Flatley, Joseph (October 18, 2012). "K-Pop takes America: how South Korea's music machine is conquering the world". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012 . Retrieved October 19, 2012. In 1995, South Korean record producer Lee Soo-man, who was educated in the U.S. and was exposed to the trends in American music, founded the entertainment company SM Entertainment. Former Seo Taiji & Boys' member Yang Hyun-suk formed YG Entertainment in 1996, and Park Jin-young established JYP Entertainment in 1997. The industry has been criticized for the sexualization of both male and female idols, with the sexualization of minors in particular being of concern. [174] Critics such as James Turnbull of the Korean Pop Culture blog The Grand Narrative have argued young female idols are especially susceptible to pressures to wear revealing clothing or dance provocatively. [174] However, compared to western popular music, K-pop has little sex, drugs, or aggressive behavior and has a much more parent-friendly branding. [175] In 2014, South Korea passed a law to protect idols under the age of 19 from overtly sexualized performances. [169] [166] Elsewhere in the world, the genre has rapidly grown in success, [114] especially after Psy's " Gangnam Style" music video was the first YouTube video to reach one billion views, achieving widespread coverage in mainstream media. [115] [116] As of December 2020, the video has 3.9 billion views. [117] Several failed attempts have been made by entertainment companies to break into the English-language market, including BoA, Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation, and CL. [118] [119] [120] BTS won Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in 2017, making them the first K-pop group to win a BBMA. [121] Their performance of the song "DNA" at the American Music Awards, the first AMA performance by a K-pop group, also led to the song peaking at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. [122] The following year, BTS became the first K-pop group to reach number one on the Billboard 200 with Love Yourself: Tear. [123] The K-pop industry is active in New York City, hosting numerous concerts in the city as well as being home to K-pop musicians. The musical KPOP opened off-Broadway in 2017 and moved to Broadway in 2022. [124] [125] Industry Agencies

a b MacIntyre, Donald (July 29, 2002). "Flying Too High?". Time. Archived from the original on July 28, 2002 . Retrieved July 3, 2012. Modern K-pop is marked by its use of English phrases. Jin Dal Yong of Popular Music and Society wrote that the usage may be influenced by "Korean-Americans and/or Koreans who studied in the U.S. [who] take full advantage of their English fluency and cultural resources that are not found commonly among those who were raised and educated in Korea." [24] Korean pop music from singers or groups who are Korean-American such as Fly to the Sky, g.o.d, Rich, Yoo Seung-jun, and Drunken Tiger has both American style and English lyrics. These Korean-American singers' music has a different style from common Korean music, which attracts the interest of young people. [24] Increasingly, foreign songwriters and producers are employed to work on songs for K-pop idols, such as will.i.am and Sean Garrett. [25] Foreign musicians, including rappers such as Akon, Kanye West, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg, have also featured on K-pop songs. [26] [27] Wang, Amy X. (July 30, 2016). "Hallyu, K-pop! Inside the weirdest, most lucrative global frenzy in music". QUARTZ. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018 . Retrieved April 11, 2018.

fromis_9, "We Go"

S.M. Entertainment (041510:KOSDAQ): Financial Statements". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010 . Retrieved March 29, 2013. Lhatoo, Yonden (December 30, 2017). "K-pop is an infectious disease, not a cultural export to be proud of". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018 . Retrieved April 10, 2018. Lindvall, Helienne. "Behind the music: What is K-Pop and why are the Swedish getting involved?". Archived from the original on September 30, 2013 . Retrieved December 15, 2016.

As K-pop became a modern hybrid of Western and Asian cultures starting from the late 2000s, [61] fashion trends within K-pop reflected diversity and distinction as well. Fashion trends from the late 2000s to early 2010s can largely be categorized under the following: [62] At music awards artists may receive a bonsang for outstanding music achievements. One of the bonsang winners is then awarded with a daesang, the "Grand Prize." [189] Gangnam Style statue built in South Korea's Seoul". BBC News. November 6, 2015. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016 . Retrieved April 12, 2016.Song, Cheol-min (2016). K-pop Beyond Asia. Korea: 길잡이미디어. pp.37–46. ISBN 9788973755981. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023 . Retrieved July 24, 2018. According to professor Ingyu Oh, "K-pop emphasizes thin, tall, and feminine looks with adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they're male or female singers." [67] Government support The Bank of Korea has attributed the rapid surge in cultural exports since 1997 to the increased worldwide popularity of K-pop. [68] Jin, Dal Yong (2016). "Critical Discourse of K-pop within Globalization". In Jin, Dal Yong (ed.). New Korean Wave. Transnational Cultural Power in the Age of Social Media. University of Illinois Press. pp.111–130. doi: 10.5406/illinois/9780252039973.001.0001. ISBN 9780252039973. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt18j8wkv.9. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023 . Retrieved July 24, 2018. In July 2009, S.M. Entertainment was taken to court by TVXQ and a Super Junior member, who alleged that their working conditions had led to adverse health effects. [167] [168] The court decision in the TVXQ lawsuit determined their contract with S.M. Entertainment void, and resultantly the Fair Trade Commission released contract templates to regulate industry conditions. [165]

