'Composed in Sweden, recorded in Korea': K-pop production goes global

BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

Megahit K-pop songs are no longer produced within a single country. Their melodies are written by European composers and their tracks refined by American producers, before final recording and performance are completed in Seoul. This globally distributed production system has effectively become the industry standard in K-pop.

As K-pop cemented its place in the mainstream global music market, its production system has also undergone a rapid expansion. In a bid to secure candidates for new songs, major K-pop entertainment agencies now run “song camps,” inviting large numbers of composers from around the world to intensive multi-day sessions that produce dozens of tracks.

The songs created through these sessions are designed to reflect global sound trends and appeal to audiences worldwide. In that sense, K-pop has evolved into a “hybrid pop genre,” engineered simultaneously across multiple cities around the world.

What drove K-pop’s shift to global production

At the heart of K-pop’s global production system is its network of overseas composers. Among the most prominent are Swedish teams, whose signature strengths — powerful hooks and melody-centered pop songwriting — have made them frequent collaborators in K-pop production.

Songwriters and producers from the United States and Britain are also now a near-constant presence in the industry. From songs by global stars such as BTS, BLACKPINK and TWICE to tracks released by rookie idol groups, it has become increasingly rare to find K-pop credits without overseas contributors.

BTS performs during the ″BTS in Busan″ concert at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Oct. 15, 2022. Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC

Typically, the process starts with demo tracks created by overseas composers. Korean A&R teams then select the strongest candidates and complete them with Korean lyrics. Song camps have become one of the clearest expressions of this system. Large entertainment companies partner with foreign publishers, bring in international writers, generate dozens of songs in a matter of days and then choose the final contenders — a process designed to keep pace with global music trends.

The logic behind K-pop’s embrace of this production model is straightforward: global competitiveness. As the genre has expanded internationally, success in overseas markets has become more important than ever. Working with composers who are fluent in American and European pop production is now closely linked to securing an edge in the global music market.

Industrial efficiency is another major factor. K-pop groups are expected to release multiple songs and projects each year, making a steady supply of material essential. Song camps offer a highly efficient way to secure dozens of demos at once. From that pool, companies can choose the most polished tracks, increasing their chances of producing a global hit — another reason the system has become so appealing.

“As K-pop has expanded globally, it is true that response and sales in overseas markets have increasingly become key indicators of success,” an industry insider said.

“For entertainment companies, preserving K-pop’s identity while also releasing music that can appeal to global listeners has become essential. In that sense, actively drawing on a global production system to reflect local market trends in songs is a natural step.”

“As long as K-pop continues to enjoy popularity overseas, this globally distributed production system is likely to become even more firmly established,” the industry insider added.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.