Korean pop music has become an enormous part of the modern U.S. music industry, with artists like BTS, Blackpink, SuperM and others making history to lead the way. Over the past few years, K-pop acts have continuously broken barriers on the Billboard charts and at American award shows, all while entertaining and enlightening millions of fans in the United States and beyond.
So how did this happen? How did K-pop suddenly explode in America?
On the latest episode of Billboard Explains, explore the factors that have facilitated the global K-pop phenomenon over the past decade, from the viral success of “Gangnam Style” in 2012 to the first K-pop Hot 100 chart-topper in 2020. GOT7’s Mark Tuan also weighs in on how the sound and visibility of K-pop acts have helped the genre succeed as a whole.