Ogilvy PR’s Mauricio Godoy and I were having a friendly debate on the merits of K-Pop. Producer Swizz Beatz has made strong statements about a potential K-Pop invasion and will.i.am, Diplo and Kanye West have all been rumored to be interested in working with K-Pop artists, presumably to help them transition to the U.S. market. Below is Mauricio’s and my point-counterpoint on our opinions on the viability of a K-Pop phenomenon.
Point: K-Pop Will be the next hot thing in American Pop (Mauricio)
K-Pop will sweep American airwaves in the next 7 months. Gawker’s recent article, “The Real Perfect New Pop Song is this K-Pop Hit, ‘Bad Boy’” did nothing less than confirm that a Korean innovation approaches. On February 1st, K-Pop stars Girls Generation performed on David Letterman and just a day later Teen Nick aired a movie starring the Wonder Girls, another K-Pop group. In late february, the Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am traveled to Seoul and helped Korean girl group 2NE1 with their upcoming US debut. There is some heavy investment in K-Pop and we will see their effects on our culture very soon.
Counterpoint: I think we’re still a long ways away from K-Pop ruling the U.S. pop universe (Felicia)
A couple of factors here:
1. Where would we hear them? Ten years ago, a new pop music act needed a kick ass manager and label willing to invest and put them on radio tours and MTV press junkets in order to reach the desired fan base (usually teens and twenty-somethings). This is what Britney, N Sync, and all the other Pop Bands of the 90’s did. These days, with fewer people tuning into radio and MTV music non-existent (at least in the very popular TRL form), how would people discover them? Youtube could be a good forum, but I haven’t seen many compelling music videos from Asian artists, and what would they need to do to grab our attention in the age of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj?
2. I had a Twitter conversation with the brilliant Miss Info of Hot97, where she astutely observed: ”Music is about finding common ground that resonates. K-Pop fans celebrate surreal fake. US fan love hyper-real.” This gets to the heart of the reason as to why I don’t think K-pop will rule the American music scene. Teens are savvier today than they were when we were growing up. They want a real genuine connection, whether through the lyrics, personalities, etc. Taylor Swift writes her own songs from experience! Bieber was discovered on Youtube! With K-pop, it’s both manufactured and *gasp* foreign.
Point: K-Pop artists will not need pop collaborations
K-Pop artists can become pop stars in America without collaborating with Justin Bieber. These artists have already earned the following of millions of Asian fans residing in the U.S. What they will need, however, is to release English versions of their albums. The ability for K-Pop to appear relatable to non-Koreans will be crucial in helping the genre reach mainstream success. Take Pitbull, for example. Pitbull sings primarily in English. To reach Hispanic audiences, Pitbull delivers rapid-fire Spanish slang that goes undetected by most of his english speaking fan base. This will also occur during K-Pop songs attempting to break into the English market.
Usher and Pitbull
Counterpoint
According to the census, nearly 1-in-5 (47 million) Americans speak Spanish at home. In contrast, there are just over 1 million Koreans in the U.S. and 78% speak Korean as the main language. There are exceptionally few successful mainstream Asian entertainers in any genre - film, TV, music, sports, etc. Comparatively, Latin stars abound: J. Lo, Sofia Vergara, Marc Anthony, Selena Gomez, Eva Mendes, Bruno Mars, Demi Lovato, Eva Longoria, Jose Conseco, Oscar De La Hoya, A Rod, etc.. Asians are under-represented in U.S. culture (and pop culture) across the spectrum and it’s an apples and oranges comparison with Hispanic artists. For American audiences to be interested in K-pop, there will have to be collaborations galore (I mean, look at Pitbull himself - his hits are almost all collaborations).
Point: More than one K-Pop group will lead the movement
I remember an old rock & roll saying: “The Beatles opened the door for british rock, The Rolling Stones held it open.” I feel the same thing will happen in K-Pop which originates from such a collectivistic society. Demand for boy and girl bands will be extreme and propel multiple bands into success. Some of the bands I predict will lead this movement are Girls Generation, Big Bang, and Wonder Girls.
Counterpoint
Listen, I think K-Pop could become popular among small pockets or niches in the U.S. It’s even somewhat likely it could become more popular with Asian-Americans living in the U.S. (in pockets like SF, LA, and NYC). But for the masses, I can’t see it for reasons mentioned above. If pop music is the category that brings Asian stars to mainstream American pop culture, I’d totally thrilled (being an Asian-American and all) but I’d be shocked.
We had a great time having our healthy discourse. Which side are you guys on?
The Wonder Girls
BIGBANG
- Mauricio & Felicia
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