Music / Idols
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Why K-Pop is Hell-Bent On Making It Stateside

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Written by On October 11, 2011

Another day – another SK media outlet trumpets the growing power of K-Pop in the world – from the K-Pop flash mobs in obscure places, to glowing reports of sold-out venues and successful fan meets. Much of it has a lot of credence – K-Pop is a force to be reckoned with in Japan, is growing strongly in China and is a significant presence in South-East Asia. Some might even argue that an impressive niche has also been carved by K-Pop in Europe (though most of it appears to be mainly in Eastern Europe).

To prove their point, journos and industry representatives rollout the recent success of SM Town shindigs in Paris and fan buzz that various K-Pop auditions generate in places like Brazil. But the oh-so-unattainable crown jewel of the music business – the US market – seems to be elusive for the K-Pop artists.

A popular school of thought (fueled, no doubt, by some degree of nationalism and anti-Americanism) contends that K-Pop can thrive without the US market, thank you very much. Supporters point to the sold-out venues in Japan, Singapore, China and Indonesia as indicators that K-Pop artists do not need US audiences to successfully reach out to millions of fans around the world. The proponents of this viewpoint cite the millions of times that K-Pop videos or concert performances are viewed on Youtube, the myriad of Facebook fan-pages and other social media presence as a testament to K-Pop’s international strength.

All that is true. However, the fans and K-media are being somewhat coy about one teeny-weeny little secret (the one that artists know all about): look through any music market stalls in Manila, Beijing or Jakarta, and you will see copious DVDs and CDs of pirated K-Pop material. Same goes for music downloads – I’ll take the bullet and suggest the unspeakable – that very few international K-Pop fans actually legally pay for the music they are listening to. They might profess their undying love for Super Junior or JYJ, but most feel no shame pilfering SuJu’s or JYJ’s tracks off the various torrent or free download sources.

Talent agencies know this very well – and that is why it is impossible for K-Pop artists to survive on record sales and even concerts alone. Hence, the  incessant merry-go-round of variety show appearances: artists need their face recognition with the general public to score CF endorsement deals to pad their concert ticket and record sales. Heck, artists don’t see much of a payday even through legal download channels: Soribada’s track price lists range from as little as 2 cents to 15 cents per track. Subtract a chunk that talent agencies like SM or YG take as their share, not to mention distribution channels, marketing costs, etc. etc. – how many pieces 15 cents can be possibly sliced into? And if the boy/girl group is 5 (or 7, or 9) members strong, what is the final take-home for each one of them? I doubt it is much. So, even if you are dealing with larger populations,  local governments’ unwillingness to enforce intellectual property rights makes it so much harder to make comparable profits in Asian markets.

Therefore, the economics of K-Pop makes conquering the US market very attractive to the talent agencies and the artists alike.  While illegal downloads are still happening in the US, the success of iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon’s music download services made it much easier for an average consumer to just purchase the tracks from legit sources, rather than risk unpleasant legal ramifications of getting caught. Pricing with an average of 99cents a track, or almost $10 an album makes the realities of music business a lot easier to handle than meager 2 pennies. That is why more and more K-Pop acts make their downloads available through iTunes and the likes Stateside. Ticket sales (and concert tickets in the US are not cheap), movie deals, possible commercial endorsements translate into a much bigger final amount when you deal with the biggest music market in the world. The fact that you will also have the legal system and the law enforcement on your side if you have to deal with copyright infringement issues is no small potatoes for any performing artist out there.

K-pop has not had the easiest of times trying to break into the US market, though. There are many reasons tossed around, many of them mentioned previously by Seoulbeats here. I’ll just throw in a few additional bones.


