Lim Young-woong, Jeong Dong-won, Young Tak… Trotdol’s unstoppable expansion of the genre

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Jae-seo = “My goal is to be recognized by the public as a K-pop idol.”

Rookie idol JD1 revealed his aspirations like this through his official YouTube channel in November last year. With heavily made-up eyes and dyed blonde hair, she looked like a typical K-pop singer.

But that look is somehow familiar. JD1 is a sub-character of trot singer Jeong Dong-won, who calls himself an ‘artificial intelligence idol’.

JD1 had its debut stage on a music show on the 11th with the new song ‘who am I’ and ‘Jaquon’, known for its exclusive properties among idols, including Q&A videos on YouTube. #39;We are continuing our activities by introducing (our own content).

Lim Young-woong, Jeong Dong-won, Young Tak… ‘Trot generation change’ Diversification of genres of protagonists

According to the music industry on the 20th, the so-called ‘Trotdols’ (Trot + Idol), who are said to be the main players in the generational change in the Trot industry, are continuing to boldly expand the genre.

They are crossing various genres such as ballads, rock, and EDM, and there are even people like Jeong Dong-won who are jumping into the K-pop scene with a completely new skin.

At the beginning of the trot survival program trend, there was a noticeable increase in the number of musicians from other genres entering the trot market, but recently the opposite phenomenon has become more evident.

Lim Young-woong, Korea’s representative Trotdol, who enjoys a strong fan base by selling out all tickets to every performance, has attempted to expand the genre in earnest starting with his first full-length album, ‘I’m Hero’ (IM HERO) in 2022.

Lim Young-woong, who covered genres such as ballads, pop, hip-hop, and folk in his first full-length album, said at a press conference at the time, “I am not a singer limited to one genre, but I want to be able to show a variety of genres without feeling awkward.”

In particular, he expanded his scope into a rhythmic dance song reminiscent of K-pop idols in the new song ‘Do or Die’ released in October last year.

Within 3 hours of its release, this song was included in Melon’s ‘Top 100’, Korea’s largest music platform. It topped the charts and is still in the top 20.

In the case of Jeong Dong-won, who has been making a name for himself as a ‘trot prodigy’ since 2018, he re-debuted this year as alt-character JD1 after two years of preparation.

Previously released albums have included some rock and ballads, but this is the first time a song has been presented with a K-pop performance.

The agency Showplay Entertainment explained, “JD1 is a persona created by Dong-won Jeong to challenge various genres, not just the trot genre.”

Young Tak also generously showed off his musical capabilities, ranging from intense symphony rock to trendy disco pop, in his first full-length album released in 2022.

In the 2nd full-length album released last year, the title song ‘Form Crazy’ was a dance song in the Nu Disco (modern disco) genre.

“Aiming at the younger generation”… Existing fans have the opportunity to experience various genres

One of the reasons behind their attempts to expand the genre is to break away from the framework of ‘trot singers’ and embrace a wider audience.

Trotdols such as Lim Young-woong, Jeong Dong-won, and Young Tak have the distinction of gaining fame through trot survival programs. Among the young public, there is a strong perception that they are singers who make music for the older generation.

Genre challenges in this environment can not only increase the brand value of an artist, but also help expand the fan base to the younger generation.

An official from an entertainment company that includes a famous trot singer said, “Moving into a variety of genres is ultimately meant to encompass more generations,” and “After the diversification of genres, many students in their 30s or younger began to appear at concerts.” He emphasized.

In particular, in the case of Lim Young-woong, who graduated from the Department of Practical Music, he can easily handle various genres with his unique singing style. There is also an analysis that such ‘easy listening’ music is attracting a wide range of people. It comes out.

Even from the perspective of existing Trot fans who came in through the audition program, the artist’s free use of the genre is welcome.

Kim Heon-sik, a popular music critic, said, “The older the age group, the less diverse the musical genres one is exposed to,” and evaluated, “Lim Young-woong and Jeong Dong-won can provide new music to the older generation who are accustomed to trot.”

The explanation is that even if a favorite artist releases music of an unfamiliar genre, fans accept it without resistance as the voice itself is familiar.

Critic Kim Heon-sik said, “Taylor Swift is also an example of becoming a superstar through the expansion of various genres, starting with country music,” and predicted, “I believe that domestic trot singers can also follow a similar trend.”

acui721@yna.co.kr

▶ Report via KakaoTalk okjebo