"World music" has always been something of an ironic (not to mention ironically limited) descriptor: The "world" in world music doesn't include significant parts of Europe and North America, the music of the whole "world" is given a disproportionate amount of global media and promotional attention, etc., etc. One of the less central (and less often discussed) ironies of the industry, however, is that Asian music, in general, and especially Asian pop music (with the occasional J-pop exception) just doesn't circulate through the world music conduits all that readily. To some degree, the rest of the world's lack of access to Asian pop has to do with differences in local music industries. But it also might be related to a general dismissal of commercial Asian pop as just a bunch of sappy ballads and canned beats.

And okay, yes, there are actually a lot of sappy ballads -- although we shouldn't be too quick to write that material off either. But that's another SoundTrek. Today we're talking about the peppier stuff in the Asian pop oeuvre, particularly in the region's videos. And, oh boy, are there plenty of downright campy, deliciously candy-coated nuggets there -- the stuff that makes pop everywhere good and addictive. Moreover, there's a kind of joie de vivre (and sometimes a wacky plotline) that's often missing from Western pop.

Pop stars are familiar with this kind of kicky, kitschy terrain (see: the video for Britney Spears' "Womanizer"), but all too often the exuberance seems to get overshadowed by this grave sexiness (see: well, the video for Britney Spears' "Womanizer"). Come on, America, can't we be hot and fun at the same time?

None of this is meant to imply that Asian pop is always a zany, colorful good time. Plenty of J-pop, K-pop and C-pop (and more) artists get solemn and serious in their videos. Check out, for instance, "Breakdown" by Korean hip-pop crew Epik High, a group that started out more boy band than badass but has gradually gotten more hardcore over the course of four albums. (Warning: this one is pretty graphic -- some of Epik High's videos have even been banned in Korea.)

Further Viewing:

Koda Kumi f. Fergie: "That Ain't Cool"

Further Listening:

Jin: ABC, Utada Hiraku: Heart Station

But even serious Asian hip-hop crews often layer in a little creative silliness or a whisper of whimsy, as in this video for "Zock On!" by the Teriyaki Boyz, a Japanese hip-hop crew that's earned the approval of a number of heavy-hitters in the American rap industry (watch for Pharrell guesting -- in Japanese!). Here's the video.

In the Philippine music industry, if a video isn't a romantic mini-soap opera, it's probably a slightly madcap, pun-ridden joyride. It's a generalization to be sure, but one for which there are a lot of examples. Case in point: this hit video from a few years back by Parokya ni Edgar, who are kind of like a Filipino Fall Out Boy -- except they predate the Fueled by Raman darlings by several years. The song's called "Picha Pie." See if you can guess the pun (not to mention the karaoke/dance club favorite the song takes its melody from). Here's the video.

Further Listening:

 Various Artists: Pinay Pie OST

The recent group that takes the kicky cake is the Wonder Girls, a K-pop R&B/hip-hop troupe that won raves from fans as unlikely as Perez Hilton for glammy, high-concept, high-camp, so-delicious-you-could-just-suck-it-up-with-a-straw videos like this:

And this:

Further Viewing:

S.H.E. and Fahrenheit: "Xin Wo," Jolin Tsai: "Te Wu J"

We never thought we'd thank Perez for something, but thank you, Mr. Hilton. Now, we've got to go see a man about a flying pig.