Coldplay - Higher Power: 10 locations in Seoul. Which have you been to?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WOwa0lWEz4

Recognize where it is? Answers below....








https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQSZrM_hTlg

10 locations are Flower-Wall Mural Village, Around Hansung Univ Station, Foot Bridge near Wolgok Station, Yeongdeungpo-gu Office, Food Street, Yeji-dong Clock-Alley, Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park, Yeouido Culture Bridge, Guro Market, Cheonggyecheon, Cheonggye-2-ga, Jongno-1-ga. So, let's walk together with Coldplay's Higher Power
https://www.koreatravelpost.com/higher-power-seoul-filming-locations/

15 years in Seoul and I've only walked in two of those spots: Jongno and Cheonggyecheon.

I've been to all of them, for what that's worth.

This popularity us why I've been at 2.1 the last 14 years.

Cannot believe that Coldplay and Oasis are so popular here. Britain's two shittiest bands, vying for the crown of Foreign Music Most Favored by Koreans. At least that Sam Smith song has finally died a welcome death after some 5 years of constant airplay in every coffee shop in Korea. Maroon 5 is mercifully on the decline too. Astoundingly, Ed Sheeran's Shape of You can still be heard regularly in shops, restaurants and cafes.

I once got a pretty good explanation as to why Korean public spaces are pounded by the same 10 songs for years on end, but I've forgotten the details. The simple version goes something like this: The pop charts have lost of a lot of their significance in the Anglosphere, but the Melon chart is still very influential in Korea. As a result, lots of shops and restaurants just run a looping playlist of the Melon top 10 (or 20, or whatever), which reinforces the popularity of these songs. This then creates a feedback loop through which certain tracks stay around much longer than they deserve to.

(And my own addition here: The cultural expectation of embracing whatever is popular probably leads to marketers and music directors sticking these tracks on TV shows and adverts, which appear well past a natural expiry date for a song's relevance. That serves as more input into the feedback loop and serves as an artificial lifeline for moribund landfill pop).

At least that Sam Smith song has finally died a welcome death after some 5 years of constant airplay in every coffee shop in Korea. Maroon 5 is mercifully on the decline too. Astoundingly, Ed Sheeran's Shape of You can still be heard regularly in shops, restaurants and cafes.

Korea takes this shit to an ANNOYING level. Yes, pop music is popular. That comes with the territory but this shit should change very 8 months.

WHY are we still playing Shape of You in public? If people played music they like, then it'd be more diverse and if it was simply what's popular then it would change every 6 months. Korea is in this weird Nether-Zone of shitty music being played OVER and OVER.

I get that I can't expect MY musical tastes to be catered to, but Jesus Christ, update the fukking playlist.

I wonder if Marty's going to leap to the defence of Coldplay and Oasis as quickly as he would to an old white guy slagging off Black Pink and BTS

My view is this-
1) Why do you care?
2) I can't imagine places back home playing the same bunch of songs over and over *cough oldies stations cough* and these being commonly heard
3) Half the music recs and shares on this site are by bands whose last big hurrah was during the Carter Administration.
4) If Koreans did play what's popular now, all of you would just be b*tching how it was a bunch of rap/r&b music with black performers, 90% of whom you don't recognize and wouldn't listen to for 10 seconds if you had the choice, and how such music would lead to drive-by shootings and bad English and fat women.

And you know #4 is true.

2) I can't imagine places back home playing the same bunch of songs over and over *cough oldies stations cough* and these being commonly heard

I don't have to hear that at a cafe or in a store. Cafes back home usually play stuff I've NEVER heard before or.............. NOTHING. The best part about cafes is that I have no idea what the music is and if something is interesting I can soundhound it and learn something new.

Do you really think most people in Korea are talking with their friends in a cafe and thinking, "You know what would really improve this? Hearing that Ed Sheeran song from 5 years ago that I've literally heard 480 times."

I don't have to hear that at a cafe or in a store. Cafes back home usually play stuff I've NEVER heard before or.............. NOTHING. The best part about cafes is that I have no idea what the music is and if something is interesting I can soundhound it and learn something new.

