A comparative analysis of musical changes in K-Pop male idol groups

K-pop has become a popular representation of Korean culture globally. This study analysed vocal parts in songs by K-Pop male idol groups in Korea to understand why the 3rd generation of K-Pop has become a mainstream type of pop music. We conducted an in-depth analysis in which we measured the playback times of the musical components of songs (i.e., singing, rap, and rap-singing) by BTS, a K-Pop male idol group that received worldwide attention in 2020. We found that BTS’s latest title tracks have much less rapping and more singing, indicating a change in the musical genre. The increase in singing may represent a cultural change in which importance has been placed on communication with the public. Thus, if the 4th generation of K-Pop artists focuses on the authenticity and meaning of lyrics and avoids repeating meaningless choruses, it may be possible to further expand K-Pop's global relevance.