Music / Idols
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Coming to America: SNSD vs. Wonder Girls

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Written by On January 26, 2012

In his 1981 classic tribute to the American immigrant, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond wrote the words, “Got a dream to take them there / They’re coming to America.”  While Mr. Diamond certainly didn’t have Lee Soo-man and JYP in mind when he penned these immortal lyrics, it’s become pretty clear by now that both SM Entertainment and JYP are dreaming of the potential buckets and buckets of money that await them — that is, should their agencies manage to find success — real, honest-to-goodness success — in the United States.  2012 may just see their attempts at expansion take on an (even greater) element of rivalry.  This is, of course, in reference to SNSD and the Wonder Girls. Given the fact that Super Junior is essentially standing on its last perfectly-toned leg and no other groups in either company have hinted at or attempted to shower the US market with glitter and guyliner, it’s safe to assume for the moment that should we have a showdown in the (Wild) West, these gorgeous ladies will be at the fore.

You don’t have to be a S♥NE or a Wonderful in order to prefer one of these two groups over the other; I myself have been a die-hard fan of SNSD since “Gee” rocked the charts in 2009.  However, even the most ardent of fans has to force him or herself to be objective when it comes to the practicalities of advancing into a market as challenging as the US.  This means: trying your best not to pretend that a successful concert in Madison Square Garden means that everyone and their mother will download the maxi release of ”The Boys” (which features a gem of a remix called ”Bring Dem Boys Out.” I think I just felt a blood vessel burst.) or buy tickets to see BoA‘s version of Dirty Dancing new movie Cobu 3D.  Success in the US requires certain elements — elements that both groups are currently lacking in varying degrees, and it remains to be seen how well they will be able to fill in the gaps.

The first and most obvious obstacle is the inevitable language barrier.  Essentially, success in the US is equivalent to a relatively high degree of mastery of English.  Here, the Wonder Girls likely have an advantage; regardless of their success or failure, they have extensive experience promoting in the US media.  Indeed, when one compares the Wonder Girls’ most recent English release to that of SNSD’s, there is no contest as to who has done their English homework.  Though the English versions of both “Be My Baby” and “The Boys” are a bit on the ridiculous side lyrics-wise, there isn’t much in the Wonder Girls’ English pronunciation that immediately suggests to me that they are not native speakers.  This is not so for SNSD.  I visibly cringed when I first heard Sunny sing, “I know that life is a mee-stery / I’m gonna make hee-sto-ree.”  I do not necessarily believe that the US market is particularly hostile to Asian/Asian-American artists, but such poor pronunciation and obvious accent will invite parody and ridicule.  Anyone remember William Hung‘s rendition of “She Bangs” on American Idol?  Take a moment to think about why exactly the American media took that one and ran with it.  Here’s a hint: it probably was not because of his choice of clothes.  So when it comes to pronunciation in songs, Wonder Girls has the upper hand.

But, you might say, SNSD has two trump cards in its enormous arsenal: two bonafide, born-and-bred Americans who speak unaccented English — an invaluable asset when it comes to public relations and promotions in an English-speaking country.  Granted, the Wonder Girls’ Yoobin has lived in the United States in the past and speaks English at an alright level of fluency, but SNSD’s Tiffany and Jessica have the advantage of having grown up speaking English as their mother tongue.  However, in one of the most incredibly asinine (but nonetheless unsurprising) moves I’ve ever seen SM Entertainment make, Tiffany was given two paltry rap lines in the entirety of “The Boys.”  It would seem logical to play to your strengths when releasing a song in English; if you’ve got girls who don’t need to be consistently drilled in pronunciation, it would make sense to make ample use of them, especially if they happen to be on the more talented side when it comes to vocals.  For crying out loud, when half of the song is rapping, don’t give Yoona a singing line in the music video or live performances!   What sort of mismanagement is this?  Where is Tiffany?!  Even when some of the pieces are in place, it seems that SM Entertainment is ill-equipped to propertly put them to work.  Another plus one for JYP.

A second obstacle is equally oft-cited: that the US is “over” music groups.  I originally resided firmly in this thought camp, but have begun to reconsider.  The popularity of Broadway musicals and Glee (as cited in Gio’s article) indicates to me that there is still plenty of room in America for large groups of people singing and dancing in a coordinated fashion (preferably spontaneously!).  Despite the complete troll that was Heart2Heart, I think that a singing group done well could actually make a noticeable dent in the music market, perhaps even paving the way for others to succeed as well.

But this in and of itself requires a delineation of what a singing group “done well” would look like, and thus brings me to the third and final obstacle: a noticeable lack of musical talent or originality.  Believe me, I love SNSD, I appreciate the Wonder Girls, and I fangirl like it’s 1999 whenever they release something new into the Korean market. But no amount of love or fuzzy fangirl feelings is enough to cover up the harsh reality that both groups are lugging around some pretty hefty musical dead weight. And this is something that is not easily neutralized.  While each member of SNSD and the Wonder Girls bring something to the overall dynamic of each group, it isn’t always raw musical talent, and this is an enormous problem for any debut in the US.  In South Korea, idols don’t necessarily rely on the quality of their music to sell a song; there are beautifully shot and dynamic music videos, variety show appearances, talk shows, CFs, and numerous other means of promotion.  However, this element is largely absent from the US market.  The music that these groups put out, therefore, needs to sell itself largely on its own merit.  I question whether either of these groups is prepared to produce music that can do this.  It happens far too often that I find myself impressed with a K-pop performance simply because somewhere around 75% of it was sung live and everyone was more or less on key.  It almost makes me forget visiting Madison Square Garden as a wide-eyed twelve-year-old to see N’Sync‘s “No Strings Attached” tour, a concert in which those boys were so on the mark in every aspect of performance that even my mother was suitably impressed.  As long as SNSD and the Wonder Girls continue to lack in their stage performances, I think it will be very, very difficult for anyone who wasn’t previously a K-pop fan to take them seriously as artists in the US.

All things considered, I’d very much prefer that neither group moved any further along in their intended takeover of the US market; if you put a gun to my head and demanded I choose one to ultimately have greater success than the other, I’d likely waffle back and forth before deciding that neither of them has a fighting chance and naming Brown Eyed Girls as my number one pick to succeed in the US market.  But with the Wonder Girls’ Nickelodeon TV movie set to air in the first quarter of 2012, the game may very well shift in their favor.  What do you think, readers?  Which group (if either) is more poised to take the US by storm?

(MTV, DLCVideos)

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  • Ats

    I honestly think neither SNSD nor Wonder girls have what it takes to make it in the US. First, their songs are just NOT attractive for Americans because as you said their lack of fluency and the lack of meaning behind their lyrics (they just put words that rhyme together). Second, they don’t speak English fluently (except 2 in SNSD and 2 in Wondergirls) so they won’t be able to attract the viewers by their personality. Third, their performances are still very “Korean”, they will not improve until they forget all those perfectly memorize choreography and just learn to connect and inspire their audience. I am not dissing on the groups, it’s just that succeeding in the American market takes a lot of work and reinventing because if they are promoted as Korean Pop i can guarantee that they will not have that much success. What they need is GOOD POP SONGS (not remakes from a Korean song) made for them and fitting perfectly each of the member, working more on their English and promote themselves as something more than just pretty little Asian girls trying to sing. If they are expecting a breakthrough and immediate fame in the US then they are wrong cuz that’s just not going to happen.

  • nasdk

    I agree, but when it comes to artists these days in the US, you don’t see that much musical talent, it is much more a case of likeability and management. Have you seen Britney or Katy Perry live?

    • Anonymous

      Katy Perry has amazing songs while Britney was an amazing performer. She can’t sing that great but she danced on stage like it was her last day. 

      • nasdk

        Yes, Britney danced, she doesn’t anymore and she can’t sing for her life and still she sells because of a huge fan base. Katy has amazing songs, but that’s it. She may be a good composer but not a good performer. 

