THE KPOP GUIDE
hello ! i'm kpop fairy (@kstanhelper on twitter) and here is a guide i made for anyone dealing with pop culture shock as they become a kpop stan. it can be confusing at first, but i've been a kpop stan for so long that the western music industry confuses me now. here is a 7 year kpop fan pouring out everything she knows while trying to be as organized as possible, enjoy !
group basics
WESTERN
⇨ solo artists are more common than groups
⇨ groups formed by competition programs (x factor, america's got talent), by friends, or by companies, usually little training involved
⇨ once in a group, members are expected to stay almost completely exclusive to the group, sometimes can have features with other artists, but not very often
⇨ usually about 4-5 members, from what i can see 6+ member groups are almost unheard of
⇨ no member positions besides fan-given titles
⇨ western means like US/UK/AUS if that wasn't obvious already like i'm talking about your one directions your fifth harmonies your little mixes
KPOP
⇨ groups are more common than solo artists
⇨ groups are typically formed by individual auditions to kpop companies. they go through a years long training process (often with their members)
⇨ once in a group, members of that group can still put out solo work. this is really common and not a sign of group instability
⇨ usually about 7 members or more. below that is often considered a small group while above that is considered a larger group
⇨ almost all kpop groups with few exceptions have assigned positions for each member based on ability + family/team-like hierarchy
⇨ most groups have an odd number of members as it's a better number to work with for choreography
idol profiles
kprofiles is a popular fan-based website that posts basic information about idol groups and their members. for new kpop fans, they can be confusing and difficult to navigate, so i'm just going to provide some context, using BTS's Jungkook as an example! sorry for the chicken scratch handwriting, i tried.
positions are a bit more complicated, so they are elaborated on more on the next page.
group positions
SKILL POSITIONS
⇨ main : best singer/dancer/rapper in the group
⇨ lead : second best singer/dancer/rapper in the group
⇨ sub : third or less best singer/dancer/rapper in the group (below main and lead)
PROMOTIONAL POSITIONS
⇨ visual: most physically attractive member by korean beauty standards (often do modeling or commercial work)
⇨ face of the group : most well known member of the group / representative to the public. often the visual, but not always
⇨ center : will often have the center positions during group performances. usually a member that is well rounded in vocal and dance abiliites, a member with very good stage presence and expressions
AGE POSITIONS
⇨ hyung/hyung line : older brother; oldest brothers in the group (boy groups)
⇨ unnie/unnie line : older sister; oldest sisters in the group (girl groups)
⇨ maknae/maknae line : youngest member, youngest memebers in the group (bgs & ggs)
⇨ XX liner : just an example, can insert any year. typically members in the same "line" are closer because they're same age friends. this is used because korean age is different from international age don't worry about it
⇨ leader : communicates most with management, leads introduction, leads speeches, counts heads (especially for groups with a lot of members). not necessarily age related but is usually the oldest member or member who has trained the longest!
MORE ON POSITIONS
the reason that groups have positions is to support teamwork through the division of responsibilites. it's good to have someone that's in charge of something! this doesn't usually mean they're so much better than the other members they just might be a step above or have more experience! this is also because kpop groups have more members than western groups so it helps to keep track of things. kpop groups tend to have more members because it supports complex choreo.
terminology
MUSIC
not only can kpop sound different from western music, it is also promoted, created, and distributed in a very different way. kpop is difficult to define as a genre because it is defined by its audio-visual elements. it's a whole package.
music releases
⇨ comeback : any time a group or solo artist returns with new music to promote ; does NOT mean a return after a long time
⇨ OST : original soundtrack. i know this is a western term too but i've seen a lot of people who don't know what that is
⇨ concept : the image an artist is presenting for a certain comeback e.g. girl crush, horror, retro, etc.
