Korean City Pop

In the late ’70s and much of the ’80s, the City Pop trend—influenced by Western music—took off across Asia. South Korea jumped aboard, with its artists drawing inspiration from Japan’s pioneering scene to produce their own feel-good blend of catchy beats and airily cool melodies. Though it fell out of favour in the ’90s, Korean City Pop is now enjoying a revival—rising to prominence with a younger generation eager to explore the sounds that inspired the genesis of modern-day K-pop. This playlist gathers the best of its new tunes.