Billboard K-Town

Billboard K-Town

Screenshot of Billboard K-Town column launch.
Type Music column
Format Graphics, text, videos
Owner(s) Billboard
Editor Tony Gervino
Staff writers Jeff Benjamin
Founded January 29, 2013
Language English
Headquarters New York City, New York, U.S.
Circulation Online
Website billboard.com

Billboard K-Town is an online magazine column presented weekly, on various days, by Billboard on its Billboard.com site. The column, launched on January 29, 2013, reports on K-pop music; artists, concerts, chart information and news events.[1][2]

History

Web presence

In January 2013, Billboard relaunched its websites with new features, including "enhanced content for fans" on its consumer site Billboard.com, which would provide more on-site reporting of festivals, award shows, and other major music events.[3] This relaunch included a new column, "K-Town," in a move to bring K-pop news, songs and music videos to its readers each week.[1] Billboard's website is one of the most popular music publications online, and in 2013, the site received an average of 3.3 million visitors a month in the United States, according to comScore, putting it slightly behind Rolling Stone but ahead of music outlets like Pitchfork and Spin.[4] Billboard, also, has business operations in South Korea,[5] home of K-pop.[6][7]

Beginnings, 2009 - 2012

In 2009, according to statistics from Google Trends, online searches for K-pop began their steady increase, after the release of two smash hit singles, Super Junior's "Sorry, Sorry" and Girls’ Generation’s "Gee".[8] In the fall of 2009, some of Billboards earliest K-pop coverage included articles of the first K-pop artists to chart on Billboard Hot 100, the Wonder Girls, who debuted at No. 76 with "Nobody", a feature of their stay in the U.S., including their tour opening for Jonas Brothers, and their inclusion as the 1st K-pop artists on Billboard's annual showcase "21 under 21" in 2010.[9][10]

In November 2010, Billboard invited the first K-pop artists to their New York studio, where JYJ performed "Ayyy Girl" and "Empty" from their album The Beginning; and in December, Billboard's readers put the album on Billboard Readers' Poll "Your Fave Album Of 2010."[11][12][13]

During the first half of 2011, according to Billboard magazine, the Korean music industry grossed nearly $3.4 billion, with K-pop being recognized by Time magazine as “South Korea’s Greatest Export.”[8] On August 25, 2011, Billboard and Billboard Korea launched the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart, ranking digital sales of the country’s top songs and mobile downloads, and modeled on its Billboard Hot 100 and other Asian charts. Sistar’s song "So Cool" was the first to top the chart.[14][15] On November 25–26, 2011, Billboard Korea hosted the "2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters, presented by MGM Grand" inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.[16][17] The announcement said that the recently created Billboard Korea publication was set to "showcase the top acts in K-Pop music," after releasing its Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 music chart.[15] The line-up included TVXQ, 4Minute, G.NA, MBLAQ, Sistar, Beast, Shinee, and Brown Eyed Girls.[18] The MGM Grand said, "This event is significant because K-pop singers, who are becoming hugely popular not only in Asia but also in Europe and the Americas, will have their first concert together in Las Vegas." MGM Grand added that the event would serve as "an opportunity to showcase the appeal of K-pop music as one of the fastest-growing musical trends around the world."[19]

In July 2012, Psy's hit "Gangnam Style" took "the genre to the top of western charts," and made K-pop history.[20][21] Psy's success "reached beyond the Korean-American community, with online viewership, according to Google data, showing a doubling after 2012's Gangnam Style".[22] Not everyone was happy with Psy's success on the Billboard charts, especially with "Gangnam Style"'s #1 spot on the new Hot Rap Songs chart;[23] it reached #2 on Billboard Hot 100.[24] Critics said the October 2012 change in the way the magazine tallied their charts, which included digital sales, online streams and radio airplay gave stars with a pop-oriented sound and broad crossover appeal an advantage over other artists.[23] CNN noted that Billboards 2012 "annual series of top 21 musicians under the age of 21 listed K-pop star IU at 15th on the list which includes heavyweights in the western music business such as Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber."[25]

K-Town, 2013 - Present

Nu'est fan purse, Gilley's, Dallas, Texas concert, May 3, 2015.

