The post started a heated debate.
Koreaboo
K-Pop has seen tremendous growth worldwide over the past decade, but with rapid changes in how music is produced and promoted, some fans have grown concerned about the direction the industry is taking.
The rise of social media platforms like TikTok has shifted focus toward viral dance challenges and short clips, influencing not just marketing but even the style of songs being released. As such, Korean fans are seemingly blaming one particular star as the reason behind this new direction.
Recently, a post on a popular Korean online forum went viral, blaming rapper and producer Zico as the “main culprit” behind this change. The post argues that Zico’s 2020 hit “Any Song,” which sparked a viral dance challenge, set off a wave of copycat trends that have led many artists to prioritize TikTok-friendly songs over more meaningful music.
The number one person responsible for ruining K-Pop is this guy.
After he dropped that track and it became a huge hit, suddenly every artist and their dog started doing challenge videos.
Now all the songs are just made for TikTok challenges and nothing else.— Viral Pann post
Although Zico’s “Any Song” challenge helped reshape how K-Pop artists promote their music, going viral online and being promoted by numerous idols, it seemingly also raised questions about whether music is now being made purely for its potential to go viral rather than for its substance.
@kozico0914 #AnysongChallenge#ZICO #지코 #청하 #아무노래 #Anysong#아무노래나틀어주세요#KOZ⠀ ♬ 아무노래(Any song) – kozico0914
While many agree with the post’s sentiment, some don’t. In the comments of the post, netizens have defended Zico claiming the change in direction was bound to happen — with “Any Song” or without.
- “The golden phone.”
- “Can’t believe there are still fans who act like his handmaidens.”
- “The ones who ruined K-Pop are the tone-deaf idols, not Zico.”
- “Why blame Zico for this? LOL. The problem is the people who blindly copy him.”
- “This kind of trend was bound to happen anyway because of Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.”
- “I don’t even like Zico, but this is such a reach. Trends naturally change with the times, and if there’s demand, of course it’ll sell. K-Pop is still an industry at the end of the day.”