Ryoo, Woongjae (2009). "Globalization, or the logic of cultural hybridization: The case of the Korean wave". Asian Journal of Communication. 19 (2): 139. doi: 10.1080/01292980902826427. S2CID 144161463. During the beginning of the 21st century, K-pop idols began receiving success elsewhere in Asia: in 2002, Baby Vox's single "Coincidence" ( 우연; uyeon) became popular in many Asian countries after it was released and promoted during the World Cup in South Korea. BoA became the first K-pop singer to reach No. 1 on the Japanese Oricon music chart [108] and shortly afterwards, Rain had a sold-out concert to an audience of 40,000 fans in Beijing. [109] In 2003, Baby Vox topped the Chinese music charts with their Chinese single "I'm Still Loving You" from their third album Devotion, the first idol group to do so, creating a huge fanbase in China. They also charted in various music charts in Thailand. TVXQ marked the rise of K-pop boy bands in Japan. In 2008, their single " Purple Line" made TVXQ the first foreign boy band and second Korean artist after BoA to top the Oricon music chart. Kelley, Caitlin (April 3, 2019). "K-Pop Is More Global Than Ever, Helping South Korea's Music Market Grow Into A 'Power Player' ". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019 . Retrieved August 24, 2020. On June 6, 2018, Got7 performed in the concert hall Adrenaline Stadium in Moscow for their concert tour "Eyes on You." [374]Even North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shown a liking for K-pop music. In 2018, Kim stated he was "deeply moved" after attending a two-hour concert in Pyongyang featuring South Korean performers such as singer Cho Yong-pil and the popular girl band Red Velvet. [272] This historic concert marks the first performance by South Korean artists attended by a North Korean leader in Pyongyang. The concert featuring over 150 South Korean artists, attended by 1500 North Korean elites, [273] also displays growing relations between the North and the South. None of the song line ups, lyrics, or dance moves of the performers were asked to be changed by traditionalist North Korean officials. This acceptance of the K-pop genre and its content shows a stark contrast to Kim Jong Un's historically stringent policies on foreign media. The South Korean artists also performed alongside notable North Korean artists in the following week. Recordings of both performances have been made public to South Koreans, though no reports have been made of their release to the North Korean public. [274] Despite all the previous events Kim Jong-un has changed his stance on K-pop since 2021 by referring to it as a "vicious cancer" and viewing it as a threat to North Korean society. [275] Taiwan Park, T. K.; Kim, Youngdae (January 15, 2019). "A Brief History of Korean Hip-hop". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019 . Retrieved February 25, 2019. State of the Industry" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. March 23, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2021 . Retrieved March 23, 2021. An Instiz Certified all-kill happens when a song tops all of the charts, both real-time and daily, and is first on Instiz Real-time Chart. [ citation needed] Hallyu' to highlight Korea-Indonesia ties in March". Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013 . Retrieved January 26, 2013.

Mnet hosted its Kcon event in NY and LA in July 2016. [318] [319] Donika Sterling, an American K-Pop fan diagnosed with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, was sponsored to meet her favorite idols in South Korea. [320] [321] Shim, Doobo (2006). "Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Popular Culture in Asia". Media, Culture & Society. 28: 29. doi: 10.1177/0163443706059278. S2CID 204327176.

Seventeen, "Ready to Love"

In 2017, BTS was nominated for the Top Social Artist Award at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. Their winning of the award marks the first time a Korean group has won a Billboard Award, and the second time a Korean artist has won the award, after Psy's win in 2013. [322] [323] BTS won the award at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Billboard Music Awards, as well as Top Duo/Group in 2019. [324] They performed at the 2017 American Music Awards and the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, making them one of the first Korean groups to have performed at either awards show. [325] [326] BTS's album Love Yourself: Tear reached #1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first Korean act to do so. [327] Additionally, BTS's single " Fake Love" debuted at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making them the second Korean artist to chart in the top ten. [328] adolescent or sometimes very cute facial expressions, regardless of whether they're male or female singers." [96] Over time, Korean-American artists have become successful due to their fluency. [98] These efforts increase the marketability of K-pop while also increasing South Korean soft power, which has become an important part of official policy. [99]