K-Pop takes America

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spirity said:
I've just found out about k-pop in the last 10 mins. I've heard the psy track before, and I heard of j-pop before. Didn't know there was a genre called k-pop though. Is there a *-pop for other countries? Or just korea and japan
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I-pop from Indonesia although it's only sometimes called that.
 
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I don't think that K-pop is really taking over, I'm very curious to see what the reaction will be after the new PSY single release.
Blablurn said:
i think its funny that out of all kpop stars the chubby one made it. not 2NE1, not SNSD, it was psy. i love that. maybe the chubby one from super junior is thinking about a solo career now? lol
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Please, remember his name, SHINDONG!!!! You can see him in my avatar every time!
I don't think so about the solo career, atleast not now
SolidSnakex said:
I'm always surprised that there hasn't been a Kpop group that really took Japan seriously. I know the US is always kind of the holy grail for any artist, but it's really hard to make it here. Kpop already has its foot in the door in Japan but no one really does anything to really push through. That market is really big (I believe it's the second biggest) and it's very kind to groups. But as of now you only see groups releasing singles or albums and then doing a little promotion before heading back to Korea. I think a group like KARA or SNSD could be huge in Japan if they were to setup there for a year or so and do the variety show circuit (or get their own, which would be even bigger) while also doing various other shows. But I guess contractual obligations in Korea probably get in the way for any serious pushes.
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SolidSnakex said:
I'm talking about them being huge in terms of being able to consistently compete with the biggest groups in Japan. Single sales in particular are the type that can be helped out by lots of promotion for the song and the group in general. That's why ARASHI and the 48 family continually do so well. There really isn't any Kpop act that can compete with them on that level. I'm not saying that they could be as big as those groups, but I think that they could be comparable. Well, at least to the sister groups from the 48 family (they still do several 100k per single on day 1).

Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that there aren't any popular Kpop groups in Japan. There certainly are. But there's a sizable gap between the really big groups in Japan and the biggest Kpop group there. That's what i'm referring to. I think that the gap could be closed quite a bit if a someone were to really make a serious push for that market.
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SolidSnakex said:
When you start bringing singles into the mix (which are a very big deal in Japan) there's a very noticeable gap. This is what 2011's singles chart looked like





Of course that's certainly a risk that they'd be taking if they did commit to a big push in Japan. But the upside is that they already know that they're going to have success in Japan. The only question would be just how big that success would be. I think that they'd be big enough to offset any loss in popularity that may come from a lack of activities in Korea. The Wonder Girls were trying to tap into a very difficult market where there was a big unknown. It really wasn't worth the risk.
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Super Junior have four single that have passed the 100000 barrier in Japan, Opera sold 177,448 copies in its first month. Not that bad, still you are right, no promotion at all, I don't really know why. Not to mention obviously that the SS4 concerts in Osaka and Tokyo (Tokyo Dome) were sold out.
 
This is funny. Kpop doesn't have a chance in America for another 10 years at LEAST.

Red Liquorice said:
So many interchangeable groups of personality-void girls. So many O_O
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Someone isn't very good at paying attention.

Zefah said:
What in the world does Pokémon have to do with manufactured generic pop music?
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McKeeverFever has a Pokemon avatar. His incredibly stupid argument is being trolled.
 
Zefah said:
What in the world does Pokémon have to do with manufactured generic pop music?
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Pretty much the same argument can be used that anything that you decree is "for teenagers/children". Considering we're on a video game forum, aforementioned argument probably constitutes trolling (or at the very least being thick).
 
AgentChris said:
Um...



I love Pokemon because I grew up and its amazing; but that doesn't mean their not marketed towards kids.
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What does the target marketing have to do with anything? I don't feel like you're answering the question.

Also, I'm not sure that the sexy look that most K-Pop outfits are going for is intended for kids.

Delusibeta said:
Pretty much the same argument can be used that anything that you decree is "for teenagers/children". Considering we're on a video game forum, aforementioned argument probably constitutes trolling (or at the very least being thick).
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The guy didn't say that K-Pop was just "for teenagers/children." He said that the only people he knows that actually like the stuff are very young people, implying that any adult with the slightest bit of taste wouldn't go near it. It's a very different statement than saying what the target audience is.
 
