MUMBAI: Virally spreading from native South Korea to almost every corner of the globe, K-Pop has been the most trending genre of the past decade. Portraying stories around society through upbeat tracks while making a style statement with their bold attires & funky dance moves, K-Pop bands have risen to take global charts by storm while constantly breaking records across social media. While the genre has been around for nearly 3 decades now, it gained momentum in the 20th century with the boom of social media. Ahead of Trip to K-Pop, a 3-day virtual festival streaming on 10th to 12th July 2020, 8pm on Voot Select & Vh1 India in support of overcoming the challenges brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic, we take a look at 5 dynamic K-Pop tracks responsible for the rise of the Hallyu Wave across the globe.

1. Gangnam Style by PSY

For five years, Gangnam Style by PSY held the top spot on YouTube, the first video ever to surpass a billion views on the platform. Billboard also acknowledged that the song gave momentum to a pop culture phenomenon that would go viral in the years to come. PSY’s signature dance move went on to be replicated by fans across the world with them wanting to witness more of such tracks from the genre. The popularity of this song remains the defining point for the rise of K-Pop.

2. Blood, Sweet & Tears - BTS

BTS has had a few hits since their debut in 2013 though their track “Blood Sweat & Tears” marked a turning point for the K-Pop boy band. The song’s beats made it one of the first major forays of a K-pop group into the tropical house genre that has since become pervasive in K-pop in recent years. The track won the band numerous awards and became an instant online trend.

3. DDU-DU DDU-DU - BLACKPINK

BlackPink took the world by storm when they released “Ddu-du Ddu-du” in 2018.    The music video of the track still has the most views (over 1 billion!) for a K-pop group, and it was named among the best of the year on multiple lists worldwide. Fans were attracted to the flashy visuals, rich colors, and jaw-dropping fashion that matched the song’s fierce beats and unforgettable chorus.

4. Tinkerbell – APRIL

The most lip-sync’d song of K-Pop, Tinkerbell by April is highly addictive from the very first time you hear it. The verses along with the chorus deliver a high tempo fiesta that makes fans want to get grooving and keep the track on repeat mode in their playlist. Tinkerbell has gone to become every teenage girl’s go-to dance song and the girl band April is here to slay.

5. Obsession – EXO

Exploring the dark side in their music, Obsession” is where they make being bad truly feel good. Playing on themes of confronting your demons, “Obsession” is a conversation between the band’s inner Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The powerful bass upholds the song while the lyrics are heartfelt and will hit you right in the feels. Obsession remains one of the boldest K-Pop song to date

Partake in a 3-day virtual dance fiesta as Voot Select and Vh1 India takes you on a Trip to K-Pop from 10th to 12th July 2020 at 8pm