Making it in the big time: K-pop wants U.S. air play

Producers of Wheesung, left, and Big Mama, a female group, right, are considering a record debut in the U.S. music market in the near future, according to a spokeswoman at EMI Korea. BoA, an Asian superstar who is working mostly in Japan (center), was one of the first Korean pop singers to win fans abroad. [JoongAng Ilbo]

It took a lot of sweat and hard cash to turn teenage K-pop singers like BoA and Rain into Asian superstars. But years after their debuts in Asia, everyone in the music industry knows what the next big step for Korean musicians must be. What will it take for them to break into the American music market?Rain, now 23, got off to a good start. He had two sold-out shows in New York's Madison Square Garden earlier this month and will make his U.S. recording debut in the fall. Chung Wook, a spokesman for JYP Entertainment, who was primarily responsible for arranging Rain's concert in New York, said, "We are satisfied with the outcome. We wish we'd had more time to prepare, but we've learned our lesson and we are setting up new strategies suited for the U.S. market." Rain is ahead of the game in planning a serious debut in the U.S. music market. What are his chances of success? Nobody knows, but the question demands a deep look at the prospects of Asian musicians in general in the United States. "If Rain really wants to make it here, he'll have to toughen his style and hire a hipper producer, someone on the order of Scott Storch or The Neptunes," wrote Jim Farber, the pop music editor of the New York Daily News, who called Rain's music "soft and dewy."For years, overseas debuts have been just a dream for many Asian pop musicians. Major producers in Asia have desperately tried to crack large markets. A very few have gotten some attention, like Hong Kong's Coco Lee or Japan's Seiko and Puffy, but they were still far from grabbing some mainstream success. In fact, the only Asian artist to top the Billboard charts within the past few decades was the Japanese singer-songwriter Kyu Sakamoto, whose song "Euo Muite Aruko" became an international hit in 1963, on an album titled "Sukiyaki". "This is a question that has been asked for many, many years and if we knew the answer, I doubt many of us would be working in Asia," wrote Hans Ebert, the executive director of EMI Music South East Asia in an e-mail interview. "Some Asian acts have done very well in the United States ― but very, very few. As for Asian acts trying to make it today? Good question but a very difficult one to answer, and probably one that involves a great deal of luck, the right act, the ability to sing in English and a person to provide the right musical direction." Language seems to be an obvious barrier to having a hit record in the United States for any Asian musician wanting to crack that market. There are hundreds of Asian classical music artists who release albums through major international labels, but very few in pop. In fact, one of the main points that was brought up in the New York Times' review of Rain's concert was his use of unrefined English, which often failed to connect to a mature audience. For example, the paper scorned Rain's gesture of standing up between songs and saying things like, "I'm lonely and I need a girlfriend." Jim Farber also pointed out Rain's halting English, noting his tendency to shout, "I love you" when he was at a loss for other words. Many other critics agree that language is a major barrier for Asian musicians, saying there ultimately will be no "connection" if the English lyrics sound too forced to American audiences. But, Mr. Ebert added, "If it is good, if it is recorded in English and if it is properly promoted and marketed, there is no reason why an Asian act cannot be a hit in the west." A more urgent issue, and one commonly cited by Western industry experts, is that there is not much originality seen in the songs of Asian pop musicians. Many of those industry insiders are doubtful that K-pop music is an experience that's something new and different for audiences who look for non-mainstream chords in world music. They say artists in many parts of Asia seem too "manufactured." Mark Russell, a Seoul correspondent for Billboard, says Korean musicians simply have trouble "crossing over." "When Latin music came to the United States, did those artists try to sound like Puff Daddy or Boyz 2 Men? No," he said. "They were true to their own sound, with just some improvement in production values. Even Japanese pop has its own quirky style. But what is Korean about Korean pop? Nothing ― in the melody, the singing style, instrumentation or harmonies. It is all just a rehash of American pop with a little J-pop glam thrown in."One Korean music critic begs to differ. "Originality is not always a requirement in pop music," said Shin Hyun-jun. "The issue is ‘how' you're going to make a hit. In the case of Rain, the target audience is vague. It's unclear whether [his managers] want to use singers like Rain to represent the branch of world music based on elements of the Korean musical heritage, shape him into an Asian-American pop singer or simply make him an American idol. If they don't choose the path of world music, they'll have to put a lot more effort into marketing him, because there are a whole lot of people in the mainstream U.S. pop market who aren't yuppies traveling around listening to other countries' music."Or could the problem of "crossing over" simply mean that there is a lack of talented marketers who are capable of hiring the right people to shape up local musicians for a successful debut in the West? Park Jin-young, Rain's producer at JYP Entertainment, recently commented that a major barrier to an American debut for Korean musicians is the lack of Korean producers and composers who understand the U.S. market.Nah Youn-Sun, a Korean jazz singer-songwriter, was probably the best example of a Korean musician who paved her way to success in Europe by a combination of unique music and strong production values. In Jae-jin, a producer at AMP, who has worked on the world jazz scene for many years, says Nah's success was made possible partly due to the nature of the world jazz industry, which is much less commercial than the pop genre, but relies more on people who have an eye for good musical selection. In general, however, he noted that the "network" serves as a critical channel for international debut."Musically, Nah was verified by people in the industry," Mr. In said. "But it's just as important in jazz who is producing the album ― who backs the artist. It depends a lot on whether the producer has the right international connections. You probably won't need those connections at all with artists like Keith Jarrett, but you do with the rest of the mid-range artists." In the end, however, other traditional barriers may be the key issues: those of culture and race. "The fact that people look for originality from Asian musicians means something," says Mr. Shin. "It means they expected originality, just like they expect country or rock musicians to be white and hip-hop artists to be black. And this may be the greatest racial barrier in the U.S. music market today."