2013

The January 2013 column's launch was heralded as a possibility for more K-pop artists than Psy to seek out a coveted spot on the Billboard charts, with the caveat, "Is it finally safe to say, K-pop is here to stay in the U.S.?"[26] Girls' Generation welcomed the column with a video greeting,[2] and the first column article was a feature on "rising K-pop superstars" Infinite.[1][27] In April 2013, The Korea Herald said the effect of YouTube and the Billboard chart cannot be ignored in the international success of Psy’s "Gangnam Style," and "Billboard’s recent interest in K-pop is not a fleeting phenomenon."[28]

By July 2013, a year after "Gangnam Style", the surge continued, and Psy scored again with a new hit, "Gentleman". According to Google, 91% of viewership on top K-Pop channels were now coming from outside the Asia-Pacific region, as compared to less than half in 2011. Billboard provided a "Top 10 K-Pop Hits Post-Gangnam Style" (Psy's "Gentleman", Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy", Hyuna's "Ice Cream", G-Dragon's "Crayon", G-Dragon's "One of a Kind", G-Dragon's "That XX", Girls' Generation's "Oh!", Beast's "Beautiful Night", Girls Generation's "Flower Power", and Kara's "Pandora"); and credited the two groups, Girls' Generation and Big Bang, as major acts that had cultivated large international followings.[29]

In November 2013, The Washington Post said that since the late 1990s, Korea had been producing "some of the most exhilarating pop music in the world" and commented on the fans, the "distinctly fervent (and always online) K-pop fan network."[22]

2014

In January 2014, in a special to The Globe and Mail titled, "So whatever happened to pop music’s Korean Invasion?" music critic J. D. Considine[30] wrote, "Perhaps it’s a mistake, then, to think of the Korean Wave as a massive tsunami. Instead, it seems more like a steady flow, rising slowly but steadily seeping in. And it will likely be a deeper presence here in 2014." He quotes Billboard's K-town columnist Jeff Benjamin, "K-Pop lives and breathes online," and "That’s why it’s been able to cross into mainstream consciousness."[31]

On May 17, 2014, the Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart was discontinued, in the U.S., with Billboard charts' Manager Gary Trust saying, "We've removed the chart temporarily while we make some adjustments and hope to have it back up soon."[32] K-Town continued to follow K-pop artists' ratings on their other charts, Billboard Twitter Real-Time "Trending 140", Psy's "Hangover" featuring Snoop Dogg reached #1 in late June,[33] and a #1 and K-pop's first time for Infinite with "Last Romeo" in September, on the Billboard Twitter Real-Time "Emerging Artists" chart.[34] K-Town also reports on YouTube's views in the U.S. and around the world,[35] and on North American concerts.[36]

In August, Big Bang fans, the VIPs, won the Billboard Fan Army Face-Off, with 91% of the vote in the final round and second place going to Thirty Seconds to Mars fans, (with wins over Rihanna’s fans in Round 1, Selena Gomez’s fans in Round 2, Girls’ Generation’s fans in Round 3 and Skillet’s fans in Round 4; with over 20 million votes cast.)[37][38]

In October 2014, Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Digital Media's entertainment group overseeing The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard said,"The world is getting more and more interested in Hallyu content," noting that "K-pop is huge. ... K-pop is significant," and 2014 had seen a record number of K-pop albums on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart.[39] She said, "We cover a lot of Korean content at Billboard, I would say almost obsessively."[39]

On December 1, 2014, Psy's "Gangnam Style" broke YouTube's video view counter, with more than 2.15 billion views, forcing them to upgrade; they said on Google+, "We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer but that was before we met PSY."[40] Also in December 2014, Rolling Stone placed 2NE1's Crush at No. 6 on their "20 Best Pop Albums of 2014" list, and said, "Almost two years after K-pop first giddily barged into America's imagination, the genre hasn't sustained a post-"Gangnam Style" wave, but the Seoul machine keeps humming."[41][42]

2015

VIXX fans Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day, National Mall, April 18.

