Abstract:
Joining a K-pop cover group has been a nationwide trend in the Philippines.
Covering a K-pop group does not only mean that you will imitate their choreograph and
doing adlibs, but also entails copying their appearance, costumes, attitude, and the aura
they give whenever they perform on stage.
This study utilized a phenomenological research to explain the motivation behind
joining K-pop cover groups, and to have an understanding of their lived experience with
the said phenomenon, aiming to discover how those groups are formed as well. Nonparticipant
observations and one on one interviews were used as a data collection
technique with ten aspiring cover group members aged 18-20 years old. A purposive and
snowball sampling were used to acquire the needed respondents for the study. The data
gathered was analyzed through patterning it with Colaizzi’s strategy in descriptive
methodology.
Results show that there are five major themes that emerged from the in-depth
interviews that were conducted with the research participants: Self-fulfillment, Means of
De-stressing, Extended Social Connections, Financial Incentives, and Public Recognition.
These themes determined the motivation of individuals for joining K-pop cover groups,
and the interviews were able to help answer the research objectives of the study which
are to: (1) describe how various K-pop cover groups are formed and (2) identify the
motivations of individuals who join K-pop cover groups.
