If it's not perfect, is it still K-Pop?

What comes to mind when you hear the word 'K-pop'? Is it the global boy band phenomenon BTS, who wear studded jackets and dance in perfect sync? Or the girl group Blackpink, who performs at Coachella in trendy fashion and perfectly curled hair?

How about an “independent music collective” of casually dressed people crowded around a mixing console in a one-room studio across the street from a Seoul restaurant that specializes in fried chicken?

“Give me some more bass,” said Omega Sapien, a singer with electric green hair and grills, who swayed his hips and growled to the beat. The studio was packed with art, vinyl records, dumbbells and other knick-knacks. Another singer was lying nearby, with a bad hangover.

For Balming tiger, this is daily life as an alternative K-pop band. Their music, a fusion of various genres from electro to hip hop, is funky and edgy. Their appearance, unkempt and grungy, is a far cry from the professional style of the groups most of the world associates with K-pop.

But they also claim that label. According to Omega Sapien, K-pop is all music that comes from South Korea. “Everything in that area is K-pop,” he said.

Is the?

“K-pop” is an abbreviation for Korean popular music, but it often refers to something more specific: the boy bands and girl groups whose members are known as idols (partly because of their fiercely devoted fan bases). Their music tends to be formally structured, the performances tightly choreographed. Management companies invest millions in these operations and exercise strict control over the final product.

But in South Korea it is not the most popular type of music. According to government and industry data, idol groups vastly outnumber independent and alternative artists. Hyukoha four-piece band from Seoul's hip Hongdae district, and Leenalchi are two other well-known local alternative acts.

“Nowadays, I feel like when most people hear the term K-pop – and by 'most people' I mean people all over the world and not just in Korea – they often just think of girl groups and boy bands that fit in with a special form,” says Regina Kim, a New York-based journalist who writes about Korean pop culture. Growing up in New Haven, Conn., Ms. Kim said, R&B and dance music from South Korea were also considered K-pop.

By 2023, almost a quarter of South Koreans attended a live concert, online or offline, by an independent artist, according to a survey by the Korean creative content agency. The same report found that ballads, not pop from idol groups, made up the country's favorite genre, with more than half of respondents identifying that slower, less flashy category as the one they listened to most.

Although Balming Tiger identifies as K-pop, they do not consider themselves idols. “Even if we wanted to be like idols, we can't,” says Chanhee, a singer who also works on the group's styling, videos and photography.

“It's our imperfections that actually make us more attractive,” said another singer, Sogumm, one of two women in the group. “I want people to see us and think 'K-pop is cool,' not just in the context of being beautiful and handsome, but because it's something that appeals to a diverse audience.” It's not dizzying levels of fame they're looking for, but rather wider acceptance and embrace of their version of K-pop. They are already succeeding by many measures, having just completed a tour of Europe, Asia and America late last year, all without the financial backing or marketing power of Seoul's major entertainment companies.

Balming Tiger – the name comes from tiger balma Singaporean ointment – ​​started as a party crew, organizing events with DJs in Seoul.

Singers and producers gradually came on board, who developed into a full-fledged stage act. Chanhee and Omega Sapien both left school to devote themselves to the group full-time. (“At first, I lied to my mom and said I had to take a break from school to join the military,” Chanhee said.) They released their first album in 2021.

Such a basic origin story is virtually unheard of in the world of idols. The vast majority of them audition for a management company and then, if they make the cut, undergo rigorous training that can take years.

The companies' authority over the groups goes beyond just the music. Many idols are told what they can and cannot say in public; sometimes their diet is even monitored. Some idols have said they were told not to date because their most devoted fans would feel upset or betrayed if they did.

The marketing is working, says Daniel Anderson, a Seattle-based K-pop writer. Many fans are attracted to the personas that the companies create for the idols. “They know how to build and construct these stories,” he said.

“People will cling to these stories that may be real, but often these images are made up,” Anderson said. “What they wear, what they say, who's the funny one, who's the introverted.”

But at the same time, he said, “fans want these idols to be more authentic.”

Some observers of K-pop say the unyielding value system reflects a broader social pressure in South Korea that allows no mistakes. The results can be compelling, as Ms. Kim, the journalist, noted. “When you watch a K-pop music video, it often feels like you're watching a Hollywood short film with high production values, insanely good-looking people and great choreography,” she said.

But in recent years, so many idol groups have entered the market that it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out, said Shin Cho, the domestic marketing director and head of K-pop and its Japanese counterpart, J-pop, at Warner Music Korea.

“People were outdoing each other on the 'perfect' scale,” Mr. Cho said.

One way to stand out in that environment can be to do things yourself. The Balming Tiger 'collective' consists of 11 members, including people behind the scenes: producers, a writer, videographers. The music, videos and choreography are all theirs.

For the main dance move in one of their songs: “BuriBuri”, they simply extend their arms out to the sides and sway their hips. “This is not something that professional choreographers would have come up with,” Omega Sapien said during a rehearsal in December. “It is organic and comes from us. It's better.”

The group members, back at their regular location, are now performing in South Korea and working on new music. No matter what it sounds like, they consider it K-pop.

“K-pop has an edge and that is what is breaking the market,” Omega Sapien said. “We are adding another layer to that edge, which will be our legend and asset that we pass on to future generations.”