1). Identity crisis. It seems that the K-Pop execs have no clue as to who the target audience of their confections should be Stateside. This is a business school basic (or a Dr. Evil basic, you get your pick) – world domination requires a solid business plan with a clearly-defined and well-focused target audience. For highly-manufactured acts that K-Pop shells out, kids and tweens should probably be the best target audience. Note to SM, YG and JYP: don’t try to peddle your wares to college-age crowds or young adults – don’t waste your breath (and what’s more important, your money). But short of JY Park’s foray into Nickelodeon with the Wonder Girls, few others are following the trend. Bad decision, my friends, very bad decision. Because the Britneys, Justins, Christinas and Mileys of the world all graduated from the same boot camp of crooners – that’s right, you guessed it, the one with the mouse ears. And teeny-boppers in the US are a huge marketing force – powered by their parents’ wallets and their parents’ desire to buy stuff that their little angels want.


2). Language issues.  Until Star Trek becomes reality (oh, my, did I just give out that I’m a die-hard Trekie??) and they start mass-producing universal translators attached to our voice-boxes, good knowledge of English is going to be paramount in conquering the US market. Not Konglish, not some other crap version of God-knows-what, but a working knowledge of English. The one that will allow the performers to actually interact with their audiences with ease, and not look and sound to0 sterile in their interviews (nothing spells disaster in entertainment more clearly than bombing on Leno or Letterman).


3). Cool-aid consumption. Seriously, Korean media, talent agencies and fans alike need to stop listening to visiting pseudo-dignitaries and get their heads out of you-know-where. I’ll tell you a little secret, folks: Ludacris might say and sign all kinds of shit to sell his headphones. Teddy Riley might do the same. So might Flo Rida and the assortment of other A, B and even F-list celebrities so reverently quoted in the SK press. It’s an old marketing ploy: i’ve got shit to sell, and i’ll say and do what I need to in order for you to buy that stuff off of me.  And no, G-Dragon, even Ludacris headsets and the stale/bizarre ganja bust are not going to add any real street cred for you - unless you’re willing to do hard time up in Pelican Bay.

But, then, you can just opt for the K-version of it, and get you military duty out of the way.

(DongA News, MTV Korea, Soribada)

 

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  • Gnattie

    This is a discussion that keeps coming around and is still often left up to debate. As an American, I have a hard time believing that Kpop could make it here. I’m not saying it’s impossible or will never happen, because it could, but I just don’t see it as very likely. Kpop fans like to claim that it’s out of racism, ignorance, or an inability to appreciate “true talent” but that’s not true. There are just too many factors working against Kpop. There is, of course, the language barrier. Most people don’t want to listen to a song they don’t understand, though Rammstein is a good example of how the language barrier doesn’t always apply. Cultural differences are a  big factor. But mainly, it just isn’t people’s cup of tea. I’ve shown Kpop around to people and no one was impressed. People like rock bands, originality, and individualism. There’s also a strong stigma againt boy band and girl groups. People look at them and get the distinct impression that the members couldn’t make it individually and require someone’s talents to mask their own lack of talent. Aside from these factors, here are some more that hurt Kpop becoming a success in the States:
      Skinship would just not work in the States.
      Racially insensitive comments and controversies.
      Crazy Kpop fans will cause people to become irritated with  the entire genre.
      Weird outfits and acts, like dressing as vegetables or in large animal suits. It looks childish.
      Aegyo looks childish and even derogatory.
      Physical ideal of being very, very thin and having a plastic face will strike many people as the wrong message to send to young people.
      Songs like “Genie” and “Oh!” are catchy but not so much that the lyrics won’t offend a lot of women.
      The depiction of women.
      SM and other entertainment companies controversies could arouse suspiscion and distrust.
      Manufactured talent opposed to natural talent. Natural talent is loved and desired. A person that has spent five or more years being trained and still can’t sing or dance won’t be tolerated and would give the industry a bad look as a whole.
      Criticism. This is a huge one. We Americans are very blunt, very outspoken, and very critical. Everyone gets it. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re famous, you will be criticized and joked about on late night talk shows or on TV series like South Park. Can Kpop handle that?
      Dead weight will be even more noticable. The untalented “extra baggage” every Kpop band appears to have. That just won’t fly in the US. You don’t think that people won’t notice that only 4/9 SNSD members can actually sing?
      “Engrish” isn’t cute, it’s annoying. It comes off as stupid and mocking towards the English language.
      Bad rapping. People are very persnickety about this. If you’re not amazing, you’re bad. If you don’t have the talent, attitude, delivery, or tone,  you’re ridiculous. Like that one F(X) “gangsta” song. I wonder how a real gangsta would react to that.
      Plastic. A lot of Kpop stars are plastic. They don’t come off as real, they’re too controlled by their companies, and their “fakeness” and lack of personality won’t appeal to people. Looking like a poser is very bad, too. Tiffany from SNSD has always come off as a poser to me and I roll my eyes whenever she starts talking “ghetto” or “gangsta.”
      Being culturally oblivious and insensitive. You can’t walk into a country without knowing its culture or start announcing the greatness of Korea. I hear of this but I don’t see it incredibly often so maybe it won’t be a big deal.
      Asian accents aren’t appealing at all. Sorry, but it’s true.
      Boy bands look gay. Sorry, but the fashion, the skinship, the attitude will turn a lot of image-conscious teenage boys away.  
      The US music industry is going in a different direction. This is just something I noticed. Artists like Ellie Goulding, Mumford and Sons, Florence + the Machine, and Foster the People are gaining popularity and recognition while the pop industry is branching into “Gaga” territory. Meaning, they’re doing crazier things. Haven’t you noticed the crazy get-ups and perfomances artists likes Beyonce and Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry have been experimenting with since Gaga came onto the scene? Meanwhile, Kpop looks like it’s going into a “dark angel” or “sophisticated” theme.
      Kpop is at a low. I blame the companies. They’re rehashing old stuff and not coming up with anything new and vomiting new acts all over the place. Bad time to go global.

