K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop; ) is a musical genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it comprises all genres of "popular music" within South Korea, the term is more often used in a narrower sense to describe a modern form of South Korean pop music covering a wide range of styles including dance-pop, pop ballad, electronic, rock, metal, hip-hop music and R&B.