K-pop stars have made headlines for defying gender preconceptions in the fashion sector by adopting non-binary appearances, but did you know that some musicians have also defied male/female stereotypes in their music? Over the years, artists such as Taemin and CL have been the talk of the town for defying industry rules with their catchy songs and mesmerizing dancing movements. Here’s a deeper look at the K-pop performers that have pushed limits in their music, choreography, and iconography, defying restrictive expectations and reductive gender standards.
CL has made waves for becoming one of the first two female Korean stars to walk the Met Gala red carpet in 2021. The K-pop princess looked stunning in a denim gown with a Korean hanbok knot, which played straight into her “bad girl” persona. CL, dubbed the “badass female” of K-pop, demonstrated a distinct side of the genre with her songs Hello Bitches and The Baddest Female. Compared to the joyful, timid, and fun image that female K-pop singers normally convey via their music, these songs showed a dark, strong, and fearless nature.
Amber Liu maintained her tomboyish demeanor.
Amber is another K-pop singer who has defied expectations. The singer avoids wearing skirts and shoes in favor of a more tomboy look.
Her tracks, such as her debut single Shake That Brass, reflected her joyful, effervescent, and tomboy nature. “Beautiful,” her first long piece, also discusses the need of accepting oneself as you are.
Taemin’s choreography flipped gender stereotypes on their heads.
With his 2017 single Move, Shinee’s Taemin, who has been in the industry for over a decade, questioned the male/female preconceptions that are often connected with K-pop dance routines, redefining these roles. While it’s traditional in K-pop for women to dance to basic and generally feminine choreographies, Taemin defied the industry’s expectations by highlighting the talent of female dancers with the song’s loud, proud choreography. He had male backup dancers swaying to feminine beats in the same tune, demonstrating adaptability from both genders. This approach may be found in his other solo tracks, such as Famous and Advice.
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