In 2015, Billboard reported that K-pop was still doing well, an IFPI report said South Korea was still in the top 10 global music market rankings, having moved ahead of Brazil, at $266 million in trade value;[43] the National Tax Service of South Korea said the average annual income for singers rose more than 72 percent since 2010; and overseas revenues growth, attributed to interest in Korea's pop culture, led by music and television dramas, nearly doubled in five years.[44] Experts credited the jumps to more international album sales and tours, with 2014 the biggest year for K-pop concerts in America.[45]

K-Town's continued coverage included analysis of the future of K-pop in America and which groups might succeed.[46] A watch was kept for collaborations of K-pop artists with mainstream American pop artists - March: "P.D.D", Rap Monster of BTS and Warren G;[47] April: "The Heartbroken (Kpop Remix)", Wonder Girls' Yubin and Justin Thorne, previously of NLT;[48] May: "Doctor Pepper", 2NE1's CL and Riff Raff and OG Maco, produced by Diplo;[49] July: "Cash Money" Brave Brothers and YG featuring Krayzie Bone;[50] and December: Psy released his album Chiljip Psy-da with tracks featuring will.i.am and Ed Sheeran.[51]

In March, at a major U.S. music festival, Miami's Ultra, CL performed Dirty Vibe, a 2014 release with Skrillex and Diplo (which she and G-Dragon featured on), then her own rap in Korean lyrics, during a performance with Sean Combs, which Billboard called "a breakthrough moment for Korean music";[52] with echos from Korean media.[53]

Some concert reviews were - January: F.T. Island,[54] April: Amoeba Culture's Dynamic Duo, Primary, Zion.T and Crush,[55] June: Epik High[56] and July: BTS,[57] including their Billboard studio performance.[58] Epik High added tour dates and became the biggest North American K-pop tour in years,[59][60] and BTS sold-out VIP tickets were re-sold at more than $10,000.[61] In October, K-Town reviewed the Newark concert of Big Bang's six-city North American tour, after their Los Angeles concert scored in the top ten on "Billboard Hot Tours" with a sold-out boxscore earning;[62][63][64] and did a November pre-concert interview with Block B.[65] More coverage included the concerts and conference days for KCON 2015 in California again, and first time on the East Coast,[66][67][68][69] including interviews with performers Red Velvet,[70] Got7,[71] Zion.T and Crush,[72] Roy Kim,[73] Monsta X,[74] and AOA.[75]

Articles included attention from the film industry, Hollywood and American celebrities - TV station Nickelodeon aired a K-pop inspired show Make It Pop,[76][77][78] Big Bang's Fantastic Baby was played in the trailer of Pitch Perfect 2,[79] Randy Jackson visited Epik High backstage,[80] and Emma Stone told Conan's viewers she is obsessed with K-pop, saying it is "beyond excellent, it's the best thing you've ever seen", and her favorites were 2NE1 and Girls' Generation.[81][82] In November, EXO and Disney released "Light Saber", a song and music video for Star Wars: The Force Awakens;[83]

2016

In 2016, K-Town reported on a study that found America was becoming a priority for touring Korean acts. The study was conducted by a concert kickstarter website, MyMusicTaste.com while they were gauging local fan interest for future concerts. The study examined the number of K-pop concerts held between 2013 to approximately May 2016, which found that East Asia still had the most concerts, but their numbers were tapering, while North America, South America and Europe were showing consistent growth.[84] The top three countries with the most concerts abroad were Japan, China and the USA.[84] The number one touring act in the study was the all-male group Big Bang.[84] In July, Forbes reported they made $44 million in pretax earnings over the past year, compared to $33.5 million made by the current highest-paid American all-male arena pop group, Maroon 5 and were No. 54 on the Forbes Celebrity 100.[85]

