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Girls' Generation perform at the Incheon Korean Wave Festival in 2010

Girls' Generation

Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage.com

Feature
How K-pop's U.S. popularity is exploding why-k-pops-popularity-exploding-united-states

Why is K-pop's popularity exploding in the United States?

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Korean artists such as Girls' Generation and Big Bang are making international music waves
Jon Matsumoto
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

While South Korea is a vital part of the growing economic boom in Asia, the country of nearly 50 million people is exporting more than just consumer electronics and cars these days. Its native popular music, universally known as K-pop, is also finding a growing international audience in places such as the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. And in other Asian markets, including Japan, it's already big business.

In major U.S. cities such as Chicago, Atlanta and Houston, K-pop concerts have sold out venues seating 1,700 to 2,500 music fans. In 2011 the nine-member dance-pop group Girls' Generation performed to a sold-out audience, along with other K-pop acts, at New York's hallowed Madison Square Garden. And in Los Angeles, the Korean Music Festival has been a part of the concert season at the 17,000-plus capacity Hollywood Bowl for the past 10 years. Held this year on April 28, the festival featured performances from Korean artists such as Brown Eyed Girls, Im Tae Kyung, Kim Kyung-Ho, and Lena Park, among others.

Christine Ha, a reporter for Los Angeles' The Korea Times, presenters of the annual Korean Music Festival, says the festival now attracts approximately 30 percent non-Koreans.

"We noticed [the growth in audience diversity at the Hollywood Bowl shows] about two or three years ago," says Ha. "It includes the Hispanic community, the Chinese community [and] other Americans … We always sell out."

The sizable Korean-American population in cities such as Los Angeles is certainly helping to fuel the popularity of K-pop in the United States, but the stateside K-pop audience stretches beyond Asian-American demographics.

"When we performed in Los Angeles, New York and Paris, we were shocked and surprised to see that the majority of our fans were non-Asian," says Sunny of Girls' Generation. "That is when we realized how big and influential K-pop was [becoming] around the world."

Joon Ahn, executive vice president for the music business division at Korea's CJ Entertainment & Media, says K-pop first emerged in the '90s with ballad crooners such as Kim Gun Mo and Shin Seung Hun. The first decade of the new millennium has seen the emergence of new stars such as Girls' Generation, Big Bang, Super Junior, and Wonder Girls, with the latter opening for the Jonas Brothers in 2009.

As the international audience for K-pop has broadened, so has its stylistic boundaries, says Ahn. Hip-hop, rock and techno are now freely embraced by some artists in the movement. Snoop Dogg performed on the title track of Girls' Generation's 2011 album, The Boys; Kanye West appeared on JYJ's "Ayyy Girl" in 2010; and the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am will reportedly produce the U.S. debut album by K-pop group 2NE1, an all-female hip-hop group.

Today, many K-pop artists are setting their sights on the international market right away. And while the preparation that some go through is reminiscent of the rigorous artist development practices employed by Barry Gordy's Motown Records in the '60s, Ahn believes this attention to detail has contributed to the success of many of these groups. 

"In recent years, Korean artists have planned their overseas activities as soon as they make their local debut," says Ahn. "Therefore, vocal training, dance rehearsals and physical workouts are only the beginning. Lessons in foreign languages and etiquette are given as well."

Some K-pop performers are recruited from other countries such as Thailand, China, Japan, and the United States. Tiffany of Girls' Generation was born Stephanie Hwang in San Francisco. NichKhun of K-pop boy band 2PM, who was born and partly educated in Southern California and is of Thai-Chinese descent, feels it's a benefit to have members in a group that can fluently speak and sing in other languages, particularly English.

"It is a big advantage having two English speakers in our group," notes NichKhun.

"It's Taecyeon and me. To be able to communicate with the fans is very important. So if 2PM ever makes a debut in English-speaking countries, we can connect with the fans better."

Ahn believes the growth in digital media is a major reason why K-pop has become a global entity. The video for the Girls' Generation 2009 single "Gee" has been viewed more than 73 million times on YouTube. The song became the longest-running No. 1 song on the Korean Broadcasting System's chart, and their self-titled album, released in Japan in June 2011, went double platinum, a first for a Korean girl group.

"The channel for movement of music is now very simple with digital," Ahn observes. "Even the file size is convenient for it. Compared to movies, musical theater, or TV series that have a bigger language barrier, music's appeal is communicated through rhythm and visual impact. YouTube and other social networks have contributed the most to spreading music of all kinds and allowing them to be heard [by] a greater audience."

With commercial success comes increased competition. It's been said that even a few months out of the spotlight can spell trouble for a successful K-pop group because there are many artists clamoring for attention.

