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| Rapper and singer-songwriter CL showcases Korean culture in a video for her latest single "HWA" filmed for CBS's "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in front of Jongchinbu, or the office of royal genealogy during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). / Captured from YouTube |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the global music industry into uncharted territory where artists are playing live concerts from their homes or featuring remote performances.
K-pop artists, who now make recurring appearances on late night shows in the U.S., have been pre-recording gigs from Korea. But some have been taking this as an opportunity to introduce Korean heritage and museums by filming performances at the country's major tourist attractions.
Last month, rapper and singer-songwriter CL shared a performance of her latest single "HWA" filmed CBS's "The Late Late Show with James Corden."
Because the singer wasn't able to physically be on the show due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, her rendition of the song was filmed at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul.
Her performance was pre-recorded at the "MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2020: Haegue Yang ― O2 & H2O" exhibition and Jongchinbu, or the office of royal genealogy during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
Originally located near Gyeongbokgung Palace, the historical building was moved to Jeongdok Public Library in Bukchon in 1981 but was returned to its original home near the garden at the MMCA in 2013.
Joined by a group of masked back-up dancers, the former 2NE1 member paid tribute to Korean art and heritage, delivering the track's chorus in modernized traditional Korean clothing.
"I frequently visit the MMCA whenever I'm in town. When I expressed my wish to film my performance of HWA at the MMCA to introduce spots that represent Korean culture, they happily accepted my request," CL said during an online press conference for the release of two songs "HWA" and "5STAR."
This could be a win-win strategy for both the artist and the museum, as the latter has seen a decline in the number of visitors following the imposition of preventative social distancing measures. After a lockdown, it reopened in September, but has capped the number of visitors (a maximum of 250) allowed in each time slot. To stay afloat, it has curated the contactless online performance series "MMCA Live."
"We were well aware that CL is a huge fan of Korean contemporary art. This was the first time in the history of MMCA that we collaborated with a K-pop artist for a performance. The MMCA and Jongchinbu are located in central Seoul where modernity and tradition coexist, so it holds so much importance for our culture," a museum official said.
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| BTS poses on Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (National Treasure No. 224) in Gyeongbok Palace after performing "Mikrokosmos" for NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," aired Oct. 2. / Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment |
The BTS Week special on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," which was held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, included two performances in Gyeongbok Palace.
BTS performed "Idol" in front of Geunjeongjeon (National Treasure No. 223), where kings used to host meetings and receptions with foreign envoys during Joseon Kingdom.
On YouTube the video has racked up more than 23 million views as of Nov. 3, which is much higher than the band's performance of its last single "Dynamite" (15 million views) filmed at a roller skating rink.
The band also sang "Mikrokosmos" on Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (National Treasure No. 224) in the palace, where royal banquets were held.
"I'm so happy they got to show Gyeongbok Palace to the world through their performance. I visited last year and was blown away by it in person after hearing about it so much before visiting. Absolutely breathtaking," a fan tweeted.
The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) explained that BTS's performance was originally designed to promote the sixth Royal Culture Festival.
"Gyeongbok Palace is the representative legal palace of the Joseon Kingdom, and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Geunjeongjeon are two iconic traditional structures in the palace. BTS's performances were filmed at the palace for that reason," a CHA official said.
She added that the administration is currently in the early stages of developing a BTS tour.
"As of now, the places to be included in the BTS tour are Gyeongbok Palace and Korea House. As you know, BTS performed Idol and Mikrokosmos in the palace. In January 2018, the band visited Korea House to shoot the Billboard magazine cover," the official added. "Visitors stand in line to take photos at Nogeumjeong Pavilion and Haeringwan."
Korea House became the residence for James A. Van Fleet, who served as commander of the 8th U.S. Army during the Korean War, according to the CHA. Having contributed to the promotion of Korea-U.S. relations, an award was named after him. In 2020, BTS won the Van Fleet Award given by the Korea Society.
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