It's undeniable that K-pop, or Korean music, is one of the most popular cultural exports from Korea. The development of Korean music has been rapid, leading to its widespread recognition globally. It's not uncommon for Korean musicians or artists to expand their reach by making English versions of their Korean songs or creating entirely new English songs to help their international fans understand their music better.

Currently, many songs from Korean artists are released with full English lyrics. Sometimes, when people first listen to these songs, even those who are not into K-pop or even K-pop fans themselves, they mistakenly think that these are Western songs by Western artists. This is usually due to the music style, which differs from typical K-pop or Korean music, the vocal techniques used by the singers, or the songs' viral popularity on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

In this article, I summarize several songs from Korean artists that are often mistaken for Western songs.

1. Yerin Baek - Popo (How deep is our love?)

Released as the title track of her first full album, "Every letter I sent you" in 2019, "Popo" is a distinctive jazz/soul song with saxophone and trumpet sounds. The unusual music and Yerin's stunning jazzy vocals sometimes make this song mistaken for a Western song.

2. MOMOLAND x CHROMANCE - Wrap Me in Plastic

This collaboration single by girl group MOMOLAND and German music producer and DJ, CHROMANCE, was released in 2021. It's a new version of the song originally released in 2017 by CHROMANCE. This EDM-style song gained high popularity due to going viral on TikTok. It's understandable that most people think this song is by a Western artist.

3. Seori - Lovers in the Night

Released as a digital single in 2021, this combination of RnB and dreamy music with Seori's distinct husky vocal will make you dance all night long. Sometimes this song is mistaken for a Western song because of the music and Seori's unusual vocal style.

4. DPR IAN - Ballroom Extravaganza

This sentimental indie-rock song is one of the tracks from his full album "Moodswings in to Order", released in 2022. It talks about mental problems in relationships that always end in losing love itself. The song has a similar vibe to The Weeknd or Frank Ocean's songs. DPR IAN, a former member of boy group C-CLOWN, and of Australian descent, has all his songs in English, which is why his music stands out from usual K-pop songs.

5. eaJ - Car Crash

The solo debut of former DAY6 member, Jae, a.k.a. eaJ, received high enthusiasm. In 2022, he released his first solo single titled "Car Crash". This pop-rock song tells about nostalgia and the bumps in relationships. The music video also stars American creators and streamers Valkyrae and Kyedae. eaJ's unique vocals sound much like those of Western artists, and he is also of American descent.

6. FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid (Twin ver.)

2023 was an interesting year for K-pop. The song "Cupid" by K-pop girl group FIFTY FIFTY surprisingly became a big hit and went viral on social media, especially on TikTok and Instagram. Released as a single from the album "The Beginning", the English version of this song (referred to as "Twin ver.") achieved global commercial success. It entered major charts such as the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. At that time, some people didn't recognize the group and thought the song was by a Western artist.

7. wave to earth - bad

South Korean indie-rock band wave to earth captivated listeners with their dreamy bright-pop song "bad". Released in 2023 as a main track from their studio album "0.1 Flaws and All", the song gained public recognition through TikTok. The dreamy and relaxing sound is suitable for laid-back moments, and many people mistake this song for one by a Western artist. In fact, the majority of wave to earth's songs are in English.

8. The Rose - Back to Me

Alternative-rock band The Rose gained huge attention after their performance at the world's biggest music festival, Coachella, this year. Their emo-rock song "Back to Me" is one of their popular tracks. Released as a main track from their second full album "Dual" in 2023, the song's style and vocals resemble those of Western rock bands.

9. Peggy Gou - (It Goes Like) Nanana

Last but not least, one of the huge hit songs that became a worldwide success is "(It Goes Like) Nanana" by South Korean DJ and music producer Peggy Gou. This EDM-house song went viral on social media platforms, giving the artist her mainstream breakthrough hit single. Released in 2023, it will be included in her studio album "I Hear You", set for release in June 2024. It's understandable why people might think this is a Western song, given its English lyrics and the EDM-house genre, which isn't very popular in Korea. Many people don't realize that Peggy Gou is actually a Korean artist.

Is there any of your favorite songs on the list? Please let me know in the comment section below!