"The K-pop scene is very competitive because there are so many people who are talented and younger who also want to be a part of the scene," says NichKhun. "Recently, we have been away working on our album in Japan and we're already starting to see so many new young groups. So we have to make sure to maintain our popularity in Korea while expanding to other markets, which doubles or triples the work. It is not easy."

Adds Tiffany, "Now with most groups trying to expand and break through into other markets and territories, the competition is that much stronger. So we are so thankful to our fans for supporting us."

Questions remain regarding K-pop's potential for growth and influence. Will the scene be able to generate artists for the ages similar to the Beatles and Michael Jackson, who both moved from being teen idols to timeless international artists? While that remains to be seen, K-pop artists are certainly reaping the benefits of the genre's current success.

(Jon Matsumoto is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.)

GOT7

GOT7

Photo: Greg Doherty/Getty Images

Poll
Vote On Your Favorite Fall 2017 K-Pop Album btob-bts-twice-got7-favorite-k-pop-fall-album-poll

BTOB, BTS, TWICE, GOT7: Favorite K-Pop Fall Album Poll

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With a variety of K-pop albums released this fall, which are you most excited about?
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Oct 24, 2017 - 11:15 am

Fall 2017 is a great time to be a K-pop fan, with bands such as BTOB, BTS, TWICE, and GOT7 all dropping new music. From Brother Act (BTOB) to 7 For 7 (GOT7) to upcoming releases from EXID, Super Junior and Seventeen, which album are you most excited about this fall? Cast your vote below.

Polls

Which fall 2017 K-pop album are you most excited about?

BTS Draws Massive Crowds For First Japanese Arena Shows

How to Watch The 2021 GRAMMYs
News
2021 GRAMMYs: Full Performer Lineup Announced 2021-grammys-performers-taylor-swift-bad-bunny-cardi-b-bts-billie-eilish-dua-lipa-megan-thee-stallion-post-malone-harry-styles

Full Performer Lineup For 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Announced: Taylor Swift, BTS, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles And More Confirmed

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The 2021 GRAMMY Awards show performer lineup will also include performances from Black Pumas, Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Post Malone and more
GRAMMYs
Mar 7, 2021 - 10:00 am

Today (Sunday, March 7) the Recording Academy announced the full performer lineup for the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, officially known as the 63rd GRAMMY Awards. Performers include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. Artists will be coming together, while still safely apart, to play music for each other as a community and celebrate the music that unites us all.

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Additionally, Music's Biggest Night will pay tribute to the independent venues, which have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, those who work day-to-day at the Troubadour (Los Angeles), the Hotel Café (Los Angeles), the Apollo Theater (New York City), and the Station Inn (Nashville) will present various categories throughout the night.

Read: How To Watch The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show: A Viewer's Guide On Where To Watch Music's Biggest Night

Hosted by Trevor Noah, CBS and the Recording Academy present the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, airing live on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS Television Network and also available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Check out our official Watch The 2021 GRAMMYs Live page to learn about the different ways you can watch the show and experience the 2021 GRAMMY season in full.

To view a list of current nominations per artist, please visit our GRAMMY Awards performer and presenter page here.

2021 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominees List

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SiriusXM launches The GRAMMY Channel
News
SiriusXM Launches The GRAMMY Channel recording-academy-and-siriusxm-launch-grammy-channel-2021

The Recording Academy And SiriusXM Launch The GRAMMY Channel Ahead Of The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

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Airing Tuesday, March 2, through Sunday, March 14, on SiriusXM, the limited-edition The GRAMMY Channel will feature music from some of this year's nominees
Recording Academy
Mar 2, 2021 - 3:38 pm

To celebrate the upcoming 63rd GRAMMY Awards, the Recording Academy and SiriusXM have announced the launch of The GRAMMY Channel, a limited-edition channel featuring a variety of music from some of this year's nominees. 

Launching Tuesday, March 2, at noon ET and running through GRAMMY night (Sunday, March 14) on SiriusXM channel 104, The GRAMMY Channel will highlight the music and artists celebrated across the GRAMMY Awards' 30 Fields, including current nominees like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Brittany Howard, DaBaby, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Phoebe Bridgers, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Taylor Swift and more.  

Listeners can also expect to hear music from the 2021 class of Lifetime Achievement Award honorees such as Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena and Talking Heads, as well as exclusive interviews with music's biggest stars from behind the scenes at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards.  

SiriusXM's The GRAMMY Channel is available to listeners nationwide on SiriusXM radios, on the SiriusXM app and at home with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream in their house. Streaming access is included for most subscribers. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more. 

