Trot Music Revival: Lim Young-woong & AI’s Influence on the Genre’s Popularity

“The Comeback of Trot: Once Ridiculed Korean Music Genre Makes a Resurgence”

The BBC, a British public broadcaster, has spotlighted the resurgence of Trot, a traditional Korean music genre, fueled by social media trends. In an article titled “The Korean music genre once mocked as ‘uncool’ is making a comeback,” published on February 22nd (local time), BBC Korea highlighted Lim Young-woong as a symbol of the Trot revival, noting that generative AI is sparking a new wave of interest.

The BBC article immediately introduces Lim Young-woong as “the most successful of a new generation of Trot singers.” After winning a Trot audition program in 2020 against 17,000 competitors, Lim Young-woong held a solo concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2024, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with artists like Psy, Big Bang, and Seventeen. The BBC cited this as the strongest evidence of Trot’s resurgence. This reflects the Korean Music Industry Trends in embracing diverse genres.

The article also explored the history of Trot. Originating in the 1930s during the Japanese colonial period and influenced by Korean folk songs, Japanese Enka, and Western jazz, Trot expresses themes of separation, longing, and “Han” (a sense of deep sorrow and resentment) through its unique “꺾기” (vibrato) vocal technique. The rivalry between Nam Jin and Na Hoon-a in the 1960s and 70s was so intense that fans even took sides in their daily lives.

However, with the global success of K-pop, Trot became labeled as “old-fashioned and uncool.” Its core audience became limited to middle-aged and elderly listeners. While recent audition programs featuring young Trot singers have led to some revival, music critic Jung Min-jae told the BBC that “few are optimistic that these young singers will spread Trot to a wider audience.” This brings to light the importance of Music Genre Evolution.

An unexpected variable has emerged in this trend: AI. Recently, Korean content creators have been using generative AI to transform K-pop and hip-hop songs into Trot styles, creating AI-generated images of idols in flashy suits and bouffant hairstyles and posting them on Instagram and YouTube. A Trot version of Jay Park’s hip-hop song “MOMMAE” garnered hundreds of thousands of views with comments like, “My mom will love this.” Kim Ji-hoon, a 29-year-old office worker, told the BBC that he is running a separate YouTube and Instagram account to “re-spotlight hidden gems of K-pop.” Consider exploring AI Music Generation for more insights.

YouTuber “Bbong Me the Money,” who also works in the music industry, also joined this trend but took down all AI clips due to copyright issues. He told the BBC, “Trot is not just cheap, old music, but the only modern genre that has endured the turmoil of the 20th century,” reevaluating Trot’s significance.

Jung Min-jae also coolly pointed out the limitations of the AI Trot craze. “People are not enjoying Trot as a genre, but playing with AI technology,” he said. “Trot will ultimately remain a respected but niche ‘classic K-pop.'” The BBC added that as the core fanbase of Trot, the elderly generation, dwindles, the genre’s future could also be shaken. This emphasizes the importance of Target Audience in Music.