The six-day festival includes several online experiences with major artists, stars in training and a number of creative talent in the K-pop industry including Monsta X, Cravity and The Boyz
At a time when concerts all around the world have been cancelled and music venues remain shuttered, Airbnb is lifting the veil on the Korean pop music industry with an unprecedented look behind the scenes of K-pop, transporting viewers to the streets of Seoul and giving them a chance to interact with major artists, starts in training and a number of creative talent in the K-pop industry.
"Inside K-Pop" is the latest addition to Airbnb's Experiences and is a six-day festival in celebration of K-pop which will run from January 25–30 KST, featuring 14 unique online experiences offered in English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese.
The festival boasts a star-studded line-up, hosted by chart-topping idols like Monsta X and in partnership with Warner Music Korea. The online experiences include dance rehearsals, vocal practice, make-up tutorials to photoshoot tips and if you're dreaming of becoming a K-pop star, you'll also get some first-hand rigorous training. You'll also get the chance to see a rare glimpse of K-pop idols or trainees, when they're making beaded bracelets, chatting with other stars as they mukbang (eating in front on an audience) and so on. Each experience is priced at US$20 each and available for booking from January 21 at 8 am KST on a first-come-first-served basis at airbnb.com/insidekpop.
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Recently, K-pop has taken the world by storm. The genre references a variety of global musical styles including rock, jazz, hip-hop and R&B. Despite the lyrics being in mostly Korean, its influence captured beyond the borders of South Korea and garnered a passionate fan base drawn to its catchy rhythms and dynamic synchronised dance routines.
“Inside K-Pop is a virtual passport to the magic of Seoul at a time when travel remains restricted, offering unprecedented access to some of K-pop's biggest names both in front of and behind the curtain. We are so excited for would-be travellers to connect with this vibrant community and see the joy these extraordinary talents will bring to a global audience as hosts of Airbnb Online Experiences,” says Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s global head of hosting.
Here are some of the experiences you can book:
- Mukbang with Monsta X: Hang with the boys as they chow down on their favourite Korean convenience store food to refuel after busy days in training and on the road (available in English)
- Get crafty with The Boyz: The Boyz will be chilling at a Hanok (traditional Korean home) on Airbnb and engaging in their newfound passion for making beaded bracelets (available in English)
- Jamie's make-up routine: Get tips from Jamie on how to create the perfect off-stage look (available in English)
- Behind-the-scenes photoshoot with Handong: Learn poses, gestures and expressions from Handong of Dreamcatcher on a K-Pop photoshoot in Seoul (available in Chinese)
- Share AleXa's passion for dance: Experience the dance journey of a K-Pop star and earn AleXa's famous moves (available in English)
- Concert and storytelling session with Nive: Singer-songwriter Nive invites you to an intimate concert and storytelling session where he discusses his journey writing for some of K-Pop's biggest stars (available in English)
- Get tips from Kevin Woo: Former U-KISS band member and avid photographer Kevin Woo tells you how to put your best face forward in photographs
- Cooking session with Cravity: Make your own gungjung tteokbokki (savoury rice cakes from Korean royal courts) with the rising boy band, Cravity (available in English and Korean)
- Choreography session with BB Trippin and Freemind: These two well-known dance crews will lead a choreography session, showing you the moves of a star performance (available in English and Korean)