August 09, 2014
Do you remember that tragic excuse for an American debut 'The Boys'? What about Wonder Girls' reason for overall downfall with their two year hiatus in Korea? 2NE1 isn't off the hook, either, already releasing American versions of songs like Can't Nobody and entangling themselves in a song feature with artist, Will.I.Am. Regardless, it's undeniable that all K-Pop companies and artists have failed in America (other than PSY) by using the same ol', same ol' formula that they thing will eventually work--release an American song, get someone you think is famous and relevant to feature or help you with it, appear in a few shows that make you seem like a desperate nobody in the eyes of typical, non-K-Pop loving Americans--but ends up not doing so hot. Why I'm going back to this topic that I already covered as a reply to the Juice Judge's original topic--I don't know, however, this one is different. As opposed to asking how idol groups can make it to the US, I'm now telling why idol groups who already attempted or are still attempting fail/are failing at it horribly with the newest English release of SPICA's I Did It.
1. Arrogance
SM Entertainment has Girls' Generation, Super Junior and SHINee; YG Entertainment has 2NE1, Big Bang and Lee Hi; JYP Entertainment has 2PM, Miss A and Wonder Girls
However
Newsflash! No one cares!
No one knows who you are in America regardless of your like five album sales from here (omg, we're famoos!!11) and you shouldn't treat it like the people who actually do know you are a great representation, for example, when Girls' Generation performed on David Letterman, the crowd knew all the words to the song that no one else had heard about in their lives before ever. Coincidence? I think not. Likewise, I have never once in my life witnessed an American say 'I'm an Interscope Records stan!' because stanning companies is probably the stupidest thing I have ever heard of... ever.
2. Desperation is like masturbation--you're fucking yourself.
Teddy Riley! Snoop Dogg! Your brother's old laundry! Stop getting people who see as famous in the United States to feature in your work and then expecting yourself to rise to stardom since you're certainly wrong, Us Yankees could give no fuck about the who, the what and the where that's attached to it.
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| They say time flies. But really, it's true cause you're just wasting your time. |
3. Talent is the second best bet.
Talent = Singing in America
Though it's not 100% based on singing talent--Taylor Swift being the biggest example--singing talent actually does play at least a key role in it and then after that, it's song viral-ness. Once a song gets popular, you get popular--but that really depends on the quality of the song first of all.
4. Puppets on a string, puppets on a string, looking like a fool with your puppet on a string.
No one wants a remake of Duffy's Mercy to listen to.
You're a manufactured product by companies, attached with a pull-able string that releases filtered jargon, emotionless words and filthy lies. Being backed by a company is one thing in Korea but it's definitely another thing in America. You need individuality and something that differentiates yourself from others to keep you relevant.
5. When one person crosses over, don't think the rest will
6. Get your music out there in any, non-pathetic way.
7. Music first, other stuff second.
8. To assume makes an ass out of u and me.
Let's be honest here--barely any K-Pop Idols have what Americans call 'talent'.
Singers like Taeyeon will be deemed mediocre because when comparing America to Korea and the talent-level, she actually is mediocre here whereas she's deemed as some type of singing god in Korea because there's not many good singers in the idol industry to battle out, anyway. Ailee and Hyorin aren't off the hook either. They're amazing singers in Korea. Amazing. But in America? They'd be labelled as good. Not even great. Just good.
Talent = Singing in America
Dancing doesn't count unless you can sing good on top of it--in fact, I don't think I've heard of any dancer in the United States who became globally famous for solely their dancing and the last dance extremely popular music video that focused almost entirely on dancing (other than PSY's Gangnam Style) was Beyonce's Single Ladies in 2008... but mostly because it's Beyonce. With that being said, about 70% of idols who rely on their 'main dancer' or 'lead dancer' roles will be shunned... as well as the rappers who call themselves rappers just because they can't sing or dance (looking at you, Bora) because they're just walking and talking sticks of wastefulness.
Though it's not 100% based on singing talent--Taylor Swift being the biggest example--singing talent actually does play at least a key role in it and then after that, it's song viral-ness. Once a song gets popular, you get popular--but that really depends on the quality of the song first of all.
Music is more than just pretty faces who can smile, talk and walk (90% of K-Pop Idols, I'm looking at you) and doesn't even include their 'epic personality' and 'awesome role model-like qualities', either. To add, if we really cared about those two, Justin Bieber would be under a bus right now for spitting in a fan's eye, Taylor Swift would be locked in a meat locker to keep her away from anything that has a penis and Chris Brown would simply be off the face of the earth. Has that happened yet? No.
4. Puppets on a string, puppets on a string, looking like a fool with your puppet on a string.
Honestly, I want to be called an artist.
Sure, you can, Sooyoung! Just buy an easel, some paint and some get-the-fuck-out-of-SM!
Idols are merely products of entertainment companies and aren't seen as anything else than such. Because most artists in America hold the ability to express themselves, they have what I like to call 'individuality' which is in my opinion, the most important attribute when wanting to make it here.
Taylor Swift is a great singer - Said no one ever.
But she's popular... why is that? She has individuality and she expresses herself in a way that people would like to listen to and buy--her songs reflecting her (self-inflicted) emotions and being written by her especially, fans eating that shit up.
No one wants a remake of Duffy's Mercy to listen to.
No one cares if you get twenty years of training only to come out a chess pawn.
No one gives a shit about the songs with the 'love', 'heartbreak', 'upset stomach, diarrhea' lyrics.
You're a manufactured product by companies, attached with a pull-able string that releases filtered jargon, emotionless words and filthy lies. Being backed by a company is one thing in Korea but it's definitely another thing in America. You need individuality and something that differentiates yourself from others to keep you relevant.
