In 2012, Psy taught Mr Barack Obama, Mr David Cameron, and two-and-a-half-billion people to ride imaginary ponies while yelping “Oppa Gangnam Style” at the top of their lungs. In the four years since, Korean pop has become one of the world’s most talked about music genres. But why are Missy Elliott, Grimes and Mr Kanye West losing their minds over artists like G-Dragon and Keith Ape? What exactly is K-pop? Given that this week we are launching graphic contemporary brand Solid Homme, another very welcome South Korean export, we at MR PORTER thought it high time we explained it all.

Arguably the most important factor in K-pop’s evolution was the formation of SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment between 1995 and 1997. Taking an almost military approach to pop production, these companies would pick aspiring stars, house them together with band mates and gradually change how they looked, danced, talked and conducted themselves in public. Resembling a boot camp, boyfriends and girlfriends were not allowed, free time was minimal, and there have been reports of some artists going under the surgeon’s knife in a bid to make themselves more marketable. Some estimates put the cost at turning someone from a zero into a K-pop hero at $3m. When you think that some groups have more members than a football team (EXO have 12 frontmen), that’s quite an investment to make. But the returns can be astronomical. After Psy broke K-pop on a global scale, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism estimated the economic asset value of its music industry at $5.26 billion.

The surge of interest in Hallyu has gone hand in hand with the rise of social media and mobile computing, with videos from stars such as hip-hop bad boys Big Bang, and the nine-strong Girls’ Generation racking up 100s of millions of views on YouTube. Their fans are obsessive too. When a new song is released, mass chanting sessions are organised to teach everyone the lyrics. Stalking has become such an issue for K-pop stars that in February the Korean government raised the penalty for stalking to $17,000, as well a possible two-year jail sentence. It’s also became a political weapon, with South Korea playing 4Minute’s 2010 song “Huh” across the DMZ in response to North Korea sinking one of their navy ships. In one of his final acts in office, Kim Jong-il said the North Korean’s military would destroy any speakers set up along the border. He failed, and after Kim Jung-un carried out his fourth nuclear test in January this year, the South Koreans retaliated by blasting K-pop across the border as a birthday present.

So what’s next for K-Pop, besides winding up petulant dictators? Well for starters, Big Bang’s breakout star, G-Dragon, seems destined for global stardom – this year he caused an Insta-meltdown when he was papped at Chanel’s Couture show in a navy suit and a furry trapper hat. 2NE1’s front woman, CL, recently pulled a Beyoncé and hit the studio with Diplo for her forthcoming solo EP, Lifted. And, most excitingly, South Korea’s first trap rapper, Keith Ape, won over the hip-hop world with his monster hit, “It G Ma Remix” featuring A$AP Ferg, Father, Dumfoundead and Waka Flocka Flame.

We here at MR PORTER think it’s impossible not to be bowled over by the sheer fun and energy of this quirky genre. So to get you up to speed, we’ve made a playlist of our favourite 20 K-pop anthems. You’re going to play it so much, your neighbour may threaten to blow up your sound system. Sorry about that.

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