What is K-pop? To put it simply, it's South Korean pop music. The majority of K-pop artists consist of boy groups and girl groups (similar to NSYNC and Destiny's Child), followed by solo artists, groups, duo groups, etc. of which they are called “Idols”. K-pop groups are very popular and are known for being incredibly versatile artists. A typical K-pop group performance would have at least aspects of singing, dancing, and rapping, while wearing outfits and makeup coordinated with the concept of their group or music. K-pop idols are not all South Korean musicians, but also Chinese, Thai, Japanese and other races, mainly from Asia. Although K-pop is a foreign music genre in the United States, it has grown thanks to the immense popularity of an international fan base, which has allowed Asians to enjoy greater visibility in American media. Although the lyrics are mostly in Korean, K-pop breaks the language barrier. It brings diverse people together despite cultural differences, while creating a special relationship between an artist and a fan. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay K-pop is one of the main reasons for the spread of South Korean culture and language among international fans of the United States who listen to K-pop and regularly watch their idols' content end up becoming a sponge to soak up the Korean language and culture. The genre sparks listeners' interest in learning a new culture. In 2012, the event called “KCON” was created. It is a convention hosting K-pop Idol shows and showcasing many other aspects of Korean entertainment and culture. Each year, more than 800,000 people participate and the festival has continued to grow since, as it was once held exclusively in Southern California, but now takes place in major cities across the United States and countries in outside America, such as Thailand and Japan. Angeles Times article titled "KCON Aims to Ride 'Korean Wave' Towards Pop Culture Dominance" written by August Brown, he interviewed a CJ E&M America (the producing company of KCON) operations manager named Angela Killoren. In Brown's article, Killoren says: "Movies, dramas, beauty – this Korean wave may be a bridge to other cultural mashups." In such a fragmented media landscape, there are even more threads to connect. Due to the success of K-pop, other aspects of Korean culture and entertainment are also featured and enjoyed by Western audiences. KCON is one such effect produced from K-pop, it is an example of how K-pop brings together all types of people with a common interest in South Korean culture and it presents talented musicians from East Asia through stunning and meaningful performances. music.K-pop has become a gateway to a new and better form of Asian representation in American media. The “Hallyu wave” has hit the United States (a term that refers to Korean culture becoming globally popular thanks to K-pop, Korean dramas, variety shows, etc.). Popular K-pop groups like BLACKPINK and BTS have started performing on well-known American TV shows, award shows and huge concert venues since 2017, including the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, TheEllenShow, Jimmy Kimmel,Rose Bowl Stadium. , and many more. Even though most idols are not Asian Americans, their presence in America represents a fantastic image of Asian performers in mainstream American entertainment rather than being portrayed through stereotypically demeaning characters on television or in yellow-faced roles (i.e. when a non-Asian). (no one would play the role of an East Asian character made up to look like one) Whereas now, Asian Americans can finally look up to K-pop idols to break through in North America and are able to identify with popular Asian artists on the big screen. In CNN's online article "How a boy band from South Korea became the biggest in the world" by Julia Hollingsworth, the author shows how the boy band BTS raised the image of Asian male masculinity in America: Cho says BTS's aesthetic, which is a representation of East Asian masculinity, is helping to change what mainstream viewers are thinking about the possibility of gender presentation and what represents Asian bodies. Suk-young Kim, director of the Center for Performance Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), thinks BTS does a lot for Asian men, who have not always been well-presented in American media. “BTS’ ubiquitous visibility and positive image will go a long way in creating cool ‘Asianness,’” she said. Along with other well-known K-pop artists in the United States, BTS is one of those artists who has been able to represent Asian masculinity and end degrading stereotypes about Asian appearances. With strong themes of self-love and acceptance in most K-pop artists' songs, their music has also become a positive influence and form of support among K-pop fans. The 7-member self-producing boy group named BTS is a wonderful example because in 2017, they began releasing their three-part album series titled Love Yourself which focused on sending the message of learning to loving yourself and not changing your identity because of others.BTS has done inspiring work in their music and brought their lyrics to life by campaigning against violence against youth. Along with the album series, BTS launched its anti-violence campaign titled “Love Myself” in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). In 2019, the campaign raised over $2 million through 3% of BTS' physical album sales from the Love Yourself series and 100% of revenue from the sale of their official campaign merchandise; with donations from all over the world of course. With this campaign, BTS and UNICEF hope to “#ENDViolence” among children and adolescents by spreading and promoting love through their music. At the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, BTS leader Namjoon Kim aka "RM" gives a speech on behalf of their campaign, and he begins by introducing himself and how music changed his life and described her as his “sanctuary” and his “voice” to tell him to speak out. As part of his speech, he mentions: "After the release of the Love Yourself albums and the launch of the 'Love Myself' campaign, we began to hear remarkable stories from our fans around the world [about] the how our message helped them overcome their difficulties. life and start to love yourself. These stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. Not only does the musical influence affect RM's life to make him become a better person, but his music along with the rest of the BTS members isalso become a crutch for different types of people across the world. In the Billboard article titled "Why K-pop Is Finally Breaking into the American Mainstream" written by Tamar Herman, the author provides additional insight into the growth of K-pop and its devoted fans: And even without a lot of radio broadcasts here, the influence of K-pop is growing rapidly. As social media and streaming platforms have evolved, so has an ultra-socially engaged fan base – one that not only dedicates entire Twitter accounts to blasting their favorite artists up the Billboard charts, but also repurchases arenas to support them and connects to splashes. TV specials just to get a taste of it, placing Korean artists ever closer to the forefront of American pop. Herman explains how social media has helped K-pop become more well-known over time and made it easy for fans to help their favorite artists grow in popularity around the world by promoting them to fan accounts. Apart from these reports, boy band BTS is said to have “paved the way” for K-pop to become this global phenomenon. Although K-pop group BTS has started to dominate in the West, it's sad to say that it's xenophobic people and award shows that haven't opened up to the K-pop scene. In the online Washington Post article titled "The 'Separate but Equal' Rules of the American Music Awards" written by Marian Liu, she reports the events of discrimination against the famous group. For example, Liu describes many racist jokes made to BTS by TV show hosts and explains how the group is separated from major US music awards because they are too "foreign", even though other musicians Foreigners like Canadian artists and white non-American artists are nominated for the same awards. BTS was the first Korean group to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the first group since the Beatles to have three No. 1 albums in one year. the Billboard 200 chart; in addition to winning numerous Asian music awards such as Artist of the Year and Album of the Year; and have won awards like the Billboard Music Awards' Top Social Artist since 2017, breaking Justin Bieber's six-year winning streak before that year. Also boasting sold-out stadium tours around the world, BTS deserves better recognition for their well-deserved achievements as a K-pop group. In the article, there is a quote from a fan saying, "So warm in this box, to keep them from having a seat at the table... Imagine if BTS was an all-white band, singing and speaking English." ... We have other groups, like One Direction, who are proving what the 'good run' can achieve and receive from the media and the industry." This quote shows how xenophobia is one of the obstacles BTS faces in becoming famous in the United States. The lack of recognition towards K-pop artists at award shows led to a Rolling Stone article titled "BTS Are Shut Out." 2020 Grammy Nominations” by Elias Leight. Leight makes a sarcastic remark about the American music industry in response to the Grammys: The failure to recognize K-pop at awards shows stands in stark contrast to the day-to-day reality of the music industry: seemingly every major American label are eager to win the prize. a K-pop group in the last 12 months. Columbia now works with BTS; Interscope nabbed Blackpink; Epic took on Monsta.