Korean music has changed dramatically over the past decade, most recently with the pop craze. This essay will focus on the Korean Wave with an emphasis on K-POP in terms of the sonic history and culture it created. I argue that a musical genre has never been so successful in penetrating the outside world and combining cultures. As this musical genre is relatively new, only twenty years old, the traditional meaning of the music should be taken with a grain of salt. I will space this article into three areas, as noted above, touching on history and culture, sound itself, and gender performance. I will then take a case study of the most popular K-POP group, Super Junior, and their song “U”. In the song, I will draw from my analysis of the genre and relate it to the goal of the Korean Wave movement. The history of K-POP lies within the shell of the Korean Wave movement. This is the increase in popularity of South Korean culture in the rest of the world (Cha, 153). Starting in the late 1990s, Korean dramas were exported to China, spawning songs a few years later (Cha, 155). Over time, the Korean Wave became more influential in different countries, exporting more types of culture to more parts of the globe (Cha, 156). Originally this meant neighboring countries like China, but recently it has even expanded to the United States. As with most cultural works that have gone viral over the past decade, K-POP is a hit with tweens and teens (Provine, 2014). The role of media through television and the Internet is essential in the dissemination of South Korean music and culture. K-POP can take the form of movies, dramas, or music, but music from the three main categories is the most widely distributed. As the musical genre has evolved, it has become a middle paper in global politics. New York: Public Affairs, 2004. Print.Provine, Robert C. “Korea.” Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, nd Web. February 26, 2014. .Psych. “PSY-GANGNAM STYLE.” YouTube. YouTube, July 15, 2012. Web. May 2, 2014. .Searbrook, John. “Cultural Technology and the Creation of K-Pop.” The New Yorker. Condé Nast, October 8, 2012. Web. May 02, 2014. .Tomuaru, Witzleben. "Korea in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume 7." Press release from Alexander Street. Ed. Yosihiko Tokumaru. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, September 1, 2001. Web. February 26. 2014. .