Mega Septiawanti

1209618004

18 SA

Public Speaking

Being A K-POP Fan Is Not Always Associated With Negative Things

Assalamu’alaikum Wr Wb.

Good afternoon everyone. Thanks for coming to staying and listening to my speech. I’m going to
discuss my topic from the title of ‘being a K-POP fan is not always associated with negative
things’. But before that, let me tell you first what’s the meaning of fan. I’m going to ask all of
you a question. What do you think of K-POP and their fans?

People who hate on kpop often hate on it for incorrect reasons.

It's no surprise that while kpop has many fans around the world, It also has many anti fans. But,
The issue is that these haters often hate kpop for incorrect or outdated information.

First, The most commonly heard reasons people hate kpop are that it's "garbage". Well, The main
reason for this claim is because of the language and culture barrier. Because non Korean
speakers cannot understand the song, There is a natural tendency to dislike it. If kpop was fully
in English, I guarantee that more people would like it.

Second, another reason people supposedly hate kpop is because it is "completely different from
American music". Well, that statement is both true and false. From just looking at the music,
both are rooted in modern electronic music, especially with catchy electronic main melodies and
beat drops of songs. However, Kpop has a lot of change up in the song itself. There might be a
30 second rap part inserted into a kpop song, Or the beat might suddenly slow down or speed up.
Kpop also doesn't follow the typical western format of 2 verses and 3 choruses. In addition,
Artists are a lot more skilled and versatile. It's common to see kpop artists who excel at
everything, from vocal, rap, dance, and visual, which is something not common to western
artists. Because these artists have a greater skill set, they often don't stick to one genre of music,
bouncing around different genres. Also, K-pop spends a lot more effort and money into their
music videos, from the wardrobe, to visual effects, to props, and so on. All of these are
differences from western music that many of these haters aren't really used to, Which is why they
naturally are not comfortable with kpop.

Finally, many people complain about the fans, how they are so annoying, and how they criticize
everything. Well, that's true, but those are extremist fans, and they exist no matter what fan base
they are part of. Some of the extremist fans in western music fanbases are at the same level or
even more toxic than kpop extremists.

On the other hand, there are also benefits when you’re listening to K-POP or even
being a fan of it. If you can’t understand a word they’re saying. Well, guess what…
now you can say it’s because it’s good for you! These are just a few of the benefits!

1) It Helps Your Brain Learn the Language

Scientists have found that prospective language learners would have a better chance retaining the
language if they sang it rather than just studied it off the page! According to an article written by
The Telegraph, “Research from the University of Edinburgh found that adults who sang words or
short phrases from a foreign language while learning were twice as good at speaking it later”.
We’re sure you’ve already picked up a few words and phrases here and there! Keep it up!

2) Coverdancing Keeps You Healthy

Of course it’s a given that when you listen to a K-pop song you love over and over, you’re going
to want to learn the dance so you can show your appreciation or just show off to your friends…
and there’s nothing wrong with that! In fact, that’s the right mindset to have if you want to
benefit your health! According to an article by Berkeley Wellness, “Dancing may also be good
for your mood. It has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and boost self-esteem,
body image, coping ability, and overall sense of well-being, with the benefits lasting over time.”
So, put on those dancing shoes and give it a shot!

3) Cultural Awareness Makes You a Well-Rounded Person

This is something that we have always thought. Thanks to our parents, we were introduced to
many different cultures at a young age, and we feel it was for the better, as we were (and still
are…) more empathetic and understanding of cultural differences than a lot of our colleagues
were at the same age. Our world was expanded, and K-pop can do the same thing! Think about
it…when you get into K-pop, you become curious about the country it originates from, its
culture, its food, etc. That was our story at least, and we’re so thankful that it happened that way!
An article posted by The Guardian also suggested that “Global awareness and international
collaboration during the formative years results in more rounded individuals, encouraging our
pupils to see things from different perspectives and helping them to make informed decisions,
acquiring transferable skills that will be useful to them and will remain with them for life.”

4) It Can Reduce Your Pain

Music in general has the power to keep pain at bay, but, the benefits increase as you listen to
music that you actually, really like! This is supposedly linked to the release of dopamine that
happens when one listens to something that they consider soothing, or thoroughly enjoy! We’ve
heard many stories about K-pop fans who find listening to their favorite K-pop songs from their
favorite group had a hand in helping them get through difficult and painful times, and science
proves it! A Huffington Post article about music’s positive effects on our body supported this,
saying, “It’s not clear why music may reduce pain, though music’s impact on dopamine release
may play a role. Of course, stress and pain are also closely linked; so music’s impact on stress
reduction may also partly explain the effects.” So, next time you feel stressed, anxious or you
stubbed your toe, turn up some of your favorite jams to get yourself back in a good mood!
5) It’s Just Plain Fun and It Can Inspires You!

Let’s face it, K-pop is fun! Whether it’s the flashy MVs, the joy in finding and befriending other
K-pop fans across the world, or the excitement you feel from seeing your bias’ onstage, K-pop
has the ability to make an ordinary day extraordinary. And having fun, science has found, is
VERY important for your overall wellbeing. In this busy world, many have forgotten how to
have fun, instead, pushing it out to make room for more “important” aspects of life, like work or
deadlines, but that’s a big no-no. An article by Medbroadcast states that, “removing the things
that you normally enjoy can feel like a way of conserving your energy for more important tasks.
In reality, giving up enjoyable activity actually reduces your energy in the long run.” As a rule,
it’s important to include fun activities in your everyday life that can co-exist alongside your work
life, family life, ect. so that you can continue to be the healthiest person you can be! It’s also has
many inspirational lyrics, whether about love, daily lifes, friendship and etc.

The conclusion is, at the end of the day, it all just comes down to someone's personal taste. But,
Kpop has dominated the music industry worldwide, and has millions and millions of fans
worldwide from all different cultures and ethnicity. So what I’m going to say is, don’t hate
something so excessively, but also don’t love something too much. It won’t do a good thing for
you. Just find the good point in everything.

That’s all from me, thank you everyone for paying attention to my speech. I deeply appreciate it.

Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.