by Park Soo-mee <myfeast@joongang.co.kr>

East Asians toward Korean music and movies

(HK singer Juno Mak is famous for singing Yoo Seung Jun songs in Cantonese)

Although Korean dramas are sweeping Asia by storm, it seems that East Asians are still not willing to fully accept Korean music and movies. When asking my friends in Chinese speaking countries about this, they say they stay away from Korean music because they can’t understand it. I found that interesting because just a couple of years ago, Japanese music was tearing up the charts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and literally every Asian country. In fact, the popularity of Japanese music was so intense, that many people were learning Japanese and flying to the country to attend the concerts of their famous performers.

Basically, I want to ask, how come Korean movies and music have not caught the eye of other Asian nations? The sad part is that, especially in Chinese speaking countries, Korean music is popular, just not in Korean form. Various Taiwanese and Hong Kong artists have taken the works of Korean artists such as Se7en, 1Tym, Yoo Seung Jun, Shinhwa, etc and claimed them as their own. In fact, one Taiwanese group called Energy’s entire first CD was composed of old Korean songs redone in Mandarin Chinese. Even their music videos were the same! It seems to me that other Asian countries are not willing to accept Korean language and culture because it is to foreign. My thoughts on why the dramas are so popular are because they are dubbed in the respected language of the country to give a domestic feel. My grandmother was actually very surprised to find out Rain was Korean after watching Full House!

I feel the same goes for movies; to me, there seems to be a sense of jealousy involved. Especially with the downfall in Hong Kong and Taiwan movies, these audiences would rather support a movie from Hollywood than Korea. To add fuel to this, Jackie Chan, stated last year that, “Korean films are meant for Koreans. Chinese people should support their own country.” Could this be why Chinese studios are remaking Korean movies now and (gasp) dramas? A China studio had bought the rights to Stairway to Heaven last year and was re-filming it with Chinese stars.

Regarding Hollywood, I think they acknowledge that Korean movies are good…..they just want to get rid of the Korean aspects of it. Here are some good examples of what they plan on doing with the rights of Korean films:

JSA: Re-shooting it to show the tensions between two American and two Mexican patrol men.