Zefah said:
What do the target marketing have to do with anything? I don't feel like you're answering the question.

Also, I'm not sure that the sexy look that most K-Pop outfits are going for is intended for kids.
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I just corrected you on the thing you quoted, that's it.
 
Zefah said:
The guy didn't say that K-Pop was just "for teenagers/children." He said that the only people he knows that actually like the stuff are very young people, implying that any adult with the slightest bit of taste wouldn't go near it. It's a very different statement than saying what the target audience is.
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It's a painfully limited perspective and also ignoring a lot of cultural dynamics in play. I know plenty of Korean adults who focused on other musicians because it's easier and because the target of kpop is the same as MTV. When things get moving that quickly, most don't keep up with it anymore, and keeping up with it is part of the entertainment. I find out what they do like, and can offer similar things both in and outside of kpop, and they are enjoyed. So it's not about taste, it's about the social elements of kpop and how they work out. Maybe one doesn't follow pop music the way younger people do, but that doesn't mean they can't or don't find things they like. Music in general plays a far less prominent role in their lives.

In these demographic targets, kpop and pop in general serves three purposes. One really plays to younger demographics with themes related to young love that may not relate to many adults at all. Another is one of pure entertainment, feel-good party kind of stuff that definitely resonates more with youth but isn't limited to them and has even been appreciated by grandparents. While this has the widest appeal, it is also the most divisive because a lot of people seem to have a problem with being happy. The last element is the ways in which it pushes culture to advance. This will always appeal to youth more because they haven't become submissive to the ways of society yet, so they are more open to challenging conventions. This aspect is reflected in challenging themes of culture as well as musical conventions.

As I said, that's how it is with pop music anywhere. That's the role it has come to play, mostly comforting and encouraging youth to make the world their own. It's a reflection of their wishes in their personal lives (romance), in their circumstances (freedom/fun) and in their life on the whole (individual will expanding social freedoms) so it has a lot going on. Generally, many adults get their lives established and find things they can be satisfied with, so all three of those things become less important to them as they can deal with the social constraints their ambitions no longer aim beyond. However, there are still plenty of adults not satisfied, not settled, who appreciate the sentiment in all three and embrace the forward movement of pop.

I find that the most divisive aspect of it is the optimism with which it handles these things. When I ask for examples of alternatives, I'm always given something angry or depressing. There is a place for that, and I can enjoy all types of music by their intended purposes, but there is a spirit in pop music that they lack. It sees a hope and commits everything of itself (music, themes, style, attitude, approach) to becoming the embodiment of it. Rather lamenting or deconstructing obstacles, it aims to replace them by becoming something more. There are plenty of times that I don't feel like this, and I listen to other music that is heavier, or times when I want music to simply be music without anything extra and I listen to something instrumental, but pop has a place and it is not nearly as vapid as many people would attempt to claim.
 
Biscuits said:
Aren't there hardcore AKB fans who buy 1000s of copies of their singles on release day? How do you compete with that, especially as a foreign group?
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Stuff like that can happen with the election single (which is only once a year). But people do tend to buy multiple copies of the same single because they all offer something different. Different songs and different DVD features.

Cuddler said:
Super Junior have four single that have passed the 100000 barrier in Japan, Opera sold 177,448 copies in its first month. Not that bad, still you are right, no promotion at all, I don't really know why. Not to mention obviously that the SS4 concerts in Osaka and Tokyo (Tokyo Dome) were sold out.
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That's why i'm saying that they could be a lot bigger if they were to really take the market seriously. KARA and SNSD both went over 400k for their albums last year, which put them in the top 10 best sellers for the year. I think some group will eventually get around to making a big push there.
 
SolidSnakex said:
That's why i'm saying that they could be a lot bigger if they were to really take the market seriously. KARA and SNSD both went over 400k for their albums last year, which put them in the top 10 best sellers for the year. I think some group will eventually get around to making a big push there.
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100k - 400k is amazing sales for a foreign group in Japan. Their management won't let their major groups leave the Korean spotlight for a full year; that would be foolish.

I don't see J-Pop groups trying to expand to China, US or Europe because they don't have the money needed to make a dent.
 
