History Billboard K-Town

1 history

1.1 web presence
1.2 beginnings, 2009 - 2012
1.3 k-town, 2013 - present

1.3.1 2013
1.3.2 2014
1.3.3 2015
1.3.4 2016

history
web presence

in january 2013, billboard relaunched websites new features, including enhanced content fans on consumer site billboard.com, provide more on-site reporting of festivals, award shows, , other major music events. relaunch included new column, k-town, in move bring k-pop news, songs , music videos readers each week. billboard s website 1 of popular music publications online, , in 2013, site received average of 3.3 million visitors month in united states, according comscore, putting behind rolling stone ahead of music outlets pitchfork , spin. billboard, also, has business operations in south korea, home of k-pop.

beginnings, 2009 - 2012

in 2009, according statistics google trends, online searches k-pop began steady increase, after release of 2 smash hit singles, super junior s sorry, sorry , girls’ generation s gee . in fall of 2009, of billboard s earliest k-pop coverage included articles of first k-pop artists chart on billboard hot 100, wonder girls, debuted @ no. 76 nobody , feature of stay in u.s., including tour opening jonas brothers, , inclusion 1st k-pop artists on billboard s annual showcase 21 under 21 in 2010.

in november 2010, billboard invited first k-pop artists new york studio, jyj performed ayyy girl , empty album beginning; , in december, billboard s readers put album on billboard readers poll fave album of 2010.

during first half of 2011, according billboard magazine, korean music industry grossed $3.4 billion, k-pop being recognized time magazine south korea s greatest export. on august 25, 2011, billboard , billboard korea launched billboard korea k-pop hot 100 chart, ranking digital sales of country s top songs , mobile downloads, , modeled on billboard hot 100 , other asian charts. sistar s song cool first top chart. on november 25–26, 2011, billboard korea hosted 2011 billboard k-pop masters, presented mgm grand inside mgm grand garden arena in las vegas. announcement said created billboard korea publication set showcase top acts in k-pop music, after releasing billboard korea k-pop hot 100 music chart. line-up included tvxq, 4minute, g.na, mblaq, sistar, beast, shinee, , brown eyed girls. mgm grand said, event significant because k-pop singers, becoming hugely popular not in asia in europe , americas, have first concert in las vegas. mgm grand added event serve opportunity showcase appeal of k-pop music 1 of fastest-growing musical trends around world.

in july 2012, psy s hit gangnam style took genre top of western charts, , made k-pop history. psy s success reached beyond korean-american community, online viewership, according google data, showing doubling after 2012 s gangnam style . not happy psy s success on billboard charts, gangnam style s #1 spot on new hot rap songs chart; reached #2 on billboard hot 100. critics said october 2012 change in way magazine tallied charts, included digital sales, online streams , radio airplay gave stars pop-oriented sound , broad crossover appeal advantage on other artists. cnn noted billboard s 2012 annual series of top 21 musicians under age of 21 listed k-pop star iu @ 15th on list includes heavyweights in western music business such miley cyrus , justin bieber.

k-town, 2013 - present

nu est fan purse, gilley s dallas, texas concert, may 3, 2015


2013

the january 2013 column s launch heralded possibility more k-pop artists psy seek out coveted spot on billboard charts, caveat, safe say, k-pop here stay in u.s.? girls generation welcomed column video greeting, , first column article feature on rising k-pop superstars infinite. in april 2013, korea herald said effect of youtube , billboard chart cannot ignored in international success of psy s gangnam style, , billboard s recent interest in k-pop not fleeting phenomenon.

by july 2013, year after gangnam style , surge continued, , psy scored again new hit, gentleman . according google, 91% of viewership on top k-pop channels coming outside asia-pacific region, compared less half in 2011. billboard provided top 10 k-pop hits post-gangnam style (psy s gentleman , girls generation s got boy , hyuna s ice cream , g-dragon s crayon , g-dragon s 1 of kind , g-dragon s xx , girls generation s oh! , beast s beautiful night , girls generation s flower power , , kara s pandora ); , credited 2 groups, girls generation , big bang, major acts had cultivated large international followings.

in november 2013, washington post said since late 1990s, korea had been producing of exhilarating pop music in world , commented on fans, distinctly fervent (and online) k-pop fan network.

2014

in january 2014, in special globe , mail titled, whatever happened pop music s korean invasion? music critic j. d. considine wrote, perhaps s mistake, then, think of korean wave massive tsunami. instead, seems more steady flow, rising steadily seeping in. , deeper presence here in 2014. quotes billboard s k-town columnist jeff benjamin, k-pop lives , breathes online, , s why s been able cross mainstream consciousness.

on may 17, 2014, korea k-pop hot 100 chart discontinued in u.s., billboard charts manager gary trust saying, ve removed chart temporarily while make adjustments , hope have soon. k-town continued follow k-pop artists ratings on other charts, billboard twitter real-time trending 140 ; psy s hangover featuring snoop dogg reached #1 in late june, , #1 , k-pop s first time infinite last romeo in september, on billboard twitter real-time emerging artists chart. k-town reports on youtube s views in u.s. , around world, , on north american concerts.

in august, big bang fans, vips, won billboard fan army face-off, 91% of vote in final round , second place going thirty seconds mars fans, (with wins on rihanna s fans in round 1, selena gomez s fans in round 2, girls’ generation s fans in round 3 , skillet s fans in round 4; on 20 million votes cast.)

in october 2014, janice min, co-president , chief creative officer of guggenheim digital media s entertainment group overseeing hollywood reporter , billboard said, world getting more , more interested in hallyu content, noting k-pop huge. ... k-pop significant, , 2014 had seen record number of k-pop albums on billboard hot 200 albums chart. said, cover lot of korean content @ billboard, obsessively.

on december 1, 2014, psy s gangnam style broke youtube s video view counter, more 2.15 billion views, forcing them upgrade; said on google+, never thought video watched in numbers greater 32-bit integer before met psy. in december 2014, rolling stone placed 2ne1 s crush @ no. 6 on 20 best pop albums of 2014 list, , said, 2 years after k-pop first giddily barged america s imagination, genre hasn t sustained post- gangnam style wave, seoul machine keeps humming.

