The Korean wave is cresting again, this time with a new twist! Girl groups are finding new popularity, not just in East Asia, but also in the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe.
Girls Generation is among the most popular of this new wave of girl groups. Girls Generation, also as known as SNSD, had their Japanese debut in September of this year, and their first single jumped straight to fourth on Japan’s prestigious Oricon charts. In just ten days, their single had climbed all the way to second. When their album Gee was released in October, it immediately jumped to second, before finally becoming the top ranked album on the Oricon chart.
Girls Generation is among the most popular of this new wave of girl groups. Girls Generation, also as known as SNSD, had their Japanese debut in September of this year, and their first single jumped straight to fourth on Japan’s prestigious Oricon charts. In just ten days, their single had climbed all the way to second. When their album Gee was released in October, it immediately jumped to second, before finally becoming the top ranked album on the Oricon chart.
| Girls Generation in Taiwan (Photo: Yonhap News) |
In Taiwan, their ‘1st Asia Tour: Into the New World’ on Oct. 16 sold out. About 24 thousand fans showed up for the two shows.
Kara, another Korean girl group, debuted in Japan in August. They also made it onto a weekly top ten Oricon list with their single, “Mister.” The success of Kara, Girls Generation, and other female K-pop acts prompted Japan's national public broadcasting organization, NHK, to air a five-minute report on Korean girl bands as one of their top evening news stories.
| (Top) Kara (left) 2ne1 (right) 4minute (bottom) Wonder Girls (Photo: Yonhap News) |
Korean girl groups have been the subject of lots of foreign media attention, and both the media and viewers are entranced by the multi-talented performers. Members of these girl groups must be able to sing, dance, and learn multiple languages in order to become successful overseas and communicate with fans worldwide. Strong attention has also been paid to styling, and many fans follow the groups as they change their clothing, hairstyle, and overall sense of fashion to express new and different sides of themselves.
Social media channels, especially youtube.com, have helped spread the fame of Korean pop music by bringing it into homes and handheld media devices worldwide. Music videos, photos, and news articles are actively consumed through social media by overseas fans.
Korea.net conducted a survey on which social media channels fans use to get the latest information on their favorite Korean musicians. Most respondents said Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and blogs were their favorite sources, allowing them quick access to new information, and an easy way to spread their favorite clips and news stories among their friends and networks.
These same contents have also grabbed the attention of international record labels. Youtube is credited with helping the Wondergirls get their American contract, and 2NE1’s newest song, “Clap your Hands,” has had nearly a half a million hits on the video sharing site, with viewers in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and England. With the internet and social media helping to make Korean hits instantly available to a far-flung and diverse audience, the chances that Korean bands will find fame away from home is growing.
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