    There are a lot of things working against Kpop. To us, the crazy things Kpop artists do seem natural but to a person unfamiliar with Kpop, it looks bizarre. Kpop is mostly known in countries with high percentages of Asians and it seems to be an “Asian community only” thing. Still, Kpop could become popular in the same way as anime has. I would target the anime community if I were SM. But it shouldn’t be forced on people. It has to be gradual or people won’t like it.

    This was like a blog post. Sorry! I’ve talked about this many times before.

    What do you think?

    • Mackie

      You said everything I wanted to say…thanks! Haha

      They’re shoving everything south Korean in our faces and it is very annoying. I used to enjoy it for pure entertainment value ( seriously kpop being called legit singers/dancers??…lets be real pls), but each time someone gets “touched” by anything or anyone American (especially any American celeb)… They start going off about the “power of the hallyu wave” ( or some sh!t like that). Now, it just a frickin’ turn off.

    • Gnattie

      Here’s another possible reason why Kpop might not become popular, though it may not be a good one. Kpop is like anime in that it is of Asian origin, and because anime fans are typically attracted to Asian culture-related things (specifically Japanese, though), it might appeal to the anime community. However, I think one of the reasons why anime and Japanese video games have become so popular in the States is because Japan and the US are good allies and do a lot of business together. I know that the reason why Hayao Miyazaki movies like “Castle in the Sky” and “Spirited Away” were translated into English and distributed by Disney is because Miyazaki is friends with some Disney business executives and they liked his work. I don’t know if South Korea and the US are on as good of terms as Japan and the US are.

      • asianromance

        great comparison!

        I don’t get why kpop isn’t satisfied with the niche fans they have in the US.  Even though anime and manga has become sort of mainstreamed, people still think of anime and manga fans as being sort of nerdy and/or childish or just plain weird.  And yes, we fans even have our own conventions where people cosplay.  Despite the popularity of anime and manga– and in relation to that, the popularity of jpop in these anime/manga circles, we don’t hear jpop playing in the radios.  And it seems like everyone is happy to be in this zone and with entertaining existing loyal fans.  No one seems to be pouting that some super awesome jpop band didn’t make it into the Billboard top 100.  People seem to be just glad the music exists. 

        Anyways, I think kpop has seeped into the anime/manga circles.  At the last anime convention I had gone to, I had heard some Big Bang and Wonder Girls playing. 

