유행의 관점에서 본 중국 대중음악의 비(非) 순환성 (1)— 음원차트와 방송포맷을 중심으로

Abstract

Chinese pop music trends don’t change easily. In this paper, I defined this phenomenon as a cultural phenomenon called “non-circulation.” As a cultural product, Chinese pop music was found to have several factors that hinder the virtuous cycle at each stage of the cycle (planning, production, distribution, promotion, and consumption). First, the immaturity of government policy. China still lacks awareness of music (or pop culture) as an industry. The Chinese government is still trying to confine the ecosystem of pop music, which should develop freely, within a propaganda frame that promotes revolution, nationalism, and socialism. Second, the immaturity of broadcasting media and music platforms. Rampant corruption, viewership ratings-oriented mentality, and excessive commercialization in the broadcasting industry are hindering the growth of new music and new singers. Because there are no authoritative music charts that reflect changing trends and realistic popularity, it is impossible to provide direction to industry insiders. Third, the immaturity of people in the music industry. In a rush for short-term profits, recycling of old songs, large-scale imitations, and plagiarism are rampant in the industry. There is a lack of effort to make long-term plans and invest in nurturing new talent. Entertainment companies lack expertise in music and are only focused on keeping up with profitability without a clear distinction between entertainment activities other than music. Although the Chinese pop music market has achieved great quantitative growth along with the Chinese economy, it has not yet achieved the qualitative growth it should achieve. The aforementioned structural immaturity is an obstacle to creating new trends in Chinese pop music. It is believed that these contradictions are not simply a problem limited to the pop music industry, but a problem that appears throughout Chinese society.