When we are only crazy about the western pop music, a K-pop tornado swept across the world rapidly. K-pop, with its unique development model and catchy songs, be a big hit in the western music market.
Xue Han 120307237 Class 4
For the longest time, the people around the world are crazy about such as Michael Jackson, Akon, Madonna Ciccone. But one day, an Asian guy broke into our eyes, with his music video for “Gangnam Style” obtained over 1 billion views on YouTube, and becoming the first video to do so in the website’s history, many people especially the western people unimagined. Why so popular and successful? Maybe it is the biggest puzzle in their heart. Okay, I try to solve the problem, so refer to a lot of data. My answer is:“ The great success of k-pop due to the wise operation pattern. Their characteristics are totally different from the western’s, because of this, they get a new way in the music road.”
There are three biggest agencies in South Korea: S.M. Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, often referred to as the “Big Three.” Like S.M. Entertainment, their artists started the Hallyu wave in K-pop and managed to break into Japan. The common point of the three agency is all of them has an integrated Trainee System. Such as S.M. Entertainment have created a process to train singers and dancers in its groups. The journey to stars often starts around age 9 or 10, when tightly supervised trainees begin dance and voice classes at night and live together while attending school. Besides singing and dancing, trainees are also taught foreign languages, especially English, Japanese and Chinese. According to the CEO of Universal Music’s Southeast Asian branch, the Korean idol trainee system is unique in the world.
In addition to this, the selection of the trainees is very special. They are not only limited to their own country, but face to the whole world. Certainly, almost all of them are Ethnic Asians. So, “The concept of global entertainment” come out. The concept of global entertainment aim to provide sensations rather than only music. For the Korean cultural industry, trainee system is an important part of the global entertainment, it was called the cultural technology by the founder of SM Entertainment.
Except the Trainee System, there are many other parts of k-pop’s operation are also worth studying. Korean regard k-pop as an industry, they have a particular marketing. For instance, the promotional activities of a K-pop artist involve the so-called “comeback”, In order to make their new albums known to the public, K-pop artists participate in various promotional activities, such as appearing and performing on national television.
K-pop is more than music or pop culture, it is also a new type of business model. Besides what I mentioned above, there are many other sides like the Fan Base, the use of social media, the Fashion in South Korea and so on. The popularity of k-pop also makes tourism work in a global scale. Fans from all over the world are coming to South Korea for tours and this has contributed positively to the total sales and market value of K-pop.
