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Howard, Keith and Laforgia, Paola (2017) 'Amer Liu, K-Pop Tomboy.' Kritika Kultura, 29. pp. 214-231.

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Abstract

South Korean mainstream pop music, known simply as K-Pop, has become such a huge phenomenon in recent years that it is playing a decisive role in reshaping Korean culture and identity. Indeed, the K-Pop phenomenon is much more than just something musical, intertwining a complexity of sound, performance, ethnicity and gender. A contextual analysis needs therefore to take all these elements into consideration. This paper aims to show how K-Pop plays a crucial role in promoting ideologies, and defining gender roles. It does so by analyzing the music and image of the Taiwanese-American originating singer Amber Liu. Liu goes against the standard gender identification and behavior that Korean society imposes on women, and by doing so she can be said to represent a shift in the portrayal and performance of femininity through K-pop. But, how is her gender behavior tolerated, and to what extent is this a stage behavior required and promoted by her management company as a way to mark out difference?

Item Type: Journal Article
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > School of Arts > Department of Music
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
M Music and Books on Music > M Music
ISSN: 20946937
Copyright Statement: © Ateneo de Manila University
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.13185/KK2017.02910
Date Deposited: 29 Jun 2020 10:50
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/33143

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