Still without a "designated" K-pop chart, the column continued to feature articles on K-pop's performance on all Billboard charts, which continued to be watched closely and rehashed by South Korean media and others internationally. In May, The New Zealand Herald reporter Lincoln Tan previewed B.A.P's upcoming concert with details of their three No. 1's on Billboard's World Albums chart.[86] In June, The Korea Herald journalist Rumy Doo used SHINee's high album chart position on the same chart to document the group's continued global popularity, and contrasted Monsta X's high chart position with their lower rankings on local music charts, including Melon, Mnet and Genie.[87] And in July, The Jakarta Post headlined, "K-pop groups dominate Billboard World Albums Chart".[88] Chart history news included Got7 receiving a No. 2 on the Social 50 chart, second to Justin Bieber, and a No. 46 on the Artist 100 chart, where only Psy had placed, at No. 88.[89] New girl group Black Pink became the fastest act to hit No. 1 on the World Digital Songs chart with Boombayah and received No. 2 for Whistle,[90] and CL's English language song Lifted charted at No. 94 on Billboard's Hot 100.[91] BTS's Wings charted at No. 26 on Billboard 200 and No. 19 on Canadian Albums chart, setting records for K-pop on the charts.[92]

Pre-concert interviews included: Jay Park touring with AOMG,[93] Tablo before Epik High's appearances at Coachella,[94] and DEAN[95] and Got7 in NYC.[96] K-Town again covered KCON in New York[97] and L.A.,[98][99] including interviews with Ailee,[100] Crush,[101] Day6,[102] SHINee,[103] Amber,[104] and Twice.[105] And, for the first time, they covered a Canadian event, the Toronto Kpop Con.[106]

K-town columnist Benjamin participated in K-pop conferences and media inquiries about K-pop's status in America. In February, he spoke on a Boston University College of Arts and Sciences' panel, "Music & Media: Korean Pop Industry", which included issues about K-pop's fit with Western culture and the Korean entertainment industry's close scrutiny of media interviews.[107] In June, at KCON NY, he told NBC News Stephany Bai that K-pop was gaining global fans while retaining it's "distinctive characteristics". He credited it's continued success with things like accessibility on social media, song titles in English on YouTube, and an ability to involve fans in what he called K-pop's "scene" rather than a genre, which involves them in a "whole different world".[108] In July, with almost 190 foreign reporters registered to cover KCON LA, he told Korea Times reporter Si-soo Park, "K-pop is getting closer to the mainstream", and mentioned it's coverage by major news outlets like The New York Times and others.[109] In November, he contributed K-pop analysis for a Time report on artists CL, Eric Nam, and Dean's attempts to enter the mainstream music market in America.[110]

