Global songwriters fuel K-pop songwriting camps

“K-pop is crafted with remarkable precision, with distinct vocal tones and roles designed to stand out even within a single track,” said Swedish songwriter Ninos Hanna. “It reflects a level of completion that considers both performance and audience response.”

A close look at the songwriting credits behind recent K-pop chart releases reveals a growing number of unfamiliar names. The participation of composers and producers from around the world has become a defining feature of K-pop production.

In the past, South Korean entertainment agencies actively recruited overseas talent. Today, the dynamic has shifted. Foreign songwriters increasingly regard participation in songwriting camps hosted by South Korean agencies as a valuable career opportunity.

Composer Lee Jae-do offers a case in point. He previously created Red Velvet’s hit “Psycho” through a songwriting camp and more recently performed the song “Golden” for the Netflix animated series “K-pop Demon Hunters.”

A songwriting camp is a collaborative production system in which multiple composers and producers gather in one place to create songs intensively over a short period. In South Korea, SM Entertainment first introduced the model in 2009 and expanded its use in earnest beginning in 2011. Since then, songwriting camps have become a core production framework for major entertainment agencies.

How overseas composers experience this system in practice offers a clearer view of its appeal. Niklas Jarelius Persson and Ninos Hanna, Swedish songwriters who participated in SM Entertainment songwriting camps, shared their experiences via email. Persson has worked on tracks including NCT 127 member Jungwoo’s solo song “SUGAR” and Super Junior’s “HairCut.” Hanna contributed to the title track “BTTF” from NCT DREAM’s fifth full-length album.

Both composers pointed to creative freedom as the greatest strength of K-pop songwriting camps. Persson, who joined a camp in August 2024, said some days were dedicated to ballads, while others focused on hip-hop-based tracks. He explained that such broad experimentation is possible because K-pop artists are highly versatile. Working alongside multiple producers and topliners, he added, felt like assembling an Avengers-style team, with everyone operating at a high level in pursuit of the strongest possible result.

Hanna also praised what he described as K-pop’s efficient, hands-on production process. He said creative direction is continuously reviewed with A&R staff, allowing for swift decisions on whether to move forward or revise a song. Although he was familiar with K-pop before joining a songwriting camp, Hanna said the experience led him to genuinely fall in love with the genre.

The two composers agreed that while K-pop songwriting camps demand a high level of completion within a short timeframe and operate under intense pressure, the environment helps sharpen focus and intuition. Hanna said participants naturally learn to make quick decisions and sustain creativity under pressure, adding that ideas often emerge that would be difficult to generate in slower, more relaxed settings. Persson noted that tight deadlines can actually produce work that feels more natural and organic.

They said this production model has translated into K-pop’s competitive strength in the global market. As creators from different nationalities exchange ideas, songs tend to become richer and more diverse. Persson said that when people from' varied cultural and musical backgrounds converge on a single track, the resulting music often feels more distinctive and engaging.

“There are many talented composers around the world, but assembling a team that truly works well together is never easy,” Persson said. “The ability to identify the right collaborators may be the key to sustaining competitiveness in the fiercely contested global music market.”


사지원 4g1@donga.com