  • bowow

    I personally think none of the kpop group would make it. NONE. Although I’m a hardcore blackjack, but NONE. Unless maybe Epik High reunites and releases an English album then.. :D (maybe)

  • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

    Wonder Girls. Hands down. Better music and less members. Experience in the US. Members have songwriting skills.

  • Arbitrary_greay

    Re: Glee and the return of idols in America.
    I went to see the Glee concert movie. It’s a completely different animal from the Kpop concert aesthetic. The appeal for Glee fans is in the perception of the ragtag band of the cast doing covers of already beloved songs, as well as the admiration for how Glee is supposedly dealing with various social issues. (I disagree with the execution, but that’s off topic.) The concert movie was only half spent on the actual performances, and many were actually truncated in favor of a documentary on fans of Glee who have been impacted by said social issues side. While an aspect of Glee appears very idol-like,(especially the way the cast’s out-of-character interactions and shenanigans) it was not on that idol aspect alone that allowed them to become popular. Having the TV show and doing only covers is a huge reason why they haven’t been dismissed as an idol group, and neither SNSD nor WG have that going for them. Now, if they could get a video of them covering something very well went viral…too bad Kpop Star is beating them on that on all fronts.

    I’d also like to point out that Jpop megastar duo Pink Lady had an American variety TV show back in the day: Pink Lady and Jeff. It went nowhere, mostly because it was terrible.
    I compiled a post of Asian artists performing in America pre-90s and thus pre-contemporary Kpop here.(The title of the Fabulous Echoes video is wrong. They never made the US charts, only performed in America.) And I can tell you, Ed Sullivan back in the day was much more prestigious than the likes of Letterman and Nickelodeon. Most of them had english pronunciation equalling that of WG, but the only ones to succeed were Broadway crossovers and Kyu Sakamoto. So either Asian artists need to become known in something American first like a musical, movie, or TV show, (where something other than their transplanted Asian starpower is the driving force, like a good story) or someone needs to figure out how Kyu Sakamoto captured lightning in a bottle. 
    Wonder Girls at the Apollo doesn’t have Hugh Hefner in it, but it still looks just as terrible. I can only hope for something as gloriously ridiculous as this and hope that maybe amongst all of the LAWL KOREA sentiment that a few more people will get hooked into the fandom.
    As for SNSD, again, see the post. So many artists doing extremely high profile shows and collaborations, (it doesn’t get any better than Judy Garland, folks)  all for nothing. The driving force of chart hits in America will always be radio. No airtime, no fans. Even Dream Girls recognized that. Either they’ll have to hope some DJ somewhere takes a shine to them and starts playing their songs, (which will never happen with that turd of a song The Boys) or SM will just have to blow the entirety of their profits on payola. 

    • tectonic

      what kind of terrible name is pink lady and jeff

  • Bookthiefj

    Wondergirls will fail a little less than snsd . Snsd produce crap music even by Korean standards

  • Bookthiefj

    I think epik high and Brian joo stand a good chance in the US market .

    • http://twitter.com/windyalchemist Diana Zarate

      I think so too. :D At the Epik High concert, there were a lot of people who weren’t Korean and had heard of Epik high. Brian Joo grew up in the United states so his fluent English is a bonus. :D

  • Lara.D

    The type of music that tops charts on the music charts in America: 

    (a) Instant hits (despite the quality of the music) because the song was released from someone well-known (Beyonce, Rhianna, Pitbull, etc).
    (b) The one hit wonders: Catchy or repetitive beats that cater to the club scene or just the general public and starts to trend from pure chance. Moreover, with the right management, publicity, image, and concept they can become well known as well (take Lady Gaga for example). 
    (c) Those few rare artists that have talent and vocals that are way above the average. (i.e Adele type). 

    With that in mind, 
    I do not believe SNSD and Wondergirls offer any of these. As much as I love their Kpop songs, I just do not find myself appreciating their english tracks. It’s comes off as below average music or even forgettable to me (whether in terms of vocal ability or just the music itself). I mean just listen to “Dj is mine” or “The boys”. Unfortunately, these songs do not have the “quality” that American mainstream audience are attracted to. However, since Wondergirls are aiming to cater to the tweeny bopper group, I guess “Dj is mine” has the right appeal. 

    About fluency of english… 
    I will never understand why these Kpop groups are so antsy about breaking through the American market with sub par english skills. Since they are debuting as a GROUP, shouldn’t the entire group (and I mean each and every member) have a decent grasp on the language. I always find it so odd when one person out of the gourp does most of the talking. I hear that SNSD will be appearing on Live with Kelly and all I have to say for that is: I hope Tiffany and Jessica aren’t the only ones talking while the rest of the 7 members sit back and look pretty (just looks odd). 

    • Anonymous

      Amen. Did you read in my mind? ^_^
      In SK, they have their fanclubs so their songs may be average but they are still going to sell but in America, you better kill it (in a good way) -> Adele (Europeans also love Adele! ^^) or have visuals/songs really appealing.
      Wonder Girls and SNSD don’t really have amazing vocals (what is considered as real good in SK may not be considered as spectacular in other countries). As for visuals, well, they are just average. Pretty, but average.
      If they want to succeed or even have a hit song, they need to step up ( “go hard or go home”).

  • Libby23

    As an American I can tell you that we think too much of ourselves.The people that make it here do not always have extraordinary or any talent at all for a matter of fact.I can give you Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez as an example cringe and almost cry whenever I see a performance of them, to put it simply, they suck at singing. Other examples are Kesha, Britney Spears, Justin Beiber I mean i could go on and on  but the point is that its not always about ” musical ” talent but about that hit song that will get you recognized. I swear to you that I didnt know about JB until everyone started singing baby. Lots of artist can get by without much talent in  America and funnily enough that ones that do have talent are still recognized but they are not as highly loved. As to who I think have more chances of succeeding I would say wonder girls because I feel like SNSD has too many members that it will seem a bit ridiculous to the American public and ( I know I will get hate comments but I am just stating my opinion) SNSD as more deadweight to carry as i don’t see the purpose of many members in that group. SONES come get me I don’t care. For me wonder girls more than just a rich company by their side, they have experience here. Yes, SNSD has two native English speakers but is that enough specially when the company isn’t even using that fact to their advantage. I prefer Wonder Girls music compared to SNSD. So that people dont say that i am just a hater, I do listen to some SNSD songs but they dont keep my attention for long. I wish them both the best but i will looking foward to WG activities the most.

    Watch their movie on feb 2 at 8pm on teennick!!!!!!!!

    • Igbygrl

      But one thing that they have and what the KPop idols lack is stage presence. They can be the most taleted singers and dancers in the world, but charisma is what sells here in America.

      • ana

        And thats the korean company’s fault. Everything always need to be perfect in kpop. The idols gets so wrap up in perfecting their routine they forget to have fun on stage.

    • Anonymous

      I actually agree with you. In a sense wonder girls has more experience (despite the 1st fail attempt) and their music would appeal to an american audience more. I’m neither a wonderful or sone but I always favor the side with more better quality of music. I think wonder girls has a better chance if they “play their cards right”. Listening to Wonder World, I feel that the wonder girls are starting to learn the “sound” of an western audience. you can tell the western influence from songs such as STOP, Dear Boy and두고두고. As for SNSD, I think they definitely have a 70% higher chance to succeed in Japan then the U.S. Actually SNSD should step back and just focus on Japan, then maybe if the other members improve in english and make a better single for the U.S. (The Boys is not good song, not even for the korean audience) They may have a chance. Fans of SNSD or not, I think you can agree with me on this one. Although I will support both groups either way.

    • Anonymous

      what… I never liked Miley Cirus but I thought she had a good voice :/ 
      Enlighten me. 

      Same with Justin, although his hype is might just be overhyped, since he was discovered through unconventional means (at the time) for his singing (plus with the judgment of my ears) I thought he was good …

      But to your comment. Yeah, having 9 members might just be a major turn off, or at least the first thing people notice and maybe the last….