Old Boy: Re-shot with Nicolas Cage eating Tacos

My Sassy Girlfriend: Madonna (dealing with some short of mid life crisis) wants to star in the US remake

In addition, here are some links to show you how the Halyu craze is causing imitators:

HK singer Joey Yung:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQEjdR74sL0

Website of Zinda (can you guess which Korean film this is a remake of?):
http://www.zindathefilm.com/

- Alex Liu

"Hotelier" television review

Even with the recent popularity of Korean dramas in East Asia, very few have been able to move out of the region. Along with Winter Sonata, one of the lucky ones has been Hotelier, which has been screened everywhere from the US to Qatar.
Hotelier tells the story of Suh Jin-Young (Song Yun-Ah) who is a section manager at the Seoul Hotel. When the president of Seoul Hotel suddenly dies, she is charged with the task of going to Las Vegas to find Han Tae-jun (Kim Seung Woo), a past employee of the hotel, and an expert on hotel management who left Korea because of a misunderstood scandal. He also happens to be her old boyfriend. While at Las Vegas, Jin-young also meets Shin Dong-hyuk (Bae Yong Jun). What she doesn’t realize is the fact that he is a famous merger and acquisitions specialist, who is planning to take over her beloved hotel. All three of them return to Korea, and as the rest of the drama unfolds, Tae-jun and Dong-hyuk battle for not only control over the hotel, but also the heart of Jin-Young. The extra twist is added when Kim Yun-hee (Song Hae Gyo), the daughter of Dong-hyuk’s boss, falls for Tae-jun.
There were a few things about Hotelier that I find unique. One was the focus on the day-to-day lives of the ordinary people who worked inside the hotel. In fact, these people become the real stars. While the big A-list actors focus on exuding the melodramatic emotion of falling in love, it is the ordinary dishwashers, and chefs, and waitresses that keep the hotel running. A huge strata of people are shown in this series, and social mobility is a recurrent theme. A dishwasher who was a past druggie finds redemption, and becomes reunited with her wealthy, powerful, older brother. The daughter of a CEO works as a waitress. People are hired, fired, and promoted almost every episode. The mixture of different classes in a common environment, and the ample chances for social improvement is encouraging for the viewing audience. Each person gets to his or her final position through hard work and perseverance, not social connections.
Along with the social commentary on classes, there is also the presence of the effects of globalization. Bae Yong-Joon’s character represents the influence of American culture in Korea. He is a true Korean-American, who grew up in the States, and speaks perfect English. He comes back to Korea with an American education and American training to try to take over a hotel, synonymous to the influence of American values and culture starting to develop and take over in Korea. The name “Seoul Hotel” has important connotations. In fact, this is a hotel that is famous for its “traditional” customer service, and beautiful “Korean” landscapes. It has refused to be “modernized” into a Western style hotel. Therefore, it is in danger of being taken over and changed. However, after Dong-hyuk stays in the hotel, he is convinced by the charms Jin-hyung and the hotel staff to give up the merger. He even makes the ultimate compromise of returning to Korea to be with Jin-hyung. In essence, he has realized the true importance of domestic Korean culture, and chooses to return to his true roots and stay in Korea. The importance of Jin-hyung is apparent. Though she spends most of her life in Korea, and cannot be compared to the refinement of Yun-hee, she is able to convince both of the male protagonists to return home from Las Vegas, a symbol of American capitalism and culture, to take their rightful places in Korea. Traditional Korean values win over money and prestige.
I believe that Hotelier preempts the next generation of melodrama in Korea. It is not satisfying enough to only watch people talk about love. Like All-In, Hotelier takes a sector of Korean life, and expounds on the daily workings of not only the upper-middle to upper class main characters, but also ordinary people. I believe that this is a step in the right direction for Korean dramas to have more realistic, socially plausible plot lines.

YYZ

So much for my happy, short entry...

My initial short comment on an entry by Jungyeon turned into a full-blown entry somehow...

Speaking from my personal experience, I think if one speaks fluent English without an accent, one will not encounter much of a problem in the US. You are able to blend in, and of course, catch all the nuances in comments, jokes, etc. America idealizes individualism, but the ability to conform is extremely crucial. No one wants to hang out with a “sore-thumb,” unless your standout trait lies in your dad’s limitless gold bullion. Contrary to what people say about the South, most of my Asian friends there do agree that it is one of the most hospitable places in the US. I tend to concur. Think Paula Dean from the Food Network. But of course, everyone is different, which consequently spells difference experiences.

