2024 Kpop MV Trend Review: An Analysis
(Originally posted on Medium December 2024)
Preface
I’ll be talking about Kpop in this essay, because it is the main genre I consume music videos through. My biased opinion is also that the Kpop industry is quite saturated with artistic talent, naturally lending itself to the place where aesthetic trends begin and have their peak. However, that isn’t to say that other industries aren’t relevant in this discussion — I’m just not as versed on them.
Also, Covid-19 will be a reference point for much of this essay, because its effect on art and society are extremely relevant when talking about trends. I picked these three trends because they were extremely pervasive in 2024, and also because I think they could be directly correlated to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Structure
This essay includes three trends (Hyper surrealism, Out of Office, Not of This World), and each trend has three different sections:
Covid-19 and Post-Pandemic (Looking at the trend as it relates to the pandemic)
2024 (Summarizing how the topic showed up in 2024)
…and Beyond (Where I think the trend is going)
Thesis
Following a global pandemic, I want to explore how one of the most popular and creative industries recovered through the lens of aesthetic trends. How did this industry change and evolve following a pandemic— and why were these the main trends that emerged?
Trend 1: Hyper surrealism
Nowadays with the prevalence of social media, many art movements have been reduced to aesthetics, eras, trends, and “cores” — art movements on a much smaller, faster scale. Surrealism is an interesting art movement. It comes and goes, evolving and molding itself for each unique context.
This term hyper-surrealism officially hasn’t entered the aesthetic lexicon — at least not that I can tell. It’s a mash-up of two different terms: Hyperrealism and surrealism.
Let’s break it down first: Hyperrealism is a style of art meant to mimic real-life as closely as possible. Surrealism is, according to Rachel Barnes’ The 20th-Century Art Book, is when “artists aim to allow the unconscious to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike scenes and ideas.”
So, if we mash those definitions together, we come up with something like: Art that aims to mimic real life as closely as possible, while also depicting illogical or dreamlike scenes and ideas. It’s often funny or silly, depicting scenes that are uncanny.
Covid-19 and Post-Pandemic
Existing during a global pandemic is inherently surreal. Naturally, there was an abundance of pure surrealism during the pandemic. Whether it was because the pandemic warranted limited resources, or if it was simply a reflection of the state of the world: surrealism was everywhere.
This was mostly seen in music videos. Music videos were an easy form to consume media during the pandemic, and a safe one. Safe for viewers at home, and safe for artists who only had to perform in front of a green screen.
Surrealism became the default.
2024
It’s natural to take time to process the trauma we go through. During that time, we might need to return to familiar people or concepts. Once the time for reflection is done, we make art.
Following the 1918–1920 flu pandemic, surreal and dada art gained popularity in the 1920s and 30s. Both art movements existed on smaller scales before the flu, but became popular after both the pandemic and World War I.
In 2002–2003, following 9/11, surrealism in American music videos rose.
In 2024, hyper surrealism took Kpop by storm.
Art is cyclical. Art movements come and go, evolving in reaction to society.
…and Beyond
Earlier, I mentioned dada. Dada was similar to surrealism, but was more of a revolutionary anti-establishment movement. Dada embraced irrationality and surrealism. It was, first and foremost, a protest.
This essay by Adina L. perfectly encapsulates what they call modern dada, created by Gen Z on social media. In it, they say: “However silly these memes may be, they bring me joy in a world of pain and seemingly endless suffering. Melodramatic, I am aware, but humor is a fantastic coping mechanism as well as a concise approach to comprehending the overly complicated concepts within politics, relationships, generational gaps, trends, and the human psyche. This is the precise reflection that the original Dadaists dealt with 100 years ago.”
2024 was shaped by political unrest. Going into 2025, I think that the hyper surrealism trend will change and evolve into something even greater: Dada art. Expect non-subtle forms of protest, rejections of art rules and guidelines, embracing nonsense and silliness. As artists continue to get fed up with their governments, this will be reflected in art.
Notably, dada began as performance art, a medium that lends itself quite well to music and the music video. I think modern dada is done best when it isn’t just referencing the movement, but is also being used to make a statement. I hope we see more of this in 2025.
Trend 2: Out of office
Work and school were two major parts of life forced to evolve during the pandemic. Many young people had to adapt in unfamiliar ways. Many of my friends were unable to find work. My friends that were in college had to adapt to remote schooling. Workplaces were disrupted in ways we hadn’t seen before.
Covid-19 and Post-Pandemic
Lay-offs, working from home, balancing work and life on top of a global pandemic — all of these things were bound to challenge not only our interpersonal relationships, but the relationship to our careers as well. Some people who weren’t affected by lay-offs found solace in a new remote option, some people quit their jobs entirely, others went back to school online, and many of us focused on learning new hobbies to keep us busy.
