Food and Music: Global American Culture

Just like one can take American fast food and give it his own spin — like serving egg tarts [1] in KFC China or a Green Tea McFlurry in McDonald Korea — people can take what is globally known as American pop and give it there own spin.

One of the most common comments as regards Kpop we can find on the net is that Kpop is too heavily influenced by American pop to be different. That unlike Jpop, which has its own characteristics in dance, fashion and behavior, Kpop is not unique enough to separate itself from American pop, that they just look like wannabe American pop stars, and fail at it for not being able to sell as much or be as well known as their American counterparts.

But Kpop has its own flavor and its own color. Yes, they use American producers at times and deal with American choreographers, but they perform those numbers with such military precision that hasn’t been seen in pop music since the last time Michael Jackson performed with his dancers in military attire.

Just like some Chinese boybands — especially the ones in Mainland China — can’t seem to avoid some of those martial arts and acrobatic movements in their dance routines. Or, the perfect example, Hong Kong star, Cantopop Dance King, Aaron Kwok, whose dance routine includes a little martial arts, a little Latin, a little urban and a little ballet — which is essentially pure Aaron Kwok style.

The problem isn’t whether a genre is heavily influenced by American culture or not, but whether the genre can branch out and be its own. The problem arises when artists never venture to find that regional flavor that makes them different from the original recipe.

Plus, a music market that is only American music would be such a bore. We need more variety on our menu.

amy

YAM Magazine editor, photographer, blogger, translator and part-time web designer. Film junkie, music junkie… and lately series (a.k.a. TV) junkie.

3 Responses

  1. ghost says:

    That fancy big mac looks fucking disgusting. Sorry. But I find little to like in the American culinary, if that means anything with the American pop scene.

    • amy says:

      @ghost, I always thought that junk food outside the US or Canada (maybe not Canadian spinach chicken pizza xD) was tastier hahaha – I can vouch for Chinese junk food – the spicy McDonalds burger in Nanjing was pretty tasty, I thought… not only American chains, but street food xD

      But junk food in the US is pretty gross.

      I haven’t lived in the US, so I can’t really say if real street food is good… but those NYC street food looks pretty good hahaha.

      I can vouch for Vancouver fusion food, though… going from their street JapanDog, to their Japanese semi-fancy restaurants, and their Greek and Indian. Ramen, Dimsum, and market food – everyone who’s eaten in Vancouver, can vouch for it. xD

      Places with people of varied nationalities always makes for the best places to eat ;) like Lima hahaha.

  2. Camiele says:

    Ummm…take it from someone living in the States, Kpop ain’t nothing like the pop that spews from the radio over here. The simliarities lie simply in the “kind” of music made — more R&B and pop than traditional Korean, obviously. However, production value is 110% more impressive. Lyrically, writing is more poetic — depending on metaphors and intelligent imagery than bs about being in love in the club. By virtue of the culture the music is drastically different.

    Most who would say that Kpop is unoriginal (when compared to Jpop, I guess) are those who either have a bias or don’t understand the intricacies of pop music anyway. You don’t have to like a genre, but by virtue that means you know very little about it because you don’t want to put the time in to listen to it…which is COMPLETELY fair. But in that respect you shouldn’t comment on it.

    Jpop has its fair share of similarities to American music, but again the culture informs the obvious differences.

    Anyway, I’m done. I just have a hard time dealing with people who close their minds to the possibility of something without actually consdering it. I know that’s completely unrealistic. But don’t comment on something you know nothing about.

    All that to say I agree with your article…HaHa.

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