The genre I’ve chosen is trot music, which is the one of the oldest (if not the oldest) form of popular South Korean music. It was developed presumably around the early years of the 1900’s, or during World War 2. The word “Trot” is taken from the English word “Foxtrot”, although the genres are different as the foxtrot is a waltz dance. The genre was influenced mainly by Korean music, with American, European, and Japanese touches. The fact that it’s a genre of traditional S. Korean music means it’s tied to me through my ancestry and heritage, but the truth is, I don’t feel much of a connection to it, it’s mostly enjoyed by those who are middle aged. However, there are newer/younger singers of trot that are spiking numbers higher for the younger generation as well, as they learn to enjoy something their grandparents do, with a new spin on the traditional, even EDM is used in some songs. Also, there is the added benefit of understanding the language, because even though I learned it as a second language, it helps me to listen to Korean songs easily, without the language barrier that some might have when not knowing the language.

A younger singer(compared to those who usually perform in the genre) is Hong Jin Young, as linked below, who in the early 2000’s-2010’s(current), is someone who has helped bring more around more of a engaging way to introduce a broad audience to the genre. A well known characteristic of the genre is the usage of duple meter, a soloist(usually accompanied by backup dancers, sometimes very rarely two people in a duet), and a specific characteristic called “꺾기” (Kkeok-ki) within the classical music theory it’s described as the gruppetto ornament (or the initial original note, a note that’s lower in pitch, one higher, and one in vibrato). To explain it more simply, a single word in the song could be stretched out to accommodate for the ornament. The songs usually use an accompaniment of instruments, but in modern times, it’s changed to adapt into what the wider audience might enjoy, such as using guitars, orchestras, the occasional electronic element to mix it up now and then.