    • Anonymous

      “You can’t walk into a country without knowing its culture”
      That is exactly what America has done the last century and it was very successful. America has proved that it is possible. It is certainly not trivial but it is not impossible.

      Are Americans so critical about their stars? Artists have a high status in Western society. Leno and Letterman never really bite. And just read this one: http://niniane.blogspot.com/2010/10/incredulous.html    

      • Gnattie

        I was kind of talking on a more personal basis. I’ll agree with you about the America walking in on cultures thing, but about the critiquing I was talking about what I’ve noticed throughout my life on TV and on the Internet and in person. I don’t know what nationality you are but I’m American and I can tell you that typical Americans are pretty critical and judgemental of celebrities. Look up It’s Kingsley Bitch on YouTube as a good example of how people typically talk about what’s going on in the media (though less profane lol). Leno and Letterman can be push-overs but if you saw how Justin Bieber and Britney Spears and all them were satired on Comedy Central and on the Internet, you’d know where I’m coming from. We praise them and bash them. Depends on who you talk to, but even Katy Perry’s fans admit she sucks live. Many people listen to Nicki Minaj and like her but consider her a skank. Everyone rocks out to Ke$ha’s music but laugh at how ridiculous and tashy she is.

        • Gnattie

          So many typos! Sorry, my keyboard’s being lame.  I mean that “Everyone rocks out ot Ke$ha’s music but laughs at how ridiculous and trashy she is.” There are others but whatever.

          • Anonymous

            Korea is famous for its anti fans. And if American celebs can be a celeb but at the same time be satired why should Korean celebs differ? 

            Maybe Katy Perry sucks live but she is famous, so maybe a kpop ‘singer’/singer can achieve the same? 

          • Gnattie

            Possibly! I think 2ne1 has the best chance of all the girl groups of becoming popular. Their look and music would appeal to more people. Brown Eyed Girls, too, has better luck. Some Kpop bands could get popular but Kpop as a whole would probably gain popularity with a large group of people but not become really mainstream. The whole entire “criticism” and “ridicule” thing would only really happen if Kpop started noticeably trending. Sorry, I wasn’t clear on that. I forgot to mention that it would have to become famous first and then be criticized, and if that should happen, it might turn into a fad and die out after awhile or never reach mainstream popularity.

            I don’t really know much about Korean culture. I only became aware of Kpop over the summer and so I’m very new to it. Since then, I’ve been Googling it a lot and looking into it because I find it interesting. I’ve heard that Koreans don’t buy into what their media tells them, like that Kpop is a global phenomenon and everyone loves it. So maybe Koreans are very critical and I’m just not aware of it because I’m unfamiliar with Korean culture, but I haven’t seen Koreans criticize Kpop very often on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean anything. They could bash it at home or at school instead of online.

          • SED606

            I agree kpop as a whole won’t make it in the US, but I think it’s completely possible for a few acts to get a popular song, but even fewer could become widely popular as a group/artist.  I also agree that 2ne1 and BEG are the most likely to appeal to the US market.  2ne1 has the look, the sound, 3/4 are fluent in English, and their songs and image aren’t that of weak subservient women.  Same for BEG, but they lack the English skills which automatically takes them out of the running. But they could totally get a cult following.  Boy kpop groups are out.  I just don’t think they could bridge the cultural gap.   Solo artists could be a possibility.  K-hip hop (drunken tiger, epik high, maybe even GD&TOP as a duo only) could gain traction in some segments.

            But who knows, America is an odd place.  There are so many people here, you don’t need to make everyone love you, you only need to get the attention of enough people to make a living here.  Korean companies need to change their mindset and not assume it’s a failure if they don’t rise to the top immediately.  You can be wildly popular and never have a number 1 single.  Usually that applies more to rock groups, but there’s no reason why a pop group couldn’t get enough traction to do it too.