It was a lonely time. We couldn’t connect with others the way we had grown so used to, and it was made more difficult for younger people who were still learning the ropes of office politics and proper socialization in the workplace.
2024
Once quarantines lifted and vaccines had been widely administered, offices began recalling their employees back. Forbes estimates that around 38% of offices require in-office work and that 90% of companies plan to enact return-to-work policies by the end of 2024.
64% of workers agree that hybrid schedules are preferred. Interaction with other people is simply core to being a human.
The desire for this balance is pushing this corporate trend in art and society. Japanese menswear is having a major comeback, “Office Siren” had a moment this year, and last year’s “Quiet Quitting” has now evolved into “Quiet Vacationing”. Work is a huge part of our lives and young people are leading the charge in its evolution.
Since the pandemic, everything has been in flux — return to work policies, unions, job market volatility — it’s no surprise to see office settings and workwear integrating itself into music videos. Work is changing, and this is an easy way to visualize that change.
…and Beyond
The pandemic changed the way we looked at our relationships to our careers. As long as people continue to speak out about work conditions, mental health in the workplace, and work-life balance, this trend will persist.
Ultimately, this trend may also represent our complicated and nuanced feelings toward interpersonal relationships post-pandemic. In relation to work, it could represent either a desire for connection (And how work is one of the easiest ways to connect) or the loneliness, dread, and anxiety we feel working in a capitalist, corporate society.
I think that this trend will continue well into 2025.
Trend 3: Not of this world
As I write this, in mid-December 2024, social media is in a panic about possible extraterrestrial life. Maybe it’s just my algorithm, but I can’t escape it. We love media about extraterrestrial life when we’re going through hard times.
Signs and the War of the Worlds remake came out in 2002 and 2005, shortly after 9/11. The Alien movies came out in the middle of the Cold War. Independence Day, Contact, Event Horizon all released only years before the Y2K panic. The Matrix released in 1999.
Stick with me here. I know it seems like a stretch to claim that Covid-19 singlehandedly created a new extraterrestrial panic, but history time and time again has proven that world-changing events almost always result in a period of existentialism and lingering anxiety, often resulting in paranoia surrounding things of the unknown.
Covid-19 and Post-Pandemic
Covid-19 made it feel like the world was ending, and movies were an escape for many people. During the three-year period of Covid (2020–2022), superhero movies were some of the most profitable. Having a familiar cast of characters saving the world from unknown and terrifying threats helped ground us, soothed our anxieties, and made us feel better about living through a historic event. What if there was a multiverse without worldwide pandemics?
This is one of the reasons why surrealism was a hit during Covid-19. It was an easy medium to come up with ideas for, easy for audiences to consume. Superhero movies could even be called a form of surrealism: Super-powered beings exhibiting otherworldly powers, here to save the day by cracking jokes and taking advantage of being too overpowered.
It’s curious that post-pandemic society has gone through a superhero fatigue. I could write a completely different essay about superhero fatigue — I won’t — but I think that it’s a real phenomenon. Superhero movies have gotten so over-produced they’ve almost become parodies of themselves.
I think the combined shift away from the traditional superhero genre and the anxiety produced from Covid-19 has made us relate more with extraterrestrial, alien-like, morally grey media and characters. Things aren’t black and white anymore — life is as gray as ever — and we want media that reflects that anxiety and uncertainty.
2024
This trend doesn’t take sides. We don’t see clearly defined superheroes saving the day. We don’t see a “Big Bad” evil for our heroes to defeat.
Instead, we see morally indifferent beings gifted with powers. These beings are of unknown origin, appearing suddenly one day from the sky, or in Shibuya, or from a casket. We don’t know what their motives are.
…And Beyond
Do I think that the drones in the sky above New Jersey are aliens or angels? I’m doubtful, but I was raised Catholic, so I’m not certain.
I do know that this trend will continue to evolve as societal fallout from Covid-19 and general unrest around the world continues. I even think that the return to a gritty superhero genre could be a result of this. In such an uncomfortable, existential world, we relate with morally gray characters and situations.
Learning to sit in that discomfort is key — learning to make great art from it is even better.
In conclusion
In 2024 we saw the aesthetic evolution of the Covid-19 surrealism boom. Almost taking on a life of its own, it took different forms as it reacted to society and culture. Some amazing art was created this year in music videos alone.
I can only continue to make predictions based off of the things that I see. Moving into 2025, some of the trends already emerging are: Spies, espionage, heists; Surveillance, AI, and technological dystopia; Religious imagery and settings. As always, I think these are a direct result of current happenings in society and politics worldwide.
However, I’m only human and it’s difficult to say with certainty what the next trend will be. There is quite a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in the world right now. The best way to be certain is to look at the past: How did people in the past deal with times of uncertainty? What art did they make?
Most importantly: How did they change the world around them?