Depends on the cafe. Like a diner/cafe would probably play Oldies/Easy Listening. Same with supermarkets and some other brick and mortar type places.

Now some coffee shop? Yeah you might get the eclectic jazz/vocal mix and weird stuff. At a busier-up-tempo place where it's just a constant stream of people, noise and not much in the way of studying, maybe some more modern pop. In the case of Starbucks Korea and other franchises, it might well be corporate-chosen. Like "You are playing this specified music stream OR ELSE." Heck, it could well be based off of some algorithm of time of day, size of the place, number of visitors, average customer age, etc. and then the computer just puts you on "Starbucks Channel #4 or Starbucks Channel #8". I mean, that's what I'd do if I was corporate. I sure wouldn't want some random Starbucks playing death metal or gangsta rap and causing an incident. I'd get some people to choose stuff based on data analysis and then use real-time data and networks to select the optimal music. If not Starbucks, then I bet some other franchises do that, either in-house or they select a certain service or list.

I mean there is so much available data out there that you could probably use it to find optimal combinations to boost sales by .2-1% based on music, which across 250-500 locations over the course of a year could be some serious dough.

I mean, while coffee is a different animal than booze, I am forced to note a tendency of people to "drink up", be happier and order more when familiar songs are playing. In the case of coffee, my best guess would be that familiar songs might lead people to drink a bit faster (faster turnover) and perhaps be more apt to purchase something "on the way out". It might also encourage people there to study for a few hours, to start to think of things they associate with popular songs (i.e. meeting friends) and their cheapskate "1 tall for 4-8 hours of free wifi" butts might clear out and again (but leaving happy- heck they might return for that post boozy dinner coffee with their friends), help customer turnover, etc.. On the other hand, familiar music definitely can be a negative for certain times/places/clienteles/etc.

But yeah, if I've thought of this, then undoubtedly someone else has. Which means it's likely been focus-grouped, tested, and analyzed. There's something to it.

What a crazy world we live. Used to just be the radio tuned to the local NPR station or maybe some CDs the staff had. Now it's all going through software and focus groups and real-time networks with live updated data.

Depends on the cafe. Like a diner/cafe would probably play Oldies/Easy Listening. Same with supermarkets and some other brick and mortar type places.

Now some coffee shop? Yeah you might get the eclectic jazz/vocal mix and weird stuff. At a busier-up-tempo place where it's just a constant stream of people, noise and not much in the way of studying, maybe some more modern pop. In the case of Starbucks Korea and other franchises, it might well be corporate-chosen. Like "You are playing this specified music stream OR ELSE." Heck, it could well be based off of some algorithm of time of day, size of the place, number of visitors, average customer age, etc. and then the computer just puts you on "Starbucks Channel #4 or Starbucks Channel #8". I mean, that's what I'd do if I was corporate. I sure wouldn't want some random Starbucks playing death metal or gangsta rap and causing an incident. I'd get some people to choose stuff based on data analysis and then use real-time data and networks to select the optimal music. If not Starbucks, then I bet some other franchises do that, either in-house or they select a certain service or list.

I mean there is so much available data out there that you could probably use it to find optimal combinations to boost sales by .2-1% based on music, which across 250-500 locations over the course of a year could be some serious dough.

I mean, while coffee is a different animal than booze, I am forced to note a tendency of people to "drink up", be happier and order more when familiar songs are playing. In the case of coffee, my best guess would be that familiar songs might lead people to drink a bit faster (faster turnover) and perhaps be more apt to purchase something "on the way out". It might also encourage people there to study for a few hours, to start to think of things they associate with popular songs (i.e. meeting friends) and their cheapskate "1 tall for 4-8 hours of free wifi" butts might clear out and again (but leaving happy- heck they might return for that post boozy dinner coffee with their friends), help customer turnover, etc.. On the other hand, familiar music definitely can be a negative for certain times/places/clienteles/etc.

But yeah, if I've thought of this, then undoubtedly someone else has. Which means it's likely been focus-grouped, tested, and analyzed. There's something to it.

What a crazy world we live. Used to just be the radio tuned to the local NPR station or maybe some CDs the staff had. Now it's all going through software and focus groups and real-time networks with live updated data.

