We explore the Hallyu wave’s musical impact on non-Korean Asian music, before sitting down for a Q&A with Thailand’s growing pop sensation, PRETZELLE.

*T-Pop group PRETZELLE chat with Cherry Chu about their music, their inspirations, and the future of East Asian pop. Image: 54 Entertainment.*

K-Pop is, by this point, a global phenomenon. And Korean idols’ style, sound, and performances have begun to influence and encourage other artists across Eastern Asia, changing soundscapes and altering processes in the music industry. One such example of this is in Thailand’s PRETZELLE.

This rising girl group take influence from K-Pop fashion and cite Korean idols like Stray Kids and IU as musical inspirations. They’ve also worked with K-Pop producers such as Shin Bong-won (one of the mixers behind NewJeans’ “Ditto” and Stray Kids’ “Circus”). However, the girls have been sure to highlight their national identity — the “distinct Thai flavour” that sets them apart from both K-Pop and Western music, allowing them to stand out from the crowd.

There’s an attractive charm to T-Pop, and K-Pop has shown that Asian music has the potential to reach a global audience. In turn, idols have been encouraged to dream big in terms of audience reach. “I’m thrilled that East Asian music is gaining more recognition,” confirms PRETZELLE member, GRACE. “As someone who is a fan of music from this region, I believe that the works of East Asian artists, including Thai artists, are of high quality and deserve to be more widely known.”

Now, attention is set on how international audiences will respond to Asian talent beyond Korean artists. As well as how non-Korean idols take inspiration from K-Pop while retaining their own national musical identity.

*The Thai-Pop quartet are striving for global success, and want the same for Thai music as a whole. Image: 54 Entertainment.*

The history of K-Pop and its influences

The K-Pop genre is by no means an exclusive, unshakeable form of music. Since its inception with Seo Taiji and Boys in the 1990s, it’s been continuously shaped and influenced by everything from Black melodies of RnB, Hip-Hop, and soul, as well as Western bubblegum pop, to traditional East Asian instrumentations and the management of Motown artists in the 1950s and ‘60s. Many of these influences have even been known to catalyse discourse regarding the differences between cultural appropriation and appreciation, as well as the lack of crediting for the original artists.

*Seo Taiji and Boys are often credited as the first K-Pop idols, influenced by American music and Black culture. Image: NPOMV Twitter.*

Such an assortment of influences has musically blended cultures from across the globe, shaping K-Pop into an industry that is able to appeal to many kinds of people, regardless of whether they speak Korean.

These globalised, transnational sounds (particularly when paired with impressive choreographies) aren’t only appealing to worldwide consumers, but to aspiring artists, who finally see a place for themselves in the global music scene.

Asian communities have historically taken a backseat to their white counterparts in music. For example, only three K-Pop musicians had appeared in Billboard’s Top 100 Canadian Album chart by 2017.

Scholars like Ahn Ji-Hyun have also repeatedly outlined how K-Pop has established itself as an alternative to white-centric Western music. “This situation is rare given the uneven distribution of power in the global entertainment industry, in which Asians have found success difficult to achieve,” writes Ahn.

It’s perhaps no wonder K-Pop signifies a hopeful future for many East Asian artists.

Non-Korean idols in K-Pop

Thanks to the growing success of K-Pop since its first generation, and the increase of entertainment companies seeking to appeal to various regions within the global market (particularly with English speakers), there are numerous idols within the K-Pop industry who weren’t born in Korea or aren’t of Korean heritage.

TWICE has SANA, MOMO, and MINA (from Japan); SEVENTEEN has JUN and The8 (China) as well as the American-born VERNON and JOSHUA; BLACKPINK has LISA (Thailand) and ROSÉ (born in Australia). The globalised sounds of K-Pop explored above have likely made the industry an incredibly appealing prospect for the Asian diaspora.

While idols can seemingly come from anywhere — even causing debate over what is officially classified as K-Pop — an East Asian ethnic background seems to be vital criterion, with K-Pop providing access to a potentially global stage that may not have otherwise been available.

Notably, other non-Asian performers have found little success in the K-pop genre as seen in the cases of BLACKSWAN and KAACHI, indicating perhaps the symbolic ‘sanctity’ of the K-Pop space for Asian performers. Such a sanctity allows for the growth of Asian artists, whether in Korean, or in their native language. Whether such sanctity is ethical against the issues of cultural appropriation as mentioned above, is up for debate.

*SEVENTEEN’s JUN and THE8 are just two of the K-Pop industry’s multitude of non-Korean idols. Image: SEVENTEEN Official Twitter.*

The rise of national Asian idol pop

Success for non-Korean idols in the K-Pop space is, of course, mesmerising. It appears to have even encouraged others of East Asian heritage to try their hand at music on home soil. From Mando-Pop to J-Pop, Asian countries have been investing in idol music for years, and market trends have no doubt exacerbated this, encouraging other Asian national music industries to adopt K-Pop-esque polished vocal and dance performances.

