(Press, 2013) He attempted to recreate its formula in following years, to dwindling success until he decided to settle back on the Korean market again – to compete with carefully constructed pop acts on the charts where he was largely an outlier. .
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1.2 Research Questions .
- How did K-pop start as a genre in the early 1990s and what inspired it? .
- What is the process behind the K-pop media machine? .
- Who are the major players in facilitating the rise of K-pop? .
- How does the Frankfurt School theory of culture industry apply to K-pop? .
- In what way is the K-pop industry a continuation of Adorno's theory of popular .
music? .
1.3 Theoretical Framework.
This dissertation will primarily draw on the theory of culture industry by Theodor Adorno and the Frankfurt School. The theory speaks of a measure to maintain the status quo of capitalist societies by quelling any possible form of dissent through the use of mass media. This is accomplished through the commodification of art, where it becomes a product for mass-production rather than a form of expression, rebellion, social critique or the advancement of cultural norms to better suit the majority instead of the elites. .
Adorno argues that true art is not beholden to the demands of anyone other than the creator. This is not the case with mass media, and the K-pop industry, as it generates song productions, stylings and choreography based on what is the trend of the day. It can be seen that market research is heavily favoured over accomplishing and producing a piece of art outside of the box. Art, according to Adorno, is no longer produced for its own quality or expression but rather for its perceived value as a commodity that can generate sales and further other business and industry interests. In this way, art is now used to entice the masses into purchasing, and thus creating a strong desire and demand of more cultural commodities in the public sphere.