I have been saying this forever and ever--when one person crosses from another music industry, not everyone will. What's odd is how people discredit PSY saying that he did nothing for K-Pop but solely for himself which was expected all along and you silly fans should've known.
America knows the British singer Adele, that doesn't mean we know all British singers.
America knows the Colombian singer Shakira, that doesn't mean we know all Colombian singers.
America knows the Canadian singer Justin Bieber, that doesn't mean we know all Canadian singers.
So what's with all the angry mobs with pitchforks?
This isn't K-Pop in which you know one artist, get addicted and then know all of K-Pop idols--it's American music.
6. Get your music out there in any, non-pathetic way.
The Wonder Girls' movie simply just crushed them however, their appearance on iHeartRadio wasn't that bad. You see, going on popular television talk shows and being interviewed by numerous random people seems good but actually, it's not that great. Interviews where you show your bright and epic personality aren't the way that you get your music out because
1. no one is going to watch or care if we don't know who you are.
2. you're music still isn't being promoted.
Also, it's weird because nearly every interview, there's always that mention of what I was speaking of in #2--the famous person you collaborated with or who produced your music. No one cares.
7. Music first, other stuff second.
After you get famous, show your other side. It's not a beauty pageant nor is it a 'who's nicest' competition. You need to shoot yourself to fame first and then try to get the other stuff like personality down.
There's no 'digital sajaengi' (looking at you SISTAR), pull a bunny out of your hat, wish upon a shooting star kind of thing that'll shoot you to popularity so easily. You have to first get known for your music through a legitimate way and through another process. Not to mention, as seen through PSY's Gangnam Style then PSY's Gentleman, when you have one music video that becomes viral and you shoot to fame, your following videos typically follow the same course.
Don't assume because typical American songs are full of nonsensical lyrics and the songs are bland that you releasing a nonsensical, bland song will shoot you to fame, too. No--the people who release shitty songs are already famous so don't have to try as hard as you do.
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Well said! I think that kpop idols do not appeal to an American audience as much as they do to an Asian audience. We're not going to give them our money because they have long legs and double eye lids and they were funny on some variety show. Those crutches don't exist in the US so to really win over an audience you have to have a real form of talent (in most cases).
ReplyDeleteMain problem for kpop groups is that they need to sing in English to have at least a small chance to be successful in US and they one or two songs that already are hits on their home market.
ReplyDeleteProblem is... kpop groups mostly don't sing their songs in English, only some hooks are in English. So when they get their hit songs at home Asian market, they are not in English so it's limits it internationally spread and it's harder to take advantage of the hit to promote in US.
I don't believe in the tactic to do as SPICA, create special written English songs to launch internationally. It's so few songs that becomes hits so you need pretty much all your songs to be in English already on your home market and hope that one or two becomes a hit. If you for example look at some Swedish artists that have some success internationally, they make their songs in English from the start.
Some think it's about quality of the kpop songs that are not good enough, I think it's more a quantity problem, too few songs are written in English so the chances are too few that a song becomes popular in US/Europe.
Tbh, even if the kpop groups released an album full of english songs, they still has small chance to sucess in USA. WG, Rain..even Boa (and with her as main cast in USA dancing movie) all failed. I remember USA listeners accused Rain as Justin Timberlake copycat. My friends in USA said, act like an American and sing like American won't bring u anywhere. Ppl there will just see u as the bad version of their artists.
ReplyDeleteTalent = singing in America --> don't forget, singing = singing LIVE in America. Artists who are known lipsync are so doomed there and can lost their credibility. That's why I doubt Kpop idols can get much respect there since many of them still relying on lipsync and MR.
ReplyDeleteWhat's also lack from Kpop idols and is important in international professional music world is identity. I mean..till now, I bet majority of non-Kpop fans will think all idols have similar faces and myb same people (lol) since they are all doing same things, singing inside the box, act cute or sexy, smiling and looks pretty even when it looks fake, and so typically similar. There is a reason why YG is the most famous Kpop agency in USA compared to SM and other idols agencies.
Also being famous internationally =/= being famous among international Kpop fans. Sure SM can hold SM town concerts in LA, Paris, etc with most of their audiences are non Korean, but is that a legit sign that they sucessfully conquer USA and Europe? Nope, since those people are their fangirls anyway. Psy might be the only Kpop artist who we can call as a global star, since he is famous not only among Kpop fans but also music listeners in general. I remember saw American most funny videos show and there were some men pulling prank to their friend then dancing gangnam style happily. Now, that's what I called international.
I honestly doubt kpop singers can make it. I read somewhere once that Ailee tried to get into the music market in america and couldn't so she went to Korea? I'm not sure but what I do know is that there are barely any well known asian ( e. asian specifically since the rest of asia is largely ignored) artists who are always relevant in the american industry. I mean there's far east movement and mike shinoda but do we know any others, sides PSY ? No offense to PSY, but he's becoming more irrelevant every day.
ReplyDeleteThere's barely any Asian presence in the industry not to mention Asians are not a racial group america associates music with..
There's a lot of discrimination and stereotyping that actively hinders from people even just getting their foot through the door.
Talent is very important but also is the defining factor? iggy is talentless but she's known maybe not as much as beyonce but among the youth everyone knows her. Beyonce had to work for years to obtain the godlike status she has now.
I think the whole featuring thing is a double edge sword somewhat?
on the one hand say ailee collabs with beyonce - ailee will have to impress people more than beyonce will. and who's to say if she obtains notoriety people just won't say "she's the other girl in that x single by beyonce"
it's like you get this opportunity for exposure but what happens if that exposure becomes a closed cage?