From Skirts to Songs: The Portrayal of Queerness in K-pop

Bach. The Beatles. One Direction. Through history, music has always played an essential role in defining culture and society. From the broadening androgyny of the 1960s back to the radicalism of the Renaissance, changes in accepted norms often are encouraged by major artists of the time. In today’s world, this has not changed, although the musicians driving the way comprise a new, young cohort, many of whom come from the blossoming genre of K-pop.

Starting in Korea, K-pop has quickly spread to all corners of the world. Young hopefuls audition with one of several entertainment companies, and some eventually go on to debut as part of bands that skyrocket to fame: BTS, Blackpink, and Seventeen, to name a few. These groups have an undeniable presence in the music industry: BTS, for example, is one of only two artists to sell half a million copies of an album in the US. Even more important than facts and records, though, are the influences K-pop groups have been having on a changing cultural landscape inside and outside of Korea, specifically in regards to the LGBTQ+ community.

Inherently, the genre of K-pop is simultaneously conservative and performatively queer. It is not uncommon to see “kissing games”—where two idols try and perform tasks that imply they are going to kiss—broadcasted on national television, and physical affection, known as skinship, is encouraged between group members. Idols often wear skirts—Hongjoong of Ateez, for one—and everyone wears makeup, ignoring traditional gender norms. These behaviors are only permitted while they are for show, though; Korea’s only out gay idol, Holland, has faced heavy discrimination for his explicitly queer songs. His “Neverland” was given a 19+ rating simply for featuring a same-sex kiss, the exact thing implied by radio shows and interview games.

In Korea, under 40% of people believe that LGBTQ+ culture and same-sex activity should be allowed in society. Worldwide, that number fluctuates greatly from country to country, but there are few places with unified support for queer people. However, in the past few years, there has been an interesting trend of LGBTQ+ people worldwide finding solace in idols who are from a culture which outwardly rejects blatant queer culture, instead hiding it or using it for show.

“I feel it is a positive thing for people to see music that’s not inherently coded as masculine or feminine, and more as fluid and androgynous,” says K-pop fan Natalie for Vice magazine. Oftentimes, K-pop shows bend the accepted gender norms in terms of clothing, dance, and accessories. An easy example of this? Park Jimin’s “Filter” performance. Jimin, famous for his role in BTS, starts out dressed in traditionally masculine clothing—a button down and straight trousers. He is alone on stage, accompanied only by a mannequin adorned in a dress, scarf, and wide-brim hat. When the song starts, Jimin tiptoes around the figure, carefully removing pieces of its clothing to add to his own outfit. After dancing in the hat, and weaving the scarf through his arms, he disappears during the bridge only to reappear in a shockingly red ensemble, complete with a suit jacket and a corset. He ends a beautiful mashup of masculine and feminine, colorful in contrast to the black-and-white of the backup dancers.

While performances like Jimin’s oftentimes have no concrete explanation to their meaning, they have been interpreted by fans around the world as expressions of genderfluidity, queer attraction, and more. Jimin is not alone, either. Newer artists, such as 8D Creative’s OnlyOneOf, have been stretching into this territory as well. OnlyOneOf’s recent project, entitled “Underground Idol”, allows each member of the group to write and release a solo song: All the songs follow a cohesive storyline that dive into romances between characters played by the members themselves. In the first single, “begin”, the singer Yoojung giggles and flirts his way to fellow member Kyubin. The two graze hands and stare into each other's eyes as Yoojung sings about attraction, first crushes, and prejudice. It’s exactly the kind of story which has been shown between men and women for decades, but one of the first times between two men. “Among the countless lovers in the world, there are also lovers that couldn’t be blessed,” Yoojung writes in the caption. “I dedicate this song to all those lovers that couldn’t be blessed.”

While this has sparked some controversy from LGBTQ+ people who consider the endeavors queerbaiting (using queer themes to attract more viewers), others argue the incorporation of queer themes into K-pop is vital. When bands portray LGBTQ+ themes in music videos and lyrics, it gives viewers who identify with those topics a place to feel connected to artists they look up to. Many artists, including OnlyOneOf and female rapper Moonbyul, have publicly stated their songs are genderless and deal with love in general, rather than a specific exhibition of it. In a conservative society, it is not easy for idols to come out; as I mentioned, Korea’s only out idol, Holland, has been the victim of hate crimes during his career. So while many idols choose to avoid statements, by incorporating LGBTQ+ storylines and aesthetics in to their performances, they give millions of queer youth around the globe a sanctuary and break down traditional norms in the gender barrier.

The K-pop industry is far from perfect. Queercoding, homophobia, and closeting exist in many shapes and forms, and LGBTQ+ representation is often used to make idols seem attractive or interesting. Amongst all of that, there is still change, slow but constant. As idols on the small and large scale continue to represent queer people, attitudes towards queerness will slowly change within Korea and outside. We can turn back to Holland for reassurance on this:

“Don’t be discouraged,” he said. “It will only get better.”