Let's see, we have loads of "mights, a probably, a my best guess, a likely been, a perhaps be, a could probably and a could be" which absolutely, definitively proves what we all know.  DeMartino just makes up crap off the top of his head to back up one of his knee jerk "defend Korea on all fronts" reactions.  This is just just a stellar example of his "Well, have you ever considered it could be..?"  routines. You cannot have spent time in both a variety of businesses back home and in Korea and honestly not reached the conclusion people in this thread have reached.  And that is, Overall, Korea repeats the same songs far more and for far longer than places in Canada and the U.S.  But, when it comes to observations we make about Korea, Marty has no interest in honesty in his rebuttals.

Now some coffee shop? Yeah you might get the eclectic jazz/vocal mix and weird stuff.

And that's how it should be. Just atmospheric jazz.

Pop music isn't really atmospheric. It's "Oh, this song. This is that artist I know. Wow." I know I sound curmudgeonly, but music in a cafe should blend in and honestly, you probably SHOULDN'T recognise it. Just have some nice instrumental jazzy stuff. 

Let's see, we have loads of "mights, a probably, a my best guess, a likely been, a perhaps be, a could probably and a could be" which absolutely, definitively proves what we all know.  DeMartino just makes up crap off the top of his head to back up one of his knee jerk "defend Korea on all fronts" reactions.  This is just just a stellar example of his "Well, have you ever considered it could be..?"  routines. You cannot have spent time in both a variety of businesses back home and in Korea and honestly not reached the conclusion people in this thread have reached.  And that is, Overall, Korea repeats the same songs far more and for far longer than places in Canada and the U.S.  But, when it comes to observations we make about Korea, Marty has no interest in honesty in his rebuttals.

Well, then lets go with the implication of what you're suggesting- That music in corporate coffee shops is NOT selected in how I said. This would suggest
1) The franchise coffee places do not offer guidelines or recommended steams at a minimum or take additional control and mandate certain guidelines or channels.
2) That no one at these companies has done any market research into music at their places and how it affects sales, customer satisfaction and behavior?
3) That no one at these companies UP TO AND INCLUDING STARBUCKS, A GLOBAL BEHEMOTH, has thought about using big data, real-time tracking and networks select optimal music and to either generate their own streams or license them?
4) That the massive coffee industry in Korea hasn't considered these things?

You say my view is unlikely, but if it is so, then you have to say the above is MORE likely, and well, that seems rather unlikely.

Now CO2 very likely is talking independent coffee shops who are probably doing as was suggested and just clicking on a Melon stream and there likely is some popularity feedback, BUT as far as franchises go, it is highly probable there is some degree of corporate influence and the things I suggested.

Regardless, you didn't really address any of this. You just went to "Ruhbuhbuh, DeMart the apologist, harumph!"

This is before we get to any kind of questions of confirmation bias and such on our parts regarding "familiar songs over and over."

I don't mind corporate playlists. Starbucks does that in Canada and I might not LIKE all of it but a good 2/3 of the artists I've never even heard of (I'm not omniscient and I'm not Anthony Fantano but I do know quite a bit haha)

That's a far cry from "Here are the 6 most popular artists from the English speaking music market over and over for half a decade."

My view is this-
1) Why do you care?

because its annoying

also i feel like the "why do you care" argument is always somewhat disingenuous in the context of a web forum. nobody actually "cares" about anything brought up in small talk enough to do something about it.

2) I can't imagine places back home playing the same bunch of songs over and over *cough oldies stations cough* and these being commonly heard

what happens here goes way beyond that lol, but yes, oldies/rock stations in the states are an absolute meme (which is why i dont listen to them)

ignoring 3 and 4 because im pretty sure those arent aimed at me

Regardless, you didn't really address any of this. You just went to "Ruhbuhbuh, DeMart the apologist, harumph!"

Yeah, that was my point.  It was a great example of how you just make things up off the top of your head.  Your entire argument was just chock full of hypotheticals.

