Before I begin I would like to clarify that these are my opinions (but insult me if you want I don't fking care), and that I was a huge k-pop fan before so unlike the haters I know what I'm talking about. And NO I don't hate k-pop just because I'm a metalhead and metalheads tend to criticize all other genres of music (it's even a cliché).
So let's begin:
1. THE INCREASING LACK OF ORIGINALITY
Newer bands have less and less originality and all their songs sound the same. Of course I'm not talking about the samples they use because it's different, but the structure of the songs. It's mostly: introduction, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, bridge and final chorus. Some people justify it by saying that this is the structure of an authentic k-pop song, but I don't believe it at all. All artists in other genres of music vary their song structures, so why not K-pop? I think it makes the songs boring. Another lack of originality is the fact that 99% of the choruses are just the song title repeated, and I don't even understand how anyone can think that it can make a good chorus. There's also the fact that the songs are often not very melodic, but that's a more personal opinion so it doesn't matter. Oh and I'm not going to mention the fact that k-pop is increasingly copying American pop-
2. THE SONGS ARE GETTING SHORTER AND SHORTER
It's just crazy to make songs shorter and shorter just to fit Tiktok videos. I've never seen a song longer than 6 minutes in k-pop and k-pop is one of the only genres with so many 2 minute songs. Is this normal? And yet in metal music it's common to have 10 minutes songs...
3. RIDICULOUS BEAUTY STANDARDS + BEAUTY>TALENT
No sane person would impose cosmetic surgery or heavy makeup on other humans. What does it matter if idols are tanned? If their face is not symmetrical? If they have a bigger nose? And yet the agencies (and the majority of fans too) prefer handsome idols over talented idols (which led to the massacre that is Le Sserafim). And I especially don't want to mention the fact that idols are getting younger and younger, that they don't have a private life, that they aren't allowed to be in a relationship, that their weight is controlled and can easily led to harassment from the fans... Disgusting. Just disgusting and inhuman.
4. THE FANS
The k-pop fandom is one of the most toxic community. Is it normal to ship idols between each other and make ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING fanfics about them?!! Is it normal to be so obsessed with idols that some female fans call themselves the "wife" of certain male idols?!! Is it normal to automatically call people who don't like K-pop "haters" and insult them??? (I know that I lot of people reading this think that I'm a hater. I'M NOT A HATER. THANK YOU.). Is it okay to treat Koreans as perfect and superior people to the point that non-Korean and even non-Asian fans want to be like them?!! EMBRACE AND LOVE YOUR FKING ETHNICITY INSTEAD OF GETTING HARD OVER KOREANS YOU IDEALIZE (because in reality not all Koreans are beautiful and perfect. They're humans with flaws like me, you, and everyone on this planet).
Before fans defend themselves in the comments by saying that this is not the case for all fans- I KNOW. I KNOW THAT. But sane k-pop fans are a minority so the fandom remains toxic even if sane fans reject toxic fans. The only fans I'm not counting because they're definitely not fans are the sasaengs.
5. THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THEIR GROUPS AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING
Apart from Wonder Girls I have never seen any k-pop bands play instruments. Like all they do is dance, sing and rap (often in a mediocre way. I promise you that the high notes of k-pop idols are nothing compared to opera singers or metal singers who use real techniques). I don't even understand how idols can be trainees for 8 years and not do better, especially since they have a lot of hours of training. I know that agencies aren't helping by putting so many hours and so much pressure on them, but it's still incomprehensible. Some idols (in particular the members of Le Sserafim) can barely sing live even though it's their job (and don't tell me it's because they dance at the same time, because often during concerts they dance less or not at all, and the choreographies are also made so that the idols move less while they sing). What would it be like if they had to play instruments too? I'm not even going to talk about the fact that the majority of bands don't even write their own songs (honestly, only the most popular bands sometimes write their own songs.)
I'll stop there because there are too many other things I would like to criticize.
And as you can see, I have cited almost no examples because there are TOO MANY. Anyway, real k-pop fans should know who I'm aiming at with my arguments.
