How Korean Pop Music Is Making an Influence in America

I have been a follower of Korean Pop (more commonly referred to as "K-Pop") for a little over a year now, and little did I know that it would make an image for itself in our country. With the popular K-Pop boy group BTS receiving two gold singles from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and being seen on numerous televisions everywhere (from being at the Billboard Music Awards, to The Ellen DeGeneres Show), it is pretty amazing to see some Asian foreigners earning the attention they rightfully deserve.

I lived in a small mountain town for the majority of the past year, and what I experienced was people not appreciating the new Korean music I was enjoying tremendously. What I came to find out, though, was the difference in taste. People who have not experienced a whole world outside of their backyard will obviously not want to hear something new. It is not in their already qualified tastes.

I recently moved to a larger town with my fiancé, and, surprisingly to me, he became accustomed to my constant replaying of a music genre he has never listened to before. Being in a more larger, sophisticated area, he has experienced more of a variety of people, places, events, and knows that not every one thing is always going to be the same—and maybe that is a good thing. He can now name songs he enjoys, and is learning a little bit of the Korean language himself through the music.

K-Pop is obviously hitting it big in our country, but just what does my little analysis above have to do with this topic? It shows that taste is dependent on lifestyles of individuals, and what they have seen and experienced. A person who has never heard of Korea, or may have bad experiences with the country due to their northern counterparts, may not want to indulge themselves in something associated with it. A person who has met a Korean, or enjoys Asian culture, may become a fan of the art form due to this taste.

But yet, another factor also comes into play, and that is taste in music itself. A person who listens to country and folk may not want to turn their heels onto the K-Pop train so quickly, but a teenager who enjoys modern pop music may hear the same pop music from another country, and it would not make a difference. Hip-Hop fans may be drawn to the rap verses and beats while pop fans may more be drawn to the bubblegum rhythms and beautiful voices of the musicians blasting through their headphones.

Many American musical artists are also becoming one with the Korean Pop industry. On their latest EP, Love Yourself: Her, BTS had the honor of having the Chainsmokers produce the beat for the song "Best of Me," and their "Mic Drop" remix featured rapper Desiigner and DJ Steve Aoki. K-Pop artists are finding their way into the American music industry as well, with CL releasing her own English singles, and RM from BTS recently collaborating with Fall Out Boy on their remix of the song "Champion."

Where will K-Pop go from here within the next five, ten, even twenty years from now? It is uncertain to say whether the music will eventually simmer down in our country and we will become more accustomed to our home music again, but from what we know at the present time, K-Pop is hitting it hard here in America, and I think the K-Pop industry has BTS and Big Hit Entertainment to thank on that one.

Article written by: Josephine Shaw