#62, K-pop
Here are three reasons South Korean pop music is taking over the world:
1) Korea decided to produce pop music like it produces cars. Industrialize and focus on exports. South Korea is a relatively small country — any industry that wants to get really big has to look outside. So music moguls in the country created hit factories, turning young singers into pop stars and sending them on tour around Asia.
2) Korean record labels transformed the way music was released. From the beginning, new songs debuted on national television, not on the radio, like was done traditionally over here. That means the moment Koreans started listening to Korean pop music, they were listening through their screens. They were watching their music.
3) Korea is one of the most wired countries in the world. So early on in their development, record labels had to get good at YouTube. And they kind of perfected it. YouTube videos by Korean record labels were so good, they got tons of views overseas. And that's how the record labels knew where to tour their acts. They knew their customers wanted them before they even got there.
"Gangnam Style" is what happens when a developing country becomes developed. An infrastructure to make and export culture can develop just like an infrastructure to make and export anything else.
An NPR podcast called Planet Money did a show titled, "Why K-Pop Is Taking Over The World" which can be downloaded here.
Psy's Gangnam Style reached the #1 spot on iTunes in 31 countries including the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, and even Mexico. The popularity of this song not only increases Psy's fame, but that of all Kpop artists as interest in Korean music blossoms. This cultural influence can be referred to as "soft power".
The President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, said about Gangnam Style, "This is part of their (South Korea's) economic strategy. Part of their economic strategy is they want to be the producers of the most popular cultural products in the world. It's an indication of their aspiration."
The influence of soft power extends well beyond the music industry. It provides benefits to South Korea as a whole. It seems silly that Korea should care about their international popularity doesn't it? Why is it so important to Korea that K-pop is spread globally? How does the spread of K-pop benefit South Korea? Defend your position.
Optional: U.S. pop or K-pop? Why?
-Brenden Lee Teacher
they brought us binders full of women