  • chelle

    The thing is we keep talking about WG English song but when have they ever released an album. The DJ is mine is part of an OST and is one of how many songs they have in the ost? In regards to their hit song being remade……….. my goodness their songs are always cheesy with an awful rap that they give yoobin. As for SNSD I’m not sure if such a big group can work in the US. PCD worked because they had one great vocalist and the rest were hot backup dancers that danced the lights out (In the end the group became Nicole and the rest so technically their not really a “group”). PCD relied a lot on their visuals and tapped to the sexual and shallow aspect of the American music market.

  • Anonymous

    I liked Sunny’s singing in ‘The Boys’.
        SME wants more exposure for SNSD, and that’s great. But they needs to clarify what their intentions really are in the US market. Tiffany said in the MTV interview that SNSD wasn’t going to promote in the US, just release a maxi-single. I’m pretty sure they’ll be focusing on their Japanese promotions this year, which they should. If they want to release an English single every once in awhile, go ahead. BoA, Miss A, and the Wonder Girls released singles in Chinese without actively promoting full-length albums there, it’s just business and it makes (some) fans happy. It can also generate money from the fans who balk at the price of import CD’s.
             As for the Wonder Girls, timing is everything. Disney and Nickelodeon have a 65 episode limit on their shows, and a lot of shows are in their twilight, so they are looking for new faces. The only problem is some of the girls are over 18, and most shows deal with life in and out of high school. As long as the girls are okay with portraying 16 year-old’s, they should have no problem.

    As for Sone’s who want SNSD to make it big in the US: The US industry has a really bad habit of debuting pop groups and then pushing ‘the face’ as a solo artist: Beyonce, Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake. People hated how Yoona was the face of SNSD; well, it would be like that but in spades.

    • lala

      I think sm is secretly trying to debut snsd in the us, but are not saying it clearly because  they don’t snsd to have the oh u failed in the us like boa, seven, wonder girls. SNSD is used to succeed and failing is not an option for sm so they act like they aren’t serious about it. Its smart if they feel like they made no impact nobody will go on and on about how they failed and if the reception is good they’ll just say ohh we didn’t expect that kind of response bla bla bla.

      • Anonymous

        So good marketing tactic? You know how crazy the netizens are? It takes a really long time to be famous in the music industry in America. Wonder girls haven’t tried that long and look how everyone says they failed. They didn’t hit mainstream success, but they’re young and it’s hard for EVERYONE.

      • Anonymous

        That is DEFINITELY what I think. People saying that this isn’t a ‘debut’ are just not reading between the lines. All this promotion, the maxi single, the performances, them pushing for the members to learn English, the release of the English version of The Boys etc. That is all FOR A REASON. SM didn’t just decide : “Oh, having this song in English would be pretty cool I guess… Yeah, lets change the girls’ concept, teach them English, westernise them and release a maxi single with foreign artists just for shits and giggles.”

        SM not officially stating that its a debut is their safety net. How would Korea react to its most prized possession, its Top Girl Group being rejected by the US and international audience?? After all the propaganda about Hallyu taking over the world, that would be a pretty big slap in the face for Korea and especially SM, who have a pretty huge ego.

  • lala

    JYP is dumb if you want to succeed in America bring miss a. I guarantee u that min fei and jia would be hella popular. Suzy would be popular with kids.

  • lala

    SNSD won’t succeed because they are too controlled and robotic. Only tiffany will be well liked cuz she is outgoing. The others will mostly likely smile and stand in the background. Which will annoy viewers. PCD did well for awhile because they had good songs but then everyone got tired of seeing nicole’s face everywhere, always in the middle and shit. Wonder girls might have a chance to replace the cheetah girls with kids. So thats a plus.

  • http://twitter.com/Sosomimi90 Thu Pham

    The US market is always a dream every artist in the world wants to enter and gain some success.
    I don’t like SM’s method bc he lets snsd promote themselves in the US so fast. I really dont know what SM’s plan for SNSD in the US is. Certainly, SM will not dare to give up Japanese market and Korean market. So, Snsd will go back and forth between them. As that result, the chance to get success…, I don’t know.
    To JYP, honestly, I want WGs will be recognized more in the US this year. They have spent too many challenges, difficulties, problems, efforts, sweats, member problems… for the last 2 years. They even lost a little their fame in their hometown bc of this severe market. I want them to be repaid for all things they had to endure. I know it’s hard for WGs to have success this time, more than that, I just hope they will receive what they deserve, not a big success like some illusional fans always want such as Billboard, Ellen show, Bieber…. If they are recognized in the America, they will help not only for themselves, JYP, Kpop but the Asia, too.

    Good luck for both, WGs and Snsd.

  • eboy07

    suck.

    • tectonic

      suck.

    • patchy_knowledge

      suck

  • Saboriana

    I love Kpop, their is something whimsical about it that makes it easy to enjoy, having said that I wish Kpop companies would stop trying to take over the US music market with their groups.I think the time for the bans ended with Nsync and Backstreet Boys, yes bans may make a come in the US, but I don’t think they will in the near future. Also the US music industry really doesn’t have the kind of environment that kpop groups need to thrive and become successful. Adding to the problem is the fact that the market group that these kpop groups would appeal to are the tweens, and Disney and Nickelodeon current have that market corner with more teen pop stars than one can count, and also as consumers American tweens are use to a certain level of sophisticated marking and performance that these Kpop companies can not yet deliver. As for the Wonder Girl and SNSD I’m just not sure, the last girl group that could be considered to have been successful in the US was the Pussy Cat dolls, and neither of these groups have the stage present, dance talent, and vocal power to compete. If I had to pick one over the other I would say the Wonder Girl, but only because I think SNSD has to many members, and American kids do not have the attention span to be bother.

  • Anonymous

    Let’s
    face it- we’ve a billion one hit wonders in the US, and no one will bat
    an eyelid if snsd or wondergirls disappeared from the scene. And kpop groups in general will have a tough time because they rely mostly on – variety shows, and crazy fans.

    Variety shows are non existent with the exception of SNL, and I doubt they’ll have more than three girls on stage. And the kpop target market is not exactly SNL’s or any late night’s target group unless we’re looking for pervs. Also a lot of the kfans seem to go to extremes to get their idols recognized. Imho, not many Americans will bulk buy albums-  who cares what the exterior looks like? And I know I definitely won’t unless they’re going to include a naked picture of TOP.

    I know people like to trash the American market for being picky, and
    narrow minded but the general rule of thumb is individuality. Regardless
    of whether it’s horrifically bad, or mind blowingly good, it better be goddamn unique, and you better hope they play it on z100 or something similar. Personally I feel they would have a better chance if they had a more unique sound rather than just autotuned bubble gum pop. SM should really consider developing a trademark sound, and promote a smaller sect of girls rather than the whole group.

    • Mija

      Its funny you mentioned z100. This morning I was listening to z100 thinking i could see them playing The Boys on this station, but will people like it? Most likely not

  • Nana

    I hate to go all linguistic-graduate on you, but Jessica and Tiffany do speak accented English. They speak with a Californian accent. To look down on a person’s language ability because of their accent is rather mean. I heard some Americans sneer at Asian people because “they should learn to speak English properly”, but if the tables are turned, I doubt these same people would be able to speak Chinese/Indonesian/Korean/etc without sounding like they ate a manhole.

    • Anonymous

      Cosign. What’s more, Jessica’s English development sounds stalled (as in, she doesn’t sound like an adult). She left the U.S. in her early to mid teens, correct? When she speaks, her vocabulary, intonation, etc., doesn’t sound like that of a 20 year old. Tiffany’s is a bit better, but it could just be her slightly deeper voice throwing me off.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2HLWIJFBCMMYGQYBMYXOPTEXF4 Mq

        I agree with the both of you above.