            Touring is really important too.  Kpop bands work hard, but the don’t do anything like the touring schedules that a group just starting out needs to do to make money and build a base.  It’s nothing for newer (and sometimes established artists) tour for 6-9 months straight, a new city every night.  It’s a totally different approach.  Anyone who wants to make it will need to really be willing to put in the time and not expect immediate results. It’s got to be long term thinking — which is something korean entertainment companies are notorious for not doing.  I think Wonder Girls are taking the right approach — except it’s ridiculous that they don’t have an album out yet.  How are you going to sell music to Americans when you don’t have any music to sell?

            Plenty of people will be vicious and mean.  But you know what? People always are.  Knetizens are BRUTAL.  I don’t think we give kpop performers enough credit for having thick skins and being able to get past all that.  All performers get plenty of hate — especially pop music performers.  Granted, kpop artists will have to deal with some specifically racist comments and even more so, just ignorant stupid comments.  The average American doesn’t know anything about Korea and thinks of Asia as some homogeneous place.  But America is changing and music continues to get more culturally diverse.  The first kpop group to make it will need to get over those prejudices, but that’s not a reason not to try.

          • shuten

            Koreans fans are almost all teenagers. Those who know the truth (adults) don’t give a fuck and won’t waste time saying that k-pop isn’t that huge. It is just natural that you will easily find praise about k-pop and how big it is. The agencies say that k-pop is a global phenomenon and teenagers with their ignorance will repeat it over and over again.
            I’m from Brazil, and for what I see, teenagers k-pop fans are predominant too.

          • Gnattie

            Lol I think that’s true for a lot of places. Pop is typically popular with the younger crowds. It’s funny when foreigners think that everybody listens to Justin Beiber or Britney Spears because they’re in the top 40. Honestly, most people over 18 are more interested in alternative or rock music and rock out to oldies. Pop is listened to as well but with a mix of other genres. Men especially don’t listen to a lot of pop. At least the ones I know don’t. Most guys I know listen to rock, alternative, rap, metal, “emo,” and old music from the 80s, 70s, and 60s. Lady Gaga is genuinely popular, but people have an odd relationship with her. She weirds everyone out but at the same time everyone loves her because she’s so weird.

            I feel bad for Justin Bieber. People hate him so much lol.

          • shuten

            LMAO
            Here in Brazil we have some bands that’s something like Justin Bieber. They are successful, many people hate them and they are popular among teenagers. But fuck, they win prizes!

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2QHQR2YLQSPOBDFGTQGLUTPY2A Pas

            I agree that 2NE1 and BEG are the best choices when it comes to succeeding in America. If that were to happen, I hope that record companies do take that as a sign that America is Kpop friendly. The last thing I would want is for a group debuting every week like they do in Japan. I do not want the Hallyu wave shoved down my throat. 

            There is a reason why the British Invasion was so popular in the ’60s. The Beatles, Stones, The Who etc. introduced something completely different to the American public. From the songs that they sang, the way that they dressed and even their hair were all completely new to Americans. Kpop is just rehashed old American ’80s and ’90s music. None of my friends are impressed with it, which means the American public won’t be. I like kpop ‘cuz I just do, but I’m sure I’ll get over it by next year. 

          • Anonymous

            Hey, just to let you know – there’s an ‘Edit’ button under the comments you post (in place of the ‘Like’ button) so you can go back and fix things (spacing in between paragraphs, typos, additional thoughts, etc) without having to post a new comment each time. I don’t know if it shows up for you, but I use it all the time when I’m commenting…. thought that might help.

          • Gnattie

            Thank you but I just have “like” and “reply” buttons. If I had an edit button, I’d use it. I also get typos lol.

          • Gnattie

            Lol see! Another typo. I meant, “I get always get typos” but accidentally typed “also.”

