There’s no doubt that K-pop is always closely relating to the liveness, and K-pop artists often create a sense of liveness and engagement through concerts, fan meetings and even music videos. As Kim points out: some K-pop music videos utilize a Broadway-style stage to create a unique scene of performance, and some other videos employ surrounding audiences to emphasize the liveness. These pre-recorded live performances digitally create a vivid concert, and highlights the theme of the songs and offer viewers a strong visual effect by combing elements from the different culture (Kim., 113).
The music video of JoKwon’s “I’m Da One” is another example of creating liveness and visual effects by combing Broadway elements and the scenes of a live performance. At the beginning of the video, JoKwon was preparing for a show behind a curtain with many sequins, which is a distinctive point of Broadway musicals. After the door with retro patterns was opened, JoKwon was standing on the stage in front of a giant scenery and was dancing and singing between a group of dancers with Broadway-style outfits. Several shots in the music videos show the audience screaming, shouting and becoming faint. The layout, costumes, styling, flash and performing in this music videos all create a lifelike live performance. Although the whole scenes in the video are not in Broadway style, there is still a lot of distinct broadway elements. As Kim mentioned, the Broadway elements remind people of a “cultural modality” and an “a unique power” of music. In this situation, when people see this music video, their memory of Broadway musical can be refreshed; an impressive exotic visual effect can be imprinted in their mind.
Another music video which employs foreign elements as a mode of presenting live performance and adding force to the theme is BTS’s “No More Dream”. In this music video, BTS members were standing in the corner of the street covered with graffiti and were 
surrounded by a large group of people dancing, skateboarding and doing bike-riding. BTS members were performing and cheering along with those group of people, and were worn in hip-hop style outfits. These particular setting, live show beside the street and the things which people were doing strongly reflect on American hip-hop culture, which was originated in different ways including rap, graffiti and dance（Watkins., 24). The elements which utilized in this video successfully create a vivid live show via the significant visual effect of hip-hop culture and also strengthen the theme in their album, hip-hop. By watching this video, the remarkable sense of liveness and hip-hop culture can be easily memorized by audiences.
In conclusion, lots of K-pop music videos including “I’m Da One” and “No More Dream” offers a sense of liveness by showing the scene of live performance, and they also emphasize the theme and creating a unique visual effect to the audience by combining elements from various culture.
“BTS ‘No More Dream’ Official MV.” YouTube video, 4:49. Posted by “ibighit,” June 11, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBG5L7UsUxA
“JoKwon I’m Da One M/V. ” YouTube video, 5:41. Posted by “ibighit, ” June 24, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWgH0DsD0pQ.
Suk-Young, Kim. K-Pop Live Fans, Idols, And Multimedia Performance. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2008.
Watkins, Samuel Craig. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Boston (Mass.): Beacon Press, 2008.
Carina, I thoroughly enjoyed your argument and the examples that you have included in your discussion. I agree that “Twinkle” by TaeTiSeo and “I’m Da One” by JoKwon have definitely incorporated elements of Broadway and imitation of live performances. These are great examples that show how K-pop is influenced by Westernization. In the JoKwon’s MV, I thought I was watching some sort of a short film because of the storytelling and the silent parts where JoKwon starts to act. The Broadway settings are glamorous and very different from the modern life. Both music videos display the process of the artists getting ready before the performances and finally, the pre-recorded performances. I think the videos are metaphorical representations of how the life of idols is viewed as in the eyes of the audience.
Similarly, the MV “Who You” by G-Dragon is about a live performance but it is not an imitation of a live performance like other examples. The G-Dragon’s video is footage from his actual performance, performing in front of his real fans. Unlike “Twinkle” and “I’m Da One,” his video is a true representation of his life as an idol, connecting with his fans through his music and performance. This helps me understand the Kim’s argument about “emphasizing the liveness” through previously filmed performances.
K-pop music video producers seem to like adding kaleidoscopic themes and imaginary, unrealistic concepts. Those themes and concepts are heavily influenced by Western pop music as well as the targeted audience. As the targeted audience is usually young, naïve girls and boys, having multicoloured and creative MV is an important factor; however, it will not be realistic or relevant to reality. Sometimes, keeping it low-key helps for certain artists and targeting different fans. It will stand out from the rest of similarly designed music videos with fresh, unexpected content like G-Dragon’s “Who You.”
I agree with your point, Carina, that K-pop artists often create a sense of liveness for the audience through concerts, music show performances, fan meetings, and as well as music videos. “I’m Da One” and “No More Dream” both perfectly exemplify Kim’s point that some music videos in K-pop use Broadway-style to highlight liveness.
Aside from Jokwon’s “I’m Da One” and BTS’s “No More Dream, Super Junior’s “Miracle” and SE7EN’s “When I Cannot Sing” both contain scenes of live performances. Similar to the former, the scenes are not exactly Broadway-style, but they all show the Super Junior members singing and dancing on the stage in front of their screaming fans who are visibly holding fan signs. “Miracle” and G-Dragon’s “Who You” are both filmed with real fans, which is “a way of creating an impression of liveness”, as Kim notes (Kim 2008: 124). While in the opening scene of “When I Cannot Sing”, SE7EN is seen performing on an stage with a spotlight on him, though there is no audience. According to Kim, as you have also mentioned, the purpose of Broadway stage elements in K-pop music videos is to remind the audience that music is a cultural modality and a unique power. I would also like to add that Kim has mentioned that Broadway serves as a “nostalgic nod to live performances.” (Kim 2008: 101).
Broadway stage elements or live stage performances in K-pop music videos can make fans feel as if they are part of the live audience. Not everyone can see their idols perform live, therefore music videos and pre-recorded live performances also allow fans to have an interaction with their artists. With today’s technology, fans can watch their idols’ performances, live or not, via YouTube or in any other social media platforms as many times as they want anytime and anywhere. Due to the digitization of media culture, live performances are not as highly regarded as they were in the past. With that being said, liveness in K-pop remains an important aspect in the industry.
Suk-Young, Kim. K-Pop Live. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2008.
Hi Carina! I think “I’m Da One” is a PERFECT example for this question. It’s reminiscent of so many Broadway qualities that Kim Suk-young discusses of “Twinkle,” as it also “deploys conspicuous signs of a proscenium stage to invoke the notion of live performance” (Kim, 2018:115). It’s also really interesting as throughout Kim’s discussion, she brings forth themes of femininity and compares “Twinkle” to other girl groups’ MV approaches, so for “I’m Da One” to be so similar to “Twinkle” yet performed by a male soloist makes it an especially unique work. “No More Dream” is a really unique choice to use in relation to Kim, but after much thought I can start to see how it can be argued to be a more contemporary adaptation to approach “liveness.” Thank you for this essay!
Thank you so much for your reply, Ms. Wang.