        I’m surprised that the writer chose to highlight Yoobin’s rather stuttered and off English instead of the perfectly fluent Lim who’s by far the best female English speak between both groups.

        • http://twitter.com/4M_kellyxo Kelly~

          OR Yeeun. That girl is really good at speaking English, maybe even as good as Lim.

        • Dana D’Amelio

          Mq, you are right – I actually hadn’t heard Lim speak English until very recently!  Good catch.

    • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

      Agreed. Also Jessica and Tiffany don’t talk like adults, I’ve noticed that whenever they speak English they sound like Hannah Montana X__X

    • mimo

      I was going to say the same thing. It isn’t just Californian English though (Californian here – though haven’t lived there in years): you can tell they haven’t been practicing English as much so they have a foreign accent as well. And like others have stated below, they have the language ability of children. It is weird to hear them speak. I suspected Jessica as much because of the books she was seen reading: they are for middle school students. 

      Being fluent is one thing, but to be taken seriously you have to prove you have a strong grasp of the language in multiple situations. I don’t know if they can handle that to be honest…

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

    LOL @ another uneducated article from Seoulbeats (as if today is any different than any other day).  Wonder Girls and Girls Generation arent even in the same category in their approaches to the US/West.

    1) The Wonder Girls left Korea, lived in the US and learning English for almost 3 years now.  They have been promoting non-stop by holding small concerts, opening for other music acts, their own TV Teen Nick movie (which looks like crap), etc and even with this they still havent released an original English album in those 3 years.  

    2) Girls Generation’s (or SM’s) strategy is to have worldwide releases of their albums/music.  They released an album in the US that was originally released in Korea 3 months ago, translated one song into Engrish (the rest of the US album is in still in Korean with remixes of Engrish version of ‘The Boys’), and will do a short one-week promotion tour for it next week on Letterman, Kelly Ripa, etc.  Then they go back to Asia where the real $$$ is made for them (for example they have a soldout concert in Thailand on Feb 12th).

    Girls Generation is SM’s cash cow from album sales (over 1.5 Million albums sold/shipped between Japan/Korea/Asia in 2011), concerts (over 21 soldout concerts with them as the main/only act from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore,etc in 2011), commercial endorsements (#1 in CF’s in Korea in 2011 and various other endorsements in Japan, pan-Asia), etc.   Do you think SM, who know first-hand about failure in the US with BoA’s flop in America, is stupid to give all ‘that’ up?  

    SNSD’s release of an almost all-Korean language album in the US with one Engrish song isnt a ‘real’ US debut, nor will they have a ‘real’ US debut any time soon.  Of course, all of this can change if their album sells through-the-roof in the US or there is ‘demand’ for them in the US (FYI : None of this will happen).

    This article is just another writer on Seoulbeats being LAZY or not knowing the ACTUAL FACTS …

    • Anonymous

      Such a hater. There is nothing lazy or uneducated about Dana’s article. The point of this article was to speculate whether WG or SNSD stand a chance in the US with their promotions, not why they should stay in Asia or SNSD’s popularity in Asia. They are in the same boat because both are currently releasing music/movies (SNSD’s album, WG’s movie + album) and SNSD is scheduled to perform on two talk shows next week.  SM & JYP are hoping to make a dent in the US market but they’re going about it in different ways. What Dana is wondering is if their efforts will work.

      • YeLLow

        Thank you for this response. 

        After I read 
        Ghdksd’s comment, I could not find myself to express my rage in a such a well mannered way. 

      • Dana D’Amelio

        Thanks for coming to my defense, Natalie ^_^

        • Anonymous

          You’re welcome :) .

      • mimo

        Agreed. I am also betting that SM is trying to take the less embarrassing route in case of failure by saying “worldwide release.” Look what happened to BoA. I am sure they don’t want that coming back to slap them in their face a second time :S.

    • Guest

      i love how sones are denying the fact that this is a “debut”. snsd is going to flop like every other kpop act in the us and the sones can’t deal.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

        1) BoA = Original US Album completely in English

        2) Se7en = Original US Album completely in English

        3) Wonder Girls = Leave Korea, live in the US, promote almost exclusively in
        the US and learn English for 3 years

        4) SNSD = Take an album originally released 3 months ago in Korea, remake one song into Engrish, leave all the other songs in Korean, and add remixes of the one Engrish song and release in the US.

        Of course SNSD’s album is is going to sell badly in the US.  But that still isnt to change that this isnt SNSD’s ‘real’ US debut …

        It is called a ‘Worldwide Release’.

        • Anon

          you call it a worldwide release and i’ll call it a debut as will the rest of the world as evidenced by the word being used repeatedly by the media. sm has not corrected them, neither has snsd in interviews.

          and your bs about taking an album from 3 months ago won’t fly since this release has been delayed. they were scheduled to release it earlier.

          and if sm is being lazy about making new songs, it’s really not anyone else’s problem.

          and snsd’s album will sell badly in the us because all the others did as well. not because they’re remaking anything. 
           
           

    • http://twitter.com/alianessa Alia Nessa Utami

      I actually agree with some of your points. LOL at people saying SM’s “testing the water” deed is actually “just to save the face”, because they actually did it to taste the water . During earlier interview, SM CEO clearly stated that SM won’t challenge US Debut too much (including SNSD) because Asia is still the most effective market (look at how SNSD and TVXQ both sold more than 1 million new albums/singles in 2011 alone, something they won’t do if they debut in US). SM won’t do something that will hurt its money and yearly report. Only if SNSD does well with their US single (which they don’t) will SM challenge them to debut seriously. As of now, this is just to gain more worldwide attention with minimal cost, not serious US debut.

  • Anonymous

    People who say the U.S. is over music groups just don’t pay attention to history. We will never be over pop groups and bands. The U.S. music scene has always had boy and girl groups; they just undergo different reincarnations to follow the trends of the times.

    Starting in the 30s and 40s, there were the doowop groups and acts like the Rat Pack. In the 60s and 70s, there was Motown (The Supremes, the Temptations, The Miracles, Jackson 5) and the British Invasion (The Beatles and the Beatles inspired group, The Monkees). In the 80s we had the New Kids on the Block, New Edition and Menudo, and in the 90s there were pop groups like NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees, and R&B groups like TLC, Dru Hill and Boyz II Men. Even in the early 00s there were the Black Eyed Peas, Destiny’s Child and the Pussycat Dolls. And let’s not forget that rock/rock-pop bands never really fall out of favor.

    Solo artists are dominating the charts now, but it won’t stay that way forever. So the real challenge for the Korean music companies is to decide between a.) modeling their idols after current or recently successful pop groups or b.) debuting with something bold and attempting to create the trend that other groups will follow. Option B would be pretty difficult, but if done right, it could create sort of a sub-niche that would allow other K-pop groups to enter the market. (Think how “Livin’ La Vida Loca” warmed people up to Latin music, which allowed Juanes, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez to make it big.)

    That said, I think Wonder Girls are a stronger contender. They seem to have a better grasp of the language, went on tour with a current popular group, aren’t as intimidating in terms of number of members faces and names to remember and have a sound that I think would play better in the U.S. than the cutesy stuff SNSD produces.

    • Arbitrary_greay

      But in recent memory, the only girlgroups since the 90s to make it big as a girl groups were TLC, Spice Girls, Desitny’s Child, and PCD. The latter two are borderline since they were more “Beyonce and Nicole ft. backup dancers.” It seems to be much harder for a girl group to make it in the US without severely shafting  members as compared to boybands. Who was BSB and N’Sync’s counterpart? Not a girlgroup, but Britney Spears. 

      It’s not music groups that the US is over, but idol groups. Especially with the demise of celebrity-based variety shows, of which SNL is the beaten dead horse zombie remnant. 

      • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

        I don’t think the US is over idol singers though tbh, people like Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, Selena Gomez and the Jonas Brothers are making it big, and I think the Wonder Girls have the same kind of appeal in their image so they could possibly make it, and by being in a Nickalodeon Movie they’re definetly targeting the right audience.

        • Arbitrary_greay

          Idol groups are a different animal from idol singers in America, though. That, and most tween pop stars that start with a tween TV channel fail in transition to the wider music market. Bieber and Taylor Swift did not start from Disney or Nickelodeon, whereas every HSM alumni has fallen into obscurity. Miley’s last “big” song were tied to the Hannah Montana movie and has since also fallen off of the radar. Until my roommate forced me to watch Nickelodeon I wasn’t even aware Nickelodeon had such idol singer type shows at all. WG aren’t even on the main channel, they’re on TeenNick. 

          • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

            I get where you’re coming from definetly, I’m just thinking seeing as they’re targeting a teen audience (who are definetly more aware of teen stars than you or me) these teens are more likely to obsess a little bit, look them up and fall into the whole fandom thing, so they’re starting to expand they’re fanbase at a good place. But whether any of these singers make it or not in the US, only time will tell.

  • Sali

    Honestly, I don’t think SNSD have a chance. The fact that there’s 9 of them and all 9 have the same personality/image will go against them. I’m willing to eat my words if they do succeed but right now, I think they will fail miserably.

  • Anonymous

    I also don’t think they’re going to succeed. I agree with the reasons other commentors have said, that their limited English prevents them from really connecting to the American public, that there are too many members in SNSD, that the US market is very different from the Korean one. But I’d like to add something else: to a regular, average American that has never seen or heard Kpop before, there’s nothing really new or interesting about SNSD or WG. They don’t have a huge edge or an “it’ factor, besides being huge in Asia (which most people will probably not care about). There’s nothing controversial or different about them to catch people’s attention. People will see SNSD as nine pretty Asian girls promoting a boring song, a song that’s not good enough to catch the attention of the American people, especially in English (the rapping is worse in English). WG has a greater chance because they’re appealing to a younger audience and could potentially be the next Cheetah Girls if their Nick movie turns out to be really good (I’m not hoping for much, though).

    Kudos to SNSD for getting the chance to perform on Letterman and Live with Kelly (they’re performing, not being interview), but I sincerely doubt it’ll do much. First, talk show performances are generally saved for the very end of the show, sometimes cut off by commercials or a deadline. And people often skip them. Secondly, the demographic they’re appealing to is the wrong one. Letterman’s audience is primarily composed of adults and mostly housewives watch Live with Kelly. Neither groups will have much of an interest in SNSD. Another problem is that SNSD will probably lip-sync – I’ve never seen them actually perform the English version of “The Boys” live. In the US, lip-syncing is taboo and a sure way to kill your career. No one would respect them.

    All I’m planning to see next week is a huge amount of BS and hype coming from Kpop fans.

    I do believe that a Kpop group will break into the US market someday, but not SNSD or WG.

    • Sali

      Question, are the Cheetah Girls big in the US. I’m not being sarcastic. I really want to know. I live in Asia and aside for their movie, they’re not really that relevant in the Asian music world.

      • Mija

        they were popular among kids who watched Disney Channel but not as popular as High School musical

      • Anonymous

        They were big a few years ago with the tween crowd, as a result of their movie. They were never as huge as High School Musical, but people knew who they were. They quickly dropped out of popularity, though. Their situation is similar to Wonder Girls’ because they were in a musical tweeny-bopper movie and became a little popular because of it.

      • http://twitter.com/NotMyBirthday21 Lakeisha

        The Cheetah Girls were very popular and then Raven Symone left so they were no longer on my radar. 

  • Boo

    If WG’s actual songs are a lot like their Wonder World album then they may have a shot at minor success. Fans and observers are aiming too far in my opinion for what is honestly considered a debut. For a lot of well known artists in the states, it takes several albums to make it. Also, several collabs with famous producers, featuring in songs, etc.

    SNSD seem to be aiming for exposure rather than actual success in the US market.

    BEG could make it but their age makes it harder. As for 2NE1, we’ll see.

  • Pixiri

    Lol, I don’t know why people keeping talking about musical groups. People are saying the US is over boy bands and girl groups. Broadway musicals? OP, do you even know what that is? It’s a play where people sing and dance. Singing and dancing is the only thing they have in common with k-pop groups minus the sub-par singing skills that quite a lot of idols possess.

  • Guest

    Just because it’s big in S.Korea doesn’t mean it’ll be big in the U.S. (i.e. Boa & Se7en). I think for a group to “hit it big” in the US, it’s going to be a group that no one really considered like BEG or Miss A. I love 2NE1 and out of the groups I have played for my friends, they were the ones who everyone seemed to enjoy the most. However I can see how 2NE1 can be looked at a posers or too in your face even for a Western ear. 
    I don’t doubt that there will be some people who enjoy SNSD and WG in the US who didn’t already know about them. But I highly doubt they will be as successful as American idol artists now or girl groups from the past. 

    • http://twitter.com/NotMyBirthday21 Lakeisha

      How would 2NE1 be too in your face for the west? 

  • Mija

    I feel really bad for the Wonder Girls because they are already in their twenties and they have to become Nickelodeon stars, I find it really sad. People usually get their start on Nickelodeon and Disney at like age 12 then by the time they are 18 they are ready to move on to more mature things but WGs are just getting started. I doubt that when WGs were trainees they aspired to sing kid songs and perform for kids, especially the members who have powerful voices. But I guess JYP is gonna get his money one way or another whether its by appealing to kids or adults. 

    I don’t think SNSD stands a chance in the US. They don’t have the stage presence or the wow factor required to draw in an American audience. 

    • 123

      wonder girl’s aren’t all that different from snsd… in fact i think they’re by far the most mediocre girl group out of all the girl groups that debuted until now. 

      • Guest

        You can put it that way if you like, but I think Wonder Girls are by far much better then SNSD. The Wonder World album was definitely something amazing and if you were to compare it to SNSD’s garbage album I think you’ll know what I mean. It doesn’t matter if SNSD had many more albums or singles, it’s always quality over quantity.

        What if they’re a mediocre group? It’s their music that matters. Look at Justin Bieber, he caught a huge amount of girl fans ages from 5 to 16 maybe even 20. His songs were super annoyingly catchy but I think it was “Baby” that made him that big.

        I think the only way for the Wonder Girls to make it big is to target the right audiences and to work with the right producers which is what they’re doing in fact. Wonder Girls are already releasing a movie which centers around their adventure to the U.S with Teen Nick, even when it’s not the main channel which Nickelodeon is; a few millions of teens still tunes in every night. After the movie release, the girls would be going along with School Gyrls who featured in the movie to promote the OST and that’s when they’re finished with Teen Nick promotions.

        After the whole Teen Nick deal, the U.S album would get released. Although they’re still new and all, I still think the Tweens from Teen Nick would somehow listen to the album. Let alone, the producers includes Claude Kelly (Grenade, My Life Would Suck Without You, Party in the U.S.A, and co-wrote for Price Tag), Nick Jonas, and etc. behind the album alone would bring a lot of attention towards the album which was something they were already aiming for.

        But anyway, let’s say the Wonder Girls failed. Even when they fail, they can go back to South Korea telling everyone that they at least tried because that’s all that matters from the start. They stopped their promotions in Korea where they were at the top of the game and flew to the U.S to become random asian girls who wanted to learn the language and culture. Along the stops of the way, they met the Jona’s Brothers who they opened for, and then, they continued to have a tour of their own. They took baby steps, instead of just releasing a single and going on talk shows and thinking that they’re all that.

        The Wonder Girls may not be the most talented in all of South Korea’s girl groups, but what they have is passion for what they do which is music. They’re willing to be nobodys, and to go down the road of learning everything from the start. If SNSD was willing to do that; I may start to respect them but only one can dream.

