Why haven’t K-Pop labels learned by now?

    After the landmark success of BTS truly breaking through to the mainstream, household names and beyond all over the world…BP also doing very respectably with some awareness with audiences beyond K-Pop…


    It feels K-Pop labels haven’t learned. It’s a rinse and repeat.


    Newer K-Pop acts are still being targeted to K-Pop fans and then flown back home to the dungeon. The girl groups hope for a hit with the Korean GP and that’s about it.


    Where’s the next global superstars with Hot 100 radio hits?


    What’s JYP doing with SKZ? Two #1 albums and they’re not even attempting to the cross this group with massive potential over to the GP? They weren’t even in the US the week Maxident came out….



    TXT has had two songs at radio but they didn’t really go hard for them.

    There’s never a sense of a real campaign to elevate visibility going on. Where’s the TV spots?


    I will be watching LSRF and NJ next moves very carefully because both have a lot of US potential (LSRF’s BB200 debut was super impressive for a Monday release).


    State of K-Pop 2023 on a global scale: What’s the plan here?

  • Moderator

    Approved the thread.

    You act like it's easy to promote in the west, the demand has to exist. 97% of the west doesn't give a shit about kpop unless you're BTS.

    You make it sound like simply doing the same thing as now in Korea but change to America is an easy switch. If that was the case then why isn't BP also matching BTS? They have a strong fan base internationally but they aren't making the waves like BTS scoring number 1s in multiple countries. If BP struggle then how would Stray kids, Aespa, I've or whoever tries in America suddenly become worldwide hit makers?

    Quote from Sajaegi Investigator (21)

    You act like it's easy to promote in the west, the demand has to exist. 97% of the west doesn't give a shit about kpop unless you're BTS.

    I agree with you… But a group selling enough to hit number one multiple times is a promising sign for some sort of potential crossover appeal and I’m just surprised that’s not being attempted! Like BigHit, for all their flaws, certainly learned to capitalize on a moment/building momentum. No other label has shown the capacity to do so even when something promising develops. Obviously, no one is ever coming close to BTS, but you’d think more groups would at least attempt to reach beyond the kpop bubble in their wake?

    Quote from Kwangya Validation (66)

    You make it sound like simply doing the same thing as now in Korea but change to America is an easy switch. If that was the case then why isn't BP also matching BTS? They have a strong fan base internationally but they aren't making the waves like BTS scoring number 1s in multiple countries. If BP struggle then how would Stray kids, Aespa, I've or whoever tries in America suddenly become worldwide hit makers?

    i’m not saying it’s simple at all. I’m saying that no one is even trying.

    What do you mean by TV spots? Are you talking about the talk shows and fashion magazines K-pop groups guest on that you can see on YouTube, or something beyond that?

    JYP need to make SKZ big in Korea first before they can take over the US. No group has done well in the US without first being big in Korea

    SM went hard with Aespa but zilch response from gp.


    So no, there is no demand at all for kpop from gp except BTS or maybe BP.

    Bighit didn’t know what to do with BTS at first too.. but army pushed BTS and told Bighit was was needed to be done and when they did it, army supported strongly. So the impact was noticeable.


    Here we can see 3 key players are needed here

    1) the label (to execute the next step)

    2) the act (to execute whole heartedly the next step)

    3) the fans (to support whole heartedly the next step and study and push the next next step to the label)

    4) repeat cycle

    Kpop labels care about money first, clout via charts and awards second. As long as the West continues to buy concert tix, stream on Spotify and YT, and buy albums enough so that groups routinely make it to the BB 200, most labels will be perfectly content with not charting singles in the Hot 100. Hot 100 hits and American award recognition is a bonus, not a necessity.

    Quote from OP

    But a group selling enough to hit number one multiple times is a promising sign for some sort of potential crossover appeal

    this is exactly what's wrong with kpoppies. BTS doing well shows promising signs for THEIR success, not kpop's. This isn't some damn group project. BTS have an appeal that isn't replicated or found anywhere else. When you people realize that they are an anomaly in that industry, your lives will get a lot easier trust me. BTS can't be a standard for other groups if they are an outlier to begin with so why bother trying. And newsflash, kpop companies HAVE attempted to push their groups but to no avail bc no matter what kpoppies want you to think, their faves never actually had real demand here. Take BP for example, the illusion that they were the biggest gg and are close to BTS has been shattered this last comeback. They can't even hold onto their Spotify monthly listeners within their cb month. And others like Skz, Aespa, TXT, etc dont fair any better

    Quote from Encore Stage Analyst (777)

    What do you mean by TV spots? Are you talking about the talk shows and fashion magazines K-pop groups guest on that you can see on YouTube, or something beyond that?

