Why aren’t SM idols popular in the US??

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    Original Post: here


    1. Honestly, the biggest reason is because BTS’s fandom is the largest in North America and they boycott SM


    -> ? What are you talking about? Are you blaming BTS for this?


    2. Except for BTS and Blackpink, the popularity of idols in the US is low


    3. Honestly, there are very few idols that are popular in the US


    4. Except for BTS and BLACKPINK, other K-Pop idols are the same


    5. But I was a little surprised. Especially, NCT’s music quality is very good and I think they will be loved overseas… Is the response to SuperM in the US not good?


    6. Their concepts do not seem to be popular in the US


    7. SM only cares about China


    8. Wait, next year might be different


    9. Maybe SM music is not suitable for American taste


    10. Because HYBE is too overwhelming

  • Go to Best Answer
  • The only company that actively courts the west is HYBE, and even then it's only been with a specific subsidiary or two a couple of times in ADOR and Source (and Big Hit back then). Blackpink rode in on BTS's wave, but I don't actually recall YGE really capitalizing or emphasizing the west either. Outside of possible touring, I think K-pop companies generally don't really see the west as a priority to grow. It's something nice to have, but it's not Japan, or China, or even SEA.


    SM specifically is focused on Asia, which likely where it's always gotten its money, so they probably will keep it that way until something catastrophic happens (e.g. population implosion).

    • Best Answer
    Quote

    1. Honestly, the biggest reason is because BTS’s fandom is the largest in North America and they boycott SM


    2. Except for BTS and Blackpink, the popularity of idols in the US is low


    4. Except for BTS and BLACKPINK, other K-Pop idols are the same


    Well that's a whole load of horse shit, and the other responses aren't much bettter.


    The real reason is simple: SM doesn't promote enough in the US. They've had multiple groups that could have been bigger, but they completely squandered the opportunity instead. Now they're holding "world tours" where their groups don't even come here. You cannot be succesful while putting in zero effort.

  • Because they focus mainly on the Asian Music Market.


    Korea, China and Japan.

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  • Maybe it would happen if SM stopped releasing too much experimental music and focused on western style more simple songs. SM doesn't know how to do western promos and his priority is Asia. You see, Sm doesn't know how to take risks. Also, Sm doesn't know the type of band or music that western would find appealing.

    SM idols actually do try to promote in the West, like aespa and nct, sm tries to give them some simple English songs but they always miss what their audience expects and wants from their groups. SM goes either too experimental or too basic and bland.

  • SME don't promote in the US that much, and even with that, this is 100% BS!


    SME artists maybe not in the mainstream media as much as HYBE groups, BTS and BP, but that doesn't mean they're not popular in the West.


    I'm never gonna understand why some people think, just because you don't see 5 articles about someone every day, people don't like them. 10 years ago, SME was on top, then JYP and YG, now it's HYBE. The cycle of hype is always changing, but that doesn't mean the others are not popular.

  • Kpop in outside world is only well known for having massive fandom, not because the music is super good or near western music level. It's not main stream music cause the song can not be mimicking by casual listener. That's why cupid is much more acceptable cause their lyrics stuck in our head and we can sing it without having bias towards the group.

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