⇨ sub-unit : sometimes, a few members of a group will come together to form a smaller group ... within the group. sometimes they may just release a single or they may have regular comebacks
awards/charts
⇨ all-kill : a PAK, CAK, or RAK. just know that it means hitting #1 on every major chart
⇨ daesang : the grand prize award at an award show
⇨ first win : a big deal in kpop, a group or song's first win on a music show (discussed further in 'events')
⇨ sajaegi : chart manipulation. kinda like payola but it's a company buying their own artist's music or using streaming bots, not always bribery.
other
⇨ nugu : an unknown artist in the industry ; often an insult but people sometimes refer to themselves as nugu stans when they stan smaller groups
⇨ rookie : a group / solo artist that has debuted 2 or less years ago
⇨ pre-debut : the time before a kpop idol debuts, usually refers to the time when an idol was a trainee but can refer to early childhood as well
⇨ trainee : someone who has not debuted and is still in training under a company
KPOP ALBUMS
kpop albums can be VERY different from western albums. often times, western albums will include a jewel case and a flimsy lyric booklet, and many people don't consider purchasing them. in kpop, albums are super collectible! these days, albums will usually include a cd, photocard(s), poster (usually with pre-order), a photobook, and stickers! it's very normal to buy albums even if you don't have a cd player
⇨ repackage : like a deluxe album in the west that has additional songs but the physical album / concept is different
⇨ mini album : like an EP
⇨ photocard : an official photo of an idol that comes with a physical copy of an album (just know that kpop physical albums go hard)
comebacks
brief intermission from explaining terminology/defining words to explain how comebacks work in kpop. this is something that i've found confuses a lot of people because it's very different from how music is released in the west. this is going to be mostly from a kpop perspective as i don't really understand everything about music releases in the west.
what's a comeback? did they leave?
a group having a comeback doesn't mean that they took some long break. any time a group comes back and promotes music is a cb. so a group or solo artists putting out an OST wouldn't be considered a comeback as it's not promoted in the way that actually cbs are.
what's a music show?
when kpop idols have a comeback, they'll usually promote it on music shows where groups will perform their title track and sometimes a side track (especially if they're a more popular group, as companies have to pay for air time). groups can win on the music show through several factors including digital score, physical score, video views, and fanvoting (don't worry about that for now, it's okay). you can watch all of these on youtube! usually after performances (either right after or sometimes a few days) they will upload the fancams (usually more fancams for more popular groups).
what else happens during a comeback?
groups will promote for about a month by going on music shows and variety shows. music shows i just explained, but for variety shows, they are online or television broadcasted (usually later uploaded online) where idols will be hosted by an mc or producer (on or off-screen) through different games and challenges to show of their teamwork/chemistry, humor, or talent. follow updates accounts for the groups you want to stan because they'll usually post links for these, and if you see someone post videos of a group you're interested in and you don't know where it's from, feel free to ask them!
how can I keep up with all of these comebacks and groups?
well, you definitely can't keep up with all of them, but you should consider downloading VLIVE, a common app used for most livestreams and other live events done by kpop groups. many groups have fanbase accounts where they update with group information and schedules, which you should follow or add to a list. some groups also use WEVERSE which is becoming more and more popular as an international substitute for FANCAFE, and UNIVERSE is another upcoming platform with a similar concept. you can find guides in the tips and advice section of my main carrd for keeping up with groups if you stan multiple.
you should also be sure to check out my resources such as the kpop calendar and thread for keeping up with groups as well as general tips for stanning and more specifically, learning names. you can dm me or cc me any time if you have questions about any of these resources or if you just need someone to talk to about kpop!
WESTERN
⇨ usually only release music on Fridays because Billboard chart tracking starts on Friday and ends on Thursday
⇨ usually release a full album a year, promote multiple singles from the same album. usually the separate singles are all part of the same "era" from the album
⇨ indicate a new era by overhauling social media, may post lyrics spoilers. don't usually release a lot concept teasers because western artists don't go hard on concepts but may release photo teasers, varies artist to artist
⇨ music video often released some time after the song is initially released
KPOP
⇨ released whatever day of the week because korean charts are real time charts. almost always released at 6pm korean standard time
⇨ usually release 2-3 comebacks a year, part of separate albums or a repackage. when singles are released, they're typically separate/not part of an album
⇨ indicate a new era by releasing a comeback scheduler indicating when concept teasers, mv teasers, etc will be released. usually, a group will release teasers 2 weeks in advance leading up to the comeback
⇨ music videos are almost always released at the same time as the title track and album being released
more terminology
FAN CULTURE
k-pop has a unique fan culture. there are more official fandom features such as fandom names (not a name chosen by fans like arianators) and fandom colors. fans have also over time created their own traditions and terms that are unique from western fans.