      • shuten

        I don’t think you are aware of USA’s power and influence all over the world. USA has the largest GNP of the world, do you think this isn’t important? USA is doing things like that because it can, not because it is brave.
        Seriously, if any country go against USA, this little poor country will get screwed by all possible means. Just blocking a country’s exportation can make a huge difference, and yes, USA can easily do that because other countries will support.
        There is an initial huge respect for USA. You can’t say that about South Korea.
        The one who has a gun will say how things work. <- It works like this way…

        • Gnattie

          It’s actually really weird to hear that we have such a big influence globally. Growing up, we know of American celebrites having sold-out concerts in Europe or Asia, but it doesn’t really register. Most Americans are surprised to discover that someone from South America or Europe or Asia grew up watching the same movies and TV shows and listening to the same music. We don’t automatically assume that people love American culture or movies or music. It comes as a shock.

          • shuten

            It’s not like we LOVE USA’s culture.
            For example, it’s not by chance that many people all over the world speaks English. It’s kind of necessary to know English because USA has been the world potency for some time. USA is the reference for many things, because USA has influence and has the best in many areas.
            It’s not by chance that USA wins most of the gold medals in olympic games, for example. The country has money to invest in athletes, so they end up being the best. Brazil is considered the soccer country because MANY people plays it and many people are willing to invest in it. Our investment in gymnastics, for example, is really poor and I don’t even know how some people managed to win some gold medals.
            Your movies and TV series are considered the best of the world in my country and almost everyone watches them. Here we value our music, but many people still listen to ‘American songs’.
            If someday China becomes the world potency, everyone around the world will have interest and ‘will have’ to speak mandarin. Their culture will come naturally (or not) to everyone because they are kind of the center of the world.
            But yeah, USA has power. You call your country America. Some people here don’t really like it, because USA is not America, you are just part of it, you are part of the continent called America. But you can call yourselves this way, because seriously, who will complain?

          • Gnattie

            Lol we know that peeves Canadians and Southern Americans that we and other countries refer to the US as “America.” We just say it as short-hand for United States of America and it’s not like we can call outselves Statesians or something. We’re aware that you all exist and we’re aware that Brazilians kick ass at soccer (soccer isn’t popular in the US) and we don’t think that we’re the only country in the western hemisphere. No one thinks that. It strikes us as weird, too, that we’re the only ones called “Americans” when we’re one of many countries located in North and South America. But what can we do? Lol

          • shuten

            I didn’t mean to say it about the population as a whole, this is more like a political thing and those who have more power in the country. But, somehow, it reflects at least a little at the population too, because they have a kind of control.
            I hope you get my point. I mean no harm at all, just trying to explain.

          • Gnattie

            Oh, no, I’m not offended! It’s OK! It’s an understandable pet peeve some peole have. Nothing serious.

          • shuten

            Ah! And some of us call you ‘Estadunidenses’ which means something like ‘United-statesians’.
            LOL! Just for curiosity =]

    • Anonymous

      yes i agree with you, kpop will be if it´s lucky to be like the flag of the weirdos and freaks, just like anime or the asian background people, too cheap, too low quality, it´s like trying too hard to be american that falls into ridicule i guess,anyway poor kpop will end up being so hard critisized in america hope they dont commit suicide, the harakiri, lol

  • kpop

    when people talk about kpop in state, i think Jay park has the highest chance of succeeding because he has the most advantage. He might not be the most talented guy out there but he is growing and keeps on growing. He has huge following and he can write his own stuff. His songs sound more american than Korean and he seems to know what he wants. He can dance like crazy, has huge stage presence, raps good and recently shown his singing skills in immortal song and keeps on improving. I think its going to take some time but he has the highest chance of success. He might be the next big thing.   

    • Mary

      Yes I agree Jay has the best shot. I think he would understand what type of music appeals to his home country and he knows about the culture and how to adapt to the audiences.

    • Atrapforfools

      I agree, even though I’m no huge Jay fan (though I do like him). A lot of people say a Korean-American or Asian-American would have to succeed in the States before any Korean artist could see any type of success. I think Jay could be that artist.

    • Gnattie

      I think 2ne1 also has a better chance of making it in the US than other Kpop groups. Their look and edginess would appeal to more people than SNSD or KARA’s aegyo.