List of K-pop on the Billboard charts

Timeline of some highlights

Date Event Notes
April 4, 2009 1st K-pop album on Billboard 200 chart #127, BoA, BoA[111][112]
Summer 2009 1st K-pop opener for U.S. artist concert tour Wonder Girls for Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 North America leg of tour.[9]
July 20, 2009 1st K-pop artists perform on U.S. television show Wonder Girls' Nobody on The Wendy Williams Show[113][114]
October 31, 2009 1st K-pop single to hit Billboard Hot 100 chart Wonder Girls' "Nobody" debuted at No. 76.[9]
December 9, 2009 1st K-pop artists perform on U.S. dance competition TV show Wonder Girls "Nobody" on So You Think You Can Dance[113][115]
September 23, 2010 1st K-pop artists on Billboard's annual showcase "21 under 21" #16, Wonder Girls, Birthdates (ages, at the time): Sunye: August 12, 1989 (age 21); Yenny: May 26, 1989 (age 21); Sohee: June 27, 1992 (age 18); Yubin: October 4, 1988 (age 21); Hyelim: September 1, 1992 (age 18)[10][116]
November 26, 2010 1st K-pop artists perform live at Billboard Studio JYJ at Billboard's New York studio, from their album The Beginning "Ayyy Girl" and "Empty"[11][12]
December 8, 2010 K-pop artists on Billboard Readers' Poll Your Fave Album Of 2010 JYJ, The Beginning[13]
August 25, 2011 Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart launched[117][118] Sistar’s song "So Cool" was the first to top the chart.[14]
October 11, 2011 Billboard article on K-pop artist going to military Rain joins Republic of Korea Army[119]
November 25–26, 2011 "2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters, presented by MGM Grand" Las Vegas 2 nights of concerts in MGM Grand Garden Arena, produced by Billboard, MGM Grand and KPMA, LLC. The line-up included TVXQ, 4Minute, G.NA, MBLAQ, Sistar, Beast, Shinee, and Brown Eyed Girls.[16][17][18]
January 31, 2012 1st K-pop artists perform on U.S. late-night talk show* Girls' Generation, The Boys on Late Show with David Letterman[113](*Rain was a guest on Stephen Colbert's show May 5, 2008 episode for a dance-off, but did not sing or perform K-pop.)[120]
February 1, 2012 1st K-pop artists perform on U.S. morning talk show Girls' Generation, "The Boys" on Live! with Kelly[113]
March 17, 2012 2nd K-pop album on Billboard 200 chart #150 Big Bang, Alive[121][122]
August 23, 2012 Korea K-Pop Hot 100 1st Top 10 Songs of the Past Year #1 IU, "You and I", #2 Davichi "Don't Say Goodbye" #3 Lyn "To Turn Back Hands of Time" #4 Trouble Maker "Trouble Maker" #5 T-ara "Cry Cry"[123]
September 2012 1st K-pop artist to hit #2 on Billboard Hot 100 Psy, "Gangnam Style'[24][124]
September 22, 2012 1st K-pop artist at iHeartRadio Music Festival Psy, "Gangnam Style"[125]
October, 2012 1st K-pop artist tops Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart #1, Psy, "Gangnam Style"[23]
October 17, 2012 Billboard article on 1st U.S. K-Pop Convention KCON 2012, October 16, convention and concert, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Irvine, California[126]
November 3, 2012 1st K-pop artist on Billboard magazine cover Psy, "Gangnam Style"[127][128]
November 29, 2012 1st K-pop music on U.S. musical comedy-drama television series Glee cast perform Psy's Gangnam Style and dance to Big Bang's Fantastic Baby[129][130](*Big Bang song not reported by Billboard)
December 21, 2012 1st Billboard yearly round-up, 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2012 #1 Infinite "The Chaser", #2 Sistar "Alone", #3 Naul "Memory of the Wind", #4 2NE1 "I Love You", #5 Big Bang "Bad Boy"[131]
January 29, 2013 Billboard K-Town column launched and 1st K-Town article Welcome video by Girls' Generation[2] and 1st K-Town article: "Meet INFINITE: Video Q&A With the Rising K-Pop Superstars"[1]
March, 2013 1st K-pop artists at SXSW K-Pop Night Out at SXSW, March 13, f(x), The Geeks, Guckkasten, No Brain, Yi Seung Yol, Jung Chang Shik, and Galaxy Express[132][133]