⇨ lightstick : an official ... stick ... of light ... put out by a company. are used at concerts and public events to help an artist to identify their fans in crowded or dark spaces. most lightsticks have bluetooth capabilities, so they can change colors and create designs
⇨ fancafe : online fan space on Daum (NOT an actual cafe) where artists will post exclusive photos + you can write them letters. it's all in korean and can be kinda confusing so you don't have to join if you don't want to! a lot of artists are moving to more internationally-accessible platforms like weverse and the upcoming universe app too so i wouldn't worry too much about it, a lot of kpop fans didn't use fancafe in the first place it's kinda hard to use and apply
⇨ bias : your favorite member of a group
⇨ ult : short for ultimate. your favorite member of a group, or your favorite group out of all the groups you stan. you can have more than one. semi-ult is a term often used to refer to groups or biases that you love a lot but aren't quite at that ult level.
⇨ selca day : selca means selfie (shortened from self camera). selca day is a day on twitter when fans will post a picture of them with their bias using their fandom's selca day hashtag. each fandom has a different hashtag that they do on different dates for different reasons, but they sometimes overlap. if you don't know when your fandom's selca day is, you can ask another fan or you can usually google an updated list as it sometimes changes
⇨ fancam : a video taken during an idols performance. they are NOT just fan edits of an idol on a red carpet or something with music edited over it. western stans often misuse the term. if you see a fancam on twitter and want to watch the whole thing but don't know where it's from, look for the broadcasting logo and use this guide as a reference so you can find it on youtube.
⇨ fansite : usually a fan (there are some who just do it for money) that will take professional photos and fancams of idols at concerts, events, or at the airport. not just cellphone videos, like actual camera videos.
⇨ fan chant : instead of just random screaming, during performances fans will typically do a fanchant. at the beginning, dance break, or end of a song fans will usually chant the members names in age order, sometimes with other phrases. throughout the song, certain words may be repeated or emphasized by fans.
⇨ black ocean : a very rare and disrespectful event in kpop where an audience turns off their lightsticks when a particular artist performs. here is an example of when it happened to SNSD in 2008 during the Dream Concert. you might hear this word thrown around a lot during award show season but take it with a grain of salt
⇨ multi : pretty sure this is a western term too but means being in multiple fandoms. most international kpop fans are multis.
⇨ sasaeng : a stalker fan. very bad and taken very seriously. hacking into airport cameras and camping outside of hotels is not accepted behavior in kpop fandoms and you will get dragged.
⇨ survival show : not like Survivor or Man vs. Wild. trainees or members of groups lacking popularity (depending on the show could all be from the same company or from different companies) compete with and against each other to form a final group. these shows typically involve mentors, challenges, and fan voting. often times, the final group is temporary and is used to promote trainees.
here are some groups that were formed by survival shows. some groups are permanent, like:
Twice (Sixteen)Monsta X (No Mercy)Fromis_9 (Idol School)Pentagon (Pentagon Maker)Stray Kids (Stray Kids)TOO (World Klass)Treasure (YG Treasure Box)Momoland (Finding Momoland)Enhypen (I-LAND)
but some groups are/were temporary, like:
I.O.I (Produce 101 S1)Wanna One (Produce 101 S2 / Broduce)IZONE (Produce 48)X1 (Produce X 101)1the9 (Under Nineteen)
KPOP ETTIQUETTE
in kpop, many fans have a "we're all in this together" mindset, although individual fandoms often have fanwars between each other. the "kpop fandom" isn't really a real fandom, it's more like a collective of many fandoms that overlap due to kpop stans usually being part of multiple fandoms.
