K-pop’s HIgh Tide in the United States

With appearances on major mainstream American TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel and the American Music Awards, BTS have broken into the American market in an unprecedented way this year. With their success and increased popularity for k-pop in the United States, it is clear that Korean pop music is here to stay. But how has k-pop managed to break through in 2018 in a way it has not been able to before?

 

To learn more about the state of k-pop in the United States and how we got to the point where the wave of Korean entertainment is now washing upon American shores, Korean Kontext host Jenna Gibson sat down with journalist Tamar Herman. Tamar, who is a kpop columnist at Billboard and contributor at Forbes, discusses the state of k-pop in the United States, what has brough this recent success in a way that hasn't been seen in the past, and what trends to look for in the future.