2015

vixx fans global citizen 2015 earth day, national mall, april 18

in 2015, billboard reported k-pop still doing well: ifpi report said south korea still in top 10 global music market rankings, having moved ahead of brazil, @ $266 million in trade value; national tax service of south korea said average annual income singers rose more 72 percent since 2010; , overseas revenues growth, attributed interest in korea s pop culture, led music , television dramas, doubled in 5 years. experts credited jumps more international album sales , tours, 2014 biggest year k-pop concerts in america.

k-town s continued coverage included analysis of future of k-pop in america , groups might succeed. watch kept collaborations of k-pop artists mainstream american pop artists - march: p.d.d , rap monster of bts , warren g; april: heartbroken (kpop remix) , wonder girls yubin , justin thorne, of nlt; may: doctor pepper , 2ne1 s cl , riff raff , og maco, produced diplo; july: cash money brave brothers , yg featuring krayzie bone; , december: psy released album chiljip psy-da tracks featuring will.i.am , ed sheeran.

in march, @ major u.s. music festival, miami s ultra, cl performed dirty vibe, 2014 release skrillex , diplo (which , g-dragon featured on), own rap in korean lyrics, during performance sean combs, billboard called breakthrough moment korean music ; echoes korean media.

some concert reviews - january: f.t. island, april: amoeba culture s dynamic duo, primary, zion.t , crush, june: epik high , july: bts, including billboard studio performance. epik high added tour dates , became biggest north american k-pop tour in years, , bts sold-out vip tickets re-sold @ more $10,000. in october, k-town reviewed newark concert of big bang s six-city north american tour, after los angeles concert scored in top ten on billboard hot tours sold-out boxscore earning; , did november pre-concert interview block b. more coverage included concerts , conference days kcon 2015 in california again, , first time on east coast, including interviews performers red velvet, got7, zion.t , crush, roy kim, monsta x, , aoa.

articles included attention film industry, hollywood , american celebrities - tv station nickelodeon aired k-pop inspired show make pop, big bang s fantastic baby played in trailer of pitch perfect 2, randy jackson visited epik high backstage, , emma stone told conan s viewers obsessed k-pop, saying beyond excellent, s best thing ve ever seen , , favorites 2ne1 , girls generation. in november, exo , disney released light saber , song , music video star wars: force awakens;

2016

local k-pop dance teams vie @ kaja kon dance/concert, miami beach convention center, gleason room backstage, october 30, 2016

in 2016, k-town reported on study found america becoming priority touring korean acts. study conducted concert kickstarter website, mymusictaste.com while gauging local fan interest future concerts. study examined number of k-pop concerts held between 2013 , approximately may 2016, found east asia still had concerts, numbers tapering, while north america, south america , europe showing consistent growth. top 3 countries concerts abroad japan, china , usa. number 1 touring act in study all-male group big bang. in july, forbes reported made $44 million in pretax earnings on past year, compared $33.5 million made current highest-paid american all-male arena pop group, maroon 5 , no. 54 on forbes celebrity 100.

still without designated k-pop chart, column continued feature articles on k-pop s performance on billboard charts, continued watched closely , rehashed south korean media , others internationally.

chart history news included got7 receiving no. 2 on social 50 chart , no. 45 on artist 100 chart in april, followed bts in october, received no. 1 on social 50 chart (joining psy s record) , top k-pop artist scoring of no. 16 on artist 100 chart. bts s wings, also, charted @ no. 26 on billboard 200 , no. 19 on canadian albums chart, setting records k-pop on charts. new girl group black pink became fastest act hit no. 1 on world digital songs chart boombayah , received no. 2 whistle , , cl s english language song lifted charted @ no. 94 on billboard s hot 100.

interviews , concert coverage included jay park touring aomg, dean, got7, crush , concert review of cl, in nyc; , interview tablo before epik high s appearances @ coachella. k-town again covered kcon in new york , l.a., including interviews ailee, crush, day6, shinee, amber, , twice. and, first time, covered canadian event, toronto kpop con.

k-town columnist benjamin participated in k-pop conferences , media inquiries k-pop s status in america. in february, spoke on boston university college of arts , sciences panel, music & media: korean pop industry , included issues k-pop s fit western culture , korean entertainment industry s close scrutiny of media interviews. in june, @ kcon ny, told nbc news stephany bai k-pop gaining global fans while retaining distinctive characteristics . credited continued success things accessibility on social media, song titles in english on youtube, , ability involve fans in called k-pop s scene rather genre, involves them in whole different world . in july, 190 foreign reporters registered cover kcon la, told korea times reporter si-soo park, k-pop getting closer mainstream , , mentioned coverage major news outlets new york times , others. in november, contributed k-pop analysis time report on artists cl, eric nam, , dean s attempts enter mainstream music market in america.

the year closed report of 4 girl groups disbanding: january - kara, june - 4minute, october - rainbow, november - 2ne1.