As the K-pop wave takes over Western music, one club on campus embraces the beat and choreography of international tunes.
In the past decade, with K-Pop groups like BTS and Black Pink finding success in the Western market, more and more Americans are looking to become a part of the global phenomenon.
Between performances at basketball games, Greek life events and hosting the first-ever K-Pop dance competition in Tennessee, RVX, the student-run K-Pop dance cover group, has made a name for itself the past eight years on campus.
With over 350,000 views on YouTube alone and a collaboration with one of the largest K-Pop cover channels “The Hallyuverse”, RVX has solidified its spot not only on campus but in the K-pop community at large.
Starting in 2017, the organization formed as a subset of the Korean Music Business Society who wanted to represent their organization at Belmonts World Culture Festival.
By 2021 the handful of original members had ballooned to over 30, most of which just joined the KMBS for their dance sub-group, leading to changes being made.
“People were joining KMBS just to do RVX and not really the business side. So, we split off and just did RVX on its own,” said Jakyia Adams, current co-captain and six-year member.
As the years went on and the dance group found its footing as a new student organization on campus, the number of performances jumped from two to 12 a semester.
“We grew to the point we added more leadership positions, more teachers…That's when we started filming more consistently to give people a purpose, so we're not just like, sitting and twiddling our thumbs,” said Adams.
Last month in addition to the slate of live performances, rehearsals and video shoots, RVX hosted the first ever K-Pop dance cover competition in Tennessee.
Named “Heart and Seoul,” the competition drew groups from six states in the southern region to the Curb event center, offering a chance for these groups to compete for a cash prize and receive feedback from large names within the Nashville dance industry.
“It shows that, there's so much room for K-pop to grow in this state. And [Heart and Seoul] proves that, like, this is a huge deal for people,” said Gina Sisco, co-captain, and brainchild of the event.
And while the shining lights of the stage and barrel of the camera are what seemingly draw people in, the community that is built around RVX is what keeps people coming back.
“Of course, it's to compete and perform, but it's also to come together and meet people with this similar interest that has taken kind of the Western world by storm the last couple years,” said Emma Jones, treasurer and co-captain elect of the dance group.
Though the genre has been picked up by many international fans in the last five years, members of the group still experience the stigma behind being a part of the Korean based fandom.
“My family doesn't get it at all. And they're like, ‘you can't even understand them?’ Why do you listen to them?” said Jones.
Beyond just a lack of understanding, the push back on the music of the Korean wave manifests more as distaste.
“I get backlash for liking it,” said Taryn Williams, junior dance instructor. “But I feel like, if you enjoy music and have appreciation for music, that's just kind of what it is. It doesn’t matter the language”
This common experience between earlier adopters of the K-Pop fandom is brought together, finally finding community with those who share their interests.
“It's quite universal that we feel like we don't have anyone to share it with. And so, finding a community like RVX was paramount. And it’s how I've defined my experience here at Belmont,” said Sisco.
RVX and other K-pop groups have helped students at Belmont achieve an identity and sense of belonging while performing and pursuing what they love.
“We are here to enjoy the same thing. So, it's just nice to have a community that understands one another,” said Adams.
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This article was written by Zach Watkins