K-pop game-changers: Blackpink, CL and Amber Liu redefine femininity in Korean music, while Taemin pushed gender boundaries in Move
- Artists like CL, Moonbyul, Amber and Blackpink have all challenged the suffocating expectations of how women should be depicted in Korean entertainment
- Shinee’s Taemin flipped typical gender stereotypes with his daring dance choreography, while Jonghyun led the way for future artists to compose their own songs
Performers like Taemin and CL have been the talk of the town for challenging industry norms with their catchy songs and mesmerising dance moves over the years.
Here’s a closer look at the K-pop stars who have led the way in breaking boundaries, pushing against suffocating expectations and reductive gender norms in their music, choreography and iconography.
CL showed that girls can be “badass”
Dubbed K-pop’s “badass female”, CL showed a different side of the genre when she released her songs Hello Bitches and The Baddest Female. These songs revealed a dark, bold and fearless persona compared to the lighthearted, shy and playful image that is usually exuded among female K-pop stars through their music.
According to Billboard, CL said the following: “There’s this standard where they’re all calm. I want to break that. I want to tell the world that there are some badass Asian female girls.”
Amber Liu kept her tomboyish vibes