Korea’s Hallyu wave has notably strengthened South Korea’s soft power, as has idol music in other Asian countries. For example, Hong Kong’s Canto-Pop was recently explored by the BBC as a source of comfort and “collective identity” during a period of political disruptions between the city and Beijing, China.

Canto-Pop boy group MIRROR performed in the native Hong Kong Cantonese language, acting as a symbol of local normality and cultural joy. The genre’s renewed popularity paralleled the success of Canto-Pop back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, before Korean and Mandarin music grew to be in competition. But localised pop with international influences seems to be thriving once again, inspired by the transnational market and cultural achievements of K-Pop.

Forming a unique music identity

There are multiple examples of how pop idols are applying their unique national identities to the K-Pop process which has been used since the ‘90s. Indonesia has debuted groups like StarBe, Cherrybelle, and SM*SH, Malaysia has the girl group DOLLA, Kazakhstan (in Central Asia) the boy group ALPHA, and Thailand is seeing popularity in the form of groups like PROXIE, 4EVE, and PRETZELLE.

K-Pop has arguably allowed each group to launch their own national music industries onto the world stage, celebrating their own unique culture, language, and style to a global audience that has become more inquisitive and captivated by the diversity of the worldwide music scene.

The aforementioned PRETZELLE are a female quartet who debuted back in 2020 with their track “Never Give Up”. The girls released their latest track “ไม่รับความเห็นต่าง (U R Mine)” in late January 2023, garnering a huge 3.5 million views on the YouTube music video by mid-March and building on their ‘Twist’ fanbase.

The single was accompanied by live performance videos, a dance practice, and behind-the-scenes videos of the studio recordings, allowing fans to intimately see the song-making processes and follow the T-Pop stars just as they would with K-Pop idols like NCT, Le Sserafim, or (G)I-DLE.

Cherry Chu were lucky enough to chat with PRETZELLE about their music, how K-Pop has influenced them, but also how T-Pop and other Thai genres are unique. Composed of INC, ICE, AUMAIM, and GRACE, the quartet is aiming to put Thai music on the map, breaking down international borders and seeing global success.

Cherry Chu’s Q&A with T-Pop girl group PRETZELLE

You launched your music career in Thailand back in 2020. Over these past three years, what would you say is the most enjoyable part of being a Thai idol?

AUMAIM: The making of pop music. Crafting pop tunes in Thai that are easy on the ears, even when the tempo is quick, is quite fun. The Thai language has a distinctive melody that must be tailored to match the vocabulary, making it effortless for listeners to comprehend.

There are some similarities between idol music in Thailand and in Korea; which K-Pop artists would you say inspire you the most?

INC: The artist that inspires me is Stray Kids because I have always loved K-Pop and they have made me want to pursue a career as an artist. I really enjoy their performances and find them cool and charming.

ICE: IU [has been] a huge inspiration for me since high school. Her songs have been like a friend to me, always there for me through good and bad days. I also like to listen to her songs before going to sleep as her voice is very soothing. I respect and appreciate her for her kind heart, talent, and hard work in her career.

What would you say is unique about T-Pop? Why should people listen even if they don’t speak Thai?

AUMAIM: I believe that people should explore more than just T-Pop when it comes to Thai music. Our language is unique, and it has its own melody which makes the songs stand out and gives it a distinct Thai flavour. We have a variety of genres in Thai music that are worth listening to and discovering.

*PRETZELLE put their own Thai spin on K-Pop idol fashion and musical style. Image: 54 Entertainment.*

It’s clear that East Asian music is growing in global popularity every day — how does that feel as artists?

GRACE: I’m thrilled that East Asian music is gaining more recognition. As someone who is a fan of music from this region, I believe that the works of East Asian artists, including Thai artists, are of high quality and deserve to be more widely known.

AUMAIM: I share that sentiment and it motivates me to strive for even better music and to reach a wider international audience.

Where would you like PRETZELLE to be in 5 years time? How will you get there?

INC (pictured below): My dream for PRETZELLE is for our music to be recognized and loved by many. To make that happen, we will continue to create and produce high-quality songs.

GRACE (pictured below): I envision PRETZELLE’s music reaching the charts and gaining recognition in other countries. I hope that we can have the opportunity to collaborate and work with international music industry professionals, which will help us gain more fans and exposure outside of Thailand.

ICE (pictured below): My goal is for PRETZELLE to have a global fan base. We will strive to make our music known and loved by more people around the world. To achieve this, we will work on improving our language skills and work diligently on producing our best work.

AUMAIM (pictured below): I hope that our songs will be remembered and loved by many people. To achieve this, we will keep producing music, constantly improving and evolving with each new album. We may be releasing songs in other languages as well.