How K-pop is going classic

The art of blending genres is redefining the music scene.

K-pop is now moving to a whole new level by going classic.

Our Song Yoo-jin shows us what happens when K-pop meets classical music.

This 2007 hit by SM Entertainment's girl group Girls' Generation, "Into the New World," has jumped into a new world -the world of classical music.

Since 2020, SM Entertainment and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra have teamed up, with eight classical renditions of songs by artists such as SHINee, 레드벨벳, and aespa.

Now, they've brought the world's first-ever K-pop orchestra live concert to Seoul.

"It's the first of a kind in that the entire setlist performed by the orchestra is K-pop songs. So we're very proud of that."

Performing over a dozen K-pop songs, is a new experience for everyone, starting with arranging the music.

The key was to keep the original while adding originality.

"When arranging, we sample works by famous classical music composers. We looked for pieces that would blend well with the original K-pop track to stay true to the original and highlight the classical elements."

Then, it was practice, practice, and more practice until every note hit the mark.

"We watched the original performance videos and compared them to the sheet music. Our goal was to bring the lyrics, rhythms, melodies, and emotional depth of the K-pop tracks into our orchestral performance."

Finding this new groove wasn't easy.

The orchestra's associate concertmaster compares it to learning a new language.

"Because we're so used to playing all the you know normal classics Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms you know, and then now you know all these K-pop songs, so it's been a little bit challenging in a way."

But in the end, they discovered the beauty of crossing genres and unlocking new potential.

"We're taking K-pop's flashy performance and transforming it into something you can appreciate with just your ears. We're not just playing melodies. We're reimagining K-pop as 21st-century orchestral music. Even if you're not familiar with the original songs, you'll find something to enjoy."

Two genres, worlds apart, have come together to strike a chord, creating something groundbreaking, making classics trendy, and turning trends into timeless classics.

Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.