Red Liquorice said:
So many interchangeable groups of personality-void girls. So many O_O
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More or less. Japan has this issue as well with idol groups. Though, on that end at least the idol girls don't start looking the same due to surgery. It's actually kind of annoying checking out kpop groups and finding the same girls not just in personality but in looks.

AgentChris said:
100k - 400k is amazing sales for a foreign group in Japan. Their management won't let their major groups leave the Korean spotlight for a full year; that would be foolish.

I don't see J-Pop groups trying to expand to China, US or Europe because they don't have the money needed to make a dent.
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AKB itself isn't jumping into foreign markets but Akimoto started up Jakarta 48 and Shangai 48 with AKB48 members transferring over there to support them.
 
AgentChris said:
100k - 400k is amazing sales for a foreign group in Japan. Their management won't let their major groups leave the Korean spotlight for a full year; that would be foolish.
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I'm not saying that it isn't amazing for a foreign act. My entire point is that they could be much bigger if they were to focus on Japan. They're putting up impressive numbers with relatively poor marketing (in comparison to a group that's based in Japan). If they were to make a big push they'd have a chance of being huge there.

I don't see J-Pop groups trying to expand to China, US or Europe because they don't have the money needed to make a dent.
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AKB actually has several shops through Asia. And as Shouta said, there are 48 family spinoff groups starting up in different countries. The main group just isn't going to do it because of how big they are in Japan.
 
Morning Musume has some members going around Asia right now for promotion, and many large artists have done lives/promotions around there in the past few years as well.

But again, Japanese artists don't have to go to the rest of Asia because Japan is large enough on its own, and almost all major artists release overseas even without promotion.
 
Man all my favorite jpop stars retired. Koda Kumi, M-flo, Benny-k, and Utada. I have yet to see some one match Koda's sex appeal, Gain might be close.
 
PSY is popular because the guy looks so different from the things you see normally pumped out of the US, Europe, SK, etc.

The article is hyperbolic as hell, and his song being successful is because of his song. It's not because America has just been waiting for that one korean song. He is the exception, not the rule.
 
AgentChris said:
100k - 400k is amazing sales for a foreign group in Japan. Their management won't let their major groups leave the Korean spotlight for a full year; that would be foolish.

I don't see J-Pop groups trying to expand to China, US or Europe because they don't have the money needed to make a dent.
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J-Pop groups do sell their music and perform concerts in Asia, though. They may not be all gungho about conquering other countries like so many Korean acts are, but it's not like they stay only within Japan, either.
 
I think I like korean movies way more than korean pop, though I do not have anything against those that do enjoy it.

EDIT: Koda Kumi <3 Love her.
 
Xilium said:
I would argue that trance/house music isn't popular outside of a very specific scene (clubs primarily). We went through a phase of it being mainstream in the 90's but I think that's mostly over now. Dubstep will likely follow a similar path.
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Right now, EDM is more popular than it ever was in history in the US (unless you count Moby's "Play" album which had adult-contemporary crossover appeal). Good thing or a bad thing? IMO a bad thing - total mainstream exposure has never been healthy in the long-term, in fact wall-street is already looking to capitalize and invest in the 'scene'.
 
Htown's Definitive Guide to K-Pop



It's like American pop, but you can't understand shit!


Also, hot Korean chicks moving their hips.
 
Red Liquorice said:
So many interchangeable groups of personality-void girls. So many O_O
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Friend of mine recently debuted as an idol and an acquaintance of my brother works in the industry.

From what I heard, the very moment you audition, you're assigned to play a role, a persona and you're never to deviate from it, it's all part of a contract.. They're not acting theirselves. It's like signing contract with the devil, and it's just very depressing altogether.
 
Dreams-Visions said:
I hear it's popular in SK.

Why and what body parts?
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EVERYTHING

20120428_WOC079.png


One in five women in Seoul aged 19-49 has had plastic surgery.

I'm not sure exactly the year it became prevalent. South Korea is a conservative country that is vain when it comes to looks. One woman gets plastic surgery and then another one will because the previous one did. K-Pop stars are also contributing to the increase in plastic surgery.

As an aside:

There are seven times more buttock operations in Brazil than the top-25 country average, and five times more vaginal rejuvenations. In Greece, penis enlargements are performed ten times more often than the average.
 
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