[Paradox]

I didnt exactly know where to put this, so I hope this is alright

Im writing an article and I need a bit of help. In your opinion, what are some of the major (or not so major) differences between Kpop and Jpop? This goes for music, style, appearance. The whole nine and as detailed as possible. I would greatly appreciate it =)

[LucasBunny]

I would say that K-pop is very relative to american music or entertainment overrall,
while J-pop is very adorable, not in a teenybopper way, it's very unique.
Well that's how I see it.

[cerealmoo]

well i think Japan has more rocky music and Korea is more like r&b

i dunno =P

[uiyoltan]

In jpop, they speak Japanese. In kpop, they speak Korean.

[broken.wings]

I guess K-pop has more of a R&B feeling...not sure about J-pop, they have a mix of stuff.

[uiyoltan]

Just post this in the general section. It's not going to receive much attention by people who hang around the other music forums.

[payachan]

Korea's old school music has its distinction, but the recent music is freankin related to Western's one.

When you hear a Japanese song without any vocal, you can recgonize it.

[cyberfruit]

Mainstream KPOP is very westernized aka American sounding with remixes from American acts (ex. Play from Jenifer Lopez was remixed and sung by Baby V.O.X.) and tends to go into more of an R&B sound. Rap is commonly used in even the poppiest of songs.

Mainstream JPOP has higher vocals from the women and can often sound computerized. It has some western influences but stays within it's Japanese roots. Rap is rarely used in the mainstream unless you listen to JR&B, JRAP, some Jrock, and some less mainstream JPOP (High and Mighty Color).

KPOP does crossovers with genres, I think, a lot more than JPOP but, many bands and artists fall under many genres.

Many genres -
JPOP
Crystal Kay - JPOP/JR&B
SOUL'd out - JRAP/JPOP
High and Mighty Color - JPOP/JROCK
L'arc en ciel - JROCK/JPOP

KPOP
Se7en - KR&B/KPOP
Clazziquai - (well, it's name says a lot)
1TYM - KRAP/KPOP
Bi - KPOP/KR&B

[Jaeho]

Korean artists usually just release albums, but Japanese artists release many singles before releasing albums.

K-pop has many genres, but R&B/Hip-hop tends to be the fad right now. Ballads, pop, rock, and trot are quite popular as well.
I miss the days when techno was the fad. lol

Most ballad music videos in Korea are set like a drama or movie with actors, but Japanese ballad videos feature more of the artist.

There are more "sugary" pop singers in Japan compared to Korea.

[uiyoltan]

Korean artists usually just release albums, but Japanese artists release many singles before releasing albums.

K-pop has many genres, but R&B/Hip-hop tends to be the fad right now. Ballads, pop, rock, and trot are quite popular as well.
I miss the days when techno was the fad. lol

Most ballad music videos in Korea are set like a drama or movie with actors, but Japanese ballad videos feature more of the artist.

There are more "sugary" pop singers in Japan compared to Korea.

hip-hop is a fad? I haven't heard much hip hop in the Korean mainstream. I've only heard pop and ballad with sucky rapping in it.

Mainstream KPOP is very westernized aka American sounding with remixes from American acts (ex. Play from Jenifer Lopez was remixed and sung by Baby V.O.X.) and tends to go into more of an R&B sound. Rap is commonly used in even the poppiest of songs.

Mainstream JPOP has higher vocals from the women and can often sound computerized. It has some western influences but stays within it's Japanese roots. Rap is rarely used in the mainstream unless you listen to JR&B, JRAP, some Jrock, and some less mainstream JPOP (High and Mighty Color).

KPOP does crossovers with genres, I think, a lot more than JPOP but, many bands and artists fall under many genres.

Many genres -
JPOP
Crystal Kay - JPOP/JR&B
SOUL'd out - JRAP/JPOP
High and Mighty Color - JPOP/JROCK
L'arc en ciel - JROCK/JPOP

KPOP
Se7en - KR&B/KPOP
Clazziquai - (well, it's name says a lot)
1TYM - KRAP/KPOP
Bi - KPOP/KR&B

Your right about 1TYM. It IS crap.