    • Guest

      Most people who listen to K-pop are teenagers anyways, so I think JYP was smart to aim for Nickelodeon watchers. 

      Honestly, it doesn’t matter what age group listens to it. What matters is that their music is spreading. WG don’t care who their fans are, they just care for their fans and appreciate each one. 
      Besides, their album hasn’t even been released yet. So we won’t know for sure who their songs will appeals t. All we know is the English version of Be My Baby and Nu Shoes will be on it. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

    It is so funny how American-centric some people are and think the whole world revolves around the US.

    SNSD “The Boys” album has been released in Taiwan and Singapore with official localized versions (you can go to websites like yesasia to verify this yourself).  The songs are all/most in Korean (I think the Singaporean version has the English version of ‘The Boys’) but the inside liner notes for the Taiwanese version have some Chinese writing and English is an official language for Singapore.  SNSD has held numerous concerts in both places (i think 2 in Singapore and 4 times in Taiwan) and SNSD has been interviewed in those places (for example see below) 

    Funny how when SNSD does the exact same thing in the US (release a localized version with most/all of the songs still in Korean and promote it for short time), suddenly it is called a ‘debut’ and people compare it what the Wonder Girls are doing with them living in the US for 3 years.

    It is called a ‘WORLDWIDE RELEASE’ and is the same as when any American artist goes ‘outside the US’ to do what SNSD is doing ‘inside the US’. A perfect recent example of this is when Lady Gaga goes to Japan on a promotional tour for her album (see below)  

    • http://twitter.com/windyalchemist Diana Zarate

      The thing is, Lady Gaga doesn’t need to have a worldwide release of her album.  whenever she releases something, it does really well here and worldwide. And I don’t think she has debuted(at least not in the sense that wonder girls did) in Japan-because she’s so famous worldwide she gets invited to be on shows and so on.

      I’m not being American-centric, but its a known fact that if you do well in America, you are pretty much set for life. Shakira, Juanes, Enrique Iglesias-all have made multi million dollar contracts with different American companies  after entering the market. Heck, Shakira is about to start a bidding war for one of her world tour dvds. And even though Juanes has said that he won’t sing in English, he has received many awards and has performed at the Macy’s day parade, the FIFA world cup opening in 2010 and so on. Pretty much what I am trying to say, is that if the song and artist have true talent, they can succeed here.

      • martian

        My sentiments exactly. Debuting and succeeding in the US is debuting and succeeding worldwide by default without even lifting extra fingers. It just works that way. 

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

          Another user that is American-centric or Western-centric that none of the world exists outside of the US/West..

          Adele has the #1 best-selling album in the US in 2011.  Adele sells nothing in either Japan, Korea, or Asia. 

          It is really funny in a Kpop website that so many people views are so myopic in terms of the worldwide/entertainment music industry

          • Mija

            I don’t think thats exactly true. Adele sold 5 million albums worldwide, maybe she didn’t sell alot in Asia but its not like nobody over there ever heard of her.

          • Music=Love

            You may not like how it works, but it’s true that is why so many kpop starts are trying to make it in the U.S

          • Guest

            Look here:

            Gives evidence to show that not only does one of the top Asian entertainers/artists (Boa) knows Adele, but also the two CEOs of the Big 3. And not ONLY that, but a young teen (being a random representative of her age group) chose to perform it in a global K-pop audition show… Want to argue more?

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

        Do you actually read what I wrote or understand it?  

        ***Lady Gaga didnt ‘debut’ in Japan just like SNSD isnt ‘debuting’ in the US.***  

        Their promotions in other countries outside of their native countries are just part of the WORLDWIDE RELEASES of their albums

        1)  Lady Gaga released a ‘localized’ English-language version of her album in Japan and went through same promotions that SNSD is doing right now.  As much as you say Lady Gaga doesnt have to promote, the fact is that Lady Gaga did spend almost 2-3 weeks in Japan promoting her album and since her initial promotion period in Japan has been back numerous times for concerts.

        2) SNSD is doing the same in the US.  They released a ‘localized’ Korean-language version of their ’3-month old album’ in the US with one Engrish song remake and will spend 1-week in the US promoting it.  Then SNSD goes to perform on Music Bank in Paris on Feb 8th (or 9th) and back to Asia for their soldout concerts in Thailand on the 12th.

    • Anon

      except they’re calling it a us debut or a “step into the us market”. therefore it’s a debut.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

        1) Who is exactly is ‘they’? 

        Do you mean the writers on Seoulbeats or other writers on other websites
        because SM ‘NEVER” has.  Prove me wrong and provide some proof of your claims. 
        I bet you (or anybody else) will ever provide anything in regards to SM because they
        NEVER have …

        2) I just gave you actual reasons who SNSD’s release in the US is just part
        of their WORLDWIDE RELEASE album strategy

        • Guest

          1) tiffany says “debut” here.

          and what sm says is immaterial. sm says a 100 things every day, it’s called marketing. every single media outlet says debut. if sm did not want them to say it, they would correct it.

          and your reasons are crap because snsd did the same in japan. their debut single was a remake of an old korean song that was then sung in japanese. it also included the instrumental of that song and the korean version. i guess that was a japanese album release and not a japanese debut, then?

          you’re interested in semantics to cover up their upcoming failure. the media has repeatedly called it a debut and neither sm nor snsd has denied it. if snsd had any chance at success at all, you’d be calling this a debut. so, really stop before you make yourself look any more foolish than you already do.

          but then again dana, that’s really difficult for you to do, isn’t it?

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

            LOL at using a press conference for the SM Town Los Angeles concert in September 2010 as proof of SNSD’s current activities in January 2012.  This press conference was even before SNSD’s debut in Japan …

            So desperate and so DUMB on your part that you even presented this as some sort of ‘proof’.  Try again.

            About the japanese debut of SNSD in Japan with ‘Genie”, it was a SINGLE and not an Album.  And SNSD was always going to go Japan, so there was never a question about it.

            ‘Semantics’?  Get the gunk out of your eyes and trying reading what I wrote instead of looking like an idiot.  I said with this current release of an album with majority Korean-language songs originally released 3 months ago in Korea then of course it isnt going to sell well.

            SM is ‘half-assing’ it because it isnt a ‘real US debut’ but part of their WORLDWIDE RELEASE strategy.  I ask again, why is it when American artists like Lady Gaga do the same in Japan, she isnt ‘debuting’ but according to you (and others) … SNSD ‘is’?  

            but then again guest, i know you hate the tremendous popularity that SNSD has and will anything to bring them down, isnt it?

          • Dana D’Amelio

            For the record, I’m not Ghdksd.  Just sayin’ :)

  • Music=Love

    Okay I see way to many Pussy Cat Doll references when it comes to girl groups. Is it to much to ask that we all agree the PCD should not count because it is literally Nicole and backup dancers that happen to be the same people all the time. Not to mention I really don’t like PCD at all and I am by far not a Sone whatsoever, but I would listen to them any day over PCD……just wanted to throw that out there.

  • http://twitter.com/agentproc Bee. ARgh. EsS.

    they will both fail….and although I like Wonder Girls & SNSD about almost equally (a little bit biased towards WG tbh)….the Teen Nick movie might become a success for them & I think will help them succeed more in the US market than SNSD (THEY DON’T STAND A CHANCE).

    The only group that i honestly think has a chance to make it big is 2ne1. They have only 4 members, the backing of Will.I.Am (who is about the only musically relevant artist in the US right now that is helping to facilitate an american debut for a kpop group). They also have the look, styling, and in your face attitude that will go over better for US audiences….but this will depend HIGHLY on their english speaking & singing abilities. I think CL will be fine, but I am a bit worried about Minzy & Dara….less so of Bom.

    Good luck to all the groups tho and I can’t wait to see what happens in the upcoming few months.

    • http://twitter.com/agentproc Bee. ARgh. EsS.