April 4, 2013 1st Billboard article on K-pop concert performed in Korea "G-Dragon Opens Up at World Tour Kickoff", March 30–31, G-Dragon 2013 1st World Tour, Olympic Gymnastics Arena."[28][134]
May 4, 2013 1st K-pop artist tops Streaming Songs chart #1, Psy, "Gentleman"[29]
July 15, 2013 Billboard Top 10 K-Pop Hits Post-Gangnam Style Psy "Gentleman", Girls' Generation "I Got a Boy", Hyuna "Ice Cream", G-Dragon "Crayon", G-Dragon "One of a Kind", G-Dragon "That XX", Girls' Generation "Oh!", Beast "Beautiful Night", Girls Generation "Flower Power", Kara "Pandora"[29]
November 3, 2013 K-pop music video wins 1st YouTube Music Awards Girl's Generation's I Got a Boy at 2013 YouTube Music Awards, wins the inaugural show's award for "Video of the Year"; Tiffany accepted the award at the New York City show.[135]
December, 2013 1st K-pop artists on Billboard's World Albums Artists Year End chart G-Dragon, 9th Place and SHINee, 10th Place[136][137]
December 23, 2013 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2013 #1 EXO Growl, #2 MFBTY "The Cure", #3 f(x) Rum Pum Pum Pum, #4 Cho Yong-pil "Bounce", #5 Taeyang Ringa Linga.[138]
January 27, 2014 K-pop group guest on U.S. dating game show filmed in Seoul 2NE1 teach The Bachelor cast dance moves to I Am the Best on their show, filmed in a Seoul mall.[139][140]
May 2, 2014 K-pop artists top categories on Billboard Girl Group Week Readers' Poll 2NE1 #1 Favorite Girl Group Album Crush (write-in vote), #1 Most Fashionable Girl Group, #3 Most Promising New Girl Group; Orange Caramel #2 Most Underrated Girl Group; and Girls' Generation #2 Most Promising New Girl Group[141]
May 17, 2014 Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart discontinued Billboard chart's manager Gary Trust says it is temporary, for adjustments."[32]
June 2014 1st K-pop artist tops Billboard Twitter Real-Time "Trending 140" chart #1, Psy, "Hangover"[33]
Summer 2014 2nd K-pop opener for U.S. artist concert tour Crayon Pop, invited for the entire Lady Gaga ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour, opened June 26 - July 22, as their schedule allowed.[142][143][144]
August 2014 K-pop song used in U.S. focused commercial 2NE1's I Am the Best in Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ad.[145][146]
August 18, 2014 K-pop fans win Billboard Fan Army Face-Off #1 Big Bang's VIPs, with 91% of the vote in the final round. #2 Thirty Seconds to Mars Echelon. Started on Aug. 7, over 20 million votes were cast.[37][38]
September 2014 1st K-pop artist tops Billboard Twitter Real-Time Emerging Artists chart #1, Infinite, "Last Romeo"[34]
September 22, 2014 K-Town adds Reader's Comments section A Reader's Comments section, at the ends of the column articles was added back, after being taken down previously.[147]
October 2014 1st non-Psy act tops Billboard World Digital Songs chart #1, 2NE1's "I Am the Best", on the October 11 week's chart.[148]
October 8, 2014 Top Billboard staff speaks at Seoul music conference Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Digital Media's entertainment group overseeing The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, at Seoul International Music Fair (MU:CON SEOUL 2014).[39]
November 14, 2014 K-pop group guest on U.S. reality television show filmed in Seoul BtoB judge America's Next Top Model contestents dancing to their Beep Beep.[149][150]
December 1, 2014 Psy's hit breaks YouTube view counter "Gangnam Style" gets more than 2.15 billion views, forcing YouTube to upgrade to a 64-bit integer counter.[40]
December 5, 2014 K-pop group perform on U.S. reality TV show filmed in Seoul 2NE1 on America's Next Top Model, perform "Crush" on runway stage.[149][150]
