K-Pop in Your Library

K-Pop, which is short for Korean Pop, is a music genre that originated in South Korea. It encompasses musical styles like pop, hip hop, electronic, and more. The infectious melodies, combined with intricate choreography and larger-than-life style, create a stunning world of entertainment that is hard to ignore.

Whether you’re new to the craze or already a fanatic, the library’s collection offers plenty of resources about K-Pop. Read on for books and music to help you learn more about why K-Pop is so popular, who the major players are, and what styles are trending.  

COLLECTION

Escape into a fictional story about K-Pop superstars with these young adult titles from our collection:

• Fireworks by Alice Lin
  • Lulu Li has an ordinary summer planned before her freshman year of college, but when her childhood neighbor, now a K-Pop idol, moves home from South Korea, her summer turns out to be anything but ordinary. Will a whirlwind of overexcited fans and protective sisters smother a kindling romance, or will fireworks spark?

• Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
  • Being a pop-star is not as glamorous as it seems. Sunny’s career as a teen pop star is filled with dark secrets and heartache. She attends a K-pop workshop in hopes of mending relationships, but in a terrible twist, she must shift her focus to the finding the perpetrator behind a series of gruesome attacks on workshop attendees.

• K-pop Confidential by Stephan Lee (also available on Hoopla)
  • Candace Park is the perfect Korean-American girl and daughter who can also sing like the stars. With hesitant permission from her down-to-earth parents, Candace attends an elite K-Pop training camp in Seoul. The physical demands, complex social hierarchies, and strict rules are proving to be more than she can handle. Is a career in entertainment really worth breaking her spirit?

• Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho (also available on Hoopla)
  • Elena Soo might not know what she wants out of life, but one thing’s for sure, she does not want to waste her time and money going to prom. Her once best friend turned K-Pop star, Robbie, might be exactly what she needs to find herself —and a date— to prom.

• Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
  • She is a K-Pop star looking for a late-night hamburger. He is a paparazzi on assignment. It only takes one chance meeting to find love.

In addition to these, you might also enjoy:

• XOXO by Axie Oh (also available on Hoopla)
• Shine by Jessica Jung
• I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

HOOPLA

Sample the sounds of K-Pop on Hoopla! Sign up for a free Hoopla account with your library card and enjoy popular K-Pop albums, including bands like BTS.

Hoopla is home to several titles about the musical genre and some of its biggest acts:

• Behind the K-Pop Mania by Nathan Venture
• Beyond the Screen: Unveiling the World of Korean K-Pop and K-Drama Culture by Oriental Publishing
• Idols of K-Pop by Malcolm MacKenzie
• K-Pop A to Z: The Definitive K-Pop Encyclopedia by Bina Lee
• K-Pop Style by Dianne Pineda-Kim

And if you’re a #fanatic of bands like BTS or BlackPink, check out:

• 101 Amazing Facts about BTS by Merlin Mill
• The Big Book of BTS by Katy Sprinkel
• BLACKPINK: Pretty Isn’t Everything (The Ultimate Unofficial Guide) by Cara J. Stevens
• BTS: Rise of Bangtan by Cara J. Stevens
• BTS K-Pop Fan Favorites by Heather E. Schwartz
• The Unofficial BTS Bible by Dianne Pineda-Kim