But mainstream jpop stays within its Japanese roots? Please expand on this. I never knew Japan had roots in pop, especially since I thought pop came from the west. IMO, All Asian pop I've heard of sounds like Western pop.

[LucasBunny]

J-pop sounds like the music u hear in games and stuff like that.
And K-pop is aloy of hip hop these days.

[Jaeho]

hip-hop is a fad? I haven't heard much hip hop in the Korean mainstream. I've only heard pop and ballad with sucky rapping in it.

When I mean fad, it's the "cool thing" right now, so sucky rapping in pop songs is a nobrainer.

[heygingersnap]

i love both of them, but like what was mentioned before, i notice that kpop leans more toward r&b (which i think they pull off very nicely) along with ballads and... i don't know how to explain it, but it seems a lot of singers have pretty powerful ballad voices. like old voices? or mature? i don't know.

jpop has... a lot of pop, obviously, and they do a pretty good job with their rock. sometimes the voices can be really annoying, though -- especially the girls. most of their songs are upbeat, i think, and danceable.

[dekadoggy]

Well... J-pop has been around much longer than K-pop and K-pop has been influenced by J-pop. Japanese producers are much more talented than Korean producers, there's no doubt about that.

[cyberfruit]

hip-hop is a fad? I haven't heard much hip hop in the Korean mainstream. I've only heard pop and ballad with sucky rapping in it.
Your right about 1TYM. It IS crap.

But mainstream jpop stays within its Japanese roots? Please expand on this. I never knew Japan had roots in pop, especially since I thought pop came from the west. IMO, All Asian pop I've heard of sounds like Western pop.

Hahaha, I don't like 1TYM, either.

I mean mainstream will touch base with Enka (Japanese traditional music) from time to time, while I haven't heard KPOP do that very much at all with it's traditional music. Musicians like Chitose Hajime and Moriyama Naotaro often weave enka into their music.

Not all Asian Pop sounds like Western Pop. Thai, Korean, some Japanese, and some Chinese/Taiwanese, oh yes definately, but Japanese pop has some elements that I feel has not been heard in Western music. I'm sorry that I can't explain it as well as I would like but, since I'm grown up in America (the dominant country of music) there's a bit of a spark in some countries' music that I no longer hear here. It attracts me to that country's music instead of western music.

[mariika]

Kpop/whatever else is heavily influed by Western culture. I love Kpop, but to me it seems like "MTV imitation" >.>; They have nice singers, good voices, etc, but it's much too... unoriginal. :/

Jpop/whatever has a bit more of a distinct style. It's not influenced by Western culture as much as Kpop. Like Kpop, rapping seems to be somewhat popular in pop songs. There's something distinct about Jpop that I can't really describe... that's about all I can think of o.o;;

[tengteng]

Jpop is usually noiser than kpop????

[bsu]

Mainstream Kpop nowadays is a lot of American influence. Bleh.
And I don't know much about Jpop, except Utada and Ayumi.

I stick to ballad songs from drama OSTs or videogames.

[XxminwoolovexX]

Yea Kpop is very Westernized. What I noticed is that Korean dance groups tend to dance alot? I mean they have alot of dancing going on.

Jpop has dance too but its just differnt>? I dont know..
hahah
and yes about music video parts. Korean ballad music videos are like movies or dramas. It's like deeply emotional
i mean look at all the sg wannabe and lee sooyoung mvs.
But I agree that J-pop had been around longer.

Though Jpop have alot of sugary and cute songs? and some of the voices look so computarized..like oh wow they can have voices like that? like otsuka ai, morning musume and stuff

they are like freaken movies..

[Steph*]

What I've definitely noticed about japanese songs is that (well for girls) it's hard to listen to if you're used to listening to American music.
Singers like Utada and Mika sometimes sing louder than the music and it's surprising?
Like it becomes not background music, but your attention.
Japanese also usually do ballads...like rock ballads or plain ballads.
Korean seems to emulate popular Western music.