Beno recently posted an article on his Facebook titled, "Does Korean Pop Actually Have a Shot at Success in the US". I thought it was an interesting read and the author spent a great deal of time researching past Asian artists that tried to make a debut here in the US. I think he should have focused mainly on Korean artists, but he mixed in Japanese history in the article (but who can blame him.. he lives in Japan). There have been other Korean artists that attempted a run at the US market, such as Kim Bum Soo with his English single of "Memory" and S7ven. Both failed.
His article concludes with a few marketing grips regarding the three girl groups currently working on their US debut (Wonder Girls, Girls Generation, and 2NE1). He lists WG's as the favorite to make a breakthrough in the US market while giving GG and 2NE1 unfavorable forecasts. I strongly disagree with his assessment.
Here's what i think. There are three criteria's that must be met.
1. Audience
2. Marketing/Branding
3. Music/Popularity/Swag
Audience is particularly important because that's how you know what to do for #2 and #3. Boa and others failed IMO because they never reached a clear audience or demographic. Was it tweens, Asian Americans, high school kids, or young adults? Males or females? Audience also makes up your customer base. They will be the ones buying your music on iTunes and CD's - so it's vital to choose correctly.
This is why it's so hard for Kpop to break through in the States. About 30-40% of the audience in the US are White. 10-20% are Black. Asian Americans make up only about 5-10% of the market in the US. So you need to get White kids to listen to your music, especially little girls. And folks, that's the brick wall in front of us. Why? Cuz what do little white girls like? Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber.
But Bronx, in Europe Kpop is spreading like wild fire! Partly true. It was exaggerated by the Korean media. Kpop is a nice hit in Europe, but they aren't Americans.
Marketing. Spending money to make money. If you look at some of the artists here in the US and how their popularity sky rockets in a single month - you can truly appreciate the power of marketing. If not already, the Korean labels should get 3rd party professional help with their US marketing.
Swag, style, popularity, and music. In other words, the artists themselves. Can they sing? Do they have the right music to sing? Are they stylish?
My conclusion is that it's too early for Kpop to branch out in the states. USA is a proud country. Music produced and sang by Americans will always trump others. When an Asian American wins American Idol you can prove me wrong.
The right thing to do would be to stay in Asia. Maybe make some English songs collaborating with Snoop Dog once in a while. But don't make an album, make a TV movie, or open concerts for the Jonas Brothers.
Even if i blabber on and on, the 3 girl groups will be making their way into the US this year. So what's my prediction?
Wonder Girls will fall flat. JYP just needs to stop investing so much money on them. They don't have the audience and popularity to make it. Sorry WG's.. should probably quit while you can.
Girl's Generation will make some money. They have the attention of most healthy males in the US. They certainly have the looks and swag. They have already received millions of Youtube hits and have 2 English speaking Korean Americans. What they lack right now is the right music. If they were to create a hit single with the right beat and lyrics... the possibilities could be endless.
My #1 pick in terms of which girl group has the best chance at bringing Kpop to the US is 2NE1. They have the swag. Popularity based on Youtube hits and Hollywood stars talking about them. Pretty much every song they've produced - i could see hints of Western culture embedded inside. The beats are dope, but what worries me is the fact that anytime Koreans try to make a song in English.. it's broken English. Get rid of the Korean fob accent. Make a #1 hit single. Put it out on the radio. Let it ride.
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