During the 2010s, a previously released song didn¡¯t have good chance of hitting the charts. One of the early cases would be EXID¡¯s ¡°Up & Down¡± (2014) which may even account for breathing life back into the group itself.

A ¡°direct-camera¡± or closeup video stirred unprecedented interest into the group. After a video of Hani performing onstage went viral on social media upon a YouTube upload, the song climbed the charts and topped them months later. The members were exhilarated, considering their past three years as a group hardly reckoned. Since they had spent those years doing morale-boosting performances at military camps, the success of ¡°Up & Down¡± was an emblem of their years of grinding, mostly out-of-sight.

Spreading Digitally

A recent case would be the girl group Brave Girls. However, their rise to stardom differs in that it was their morale-boosting performance itself that sparked their popularity. Though they were barely known in the mainstream, military personnel gave them a fervent welcome — so much so that the public dubbed them the military¡¯s collective favorite. And when a user uploaded onto YouTube a scene that captured the enthusiasm surrounding a barely known girl group, it had an explosive effect — this time, in the public sphere.

Though Brave Girls performed their 2017 song ¡°Rollin¡± on a frequent basis, it raked enough attention to climb the charts in 2021, upwards and all the way to the top. This is a dramatic case of contraflow, a phenomenon that would not have happened without the viral impact of social media, especially YouTube.

On the other hand, some account other factors to the trend, attributing the persistence and resolute spirit of K-pop members. In the industry, wherein loads of capital are poured into the production of an idol group, there is immense pressure to strike early success. When the efforts of a group reap subpar results, they need to endeavor with great persistence.

Though the global success of K-pop can be a composite result of musical talent, well-groomed appearances, performance skills and savvy management, another breakthrough-factor is mentality or in other words, the attitude of the members themselves. The contraflow phenomenon is one way such perseverance has led to fruition.

In the case of GFRIEND (¡®Girlfriend¡¯), a fan captured a closeup video of the members struggling
with their dance moves on a slippery stage on a rainy day.
Broadcasters kept their eyes on the side event, capturing their struggle against the elements.
The video went viral and placed their song ¡°Me Gustas Tu¡± on the charts.

A ¡®direct (closeup) cam¡¯ of Hani (of EXID) performing onstage put
the entire girl group on the radar of popular recognition.

Viral & Noise-making

A ¡°world star¡± of the prior generation, Rain¡¯s ¡°GANG¡± (2017) rose as a phenomenal throwback in 2020. Rarely acknowledged four years ago, its original music video garnered much public attention, most of which made fun of Rain and began spewing memes.

Rain¡¯s reaction to the lampooning was key. Unlike other instances that benefited from contraflow, Rain¡¯s ¡°GANG¡± was mocked and parodied. But instead of being offended, Rain coolly expressed ¡°gratitude for the mimicry¡± on TV, an act reflective of benevolence.

Thus, what is locally dubbed ¡°B-grade¡± and loosely interpreted as kitsch or lowbrow swept mainstream attention, surpassing what would¡¯ve formerly been A-grade. The reversal in fact, led to the revival of a remix version of ¡°GANG.¡± Ultimately, the consumer and the creator collectively induced a result through mutual cooperation and interaction. A staggering strength of K-pop is such devotion on behalf of creators and producers to their audiences. They give their audiences their all and take feedback seriously. Perhaps such instances of the contraflow phenomenon are due in large part to this dedication between artists and their fans and the general public more widely.

Rain¡¯s reaction was reflective
of benevolence despite reactions through idol
groups of ¡®mimicry¡¯ and ¡®lampooning.¡¯

Super-modernity may also present us both greater capacity and tendency to access the past tense. In contrast to spurts of interest in star-studded futures of space exploration during the 1960-70s, we seem more nostalgically immersed in our past nowadays. Instead of disappearing, the past tense endures in our hearts, often our minds and souls. This is, in a way, the ideal function of digitalization.

As such, the hype around ¡°retro¡± and revivified songs obligate new releases to contend with not only its present competitors, but also competitors from the past. That said, key factors for K-pop to claim even greater clout may be its creative synergy, capacity to meld the present and reactionary substances from the past toward an innovative product of its own. Forward-looking tunnel vision is neither productive nor desirable; oftentimes, the creative process consists of discovering hidden gems that have been overlooked. Thus, K-pop content may blossom into a more expansive and further enriched spectrum of diversity. Especially in the internet culture, the virality of social media pales in comparison to the clout the content actually imparts. After all, quality constitutes the essence of great art.