new and exciting that the local music industry hasn’t seen before. Finally, there’s someone to go ga-ga over, other than rock stars and, uh, Sam Milby.
On the other hand, there are also the people who do not like this recent emergence of P-Pop. Their critics hate them for many reasons. For instance, their unoriginal brand of music, clothes, and again, hair style. For them, P-Pop isn’t anything new. It’s still about Filipinos being copycats of other countries’ cultures and trends.
The newest boy band on the scene, 1:43, has received backlash for their first single, Merry Christmas Na. The boy band is composed of four members, namely, Kim, Yuki, Anjo, and Gold. Many dislike the fact that a) they don’t dance as sexy as Korean superstar Rain, b) one of them is named Gold (but seriously, who would name their kid Gold, right?), and c) because they have the most profound lyrics:
And you shine so bright in my life Para kang parol sa aking bubong
Matagal ko ng pangarapMerry Christmas na may kayakap
Every year nag-sisimbang gabiPraying hard na may makatabi
No matter how true these statements are, and really, there are people who go to simbang gabi to pray hard na may makatabi, critics of P-Pop still find these songs lacking in substance, similar to the Lito Camo craze a few years ago, with all its double-meaning songs that absolutely made no sense.
I’ve had the chance to watch some of P-Pop’s music videos; some I find really lacking in taste, and some actually really well done. If their intention was to make the video look like it was a Korean music video, then I must hand it to them. They actually pulled it off. I don’t know if it’s because of the clothes they’re wearing or if it’s because they really look Korean. Try to mute the video and you’d really think you’re watching some Korean music group. It’s a departure from the usual, boring music videos we’re used to.
If this trend is to continue, I sense a change in the fashion and style scenery in the country. People will become more daring and bolder when wearing clothes and experimenting with how they look. Guys will go back to ball-hugging jeans and the ladies will all have their hair colored light brown. You’d see the jejemons facing off against the P-Poppers facing off against the hipsters. Hopefully though, this trend does not bring back the scarf craze.
The Verdict: P-Pop, awesome or not awesome? If you like fashionable pretty boys and girls singing “I thought cold December nights again ang gift ni Santa para sa akin. But I guess I’ve been good this year, cause the best gift is already here,” then P-Pop is for you. If you hate Korean fashion, Korean music, or guys named Gold, then prepare to get wet, cause the P-Pop wave is coming.