that being said, it's important to be mindful of the things you say about other groups and artists. in kpop fandoms, it's usually expected that if you don't like another group or artist, you should probably just keep your mouth shut to avoid conflict. there are several kpop idols that are often openly spoken about in negative ways as they're just deemed as objectively bad or are just unpopular amongst many kpop stans for whatever reason, and if you spend enough time on kpop twt you'll discover that on your own.
another thing is, please be mindful when communicating with kpop idols through social media especially if they're not from the US, Canada, Australia, etc. it may be hard for many idols to understand sarcastic jokes, so your well meaning humor may be interpreted as hate or mean comments so please consider that when directly tagging idols in things and replying to them! also when an idol is doing a livestream or something please don't ask them to speak English!
OTHER
k-pop in general has a lot of different terms that aren't used in western pop. some of these terms are korean or are based on some aspect of korean pop culture that doesn't exist or isn't as prevalent in the west. here are some assorted terms that didn't feel right to put in music or fan culture.
⇨ variety show : a show where idols or other celebrities will go on and play games and promote their comeback and stuff. it's not like they've never existed in the west (they actually originated in the west) but they're out of fashion now.
⇨ MC : master of ceremonies. again, another western term, but i know a lot of people who don't know what it is. it's the equivalent of a host (award shows, variety shows, and music shows). sometimes kpop idols are MCs for shows.
⇨ scandal : another also western term that just has a different implication in kpop, it's not like celebrities fighting (which doesn't happen often in kpop). in kpop, doing drugs (including weed) and dating is considered a scandal, although they aren't considered to be scandals by most international fans.
⇨ enlistment : all korean men are supposed to enlist in the military when they turn 28. members of kpop groups who have a different citizenship (china, japan, america, etc.) do not have to enlist. enlistment typically lasts about 18 months. this is not expected to change anytime soon. their neighbors are scary.
⇨ fighting : does not actually mean fighting. is said to cheer someone on.
⇨ sunbaenim : seniority is taken seriously in both kpop and korean culture in general. seniority can be based on both age and time speant in the industry. idols will refer to any idol who debuted before them as sunbaenim out of respect.
⇨ aegyo : pretty much just means acting cute. you don't have to like it. when an idol is doing it on some variety show you can skip it, it's okay.
⇨ netizen : means citizen of the net. just regular internet users, often those who comment on articles and forums. kpop fans will often refer to korean knetizens as knetz. it's not necessarily a negative word but a lot of times kpop stans are just upset about what they have to say. NOT to be confused with nctzen, NCT's fandom name
⇨ ment : a speech or an introduction during a concert. i guess this is a kpop term? my dad didn't know what it was so i'm putting it on here.
generations
k-pop is often considered to be split up into 4 generations based on time and industry trends, with a 4th generation forming in 2018.
the 1st and 4th generations are particularly difficult to define as most kpop stans weren't here for the first and we're living the 4th right now. the way the generations are split up goes something like this:
⇨ 1st : the beginning - 2002
⇨ 2nd : 2003 - 2011
⇨ 3rd : 2012 - 2017
⇨ 4th : 2018 - present
it's a common belief that the 2nd gen started with TVXQ and the 3rd with EXO. people have different opinions about who started the 4th gen, (Stray Kids are often used as a marker) but not every group that debuted before them is necessarily part of the previous generation, like The Boyz for example.
you don't have to know all of the old generation artists, but they're good to know as idols will often cover their songs or reference them.
