Woo Ji-ho, more commonly known as “Zico,” from Block B released his second solo album Television which consists of three tracks: “Artist,” “ANTI (Feat. G.Soul),” and “FANXY CHILD (Feat. FANXY CHILD).” The music video of “Artist” is vibrant, fun, but also boasts its cultural hybridity (Baek 2015: 731) with its use of Japanese imagery, American styles of dance and choreography, and popular and expensive fashion. In this essay, I will argue that the use of Japanese and American pop culture imagery and English lyrics in Zico’s “Artist” music video is a prime example of cultural hybridization in Korean popular culture.
Lee suggests that music videos change the meaning of the music and are not constrained to one culture, rather, can encompass many different cultures across the world (2006: 133). This is where the concepts of American and Japanese imagery come into play.
The first thing one notices in the music video is the use of expensive clothing. Brands like Supreme, Louis Vuitton, PLACES + FACES, BAAPE, Off-White, and the like are seen constantly throughout the music video. The use of expensive international clothing shows how capitalism and Americanism is still a big part of Korean popular culture (Jin and Ryoo 2014: 115).
Another, more obvious part of the music video is the set and set pieces – all of which are from Japan. From the quaint neighbourhood streets, the serene Buddhist temples, and the rooftops overlooking the city of Tokyo with Tokyo tower in the distance, the music video showcases cross-culturalism which also appeals to foreign audiences (Baek 2015: 730). The use of “foreign dancing bodies” also showcases both “authenticity” and “atmosphere” in the music video (Saeji 2016: 263). The “Artist” music video showcases many talented Japanese dancers and choreographers performing both waacking and hip-hop / urban choreography pieces alongside Zico, creating a sense of authenticity. The atmospheric function is achieved through the set piece itself, where we find Zico roaming various places in Japan rather than being placed in Korea.
The use of English lyrics is a classic case of cultural-hybridization in Korean pop culture (Jin and Ryoo 2014: 125). It allows for Korean rappers and hip-hop artist to express themselves differently and allows for more diversity in their expression (Jin and Ryoo 2014: 122). Zico also uses the English lyrics “We artist baby” during the chorus while showcasing not only himself, but also the different Japanese dancers and choreographers. The use of “we” while showcasing different artists wearing expensive international clothing is another example of cultural-hybridity, where not only are foreign bodies being celebrated (Saeji 2016: 263), but cross-culturalism is being used to help the audience relate to the music video and Zico. (Baek 2015: 733).
The mixing of three different cultures goes towards the third stage of hybridization, and against what Jin and Ryoo had stated (2014: 126). The third stage is the maintenance of local identity in a global context, and the “Artist” music video serves as an example of this thanks to cultural-hybridization and the elements aforementioned. Additionally, Lee argues that Korean popular music encompasses elements of forward-thinking modernity as well as sentimental values (2006: 137), and this can be seen in “Artist” through Zico as he raps and sings about being a musical artist while having the set and set pieces in Japan.
References
Block B 