[Focus Y] From P1Harmony to ATEEZ...What's a world view restaurant that's too immersive?

Photo = OSEN

K-pop fanning, now you need reasoning and imagination? As such, it has been a long time since K-pop content has ceased to be just listening to and enjoying music. K-pop, such as performance video production and challenge content with other idols, has evolved from "the way it is heard" to "the way it is shown."

In addition, K-pop has developed its originality by adding an element of 'world view'. Some say that excessively complex worldviews interfere with enjoying the essence of "music," but K-pop boy groups are still expanding their size by carefully operating their worldviews.

In particular, P1Harmony, ENHYPEN, Psycus, and ATEEZ are constantly building fandom by managing their worldview. They use albums, music videos, and social media to spread the elements of the world view and attract fans' interest.

Photo = OSEN

First of all, Pewon Harmony has an unusual dystopian worldview for a boy group. The members are boys with superpowers, who even produced the pre-debut movie "P1H: The Beginning of a New World," mainly about going on a journey to save a world confused by the virus. Through the past albums, the process of moving from "dissonance" to "harmony" was drawn in a structured manner.

Photo = OSEN

Then, based on the subject of "parallel world," Psycus depicts an adventure that unfolds across time and space. Like the group name, which is a combination of 'x', which means coordinate, and 'hikers', which means traveler, they explore different time and space through a medium called 'cykers'. Hidden messages and symbols in the music video stimulate fans' reasoning instincts.

Photo = OSEN

ATEEZ, a senior member of Psycus' agency, is operating a "pirate" worldview. They go on a journey to find the energy of "chromer," and the members increase their immersion with characters that utilize their individuality. In particular, ATEEZ's intense music and performance double the charm of the "pirate" worldview.

Photograph = Belief wrap

ENHYPEN presents a dark fantasy worldview about vampires. The members grow through hidden abilities and fateful stories, and the novel "DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon" helps them understand this enhyphenic worldview.

As such, K-pop boy groups are struggling to build a solid world view by using various materials ranging from science to fantasy elements. The biggest advantage of world view operation is that it can vary to other contents such as movies, novels, and webtoons and can continuously attract fans.

But there are also obvious drawbacks. Controversy arises among fans due to excessive interpretation or speculation, or there are voices complaining of fatigue in the world view. In particular, there may be situations in which the artist cannot tell his or her story because he or she is immersed in the worldview.

After all, it is not enough to go too far. The key is how to properly harmonize the essence of "music" and the means of "world view" to inform it. The world view is an attractive factor that makes the fandom culture richer, but efforts to find a balance between music and storytelling are needed for sustainable growth.

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