      Well actually after watching the WG’s access hollywood interview….I was impressed by all of the girls’ English language abilities……I think they have a fighting chance…..I’ll be tuning in into their TNick movie…..I just hate that they’re debuting to that age demographic….they are worth so much more than the pre-teen crowd!!!

      • Lai

        Dont worry about Dara, she fully knows how to speak English…she spent her growing years in the Philipppines, she just doesn’t speak it as much as CL and Bom, Minzy maybe a bit worried but not so much, I think the girl is gradually grasping the English language though

      • http://twitter.com/simpledm xelo truo

        I think it’s a good target..you can still make it to the mainstream even with pre-teen and teen, if your song is good enough. But their simple catchy song doesn’t really cut it for mainstream youth-adult. I can’t imagine some one 18+ be sitting in the car and singing a long to the DJ is mine in American. Maybe if Yenny and Sunye does a ballad, I heard When You Believe cover and I was so impressed.

  • http://twitter.com/mikosuzahiru18 Miko Suzahiru-Andou

    So happy I’m not alone with kpop lives not being perfection. I thought I just had standards, but I guess those standards came from growing up here where charisma matters in a performance.

  • yue44

    snsd vs wg i think wg has a much better chance compared to snsd. 1 snsd has to many members and 2 yoobin can rap and judging by my frds thats wat caught there eye in there song. 3 ye eun’s voice has like a r&b feel to it so with well be more easier for ppl to listen. 4 snsd doesn’t really have that swag or just pulling off a bad chic.

  • Rami

    WG is going to get some exposure since a lot of kids watch Teen Nick. Whether they succeed in becoming popular or, at least, getting their name recognized, depends if the movie is worth watching. 
    Foreign acts can make it in the US if they bring something new to the music scene. Take Adele and Shakira for example. Their music is unique and the way they present themselves is original. Even the most shallow and deaf tone music listener would agree that there is something about these two that is worth paying attention to. Keep in mind that I’m using these two since they’re the most well-known foreign acts here at the moment.
     Although kpop is unique to its listeners, to the rest of the world, it’s the same old pop music we keep getting over and over again. Some songs have substance, yes, but it’s difficult to see that when Korean music companies are trying to push the same shallow-like images American pop stars portray, even if those idols have “cleaner” images. The Boys is not a good song because it can’t be used in clubs nor does it supposed catchy tune make anyone want to sing it at random times. I certainly can’t see anyone singing “Girls’ Generation make’em feel the heat” without making themselves look a little foolish. Maybe the bring the boys out part but definitely not a large portion of the song.
    I guess what I’m trying to say is that these two girl groups that are known for being pretty generic in terms of music quality don’t stand a chance in a market that is already run by a lot of pop acts. We already listen to the nonsense Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj give us. We don’t need anymore from average pretty girls who have robotic dance routines and, at times, average voices. 
    Bring a boy group to the US instead. There’s a reason why Bieber is popular. Only little girls fawn over pretty boys with good dance moves.
    Also, I agree that the world doesn’t revolve around the US nor is its music scene the absolute best but it’s clear that Korean music companies want to try to make it here. The trouble is that they would be much happier catering to their own country and countries that have already embraced kpop. The girl/boy group thing has already been done here and it won’t be making a comeback anytime soon

    • Anon

      not a single boy group would be successful here. not one. a few of the girl groups have a very, very slim chance at least.

      • Music=Love

        Big Bang might have the best shot I can see tonight being a big hit and if they did their solo things I know they would do well especially GD&Top they have such clubtastic songs.

        • Anonymous

          Not a single boy band. Not one. 

          Unless they market themselves exactly like the Black Eyed Peas and add Bom as a member.

  • Bua

    Imo, i don’t think either of them will succeed cuz they aren’t good enough. As simple as that,

    WG’s Sohee has no talent. Lim doesn’t have much either. All of them aren’t stable performers. Maybe Yeeun and Yubin do better than others but still they can improve.

    SNSD – 1. too many members. Don’t know if Americans find it weird that a group has so many members as them. 2. Four of them can’t sing even though some of them can dance but not sure if Americans value ‘dancers’. 3. They’re not that good performers too. Nowadays I’m still cringed every time Taeyeon sings her first line for The Boys and their rap – what’s that? Are they actually rapping? 4. I don’t think it’s a good idea to let 2 members out of 9 keep on talking and the others keep quiet. 5. Their stage presence is boring as heck. They only look lively when they do cutesy things but do Americans love cutesy?

    My prediction – none of them will succeed but let’s see. I support them anyway esp.Wonder Girls cuz they’ve been working so hard for it. So good luck girl.

    • Anonymous

      Americans value dancers who market themselves as dancers. Singers aren’t really expected to dance, but if they can (and if they’re good), that’s a bonus. Think Usher, Chris Brown, MJ. I don’t think any of SNSD are both really good dancers and really good singers.

  • who me?yeah you!

    I’m totally off-topic, but William Hung’s pronunciation was not that bad.  He was clear and easy to understand.  The American media sprinted away with his story because he couldn’t dance, he couldn’t sing yet he was so SINCERE.  You got the impression that he honestly believed that his singing was top-notch.  Here’s the cherry on top-he was also just…nice.  He seemed surprised by their comments but he responded with a sort of measured equilibrium.  Plus he was goofy :- )

    Oh and I think the Wonder Girls will succeed.  It might not be #1-on- Billboard-for-weeks-on-end-and-seven-Grammy’s-type of success, but they will find a niche at least for a short while.    They just seem to work really hard.   

  • Seri Park

    I think Yoon Mirae (Tasha Reid) has a good chance, if promoted properly

    2NE1 because they are interesting

  • Seri Park

    SNSD is dead in the water… most Americans won’t be able to tell them apart… I even had trouble telling some of them apart… and their personalities aren’t interesting enough, and the largeness of the group will get people confused…

    Again, I think Yoon Mirae has a good shot, 2NE1 (maybe)…

  • Red or Green?

    I have no idea about Wonder Girls but I saw Mr. Taxi from SNSD just a few days ago and I loved it.  I don’t even know Korean so I couldn’t understand most of it but it didn’t matter.  I am an American citizen and I’ve lived in America for my whole life and I personally would rather see SNSD run with something closer to Mr. Taxi or Run Devil Run.  Concerning clothing I don’t think any major changes from videos filmed in South Korea are necessary, their legs and general hotness are enough for me. 
    I just now watched the boys and it will definatley not get their foot in the door, I noticed a little trouble with pronunciation, nothing really stood out though, but a foreign group like SNSD needs to drop some jaws and Boys didn’t do it, Mr. Taxi did it for me but boys was bad, they ought to run with what they’ve done in South Korea rather than try to conform to the US, the fresh act and style that SNSD can bring to America, in my opinion, has the potential to sweep the oppositon or at least get some interest.  People will be more likely to be interested if SNSD brings something new to music in America, I sincerly hope they do.  Be original SNSD.

    • Red or Green?

      Also two things first of all why the mix of English and Korean in so many of the songs? Just an American wondering how things are done elsewhere.  Two the lyrics need an upgrade, I saw English subtitles for Taxi and it was not too impressive but they’ve got potential.

      • Anonymous

        yah i agree, Mr taxi is okay because you don’t understand 95% of the words but if they want to make an english that got too upgrade the lyrics by a lot. 

        I mean “Mr Taxi Taxi Taxi , now quickly quickly quickly” , I’m supersonic, hypertonic” and a lot of the rest are not going to fly in the states

  • Anonymous

    How is SNSD’s single doing? Is it getting radio play?

    • Anonymous

      no

  • DonnaK

    Both of the groups won’t make it far in the US. 
    But WG already set the benchmark on how far and successful can a kpop group goes since so far they’re arguably the only ‘successful’ kpop artist in the US. Now it’s time for SNSD or any other artist to go beyond what WG has already achieved, and from the way it seems things are going pretty good for SNSD.

