France Backs K-Pop 'Song Camps': Why They Seek 'Co-Creation'

[Sound of music production...]

They test various versions of a song by combining melodies and beats.

This is a "song camp," where multiple composers put their heads together to create music.

Four French composers participated in this year's K-pop song camp, which was held for the second time with the support of the French government.

A composer with 20 years of experience, who has worked with renowned international artists such as Wiz Khalifa, says they have learned a lot from the Korean song camp, which emphasizes diversity and efficiency.

[JoA / French Composer: The difference from France is that the song camp here is like bibimbap. I come here as one of the ingredients. And I participate in making the bibimbap that is K-pop.]

While some criticize song camps as "factory-like" because songs are created by gathering the opinions of many, participants instead praise it as a system designed to produce the best possible work.

[Alex Karlsson / Swedish Composer: (Korean producers) provide me with a "canvas" of various sizes and shapes, and such constraints pressure my creativity to try new things. I think that kind of intentional exploration is something only K-pop can offer right now.]

As world-class musicians increasingly flock to K-pop song camps, the French government has stepped in to help French musicians, whose presence is smaller compared to those from English-speaking countries.

[Pierre Morcos / Cultural Counselor at the French Embassy in Korea: K-pop is now a global phenomenon, expanding its reach by interacting with music scenes and various genres from all over the world. That is why it is important to build a bridge connecting K-pop with France, and more broadly, with Europe.]

They particularly emphasize that K-pop, which values diversity, has low barriers in terms of language and genre.

[Ben Ling / International Cooperation Manager at the Centre National de la Musique (CNM): France can be called a cultural "melting pot" where diverse cultures coexist. It is precisely at that point that I believe France can offer a different perspective to K-pop. It can influence top-lines, melodies, and furthermore, the future production methods of K-pop.]

With countries like the Netherlands and Canada also showing interest in K-pop song camps, there are suggestions that the Korean government should also actively support the overseas expansion of our own composers, much like other nations are doing.

Reported by Kim Gyeong-hui | VJ: Oh Se-gwan | Video Editing: Kim Jong-tae | Graphics: Jang Chae-woo | Video Source: HYBE LABELS | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.