December 11, 2014 1st Billboard yearly round-up, 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2014 #1 2NE1 Crush, #2 Nell Newton's Apple, #3 IU A Flower Bookmark, #4 Seo Taiji Quiet Night, #5 HA:TFELT Me?, #6 Taeyang Rise, #7 B.A.P First Sensibility, #8 Epik High Shoebox, #9 CNBLUE Can't Stop, #10 Rain Rain Effect.[151]
December 11, 2014 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2014 #1 Beast Good Luck, #2 Seo Taiji and IU "Sogyeokdong", #3 GD X Taeyang Good Boy, #4 TVXQ Something, #5 San E and Raina "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness".[152]
December, 2014 1st K-pop on Rolling Stone year end list, "20 Best Pop Albums of 2014" #6 2NE1 Crush[41]
December, 2014 1st K-pop on Billboard World Albums (Year end) chart #11 2NE1 Crush[41]
March 29, 2015 K-pop singer closes Miami's 2015 Ultra Music Festival with American artists; raps in Korean CL performs her verses from Skrillex and Diplo's Dirty Vibe, then raps in Korean, from her solo song MTBD on Crush, with Sean Combs performance of It's All About the Benjamins.[52]
April 5, 2015 Largest K-pop album sales in U.S. Exo Exodus sold 6,000 copies in the week ending April 5 (according to Nielsen); charting at No. 70 on Top Album Sales, No. 95 on Billboard 200,[153] and No. 1 on World Albums.[154]
April 2015 1st K-pop inspired U.S. TV show Make It Pop on Nickelodeon in the U.S., stars three Asian leads, including Korean American Megan Lee, who said they wear one outfit, a plaid, red and white concept, which is like f(x)'s from their Rum Pum Pum Pum video.[76][77][78]
April 18, 2015 K-pop artists perform at Earth Day concert in US capital city Roy Kim sang John Lennon's Imagine and VIXX performed their K-pop songs at "Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day" in Washington D.C. on the National Mall with American artists, including Fall Out Boy, Mary J. Blige, No Doubt, Train, Usher, and will.i.am.[73][155]
May 28, 2015 Biggest North American K-pop tour since Wonder Girls World Tour Epik High announced a six concert tour after sales of Shoebox, and increased it to 11 dates in Canada and the U.S., after a popular reception at SXSW 2015 in March.[59][60]
June 30, 2015 1st U.S. available music streaming service with full K-pop playlist Apple Music, including special lists: (Getting to Work Out for Girls: K-Pop, Fun Driving: K-Pop and Behind the Board: Brave Brothers).[156]
August - September, 2015 K-pop artist tours with American artists CL performed with Jack Ü in various cities during the Mad Decent Block Party 2015 US and Canadian tour, their songs Dirty Vibe and Doctor Pepper, the later which CL wrote.[157][158][159]
August 19, 2015 K-pop fans win Billboard Fan Army Face-Off (2nd Year Win) #1 T-ara's Queens, with 3.4 million votes cast for them throughout the competition, defeating Beyoncé's Beyhive after a strong battle against One Direction's Directioners, resulting in smoothing over feelings with a trending global hashtag on Twitter, #WeLove1DandKpop.[160]
September 18, 2015 1st article on K-pop artists at fashion show New York Fashion Week, Sooyoung and Minho at the Coach presentation, Dara at Givenchy, Jessica Jung at Diane von Fürstenberg, and Sulli at Tory Burch.[161]
October 3, 2015 K-pop tour on Billboard Hot Tours top 10 #10 Big Bang's MADE 2015 World Tour stop in Los Angeles's Staples Center, on their six-city North American tour, grossed $1.7 million for a sold-out show of 13,361, placing them on the Billboard Hot Tour list for the boxscores compiled for October 6 - 12.[62][63][64]
October 7, 2015 1st Girls' Generation soloist and Billboard #1 #1 World Albums chart, Taeyeon's I which was released on October 7, 2015 and sold 2,000 copies in two days.[162]
November, 2015 1st African American in K-pop group Girl group Rania adds new member Alexandra, an American rapper, whose black father is from Texas and white mother is from Kansas.[163]
