I have never heard of Kpop until this case study and I was completely unaware of its presence in the United States. After conducting some research, I came across a recently published article that names the Wonder Girls as the most anticipated Kpop artist in the United States. However, they have had a presence in the US since 2009 when their first English single ‘Nobody’ was released. The group later joined the Jonas Brothers North American Tour as the opening act, performing a total of 45 concerts. Their single ‘Nobody’ entered the US Billboard Hot 100 chart seven months after its release, making them the first Korean group ever in the 115 years of US Billboard history and the first time in 30 years as an Asian artist to enter the chart.This year, the group has already released a made-for-TV movie, “The Wonder Girls” with a soundtrack titled “The DJ is Mine,” which premiered February 2nd on TeenNick. The Wonder Girls are also expected to release their first English debut album in the US sometime this year.
Although I was unaware of their existence until a few moments ago, it is clear that this group and Kpop has and will continue to permeate American culture. By aligning themselves with groups such as the Jonas Brothers and networks like Nickelodeon, they are targeting a prime consumer market. Preteens and children are arguably one of the most lucrative markets, they obsess over their favorite artists (ex. Justin Bieber fans) and are easily convinced into buying products. It would be interesting to see the effect this will have in years to come and if this movement will lead to an increased interest in Korean culture amongst this generation of American children.