    Also, I think we need to lower our expectation and stop comparing them with the success of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Adele, Bieber etc. It’s an unfair comparison to begin, and it’s totally stupid to think that one day WG or SNSD will be as big as those names mentioned above.
    I see some people said that Live with Kelly is an irrelevant show and the target audience is only housewives. I see some people said that WG is going nowhere if they tour with Disney star like Jonas Bros. But seriously, so what? These two groups are taking a small step, one at a time. They start from below and slowly climbing. Disney, Teen Nick whatever. Take whatever opportunities that are given because not many people can experience/achieve what they’ve done so far. 

  • http://twitter.com/simpledm xelo truo

    I seriously hope SNSD don’t perform bring the boy out on Kelly or Letterman …I don’t know but that song and performance make me >,< too awkward in English. Same with the WG when i saw them on so you think you can dance and Wendy. It's anyone game really; they might be popular or in the public eye but somehow I have a feeling  it wouldn't be in a good way. SNS and late night show like to poke fun of things like this. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Zhen-Jiang/100003229803466 Zhen Jiang

    Well SNSD dont really need to promote that much in US to begin with.  They will just appear on TV for a little, grab some niche fans, sell some of their albums and maybe do a few concerts here and there. That should be good enough for them. I highly doubt any SNSD members or SM have expectation that they will become mainstream in US.  There are too much money to be had in ASIA. High risk in US simply does not warrant time and effort to be put in.

    WG on the other hand… i dont know what JYP are aiming for… but i wish the best of them.

  • Anonymous

    I think this is just a gig for SNSD, paid by Interscope.  Most likely it was in the contract when the contract was signed…. must spend X number of hours in US for promotional activities within next 18 months etc.  I think it’s quite possible they gain several thousand casual fans through this, only b/c the viewership would be in millions(IME 5mil plus minus 1mil).  If the rest laughs at the girls… well there’s no such thing as bad publicity, especially not in show biz.

    On thing is for sure: K-news media will trump this as Hallryu wave finally conquering the USA until our ears fall off.

  • Anonymous

    Well, no matter how it turns out, I will watch Letterman and the Wonder Girls movie and switch to fangirl mode just because I can. It’s best to just see how it all plays out and hope for the best, not world domination, just entertaining performances.

    So with that being said, some info for those interested: SNSD will arrive on Jan. 30th, record the shows Jan 31st and Feb 1st. Letterman does tape early so don’t go there at 11:30PM  expecting to see anybody. There will also be a fansigning event on Feb 2nd, 7:00PM at the Best Buy Theatre in Times Square (West 44th& 7thAve)

    http://www.girlsgenerationusa.com/#!featured

  • Comet

    Whether they make it big or not, they should try.  After all, America is the biggest market.   If Kpop bands can make money in America, they will continue to come here.  If they don’t make money here, they will focus on their niche market, Asia.   Personally, groups supported by big entertainment companies should focus on the niche market.   Small indie musicians may do well in America if they can come up with their own unique music. 

  • Dbehm

    Don’t miss that on the 1st they will be on Live with Kelly along with Howie Mandel and Jennifer Lopez. Maybe they can impress J-Lo….Who knows…

  • Blossecup4

    I don’t think either group will make a significant dent in the US market. I kind of wish they could come over here and blow everyone away, but that is very unlikely. I don’t think unimpressive lyrics is a major problem when debuting in the US; there are tons of songs with stupid lyrics that are hugely popular right now (“Sexy and I Know It” is a great example). I would love to see Jay Park make an official US debut; I think he has a lot going for him and his style of music would go over really well.

    • Igbygrl

      ^ I don’t think Jay Park will do very weill here. He’s like the asian version of Chris Brown.

      Also their might be stupid lyrical songs here in America but one that makes them so popular is that one catchy hook or phrase in the lyrics that will get stuck in your head.I’m Sexy and I know It might be a stupid song but it has a catchy hook to the lyrics that you can’t really escape from.

    • Guest

      Sure “Sex and I Know It” is silly and simple, but the artist is making a point. 

      EVERYONE with a healthy self-esteem can show that he or she is “that”.  You really do not understand?! 

      • Guest

        *Sexy*

  • Kimi

    The two groups have totally different strategies and goals. SNSD is using their popularity and strong fan base that would buy anything they release to give them exposure here and make more money so business wise it’s common sense for them to come here. I doubt they want to improve their music or give them opportunity to grow musically since all they will do is release song here and make more money. For wonder girls they are here for a long run and I see no loss in what they are doing either. The girls will continue to grow musically and they will continue to improve their English for however long they plan to stay here it’s like another home for them already. Judging that wg just started I think it will take them a lot more time to establish a name here. SNSD will just do what they have been doing and they will continue to make more money.

  • http://twitter.com/ryzlbrmudz Rayzel Bermudez

    “Wonder Girls’ Nickelodeon TV movie..”
    WTF!

    • Janelle Christopher

      Lol where have you been?

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWZG7BQSH2OQPQMJXMBYTQRPQU Ghdksd

      The author of this article has the information wrong (do you expect any else from any article on Seoulbeats? ), it is a Teen Nick TV movie and not Nickelodeon.

      Nickelodeon is one of the biggest channels on cable, Teen Nick isnt.  Nickelodeon is in almost 90% in US homes, Teen Nick is like around 50%.  Nickelodeon has viewership in the millions, Teen Nick is under 100k.  Teen Nick has gone through numerous restructuring and name changes (it was called ‘The N’ when it first started).

      • Dana D’Amelio

        For someone who thinks that Seoulbeats articles are poorly written, you sure do spend an awful lot of time here.

  • Arbitrary_greay

    The calculation is simple:

    The Kim Sisters >>> WG and SNSD
    Hollywood Palace >>> Letterman, Kelly, Wendy Williams, SYTYCD, etc. in terms of a favorable exposure platform.

    Conclusion: Good luck, girls. You’re going to know a lot of it, because apparently talent, good music, great English, and high profile exposure isn’t enough. 

    A little bonus with regards to WG: Apparently being the biggest selling female record act in the world and having your own variety show on prime time NBC while flying back and forth to the home country for sold-out concerts will result in disbanding a year after said show fails.(and said show subsequently getting mocked by SNL) But at least they broke the Billboard Top 40 at #37!
    “In an attempt to expand the scope of their popularity as recording stars, Mie and Kei came to America—-twice—- to seek truly international recognition.” Sound familiar? 
    (This website is really great. There are sections archiving American news articles about them, clippings showing that they topped radio charts in Hawaii, and the fandom essays section shows that idolling and their fans really haven’t changed one bit, even from the 70s. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t bode well for WG.)

  • Bstar5

    I think my concern with any of the KPop groups that want to debut in the U.S. is their ability to sing live.  I’ve rarely seen them sing without a vocal backtrack.  If they go that route performing in the U.S. they will be harshly criticized.  I think as far as the PCD comparisons go, they are warranted because you do have members of SNSD who are there as dancers and visuals but not as vocalists.  I think the best way for any of these groups to have a chance in the U.S. is to release a good song that takes the country by storm.  Far East Movement had like a G6 and they were a success based on the strength of the song not because of their image.  So if Wonder Girls has a serious hit on their soon to be released debut album they stand a chance.  Also in their favor is the fact that they’re only a five member group; makes it much easier for people to get to know the members.  I remember when I first heard of SNSD it was a little overwhelming to see a group with nine members and watching the music shows and seeing even more groups with a lot of members, I honestly had to wonder who were the singers and who were the backup dancers.  I think people in the U.S. would be equally confused.  Many will think the girls all look a like and there will be no variety shows to help people get to know the girls individually like there is in Korea.  They will definitely be a hit with their already established fanbase and will attract new fans but it’s not the same as being on the level of the already established U.S. pop stars.  They could also attract a lot of attention due to the fact that they’re a 9 member Korean girl group but if they can’t back that up with a hit single the novelty of them being nine pretty girls will definitely wear off.

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