As fast-paced as K-pop is, with frequent comebacks, debuts, and many songs accompanying them, it is still possible to become bored — keeping track of all the numerous releases is near impossible for the average K-pop fan, especially international fans whose main form of exposure to new music is largely dependent on them choosing to look up a new song and clicking the play button for a MV — which may not always happen. Fans may decide to stick to a select few groups and listen to only their music. But how long can you go listening to the same set of songs repeatedly, especially if your bias group has gone on hiatus, or is putting out music that is not to your liking? The staleness sets in eventually.
So, how does one spice things up and make one’s favourite music more interesting? Well, remixes are a good start. A new beat or arrangement serving to give an oft-listened to song a new lease of life to your ears, and can bring about new sounds that you may not have thought were possible. Of course, changing the instrumental can only take a song so far and the desire to try out something more outlandish may arise… which would be the cue for the mash-up to make its appearance. A mashup takes upwards of two songs and merges the various elements together to create a new sound experience, kind of like an aural Eton Mess; traditionally this involved taking the vocal track of one song and fitting it with the instrumental of another, though there are also nowadays more wholesome merging of full songs together. There are a lot of benefits to mashups, including seeing (and hearing) old favourites in a new light, as well as potentially discovering new songs that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. And for the fans who make these mashups, they get to express their love for K-pop in a productive manner that allows them to demonstrate and further improve their skills and talent. Baca lebih lanjut
Hyun Ae 