↳ Seo Taiji and Boys
↳ H.O.T
↳ Sechs Kies
↳ S.E.S
↳ Shinhwa
↳ G.O.D
↳ Epik High
↳ TVXQ
↳ SS501
↳ Super Junior
↳ Brown Eyed Girls
↳ Bigbang
↳ Wonder Girls
↳ Kara
↳ F.T.Island
↳ SNSD
↳ SHINee
↳ 2am
↳ 2pm
↳ U-Kiss
↳ 2NE1
↳ 4minute
↳ After School
↳ CNBLUE
↳ f(x)
↳ Beast
↳ T-ara
↳ Rainbow
↳ Secret
↳ Girl's Day
↳ Infinite
↳ Miss A
↳ Nine Muses
↳ Orange Caramel (After School subunit)
↳ Teen Top
↳ Sistar
↳ Apink
↳ B1A4
↳ Brave Girls
↳ Stellar
for more details about why the generations are differentiated the way they are
1st: laying the very foundation of kpop; a young geographically based genre finding its footing domestically
2nd: peak of the hallyu wave (korean cultural spreading internationally), general public interest in kpop at an all time high
3rd: decline in general public interest, increase in physical album sales, a fan-driven genre
4th: so far, the peak of western international success, complete shift in the way groups promote because smaller companies realized that fan-support abroad can keep groups afloat if they're struggling domestically, now very common even for smaller groups to do (sometimes small) world tours within the first few years of debut
companies
THE BIG THREE
sorry this is kind of a cursed image, but you will probably be seeing their faces around a lot. these are the founders of the big 3 entertainment companies. many kpop fans will refer to them as CEOs. they are not. they are figureheads and shareholders of the companies they founded. because the companies are named after the founders, they will sometimes be referred to interchangaby or the company will be called SME, YGE, or JYPE (the E meaning entertainment.
companies are a huge part of kpop. kpop stans will typically know the names of many different companies, subsidaries, CEOs, chairmen, managers, and will throw these names around as common knowledge, so it's a good idea to get acquainted.
SM : TVXQ, Super Junior, SNSD, SHINee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, Boa, Aespa
YG : Sechs Kies, 2NE1 (formerly), Bigbang, iKon, Winner, Blackpink, AKMU, Treasure, (PSY used to be under this company, if you remember Gangnam Style)
JYP : Wonder Girls, 2pm, Miss A, Got7, Twice, Day6, Stray Kids, Itzy
sometimes the big three is now referred to as the big four including BigHit entertainment, home to BTS and TXT, which now earns more annually than all of the big three companies. BTS alone contributed an estimated $3.8 billion to the South Korean economy. because the big three has been the big three for so long, most people continue to refer to them that way even if they aren't the top earning. also BigHit kinda acquired/has most of the shares of Source and Pledis so that's a thing
OTHER COMPANIES
there are several other kpop companies that are seen as major or prominent companies that most kpop fans have heard of. these companies may have been around for a while and have developed a solid lineup of artists, but have never had the revenue or the clout to be considered a big three company.
Pledis : After School, Nu'est, Seventeen, Pristin (formerly)
Cube : 4minute (formerly), Beast (formerly), BtoB, CLC, Pentagon, (G)I-DLE
Stone Music : IN2IT, IZ*ONE, Fromis_9, X1, Heize
Starship : Sistar (formerly), Monsta X, WJSN (Cosmic Girls), Jeong Sewoon
Woolim : Infinite, Lovelyz, Golden Child, Rocket Punch
FNC : F.T.Island, CNBLUE, AOA, N.Flying, SF9, Cherry Bullet, P1HARMONY
DSP : Rainbow, April, K.A.R.D
Fantagio : HelloVenus, Astro, Weki Meki
Jellyfish : Vixx, Gugudan, VeriVery
WM : B1A4, Oh My Girl, ONF
PlayM : Apink, Victon, Weeekly
BigHit Labels (includeing subsidaries): Nana, Nu'est, BTS, Gfriend, Seventeen, TXT, Enhypen
TELEVISION COMPANIES
you can definitely skip this, but kpop stans often don't think of these when talking about companies. they are also very well known companies that you will hear about. you can also check out some of these shows for the groups you stan/are interested in stanning!
