Rise of K-Pop
If you
would’ve asked me two years ago, I would’ve scoffed at the idea of listening to
Korean pop songs. However, today, I am unapologetically a K-Pop stan. I love
their bright and advanced visuals, coordinated dancing, stable vocals, exciting
performances, and fervent fandoms.
Similar to
me, millions of Americans and Westerners have undergone this transformation to
K-Pop in recent years. In the
late 1990s, the early K-pop pioneers began their international venture with the
neighboring Asian markets: Taiwan, Japan, and China. But the United States —
the world’s largest market and the fountainhead of modern pop music — has
always been the ultimate prize.
BTS
finally claimed that prize earlier this year, when their Love Yourself:
Tear album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This year alone, K-Pop groups BTS and
Blackpink have broken records and successfully established a place in Western
world. BTS and Blackpink have beaten Ariana Grande’s “Thank You, Next” video
for the fastest videos to reach 100 million views in 24 hours. BTS were the
first K-Pop act to perform at the BBMAs, AMAs, and most recently – SNL. K-Pop
girl group, Blackpink just performed at Coachella and are on their US World
Tour.
The most successful Korean pop culture producer, BTS has
demonstrably contributed considerably to the South Korean national economy. According to
the Hyundai Research Institute, the band is estimated to bring more than $3.6
billion into the South Korean economy annually.
However, as
K-Pop permeates Western culture, some questions start to arise about its future:
Will K-Pop increasingly start to add English words? Will idols begin to lose their
culture? Will most music, like K-Pop, reggae, and Latin pop begin to become
Westernized to enter Western markets?
As an
Asian-American starting to see more representation in media (through movies
like Crazy Rich Asians or K-Pop), I am proud, but also worried about the
future.
- Sheryl
Comments
Post a Comment