  • Lady Caca

    I think I’ve said some of my points in a previous article, but KPop in its present form will really have a hard time breaking it to the States. If superstars like Britney gets ripped apart because she hasn’t written a single letter on her Femme Fatale album (which was good pop, tbqh), I cringe at the thought of mainstream US music reviewers slaughtering the current crop of heavily-autotuned & devoid-of-the-artists’-personality KPop songs we so much enjoy (I have to admit, even Kesha’s trashy personality is still personality & it shows through her music). Or they might end up like Bieber’s music – loved by tweens but universally hated by critics & other legit acts. But I do hope they crack the US someday, maybe in another form.
      

    • Gnattie

      Lol poor Justin Bieber. All the thirteen-year-old girls are in love with him and everyone over sixteen can’t stand him at all. He gets so much hate. But I agree with your comparion of Britney and Biebs to Kpop.

      I think Kpop will become a “thing” or whatever in the US someday, but gradually. It’d have to gain a significant fan following like anime has. But I can’t see Kpop as becoming more popular than anime has, if it becomes popular as that. Anime is well-known but has a reputation for attracting geeky and socially awkward teenagers and not everyone likes it. I think Kpop would gain a similar following. I wouldn’t mind this if the Korean media didn’t blow it up so much. Anime and Japanese video games are trending but I never see the Japanese brag about that.

      • AmericanAsApplePie

        ” I wouldn’t mind this if the Korean media didn’t blow it up so much. Anime and Japanese video games are trending but I never see the Japanese brag about that.”

        EXACTLY!!! It’s like if someone saw Donald Duck eating kim chee in a cartoon, the Korean media would plaster it all over saying stuff like… “Donald duck was seen eating Kim chee, the hallyu wave has made it to American TV”. Or some crap like that lol

    • Anonymous

      I think one of the things that’s wrong with the American music scene is that it has too many critics. I’ve come to the conclusion that the vast majority of reviewers are pretentious snobs and totally full of crap. I might also apply that to some of the writers and commenters on here, especially those who presume to think they understand and can predict the trends in the American music market.

      • Anonymous

         I actually LOVE that there are so many critics. Or no one would try. We’d just get autotuned to death without ANY effort what so ever. I feel like as long as critics keep pointing it out they will at least keep trying. I agree many critics are pretentious and grasp at straws. But I admit there are some truth to what is being said. And let’s be fair as an american consumer we can predict in part what is going to be liked. Because we know what we’d like and how feel about certain acts. And then we might know people who are the opposite. And then the people who just don’t care.

        Let’s be realistic for a second. I’d say 98% of kpop would not go down easy with your average college age consumer. I’ve heard, “that’s so gay” enough to have no doubt about that. Or how some men trash bruno mars or trash nickleback. Its just a fact. I can’t imagine what they would do to 2pm, bigbang….SHINEE? Really? It would be a blood bath. I image the same way they talk about beiber or the jonas brothers. These are assumptions…. sure, but they are based on experience.

        Sure you’ll find people who chalk it all up to cultural difference and give them a chance. But I won’t hold my breath on them catching the college niche. Maybe like from the 20-40 year olds would make them golden. The tween section would make them REALLY famous. But artistically, they’d spend the rest of their career trying to prove they aren’t those people anymore. Ex: brittany, christina, justin, they all had to do it. REVAMP themselves to escape it. And then there are people who never do unfortunately, like mandy moore. But all I am saying is. We know. Even though we’d like it to be different, when I picture shinee on letterman, I CRINGE INSIDE. Like when SNSD went on, I cringed. I was waiting for the nasty twitter comments and by god they arrived. For god sakes they were called prostitutes. And while american acts get called names all the time. Snsd aren’t use to people doing this in the media and in public or on comedy shows. Which does happen….a lot.

        Do I personally think any sm artist can make it? Maybe the single acts. Or perhaps a group with a smaller number maybe. I can’t think of a current one that can. YG family, I think 2ne1 could. Or even the g-dragon and top duo could. Boybands are harder to accept that’s why I didn’t say bigbang. (Would still be REALLY hard I imagine)

        I will say this, if you are unique enough, edgy enough, or just bursting with so much talent we can’t ignore. Who spoke english well. I would bank on them making it.