SBS :
↳ variety show : Running Man
↳ music show : Inkigayo
↳ survival show (kind of) : K-Pop Star
↳ end of year show : Gayo Daejeon
KBS :
↳ music show : Music Bank, Yoo Huihyeol's Sketchbook, Immortal Songs 2
↳ award show : KBS Entertainment Awards
↳ variety show : The Return of Superman
↳ end of year show : Gayo Daechukje
MBC:
↳ variety show : King of Masked Singer, Weekly Idol
↳ music show : Music Core
↳ survival show : Under Nineteen
↳ end of year show : Gayo Daejejeon
Mnet
↳ music show : MCountdown
↳ award show : Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA)
↳ survival show : Produce 101 (all seasons with varied titles), I-LAND (with BigHit), World Klass, Idol School, Boys24
↳ rap-survival show : Show Me The Money
↳ competition show : Queendom, Road to Kingdom, Kingom
Mnet often airs reality shows for individual groups. many kpop groups have their own reality shows
events
there are several different types of events held in kpop. some are held annually while others may be held on a weekly basis. these events are widely talked about and anticipated by kpop fandoms, so be on the lookout for them, or maybe check out some from previous years.
ISAC
going to say this one first because it doesn't really fit in a category. ISAC stands for Idol Star Athletic Championships and it's literally like kpop olympics. if you love the idea of your favorite groups fighting each other then you'll probably like this. it's usually held twice a year. forget bragging about sales, my group holds the archery record of 95/100 points over all other groups. epic bragging rights. what a concept.
DISPATCH COUPLE
i wouldn't call this an event but every year on January 1st since 2013 this tabloid exposes a couple in the industry and it's usually a big deal. not to say it's a big anticipated event but don't be surprised when it happens that's all. most kpop stans consider it to be a gross invasion of privacy but Dispatch still gets clout when it happens.
FESTIVALS
there are many popular annual kpop festivals that are fun to watch and to attend that host a variety of artists.
⇨ Dream Concert (May or June)
⇨ Korea Music Festival (August)
⇨ Incheon K-Pop Concert (September)
⇨ Asia Song Festival (September)
⇨ Kcon is a korean/kpop convention held around the world at various times of year. be on the lookout to see if it comes to your country
MUSIC SHOWS
music shows are held on a weekly basis. here is a schedule of music shows. click on the title of each show to go to its youtube channel.
(sorry of the MC names are outdated when you read this, I try to update it regularly but...)
⇨ Sunday : Inkigayo (Idol MC: Monsta X's Minhyuk, NCT's Jaehyun, April's Naeun)
⇨ Monday : Simply K-Pop (Idol MC: The Boyz' Kevin and Jacob)
⇨ Tuesday : The Show (Idol MC: The Boyz's Juyeon, Everglow's Sihyeon, Kim Minkyu)
⇨ Wednesday : Show Champion (MC: Comedian Kim Shinyoung)
⇨ Thursday : M Countdown (Idol MC: AB6IX's Daehwi & Model Han Hyunmin)
⇨ Friday : Music Bank (Idol MC: TXT's Soobin & Oh My Girl's Arin)
⇨ Saturday : Music Core (Idol MC: IZONE's Minju, SF9's Chani, Stray Kids' Hyunjin)
AWARDS SHOWS
award shows typically happen towards the end of the year or very beginning of the year with some exceptions
⇨ Seoul Music Awards (January)
⇨ Golden Disk Awards (January)
⇨ Gaon Chart Awards (January)
⇨ Korean Music Awards (February)
⇨ Soribada Music Awards (August)
⇨ Asia Artist Awards (November)
⇨ Mnet Asian Music Awards (November)
⇨ Melon Music Awards (December)
END OF YEAR SHOWS
there are three end of year shows with remarkably similar names, often referred to as "the gayos." they are all held in December
⇨ Gayo Deejeon
⇨ Gayo Daechukje
⇨ Gayo Daejejeon
thank you for reading my guide, i hope it was helpful! if you have any more questions feel free to dm me on @kstanhelper and i'd be happy to answer them! if you need any more help or advice, you can also check out this carrd for group guides and other helpful threads/carrds!