Another notion that is prevalent is "perceived discrimination." Individuals think people are viewing them within the confines of racial categorization and stereotypes when in actuality this is not true. Not many people walk around the streets labeling each person they see by their ethnicity – he’s Korean, she’s black, he’s Latino, so on and so forth. I believe most people just don’t care, unless she’s a hot chic, or he’s a hot dude. At least that is what my experience living in NYC has taught me. A good example would be a well-publicized brawl at Hollywood Grill in Itaewon last year (I’ve attached the link at the end of this article). Although the client claims racial discrimination, the owner offers a totally different account. I was not there when the brawl happened, so I cannot make a judgment. But I think it exemplifies society’s propensity to jump at racism as a convenient albeit explosive excuse for one’s misdoing. To be fair, there are of course blatant displays of racism at bars and clubs in Korea. The “No Foreigners Allowed” sign, similar to that in Japan, is an all too convenient excuse to mask outright discrimination. Most establishments assert that they want to avoid awkward situations as they do not have English speaking staff, but we know better. I can’t say this is that prevalent. In America, the crowd just makes you uncomfortable enough that you will leave on your own (Yes, we have “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” but that applies to everyone – American or not, white or black, etc.). I’ve never heard of such a thing in China or in England. Would this be unique to Korea and Japan? I am not too sure but I wouldn’t be surprised.

With regards to bi-racial discrimination, there is a pretty clear line between desirable and undesirable "biracialism." Not all biracials are considered exotic, not only in Korea, but in most places. Like it or not, white and asian biracials are heavily preferred over other kinds of biracials (black and asian being a prime example). Of course Koreans would welcome Daniel Henny! He is good looking, and "exotic" in a white-asian way. Imagine Ward entering a modeling agency in Seoul - without the fame of an American football star!

This issue of biracialism ties neatly into a current problem confronting the Korean education system – how do we accommodate biracial students in Korea? I believe that there is a recent rise in biracial children, eg. indian + koreans, and apparently, teachers are at a lost at what to do with "these" children. They speak Korean, think Korean, feel Korean - but don't look Korean. Why should there be an assumption that you have to look Korean to "be" Korean? This is not unique to Korea of course. Japan has been experiencing the same problem for years. But I think the opening of Japan and its subsequent internationalization helped disperse some of the initial shocks. So many foreigners speak fluent Japanese that it does not surprise them anymore, unless you visit some remote part of the country. But I believe many Koreans are still surprised when foreigners learn Korean, even those living in big cities.

The rise of Hein Ward’s well-deserved success will hopefully force Korean society to face and possibly embrace diversity as a tool towards great nation-building. You just cannot have a globalize economy and a respected international position without a sincere attitude for tolerance and diversity. It is like wanting to make Seoul a cosmopolitan city without the presence of foreigners. That will never happen.

I believe educational institutions have been at the forefront of the initiative for diversity. Korea University launched a huge campaign recently to revamp itself as an international university with a diverse student population to match. Also, there are other more subtle, local changes. Itaewon no longer holds the reputation as Korea’s whorehouse, but is now the new Meatpacking district (well, the current Meatpacking district at least – chic, eclectic, trendy). There is a growing number of ethnic restaurants outside the usual Italian and French fare. You have Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian cuisine, etc.

Holistically, I don’t think Korea is as hostile as some people might imagine. In fact, Japan is ranked as the most racist country by the UN (This was based on last year’s ranking, I believe). On the other hand, saying that Korea is not used to foreign presence is a very weak excuse for racial intolerance or racial sentiment. Korea has the highest number of college and high school graduates in the world. More Koreans are traveling abroad, be it for school, for leisure or for business. Education and international exposure have been weaved into the fabric of Korean society for sometime now. Additionally, American cultural exports are so widespread in Korea. So are the occasionally racial outburst or episodes of racial intolerance simply isolated incidences? Or do they reflect a fundamental prejudice within Korean society? Short of a comprehensive, year to year survey of Korean society’s thoughts on foreigners, one can never arrive on a satisfying conclusion. However, it is important to not view Korean society in isolation, but relative to other countries too. It is within this holistic context that we might arrive on some rather interesting perspectives.

ARC

(http://search.hankooki.com/times/times_view.php?term=itaewon+racism++&path=hankooki3/times/lpage/opinion/200509/kt2005092116172554070.htm&media=kt).