Microtrend report: Kpop and all that jazz

You might not have noticed (yet!) but jazz is having a MOMENT in Kpop!

Lately I’ve found myself trying to guess what the trendy sound for 2024 is going to be, so I’ve been trying to pay attention to patterns I’m hearing in recent Kpop releases. So I’m here to report on the first trend that I’ve noticed, and that is…jazz!

Jazz might not be the first music genre you think of when you think of pop music, but when you dig into the history of popular music, the influence of jazz is undeniable. Swing and groove beats are all over pop music, and obviously R&B (which is an evolution of blues which is an evolution of jazz) is still a huge presence in the music industry and a huge influence of Kpop sounds. And of course now it’s essential that I highlight that all of these sounds originated in African American communities all over America, and the story of that influence is very deep and complex and merits its own article.

I am not an expert at all in jazz, but I’m trying to make sense of what I hear and find the language to explain it accurately! So when I say I’m noticing jazz in Kpop, I’m not talking about these examples of swingy but solidly pop songs or R&B songs (obsessed with both of these songs btw), because in that sense the jazz influence is always present. I’m also not talking about what is probably “true” jazz, with improvisation or really interesting rhythmic or harmonic experimentation. What I mean, I think, is that I’m hearing what I would call “smooth jazz” or “soft jazz” elements, interesting lo-fi effects (think those lo-fi studying playlists you find on YouTube), and what is probably a more R&B vocal over the top rather than a true jazz vocal - but I might be wrong! Let me know what you think in the comments.

The Kpop player who has been loudest about his appreciation for jazz music is V from BTS. While in the US for the permission to dance concerts, he posted some cute Instagram videos of himself enjoying a jazz club with a bunch of older patrons. A year later, for BTS Festa, he posted a video cover of jazz standards. He also took a selfie with Lady Gaga at the Grammys in 2022 and called her his jazz queen.

So it was no surprise when his (frankly, excellent) debut album dropped last fall with strong jazz influences. I was genuinely shocked by how great and listenable this album is and how well V was able to achieve blend jazz sounds into his take on pop music. The result here isn’t elevator music or easy listening - it’s a really fresh sound

I don’t think I was the only one taken off guard by how well this project worked because a few months later in early 2024 we have already have several other jazz-influenced tracks. These aren’t necessarily singles, but if you listen to whole albums I’m definitely starting to find jazzy little experiments in B side tracks.

Take, for example, Cha Eunwoo. The Kpop heartthrob to end all heartthrobs has finally released his first album, and lead single Stay is, it must be said, pretty basic acoustic mid tempo pop (but boy is he beautiful). However if you check out his album, first song U&I…is backed by a slow jazz piano track and drums. To me, it sounds heavily inspired by V.

Now check out beloved cool girl vocalist Suran’s new track with saxophonist Jason Lee, bad. A jazzy sax feature has been beloved in pop music for decades. Although it’s less popular today than maybe it was in the Kenny G heyday, you still find artists like The 1975 who use sax quite a lot, and Taylor Swift, who has tried it on occasion. But this is (I think?) the first time I’m hearing it in Kpop and THIS SONG IS SO COOL.

One of my favorite songs in January was from Monsta X’s I.M, who released Slowly with Heize. This is more acoustic jazz than the piano or horn focused songs I’ve already mentioned. I think here the jazz influence is more subtle than the other songs I’ve pointed out, but I still wanted to mention it, because I.M is another Kpop artist who has been very vocal about his love for jazz - I didn’t know this until reading his wikipedia page for this article, but he cites Norah Jones as an influence and I think you can really see that influence in this song.

Of course, we also have Standing Next to You, from V’s BTS bandmate Jungkook (full disclosure, Jungkook is my ult, so I’m trying really hard to be casual about this). This song is a little bit different than the others, perhaps a bit more “mainstream” - there’s definitely strong pop and R&B (think Michael Jackson, Prince and Usher) influences in the stylistic choices of this song, but there are also some strong “jazz” sounds, especially the string bass and the big band sounds. I’m sure this album was in development around the same time as V’s so I’m not sure that it was necessarily “inspired” by V but perhaps reflects a general interest in these types of sounds among Kpop producers at the moment.

The last song I want to highlight is an especially cool take on this trend, In 2009, Crucial Star and unofficialboyy rap over a lo-fi soft piano/trumpet jazz track and it’s just so freaking cool. It feels like you’re in a black and white movie but there is also rapping.

I think this trend is so exciting and so interesting. As you can see from this list, jazz has been popping up in both mainstream idol music and the more underground and indie scene. I’m not sure if this microtrend will continue to grow, but I would be really happy to see more experimentation like this in Kpop in 2024!