What does North Korean music sound like?
Whether you’re a devotee to the genre or not, we’ve probably all been exposed to the phenomenon of K-pop that has not just become South Korea’s most prominent cultural export but a style of music that is beloved by leagues of militant fans throughout the world. The notoriety of acts such as BTS and Blackpink is hard to ignore, and its relevance in the wider musical landscape will most likely continue to stay strong for many years to come. If you’re of a certain age, you might distinctly remember PSY’s mega-hit ‘Gangnam Style’ taking the globe by storm. Simply put, K-pop is far from an underground movement localised within its nation of origin.
But that only accounts for the South, so what about the North? Are there any DPRK-Pop acts out there, and what do they sound like?
As is well-documented, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea as it is known in the West, is a nation known for its secrecy and lack of freedom from the power of the state. Led by the Kim dynasty since late 1972, it has experienced rocky relationships with its neighbours and much of the rest of the world due to its lack of diplomatic ties and isolation from other non-Communist countries, and its cultural ties outside of the country are non-existent, with all media being state-regulated.
With all this in mind, it’s hard to imagine what North Korean pop music might actually sound like and how it compares to music even from within a close geographic proximity. Having had little to no outside influence on its arts since Kim Il Sung was appointed as the nation’s first president, how could it possibly bear any resemblance to music that has been popular in other corners of the world?
There are few bands or artists that one could consider to be popular in North Korea, but among the most notable acts from the country’s history are the likes of the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble and the Wangjaesan Light Music Band, with acts like the Moranbong Band being one of the most beloved acts still going today. Considering that the state controls all art from the nation, it has to have been approved by the government, so these examples are far from being wildly innovative or known for having any messaging in their lyrics that doesn’t boast the glory of the nation, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be absolute bops at the same time.
For an example of how North Korean pop sounds, there are seemingly a few unusual influences that shine through, such as comparisons to early synth pioneers such as Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. At the same time, there are also hints of Western classical music and even progressive rock to be found.
It’s very unlikely that anyone in the country will have been privy to the moment when ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975 with ‘Waterloo’, but there are seemingly nods to the Swedish outfit’s work present as well, with the track ‘Whistle’ (performing artist not known) bearing more than a slight resemblance to ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’.
For a country that is documented as having strict totalitarian law enforcement, the general sound of North Korean pop is also surprisingly jovial, with catchy singalong choruses being present in almost every popular song from the country. Take, for example, Moranbong Band’s ‘Let’s Go to Mount Paektu’, which has a decidedly Europop flavour to it – its very appeal is based around the euphoric sound, which makes it all the more surreal to see its most-viewed rendition of the song online being performed to an audience of stone-faced military officials who all clap along in frightening unison.
While it might sound somewhat dated compared to its Southern counterpart that continues to borrow sound and inspiration from modern pop music, there’s no denying that North Korean pop scratches an itch for a feeling of ecstasy, no matter how uncanny or cheesy it might come across.
