The big picture
Global pop of the 2010s and 2020s (including K-pop) blends three harmonic inheritances: Anglo-American pop (4-chord loops), J-pop/city pop (royal road, the “Just the Two of Us” progression, seventh chords) and R&B/hip hop (minor loops, extensions, one or two harmonies for the whole song). K-pop in particular, often written by international teams of songwriters, combines sections with different harmonic languages within the same song.
Common progressions (C major / A minor)
| Progression | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| vi – IV – I – V | Am F C G | EDM-pop choruses, ballads |
| I – V – vi – IV | C G Am F | pop-rock, anthems |
| IV – V – iii – vi | F G Em Am | royal road: K-ballad, J-pop, city pop |
| IVmaj7 – III7 – vi7 – v7 – I7 | Fmaj7 E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 | city pop, neo-soul, “retro” pop |
| i – bVI – bIII – bVII | Am F C G | dark pop, girl crush, cinematic |
| i – bVII – bVI – bVII | Am G F G | EDM, dance |
| i – iv – bVII – bIII | Am Dm G C | trap-pop, R&B |
| i7 – IV7 (Dorian) | Am7 D7 | funk-pop, nu-disco |
| ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – vi7 | Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Am7 | R&B, jazz-pop |
| a single chord / two chords | Am7 – Fmaj7 | trap, drill, hip hop |
Harmonic characteristics of K-pop
- Contrasting sections: verse over a minor trap loop (1 chord every 2 bars), pre-chorus with faster harmonic rhythm and “bright” chords (IV – V – iii – vi), chorus with a minimal instrumental drop (often a single chord or a riff).
- Key change before the last chorus (by a semitone or a whole tone) in many ballads and melodic pop songs.
- Bridge with different harmony (half-time, seventh chords, modal borrowing) before the final return.
- Seventh chords and extensions (maj7, m7, 9, sus) inherited from R&B and J-pop.
- Minor modes with Dorian colors (major IV in minor) and Phrygian colors (bII) in “dark” and dance songs.
Note: the progressions of individual K-pop songs should be verified song by song (for example on Hooktheory TheoryTab), because amateur chord sites often disagree.
Western pop: verifiable examples
- Ed Sheeran, Shape of You (2017): C#m – F#m – A – B (i – iv – VI – VII).
- The Weeknd, Blinding Lights (2019): Fm – Cm – Eb – Bb (i – v – bVII – IV, with the Dorian IV).
- Avicii, Wake Me Up (2013): Bm – G – D – A (vi – IV – I – V or i – bVI – bIII – bVII).
- Silk Sonic, Leave the Door Open (2021): IV – V – iii – vi (royal road) according to the analysis reported on Wikipedia.
Trends
- Fewer chords, more production: in many songs the harmony is a loop of 2–4 chords; the interest comes from timbre, rhythm, voice, “beat switches.”
- Return of seventh chords (city pop, neo-soul, Silk Sonic, J-pop) after years of triads.
- Major/minor ambiguity: vi – IV – I – V progressions that the producer makes sound minor or major through bass and melody.
Producer exercise (“K-pop” structure)
- Verse (8 bars, 120 BPM): Am7 – Fmaj7 looped, half-time trap drums, 808 bass.
- Pre-chorus (8 bars): Fmaj7 – G – Em7 – Am7, two chords per bar in the last two bars, crescendo with a build-up.
- Chorus (16 bars): F – G – Am – C with full synths, then an 8-bar drop on a single chord with a riff.
- Last chorus a semitone up (from C to Db): prepare the jump with a 1-bar drum break or with Ab7, the dominant of the new key.
Related
Axis progression, royal road, the “Just the Two of Us” progression, contemporary pop and K-pop forms, chromatic and direct modulation, Aeolian and Locrian.