The Biggest Names in Chinese and Korean Music

Sophie Qiao
Nov 12, 2015
2 min read

As more and more people are listening to Asian music, some might still be in the dark about the most popular singers in China and South Korea. The biggest name in China is Jay Chou. Other than just singing, he is also a songwriter, record producer, director, and actor. He has sold more than 30 million albums and has received numerous awards for his musical work. In 2003, he was the cover story of Time Magazine (Asia version) titled “New King of Asian Pop,” acknowledging his influence on popular culture. His music style falls into contemporary R&B, rap, and rock genres, and the term "Chou Style" has been popularized to describe his trademark cross-cultural music and his insistence on singing with slurred enunciation. He also fuses traditional Chinese elements and styles with R&B or rock, which has surprisingly become popular among many senior audiences. Because Chou insists on his own music style rather than following other people’s style, he has become an irreplaceable singer in Chinese pop music.

The biggest name in South Korea is a band called Big Bang. Big Bang (BIGBANG) is the most popular band among teenagers and young people. There are six members in this band: G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri. Predominantly a hip hop group, Big Bang had huge success with their breakthrough hit "Lies," which stayed at number one on major Korean music charts for a record-breaking seven consecutive weeks. Big Bang has received both praise and criticism. Big Bang not only performs in Korea but also produces songs Japanese. When entering the Japanese music scene, Time magazine described them as one of the "most promising" South Korean acts to venture into the country, while Korea Times have called them “the icons of Korean pop music.” During the early years of their career, Big Bang's music was predominantly hip hop, and they also incorporated some R&B songs into their albums. Big Bang was noted for its change of musical styles from their previous efforts, with the group experimenting with EDM and setting it as the new music trend in Korea. Their recently released album MADE was widely popular and exemplified their unique sound.

In my opinion, Jay and Big Bang have had much success on their careers because they always try to innovate and be unique. Both have been popular for almost 10 years. I hope to see them continue to change their music style and surprise the audience.

Top 5 Jay Chou Songs: