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By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nuran Sami Hassan Ibrahim
Photos = Kristine Elezaj
Korean pop music, commonly referred to as "K-pop," is basically pop music made in Korea and thus sung in Korean. It stands out among other genres in terms of production value and other features that shape it. Unlike Western groups that usually start out as band members who know each other before debuting, members of K-pop groups are individually trained in singing and dancing for four to nine years and then put together into a group by the company that trained them, to debut together. What helped popularize K-pop around the world is Psy's "Gangnam Style" that caused a breakthrough in the global perception of K-pop.
With the growing recognition of K-pop in the West, a variety of viewpoints emerged among its listeners. Today, we get a glimpse of a professional's perspective about the genre, provided by Albanian-American pop singer Kristine Elezaj.
Elezaj is a singer, dancer and songwriter of Albanian descent. She has been experimenting with different sounds, lyrics and melodies as a pop star on the rise, varying between both bright and dark concepts. It's no surprise that she has some heavily choreographed music videos and stage performances, being born and raised as a dancer. She's also worked with artistic director Kevin Mars who worked with Britney Spears and Madonna, alongside Justin Bieber on his recent Purpose tour. Furthermore, Elezaj has been described by Billboard magazine as a cross between Britney Spears and Rihanna, and made it to the top 20 best artists in Macy's iHeart Radio Rising Star Contest.
Known as "Kebe," Elezaj is a body image advocate among her fans. She always advises her fans and sharpens the notion of being comfortable in their own skin and spirituality, rather than the mundane aspects of life, resembling a positive influence for them.
In the first part of the interview, the singer is asked several questions about her own musical journey and style, whereas in the second part of the interview she is kindly asked to watch two record-breaking K-pop songs in order to give her opinion of them, relying on her own experience as a professional singer and entertainer.
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How long have you been in the industry? How did you start a professional musical career?
I've been in the industry for years. I got my start when I was right out of high school and went to sing at Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar in Manhattan. Nick and Valerie invited me down for one of their open mic nights, so my father took me down one Thursday night where I sang Aretha Franklin's "Respect." During the song, they started singing backup for me, which is how I figured out they were watching the performance. From there, Nick sort of became my mentor and got me writing music and explained to me how the business works. I would send him things I was writing and working on and he would give me feedback and advice. I started a process of sending my music around and working with different producers and writers, trying to truly find my own sound and voice. Apparently, this business is always changing daily and I'm still finding my way through it. I'm excited about this new project and how far I have come and the message I'm putting out there through these new tracks. All the years doing this, and this is what I'm most proud of to date.
You create pop music. What is something that defines your genre that might not be prevalent in other genres?
Pop music is amazing because you can draw inspiration really from about anywhere. You are not defined by one particular vibe, sound or flow. When I started, I had a lot of people around me influencing what they thought I should sound like and it was very bubblegum and "young." Now I've drawn from a lot of world music and mixed it with an urban undertone.
Does your personality or mentality and this specific genre have something in common that made you decide for it to be your profession?
I've always been very artsy and felt like a black sheep when I was younger. I always say I have the heart of a gypsy, so it was obvious to me at a very young age that I would want to pursue being an entertainer. As I've grown up through doing this and experiencing the ups and downs of this business while also growing as a woman, I realized how powerful making music really was. I'm actually more comfortable now expressing myself and being vulnerable with the things I'm writing about. I think the world needs more of that. We are really not that different in our growing and the lessons we face in life. The messages I get now from people really have become the focus and the fuel to keep peeling away my layers and putting more and more of the raw me in my music. I want to be a positive influence.
Can you introduce your own most popular song?
One of my most popular songs was probably from my older project; a song called "Warpath." It was your typical in-your-face pop song with a lot of choreography. The music video was a Mad Max theme that we shot not so far from Vegas. Even though the music is not where I'm at now, being able to perform like that in one of my videos is the most amazing feelings since I have a dance background. I'm absolutely ready and excited to introduce that element back into the new material that I've been releasing and hopefully everyone loves it just as much as they did before.
What is the inspiration for your most recent album? Does it have one dominating theme or does it have a variety of themes?
The inspiration for this new project is just my growth. It really is a little bit of a journal for me. The first song, "Echo," when everyone hears it they thinks it's a break up song, but it's actually me battling myself and the self-doubt that I was conflicted with through my past experiences. When I say, "You lie, you lie, you liar," I'm talking to that voice in your head that makes you almost believe those negative things. When people see stuff on social media, they really are only touching the surface of someone. I worked with my co-writer Kloe Shinn and ex producer Blair Taylor on the whole project, so the sessions were essentially a safe place to be as open with our stories and each other, and to draw from that. We would call our sessions "the vault." I think this is just the beginning for how deep I'll go and I'm even excited to see where this takes me next in music.
Being a distinguished dancer, is there a specific element that you consider in your choreography? Plus, how did you learn your dancing skills?
Thank you! I started dancing very young when my mother put me into ballet at the age of 3. The most important thing about dancing is learning your body. You have to trust it and give into it. It's just as vulnerable to expressing yourself through movement as it is when you're writing a song. I love the performance element of being able to tell my stories twice. Once by actually creating the material, and then bringing the story to life through the choreography.
Your favorite pop artist is Janet Jackson. Why is she someone to whom you look up?
She is just fearless, especially as a woman. She was pushing the boundaries of what was seen as shocking so early on, but she was still so graceful while doing it. She is sexy and powerful, but at the same time has this delicate side to her personality that I admired and still do.
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I have chosen two K-pop music videos that represent a big part of modern K-pop music that I'd like you watch and then get your viewpoints on.
Videos:
Monster - Exo
Boombayah - Black Pink
The first video is by the boy band Exo, which consists of nine members and which debuted in 2012 with 12 member. It has one of the largest fan bases inside and outside Korea. The second one is by the four-person girl group Black Pink, which made its debut in August in 2016.
What do you think about the music-videos and the melodies?
K-pop music is incredible. I love it. Everything is so catchy and melodic, and of course the music videos are inspiring because Asian artist are some of the best dancers. Both of these groups are fantastic. I'm a fan.
Which one is your favorite?
Music-wise, I probably gravitate toward Exo more because of their melodies. I'm a little more darker in tone these days, so they are right up my alley. Not to say that I don't love the girls, because their production is topnotch.
Being vocally-beautiful yourself, what do you think about the vocals here? Plus, do you have a favorite part in any of these songs where, for example, a high note is hit or a favorite instrument of yours is used?
They are both super talented groups and have their own unique styles vocally, which is amazing. I'm in love with how simple the melodies are with Exo, yet the inflections, even on the simpler notes in their voices, make each part feel strong and then it explodes into the hook. I'm loving their style.
What's an element of K-pop -- in the music itself or in the music videos -- that you haven't seen in Western pop and that you think Western pop should start considering?
Like I mentioned earlier, pop here in the U.S. is a mix of genres now, so they can't be compared. It just comes down to the individual market and to what works there. I must say that K-pop artists and their videos are always perfection. I miss the days where artists here in the U.S. had such high-quality videos for their music. It's everything you want in entertainment when you think as an artist. I will for sure pull from material like that as a source of inspiration for my future videos.
Is there something you find quite strange or interesting about K-pop?
I always find it amazing how many members they are able to have in a group and it never feels overwhelming and works seamlessly.
Your overall impression of the genre?
I'll for sure be keeping an eye out for these groups and I'm a huge fan of the genre.
wisdom117@korea.kr
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