The GRAMMY Channel leads up to the live broadcast of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, March 14, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS. 

Learn more about The GRAMMY Channel on SiriusXM. 

GRAMMY Awards Radio Launches On Pandora Ahead Of The 2021 GRAMMYs Show

Press Photo of Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko

Photo: Justin Jackson /J3 Collection

News
63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Announced 63rd-grammy-awards-premiere-ceremony-lineup-2021-grammys

Participating Talent For 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony Announced: Jhené Aiko, Burna Boy, Lido Pimienta, Poppy And More Confirmed

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Streaming live internationally Sunday, March 14, via GRAMMY.com, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees like Rufus Wainwright, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science and many others
GRAMMYs
Mar 2, 2021 - 7:00 am

The Recording Academy has announced details for the Premiere Ceremony ahead of the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast this month. 

Preceding the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place Sunday, March 14, at noon PT, and will be streamed live internationally via GRAMMY.com.

Hosted by current three-time GRAMMY nominee Jhené Aiko, the Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees, including: Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper Burna Boy, jazz band Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, blues musician Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, classical pianist Igor Levit, Latin electropop musician Lido Pimienta, singer, songwriter and performance artist Poppy, and singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright. 

Kicking off the event will be a tribute performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic Marvin Gaye track "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)". The special all-nominee ensemble performance will feature Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, Thana Alexa, John Beasley, Camilo, Regina Carter, Alexandre Desplat, Bebel Gilberto, Lupita Infante, Sarah Jarosz, Mykal Kilgore, Ledisi, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, PJ Morton, Gregory Porter, Grace Potter, säje, Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo), Anoushka Shankar, and Kamasi Washington.

Current nominees Bill Burr, Chika, Infante and former Recording Academy Chair Jimmy Jam will present the first GRAMMY Awards of the day. Branden Chapman and Bill Freimuth are the producers on behalf of the Recording Academy, Greg Fera is executive producer and Cheche Alara will serve as music producer and musical director.

Music fans will be given unprecedented digital access to GRAMMY Awards content with GRAMMY Live, which will stream internationally on GRAMMY.com and via Facebook Live, the exclusive streaming partner of GRAMMY Live. GRAMMY Live takes viewers behind the scenes with backstage experiences, pre-show interviews and post-show highlights from Music's Biggest Night. GRAMMY Live will stream all day on Sunday, March 14, including during and after the GRAMMY Awards evening telecast. IBM, the Official AI & Cloud Partner of the Recording Academy, will host GRAMMY Live for the first time entirely on the IBM Cloud.

The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS and Paramount+ from 8 p.m.–11:30 p.m. ET/5 p.m.–8:30 p.m. PT. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit the Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

All of the Premiere Ceremony performers and the host are nominated this year, as are most of the presenters. Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra for Best Latin Jazz Album (Tradiciones); Aiko for Album Of The Year (Chilombo), Best R&B Performance ("Lightning & Thunder" featuring John Legend) and Best Progressive R&B Album (Chilombo); Alexa for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Ona); Beasley with Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Holy Room: Live At Alte Oper), Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album (MONK'estra Plays John Beasley), Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella ("Donna Lee") and Best Arrangement, Instrumentals and Vocals ("Asas Fechadas" with Maria Mendes); Burna Boy for Best Global Music Album (Twice As Tall); Burr for Best Comedy Album (Paper Tiger); Camilo for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album (Por Primera Vez); Carrington + Social Science for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Waiting Game); Carter for Best Improvised Jazz Solo ("Pachamama"); Chika for Best New Artist; Desplat for Best Instrumental Composition ("Plumfield"); Gilberto for Best Global Music Album (Agora); Holmes for Best Traditional Blues Album (Cypress Grove); Infante for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) (La Serenata); Jarosz for Best American Roots Song ("Hometown"), Best Americana Album (World On The Ground); Kilgore for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Let Me Go"); Ledisi for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Anything For You"); Levit for Best Classical Instrumental Solo (Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas); Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) (Bailando Sones Y Huapangos Con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez); Morton for Best Gospel Album (Gospel According To PJ); Pimienta for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (Miss Colombia); Poppy for Best Metal Performance ("BLOODMONEY"); Porter for Best R&B Album (All Rise); Potter for Best Rock Performance ("Daylight"), Best Rock Album (Daylight); säje for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals ("Desert Song"); Santaolalla with Bajofondo for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (Aura); Shankar for Best Global Music Album (Love Letters); Wainwright for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Unfollow The Rules); and Washington for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Becoming).

Click the below to view the program book for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

63premiereceremony_info-page.png

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2021 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominees List

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.