        Even I myself would not want to see k-pop on my t.v. all the time. Variety shows yes. K-pop music all the time? It would give me diabetes. They’re commercials too. I just want to log on and see em. Log off when I don’t. With that said, I do love k-pop. I do, I am just realistic about this love.

        P.S. I love tablo. That song bad. Billboard worthy! Even I wouldn’t mind that on my television!

  • Atrapforfools

    I think most korean artists are better off catering to the fan base they do have with concerts, fan meets, etc. and making a name for themselves that way than trying to break into the mainstream. For example, physically releasing their albums in stores (which I hear is what SNSD is doing) is a great start. There are very few k-pop artists I think could see mainstream success if they catered to the tween audience if that.

    I believe there are only certain types of music fans in America willing to accept k-pop and enjoy it in all it’s craziness (me being one of them) but of course, those people aren’t mainstream. So like I said, Koreans are better off gaining new fans and meeting their fans with concerts, not trying desperately to be big name hits.

  • Anonymous

    Simple thinking or stating that K-pop can thrive without the US market isn’t anti-Americanism. 

    • Gnattie

      I think the author might’ve been referencing to the crazy Kpop fans that claim Americans are racist and whatnot. At least that’s how I took it as. I think Madina should’ve expanded on that.

  • Mija

    Can you really picture a hallyu fever in America? As in seeing kpop bands in commercials, and advertisements. Cause I sure can’t. Can you picture Americans going crazy for kpop bands and willing to spend money to support their music? Maybe 1 or 2 bands could make it big here and maybe a few solo artists but kpop will probably never become mainstream here. I just cannot see it. I would rather it remain the way it is now. In America kpop exists to Americans who care to like it. I like kpop but truthfully I dont want to turn on the TV and see SNSD or G-dragon or whoever. If I want to hear about them I go on kpop websites and youtube, thats it.

    • Hyo

      I think we’re also past the idols/group phase already. We mostly have solo artists now here in North America, and other indie/rock bands don’t even do that well anymore. Remember Panic at the Disco? Or Sum41? Or Hedley? Linkin Park? These groups were big 3 or more years ago, but seem to have fizzled out. Groups don’t last in the music industry for as long as some solo artists have had, and even then bands have had to change and fill in the positions for their group to keep on promoting their music because original members have either quit, overdosed on drugs, died of illness, or were fired. 

      Girl/boy groups are so ’90s. And I don’t think KPop is gonna get any bigger than a niche market with the occasional mention from the media here and there. The Wonder Girls seem to be gaining ground with US activities lined up, but even they have to cater to kids and teeny boppers watching Nickelodeon because that demographic is the only one that may still be receptive to cute, bubbly, girl groups.  

      • Gnattie

        I disagree about Linkin Park. Those other groups, yeah, but Linkin Park, though not as popular as they were years ago, are still widely loved by a majority of people. They’re overshadowed by today’s current talents. Same with Nickelback. You don’t really hear about Nickelback anymore but that group is still widely loved by everybody.

        I actually think we’re going towards more Indie and alternative music. I see Mumford and Son, Florence + the Machine, Ellie Goulding, and Foster the People gaining popularity (which I’ve said before so sorry for regurgitating an earlier statement). This makes me happy because I love those groups and prefer alternative, rock, and indie music (despite my fondness for Kpop lol).

        • http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

          Indie/alternative music is mostly used as background music in shows like Gossip Girl and trendy Target commercials, or are featured in movies as part of the soundtrack. Those songs, as awesome as they are, are not what get a lot of airtime on major radio stations. They’re not typically what you see on the Billboard Hot 100 or the artists that win Grammys and Teen Choice Awards. And a large part of it that is because indie/alternative bands don’t really make headlines like mainstream pop singers like Rihanna and Chris Brown do. :/

  • Anonymous

    kpop should just focus on asia unless they start making songs that you’d like instantly not because you like the group.

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