SNSD days are different so I get it but I don’t see how Whiplash is any different from the other Kpop songs that do well (compared to other Kpop acts besides BTS and BP, the not necessarily big hitters just not SM level in the west).
Failure is expected for songs like Dirty Work because it sucks and songs like Better Things (cute but too boring to succeed). But Whiplash was perfect.
Though I understand why SM lacks overall appeal to the western kpop fans. They don’t listen to international fans complaints and only care if the Korean side complained. I also don’t understand how they expect trashy songs like 2 Baddies to not fail.
I can only really speak in terms of the US cuz I'm American but I think a lot of Americans still have this mentality that:
- It's in Korean so they can't "understand it"... yes, a lot of Americans may listen to music that is in Spanish but that culture is significantly more predominant here so they're less likely to treat the language differences the same.
- KPop is cringe/weird, for kids, teenage girls, or creepy guys. A lot of KPop fans are assumed to have an Asian fetish.
- Racism/xenophobia against Asians.
Also, my friends see ILLIT (for example) and while they like the songs, they are put-off by their appearance (It's not just ILLIT, it's just the most recent example of them saying this). They look... too perfect. Too perfect to the point where it's just off-putting to some.
The lyrics often don’t make sense, especially the English parts
The lyrics often don’t make sense, especially the English parts
TBH, I think Red Velvet had better Western appeal than Aespa. Songs like Bad Boy and Psycho are the kind of SM sound Western fans love.
As a Westerner, Aespa's concept as a whole is just difficult for me to get into. I do like their songs, but even as a KPOP fan of over 10 years, I can see why they might not be clicking with Western fans.
Also, not surprised Dirty Work was not the song to change that. I honestly feel like Supernova/Armageddon were more Western friendly.
Display MoreI can only really speak in terms of the US cuz I'm American but I think a lot of Americans still have this mentality that:
- It's in Korean so they can't "understand it"... yes, a lot of Americans may listen to music that is in Spanish but that culture is significantly more predominant here so they're less likely to treat the language differences the same.
- KPop is cringe/weird, for kids, teenage girls, or creepy guys. A lot of KPop fans are assumed to have an Asian fetish.
- Racism/xenophobia against Asians.
Also, my friends see ILLIT (for example) and while they like the songs, they are put-off by their appearance (It's not just ILLIT, it's just the most recent example of them saying this). They look... too perfect. Too perfect to the point where it's just off-putting to some.
I think these issues will plague kpop among westerners. I think a major issue with kpop is stans are their own worst enemy. I think there's been too many interactions where fans are unhinged and it turns people off of the industry. I think it's an issue that kdrama for example doesn't have because you don't see too many fans act unhinged towards kdramas. I can admit some of the kpop behavior on social media almost turned me off of it until a friend recommended me some songs I would enjoy.
I'm unsure when kpop will wash away the stigma it carries, but I think stuff like kpop demon hunter will help. The songs are being played by non-kpop fans and it might make people check out kpop content. I think more friendly content like that can go a long way. I remember anime used to have a stigma, but it improved over the years and you have more people consuming content. Maybe that will happen with kpop some day but it will take some time.
The idols are unlikeable. Plain and simple. And I don’t even exclude EXO from this. SM idols simply do not appeal to a lot of people.
They’re stoic, robotic, controlled everything they say and do feels forced and insincere.
Anyway people who are in it just for the music can find it in them to like the groups. Those who are in it for the idols simply will not.
idk, it seems their kind of music just doesn't hit with the west? if u look at sm group's most successful songs on spotify they all have a very "western-friendly" type of sound... red velvet psycho, exo love shot, etc. the most streamed song by any nct unit is wayv's love talk english version, that kinda says something.
agree with isaidisaid, SM idols lack "edge", something that yg groups and other successful groups like bts have in spades.
they need to manipulate smarter 
SM always manage to mess it up, but it's for different reasons each time.
With Aespa, I think the music is fire but their pronunciation of the English is so slurred I think it will put a casual radio listener off straight away. Dirty Work is especially bad in this regard, I speak the Queen's but had to read the lyrics to understand "real bad business".
Robot on this?
Rhubarb venus?
But all their English songs suffer from this (Life's Too Short and Better Things).
A lot of them lack personality.
idk, it seems their kind of music just doesn't hit with the west? if u look at sm group's most successful songs on spotify they all have a very "western-friendly" type of sound... red velvet psycho, exo love shot, etc. the most streamed song by any nct unit is wayv's love talk english version, that kinda says something.
agree with isaidisaid, SM idols lack "edge", something that yg groups and other successful groups like bts have in spades.
Agreed, imagine thinking Super Junior Sorry Sorry trying to make it big in the West. 
I don't think it's music. Currently on US Spotify at first two places are kpop songs that sound like actual kpop, not western pop; they even have Korean lyrics. Yes, i know it's from a popular film but these kinds of songs aren't typical US taste, on the contrary.
I also think it's their personality. They don't look aproachable, they look perfect and especially in aespa 's case, stoic. Koreans and Chinese obviously like that but west likes more genuine (whatever that meant) looking idols. To go back to kpop demon hunters, Americans liked their personalities lol
I don't think anything can be done about this. SM taste is different from western taste. And that's fine, they do extremely well in the east, that's more than impressive.
SM creates music and choreo that's designed for the cameras, not for the stage. The company wants to keep up a perfect image so much that it doesn't give that raw, authentic experience that Westerners like.
aespa's more recent choreo ("Whiplash," "Armageddon" as examples) may look great with camerawork, but it's not ideal for the stage. For their concerts, they were more focused on doing choreo exactly as you saw it in the MVs instead of allowing for improvisation the way other groups do. This limits their stage presence a lot. They've shown they can be great live performers. SM just needs to let them.
SM's Western promotion strategy department is as developed as other companies. Yes they've made a few half hearted attempts by sending their artists to Western TV, concerts, and festivals, and releasing classic SM songs with English lyrics, but they've never adapted their concepts, musical identity, aesthetics, or trainee selection to Western preferences.
I don't think this is a flaw on SM's part either. They have consistent success in the Korean and Asian market for over a decade, so their current business model is satisfactory. YG obviously targets the West because they specialize in hip hop music which is more associated with the West. JYP has to try their luck with the West because at this point only Day6 is thriving with the Korean gp. HYBE is a much newer company and arrived when Kpop was already breaking into the West + the unprecedented Western success of BTS they've been desperately trying to re-create singe they changed from BigHit to HYBE.
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