Abstract
South Korean mainstream pop music, known simply as K-Pop, has become such a huge phenomenon in recent years that it is playing a decisive role in reshaping Korean culture and identity. Indeed, the K-Pop phenomenon is much more than just something musical, intertwining a complexity of sound, performance, ethnicity and gender. A contextual analysis needs therefore to take all these elements into consideration. This paper aims to show how K-Pop plays a crucial role in promoting ideologies, and defining gender roles. It does so by analyzing the music and image of the Taiwanese-American originating singer Amber Liu. Liu goes against the standard gender identification and behavior that Korean society imposes on women, and by doing so she can be said to represent a shift in the portrayal and performance of femininity through K-pop. But, how is her gender behavior tolerated, and to what extent is this a stage behavior required and promoted by her management company as a way to mark out difference?
Recommended Citation
Laforgia, Paola and Howard, Keith
(2017)
"Amber Liu, K-Pop Tomboy: Reshaping Femininity in Mainstream K-Pop,"
Kritika Kultura:
No.
29, Article 11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/1656-152x.2140
Available at:
https://archium.ateneo.edu/kk/vol1/iss29/11
