With the pandemic putting an unforeseen halt to many activities this year, fans of K-Pop from across the globe have been anxiously awaiting the future of overseas promotions for their favorite artists. As of current, COVID-19 has garnered over 70 million cases worldwide and many countries have exhibited a rapid surge of infections within their borders. This prevented many people from any kind of foreign travel for almost a full year. However, Korean music artists have found a way to reach out to their international audience through multiple mediums.
Major groups, such as BTS, EXO, SuperM, TWICE, and more, have broken barriers by holding online performances at quite a large scale, delighting fans everywhere as multiple world tours have been cancelled. Entertainment companies acted quickly to ensure that they could promote their artists and content online.
Notably, BTS and Blackpink have also created a strong name for themselves in the US music industry by charting on the Billboard Hot 100, collaborating with American artists in their releases from this year, and sweeping records worldwide. While BTS have already completed two successful online concerts this year, Blackpink is gearing up for their own in late December much to the excitement of their global fan base as this is the explosive girl group’s first full-length concert of 2020.
K-Pop has also shown its influence beyond the borders of South Korea by expanding into the western market with BTS as the genre’s current frontman. Not too long after receiving their first ever Grammy nomination, which is also the first ever Grammy nomination given to any South Korean group, BTS has most recently been crowned TIME’s Entertainer of the Year on December 10th. This award is quite the feat for the band as it adds on to many of their “firsts” but also because they managed to win this title over Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Anthony Fauci — all very big public figures in the United States.
The title of Person of the Year goes beyond recognizing their contributions to the music industry but also humanity. BTS still act as ambassadors for UNICEF as a way to prevent bullying across the world, and they have previously submitted a hefty donation to Black Lives Matter to condemn racial injustice. The band has proven to give back to society as their success as entertainers only grows, which is what prompted them to receive positive recognition from an American audience as well.
In spite of the pandemic, the Hallyu Wave has proven to be unwavering. Outside of music, Korean content especially has been able to thrive, with dramas such as Crash Landing On You, Itaewon Class, and Start-Up receiving much love internationally. There is hope that this upward trend will only continue from here on out.
Julie Kim
Asia Journal
(Los Angeles Times Advertising Supplement)
