Critical Approaches to Transmedia Storytelling in K-Pop

In Critical Approaches to Transmedia Storytelling in K-Pop, contributors present a variety of compelling case studies to argue that K-pop has evolved beyond a musical genre into a global cultural phenomenon with a growing influence on contemporary media practices, highlighting its transmedia ecosystem in which complex narratives unfold and engage audiences across formats and platforms. An impressive roster of contributors assembled by editor Nicholas E. Miller explore how different artists and companies within the industry have constructed expansive storyworlds through a variety of media to draw fans into participatory, interpretive engagement. These analyses cohere to demonstrate how the narrative universes of K-pop have transformed cultural boundaries, industry economics, and global fan culture by strategically employing non-traditional elements and technologies that establish collaborative meaning-making and emotional investment as the basis of compelling fan experiences. As a result, this volume positions K-pop’s transmedial approach as not merely a marketing strategy, but as a sophisticated artistic framework which redefines the relationship between music, narrative, and performance in the digital age.