    Fallon, Colbert, Today Show etc.


    Aespa did GMA so that’s something and a lot of fans did turn out for it. A couple of groups have done Kimmel but it doesn’t generate that much buzz. SKZ did a prerecorded spot for Colbert but haven’t done one in person.


    BTS’s 2018-2019 TV appearances were critical in making them blow up with the mainstream (even before they had Dynamite). SNL was probably one of the most influential TV appearances for any act of all time. Goals for any artist.


    Fallon in early 2020 dedicated an ENTIRE episode to them — again before their first truly smash hit single and before MOTS7 literally shook the industry selling half a million first week.


    I’m just stunned other labels don’t see this and feel inspired to at least give more of a damn.

    Quote from Sajaegi Investigator (698)

    SM went hard with Aespa but zilch response from gp.


    So no, there is no demand at all for kpop from gp except BTS or maybe BP.

    I don’t actually consider that level of promo significant. Artists need constant and consistent exposure to reach new audiences, not one appearance on a niche stage at Coachella and an underpromoted slow tempo song at radio. GMA was the best promo Aespa did and it was just a START.


    But I’m also not necessarily saying Aespa is a group destined to be GP favorites.


    There are other acts with more broad appeal.

    So do you think the fans of these other acts aren’t doing enough to push the labels to do more? Or do you think the labels have in fact absorbed what it does take to breakthrough beyond kpop and simply don’t care enough? Hmm.

    Quote from Aegyo Anti (654)

    Kpop labels care about money first, clout via charts and awards second. As long as the West continues to buy concert tix, stream on Spotify and YT, and buy albums enough so that groups routinely make it to the BB 200, most labels will be perfectly content with not charting singles in the Hot 100. Hot 100 hits and American award recognition is a bonus, not a necessity.

    This is a good (and disappointing) answer.


    It’s an extremely myopic view these labels are taking. It’s literally just getting by, never progressing. And in doing so, they’re putting the whole “genre” at risk of being ignored again with BTS taking a break for a bit. Someone “needs” to continue to discourse that K-Pop is a thriving and evolving part of global music. No one seems willing to pick up the mantle. It’s a lot to think about!

    Quote from Bulk Buyer (649)

    well they could be the first then… korea can follow later as a national prestige etc etc

    Yeah, as someone who got into BTS without prior knowledge of K-Pop, I don’t really see why that matters. What BTS did in Korea first was not on my radar and I only started to notice that stuff after I already got into them via US promotions/awareness.

    Quote from "O.O" Enthusiast (734)

    this is exactly what's wrong with kpoppies. BTS doing well shows promising signs for THEIR success, not kpop's. This isn't some damn group project. BTS have an appeal that isn't replicated or found anywhere else. When you people realize that they are an anomaly in that industry, your lives will get a lot easier trust me. BTS can't be a standard for other groups if they are an outlier to begin with so why bother trying. And newsflash, kpop companies HAVE attempted to push their groups but to no avail bc no matter what kpoppies want you to think, their faves never actually had real demand here. Take BP for example, the illusion that they were the biggest gg and are close to BTS has been shattered this last comeback. They can't even hold onto their Spotify monthly listeners within their cb month. And others like Skz, Aespa, TXT, etc dont fair any better

    for context, I actually am primarily a BTS fan. and I agree that I don’t think anyone else can come close to them. I also agree that certain illusions about BP have been shattered the past few months.


    That said, I also am thinking about how some of the newer groups are being promoted, and it feels to me like no one is even attempting to do something new and exciting and different in how they promote. it’s almost like the labels are satisfied with staying in the niche / regressing.


    maybe it really is as simple as BTS is truly so far and beyond everyone else that no one else has a chance…and like I said, no one is coming close to them, duh.


    But then I think about the fact that stray kids haven’t even tried to push a song to radio yet and it feels like the crossover work is just not being done.


    whereas Latin artists are truly popping off in the mainstream, with more and more artists (not just Bad Bunny) resonating, K-Pop seems stuck.

    It's not just kpop labels, it's the fact that most fandoms aren't big enough or not organized enough to crack the Hot 100 or any significant streaming charts.

    Quote from RISKY RISKY WIGGY WIGGY (702)

    It's not just kpop labels, it's the fact that most fandoms aren't big enough or not organized enough to crack the Hot 100 or any significant streaming charts.

    It's just that BTS had a big enough fandom to crack the hot 100 long time ago while others have big fandoms within the kpop sphere only.

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