How many trot songs do you know? This year in Korea, there is a trot craze and the love for trot is hotter than ever. Trot, which had been neglected by K-pop, is emerging as a more sophisticated genre than any other kind, not just an old song sung by grandmothers and grandfathers. As the programs 'Mr. Trot' and 'Ms. Trot' became very popular, various programs related to trot came out. The rhythm of trot used to be enjoyed and liked mainly by older people, but now it is being sought after by various age groups.

Trot has a history of about 100 years. The trot is a genre of music based in South Korea and was introduced during the Japanese Colonial Period in the 1920's. After the Korean War, K-pop music from the Japanese colonial era gradually began to become popularized, gaining a genre identity called 'trot'. It is true that it has not been recognized as mainstream music so far.

So, why is trot being re-examined? I guess that trot has become more popular this year for three reasons. First of all, trot is comforting the public in the current COVID-19 situation where many people stay at home. It can be said that the lyrics and notes soothed the public's heart. Another reason is that trot has a charm to the lyrics that has not been recognized until now. The last reason is that it is easy to sing along to, thanks to easy public-friendly lyrics, easy beats and singing.

This year, a new history has been born in the trot world. The 2020 Trot Awards was held for the first time. Through the awards you can realize the popularity of trot that you haven't seen before. Their viewer ratings are 22.4 percent, showing their popularity compared to the overall popularity of terrestrial TV series. The world's first Trot Awards ended with Lee Mi-ja winning the 100th anniversary of Trot award. Im Yeong-woong, who took first place in Mr. trot and is gaining huge popularity, won six gold medals. It showed the coexistence of once famous trot singers and current popular singers.

Like this, people are healed by music and comforted by their emotions. Trot is a music that gives us joy but also comforts us with lyrics. Trot, which could remain as a memory of an existing old song, is an important Korean musical gene that contains the excitement and sorrow of folk songs. I look forward to seeing the popularity of trot continue to soar and become very popular. Let's listen to trot and enjoy it now~!

L.L.F reporter Su-bin Song