K-Pop Fan Interview: Joel
Could you tell us who you are, where you’re from and give us a little description about yourself?
Well, I’m Joel. I’m 19 years old and I‘m from Barcelona, Spain.
So how long are you a K-pop fan and how did you get introduced?
Well, I’m a K-pop fan since I was 12 years old. One day I was studying with one of my best friends and she was using her headphones. I asked her what she was listening to and she put the headphones on my ears. She told me that it was a Korean group called “Sistar”. By the time I listened to that song, I felt another style that made me feel comfortable. Then I asked her if she could introduce me to K-pop by showing me groups that were trending at that time (Sistar, Girls Generation, Big Bang, T-ARA, etc…). Then I started to listen to K-pop and got introduced in Korean culture. Until now!
Why do you love K-pop and what makes it different compared to other genre’s?
When I was younger I was really looking for something that made me feel different. I was fed up with the common music styles I was listening to since I was a child. I wanted something different. On the other hand, I was really interested in Eastern culture but I did not know how to get introduced to it. So when my friend showed me K-pop, I thought that was a good chance. I like K-pop because of their different styles that they have inside this genre. You don’t only listen to pop, rap or any other music style. I think this genre combines a lot of music styles in 1. Moreover, because of the different concepts that idols have, those are different than a western idol. Their performance, their beauty and their way of expressing their talents.
If you make K-pop related content could you tell us what you do and why?
I’m not really into dancing or singing. However, sometimes I post some edits from idols on my Instagram account. I think it’s a way to reflect their talent and show my followers their beauty (not physically, but inner). Moreover I think it’s a way to belong to the K-pop world. In fact, it’s like a lifestyle that I have been posting with some edits of K-pop.
Could you tell us your top 5 K-pop groups (in no particular order):
Sure! Sistar, KARD, Big Bang, SNSD and Gfriend.
Out of those 5, if you had to pick a number 1, who would it be and why?
Ofcourse Sistar.
Who’s your bias. Could you tell us your top 5 (in no particular order):
Hyorin, Jessi, Yuju, BM and GD.
If you had to pick a number 1 bias, who would it be and why?
Hyorin!
Imagine getting a wish granted, but it has to be K-pop related: could you tell us what your wish would be and why?
My wish would be that the K-pop industry didn’t exploit some idols. Some idols suffer bullying from the “fans” who criticize them when they do anything they do not agree with. The K-pop industry does not help to stop it, moreover because of the unlimited timetable, they do it almost every day. I wish this could be better in a future.
Let’s spread some love by giving a big shout out. Who would you like to give a shout out to and why?
To Hyorin of course. She was my ultimate bias since I was 12. She is very important to me, because she helped me to mature.
And last but not least: if you could change the world with just one positive message (it doesn’t have to be K-pop related), what would it be?
Reducing global warming! That’s very important!
Official social media links:
Instagram: @allsouthkorea! Here you see my lifestyle as a “Koreanist”. Here I post pictures of myself, my trips to Korea (and other trips in general), K-pop edits or other Korean stuff! Thanks for the interview and have a nice day!
