From the 1980s Milli Vanilli hoax to Mariah Carey’s infamous 2016 New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, lip-syncing accusations and catastrophes have accompanied iconic pop culture for a long time. Naturally, these controversies have extended to the world of K-pop, where music recording (MR)-removed performance videos sometimes go more viral than the actual performances. With aggressive anti-fans attacking any account of absent vocals in a live performance, the question of whether lip-syncing is a hoax or a tradition has been highlighted once again by the K-pop industry.

K-pop artists may not be innately different from pop artists, yet the expectations held against them vary. Primarily, K-pop performers - idols - are upheld by their visual appearances, personalities, and ability to dance and sing. Pop artists may be praised by the same criteria but are not as suffocated by perfectionist standards. Pop artists are presumed to be good singers and entertainers; anything beyond that is secondary. Contrarily, idols are met with overwhelming expectations that are the amalgamation of perverted, distorted beauty standards and sexist stereotypes.

In such a demanding, physically degrading work environment, choosing to lip-sync to retain the perfect image seems understandable. In some cases, organizers even ask idols to divert to lip-sync to assure sound quality. All in all, the reasons why K-pop artists might choose to play it safe are credulous and probably valid. Nevertheless, examining lip-syncing from a moralistic standpoint challenges this validity. Furthermore, taking lip-syncing for granted and accepting it as a norm poses potential dangers to the future of the K-pop industry.

Lip-syncing at a live performance is fundamentally a deceitful oxymoron. When viewers are told that idols are performing live, they assume that all aspects of the performance are live as well. Even if artists pre-record a performance, K-pop fans naturally expect what they view to be the raw, live talent of the performers. This code between K-pop fans and artists makes the conscious decision to breach this expectation seem insensitive towards their position as artists. Moreover, lip-syncing arguably deteriorates the actual quality of K-pop performances for lacking a genuine touch. Unless an artist is a trained actor, it is difficult to successfully lip-sync without getting caught, because netizens quickly notice and raise the issue. Not only do many artists resort to lip- syncing, but many have a hard time making it look authentic, leading viewers’ attention astray and causing them to question the performance instead of immersing themselves in it.

There are many future implications entangled with why lip-syncing is problematic. Harsh as it may seem, being unaccepting of lip-syncing will ultimately create an atmosphere within the music industry which prioritizes the artist’s wellbeing. Being able to sing live requires putting an artist’s health and condition maintenance as a priority above others. If lip-sync is indeed considered a problem within the K-pop industry, idols are likely to be treated more as artists than visually appealing puppets. In other words, K-pop idols will be taken more seriously if everything within and beyond the industry expects them to sing live.

Furthermore, designating the ability to sing and dance live as a prerequisite to succeed as a K-pop idol – though it may be degrading to some currently active artists – lays substantive grounds for more talented individuals to succeed as prospective idols. This paves the road for a more hopeful, exciting future for the next generation of K-pop artists, holding them to higher, yet healthier standards as a performer in the K-pop industry. At the end of the day, lip-sync is problematic. However, fans should keep in mind that criticizing it is not simply to drag down certain K-pop idols, but to change the toxic aspects of the K-pop industry for the better.