The other issue, I wasn't going to waste much time on because we all know that including places that have the programmed music from corporate, you tend to hear a much wider variety of music with less repeats than over here.  That's just a fact that shouldn't trigger you.  I worked briefly at The Gap when I was in university and I recall one song from the corporate playlists coming on that I really liked but didn't know.  If I was only working a few hours I wouldn't hear it again in that shift.  It was "Candy Everybody Wants" by 10,000 Maniacs if you're wondering.  The version with Michael Stipe guesting.  I have belonged to about a dozen gyms in the last 10 years and without exception I will hear the playlist start to repeat before my hour workout is finished and yes, that f**king Ed Sheeran song is always blaring.  Why would you even care enough to get worked up about this? 

And that's how it should be. Just atmospheric jazz.

Pop music isn't really atmospheric. It's "Oh, this song. This is that artist I know. Wow." I know I sound curmudgeonly, but music in a cafe should blend in and honestly, you probably SHOULDN'T recognise it. Just have some nice instrumental jazzy stuff. 

While I'm inclined to agree, at least at the level of individual coffee shops, and what you describe is the safe bet, I do think it could vary. For example a coffee shop that does most of its business at night with social crowds or draws mostly shoppers and "on break" types would want something different than a place that draws middle-aged people, studying students and such.

I mean surely we agree that when it comes to bars, music will vary depending on clientele and atmosphere (i.e. sports bar vs. lounge vs. pocha vs. dive bar vs. cigar bar) or grocery/retail stores (Whole Foods in Seattle vs. Kroger in Elkhart vs. corner store i n NYC vs. Wal-Mart in Tallahassee).

It reminds me of a scene from one if my favorite shows, Homicide: Life on the Street, where the cops are debating what music to play in their newly purchased bar. Munch, who hates country, wants country because it was what was voted on and because "We want people crying into their drinks. We want them feeling they're better in here than out there." Meanwhile Lewis is 100% against any (uhh) 'small crispy bread-butt' music on his jukebox, which would be a turnoff to the black cops as well. Finally Balyiss hits on the right compromise- Blues. Some Koko Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Lee Hooker, etc.

Music can really make a place sometimes...

I mean surely we agree that when it comes to bars, music will vary depending on clientele and atmosphere (i.e. sports bar vs. lounge vs. pocha vs. dive bar vs. cigar bar)

and none of them will have Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran playing at 50 min intervals for 10 hours.

That is my point.

also, @ martinos whole corporate playlist spiel, that is something that happens at like... Macys and the like, but the food service business is a bunch of small outlets divided by owner divided by manager, etc.

last place i worked at (which was a corporate coffee shop) people barely cared enough to stay hired (aka we switched our gloves out after touching the lox and sometimes wiped down the line). neither us nor our manager gave a rats ass about the market research and what playlist the higher-ups wanted locations to use lmao

and none of them will have Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran playing at 50 min intervals for 10 hours.

That is my point.

I hear that. I assume in that case it's either Lazy 19 year old doesn't care about switching the playlist....or it could be deliberate to try and move people along.

also, @ martinos whole corporate playlist spiel, that is something that happens at like... Macys and the like, but the food service business is a bunch of small outlets divided by owner divided by manager, etc.

To some extent that can be true, but it depends on the place. Obviously some Pelicana Chicken could be blasting anything from Trot to Rap and there's no input. On the other hand, Starbucks comes across as something that is much more structured when it comes to these things.
https://www.starbucks.com/rewards/music/
https://open.spotify.com/user/starbucks
https://www.fastcompany.com/3067250/meet-the-music-nerds-behind-the-tunes-you-hear-at-starbucks

It does appear there is some sort of attempt at centralization and a concerted corporate effort by Starbucks to manage its music content. If Starbucks is "hand-picking" their music, then it is highly probable that there is more to it than just what these two people are talking about it. If you look at some of the things they say, it's clear this is a more involved process than just making a mix-tape. There is almost certainly big data being applied. And if Starbucks is doing out, what is the probability that other places are doing it? And the chances they are trying to apply a data-driven approach? Almost 100%. I really don't get why the view "Big Data is driving music choices in various companies" is seen as some sort of controversial and unlikely idea in general, though I get in specific circumstances- i.e. "That samgyeopsal place I was in played the same crap station which had the same crap songs blasting."