Last Sunday night, BTS became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award when they took home the Top Social Artist trophy.
It was a historical night and it’s bound to bring more recognition not just to BTS, but to the K-pop industry as well.
Over the last few years, K-pop has experienced astronomical growth in popularity outside of Korea. Hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide flock arenas to see their favorite groups perform.
Big Bang's MADE World Tour sold out each stop – over 1.5 million fans, making it the biggest world tour of a K-pop act to date.
While a "World Tour" once meant "Asian Tour" in K-pop lingo, today it actually means the world. Seventeen, Monsta X, and G Dragon are just a few of the acts setting out on tours across the globe this year with stops in North America, Australia, and more.
It's obvious companies realize the value of Western markets as we see more and more Korean artists catering to their new fans through English releases and collaborations with Western artists.
Eric Nam – the soloist and variety host – has collaborated with both KOLAJ and Timbaland.
Last year, CL – former leader of the now-disbanded 2NE1 – made her English-language debut with her single, “Lifted” which landed in the top 30 of the iTunes' Hip-Hop/Rap chart.
Rap Monster – leader of BTS – recently collaborated with American rapper Wale on their track, Change.
I'll be honest…while there have been some great collaborations between K-pop stars and Western artists, I’ve always worried that my favorite Korean artists might lose some of their identity to conform to what’s marketable to the Western audience.
But after watching BTS interact with Western artists and take home an award at a well-known awards show, I’m convinced that K-pop is more than ready to break into Western pop culture.
What I realized is that K-pop isn't being "westernized" solely to cater to western audiences. What I’m seeing is the evolution of Korean pop culture through the integration of western pop culture, effectively creating a new sound unique to K-pop.
It's no secret that American hip-hop and R&B has long influenced Korean artists.
BTS is heavily influenced by artists like Eminem and Drake.
Jay Park – singer, rapper, and founder of hip-hop label AOMG – has said he looks to artists like Jay-Z, Nas, and Usher.
And, it's not just hip-hop and R&B.
The band CNBLUE has pointed to Maroon 5 and the Rolling Stones as musical influences.
K-pop has been integrating Western music with its own music for years. It's not a new phenomenon that's only just now occurring. It's also not going to stop.
And K-pop acts don't need to change to appeal to western audiences either.
BTS hasn't needed to change to market themselves in the U.S. Despite a lack of an English-language discography, the group sold out five arena dates earlier this year in the U.S, and they've landed on multiple music charts included iTunes, Billboard, and other global charts.
BTS’s recent successes shows how music is universal and crosses cultures.
And who's to say K-pop isn't influencing Western groups?
Lorde, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna are just a few of the big names that enjoy K-pop. Can we honestly claim that what they listen to doesn't affect what they deliver?
Is K-pop becoming more accepted in Western culture? If the number of K-pop artists entering American music charts is any indication, yes.
But is K-pop the only genre being influenced? Or is it becoming the influencer?