November, 2015 1st K-pop collaboration with Disney EXO and Disney release "Light Saber", a song and music video for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[83]
November, 2015 2NE1 member begins U.S. solo debut CL Hello Bitches single release.[164]
December, 2015 1st K-pop 2nd year on World Albums Artists (Year end) chart #7 Exo, for the chart (time period December 6, 2014 through November 28, 2015), and #8 on World Albums year end for Exodus.[165]
December 30, 2015 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015 #1 Wonder Girls Reboot, #2 f(x) 4 Walls, #3 Brown Eyed Girls Basic, #4 BTS The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2, #5 MFBTY WondaLand, #6 IU Chat-Shire, #7 Red Velvet The Red, #8 2PM No.5, #9 Seventeen 17 Carat, #10 TVXQ Rise as God[166]
December 30, 2015 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2015 #1 Big Bang Loser, #2 Taeyeon I, #3 BTS "Run", #4 Zion.T and Crush "Just", #5 Keith Ape "It G Ma".[167]
April 5, 2016 1st Billboard review of K-drama OST releases Descendants of the Sun: Yoon Mi-rae "Always", Chen and Punch "Everytime", Davichi "This Love", Gummy "You Are My Everything", Kim Na-young featuring Mad Clown "Once Again", K.Will "Talk Love", Lyn "With You", and SG Wannabe "By My Side".[168] In addition, in February and March, these songs were among the top 10 YouTube K-pop videos viewed in the U.S. and internationally.[169][170] Again, in May, two later releases, Xia "How Can I Love You" and MC the Max "Wind Beneath Your Wings" were in the top 10 YouTube K-pop videos viewed internationally.[171]
April 9, 2016 2nd time K-Pop charts on Artist 100 chart #45 Got7, a month after releasing Flight Log: Departure, and besting Psy's #88 in 2015. The chart "combines radio airplay, sales data, streaming data and social media activity to rank the top 100 artists in America each week."[89]
April 9, 2016 K-pop artists peak at #2 on Social 50 chart #2, Got7, after Justin Bieber.[89]
April 9, 2016 U.S. celebrities feature on K-pop music video Conan O'Brien and Steven Yeun, on Park Jin-young "Fire" with Park Ji-min, Wonder Girls and Twice, which aired on Conan's YouTube channel the same day as a special, Conan In Korea aired on TBS.
April 17 and April 24, 2016 1st major South Korean act performs at Coachella Epik High[94]
May 12, 2016 1st K-pop group with Twitter emoji BTS, a top K-pop Twitter presence and Twitter global music trend of 2015. It ran through June for a global contest tracking the group's best fans.[172]
May 24 and May 25, 2016 1st Billboard review of Canadian K-pop concert Toronto Kpop Con, performances by VIXX, Got7, GFriend, and Day6.[106]
August 27, 2016 Fastest group to hit World Digital Songs chart Black Pink #1 Boombayah, #2 Whistle, just after their debut, making them only the third group to hold the top two positions after Psy and Big Bang.[90]
August, 2016 K-pop fans win Billboard Fan Army Face-Off (3nd Year Win) #1 T-ara's Queens, 2nd year win, with about 1.8 million votes cast for them throughout the competition, defeating Thirty Seconds to Mars The Echelon in the final round.[173]
September 6, 2016 1st U.S. TV show, based on South Korean TV show, films with K-pop group in Seoul Better Late Than Never Episode 6 featured cast members William Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw and Jeff Dye meeting with Girls’ Generation’s Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany and learning the choreography to their 2009 song Gee.[174]
September 8, 2016 1st review of Korean fashion show Concept Korea, at New York Fashion Week, with designers Yohanix, KimmyJ, and Greedilous; with K-pop music including arrangements of Baauer's "Temple" featuring M.I.A. and G-Dragon, and GD X Taeyang's Good Boy. [175]
September 15, 2016 K-pop artist performs on late night talk show CL, Lifted on The Late Late Show with James Corden. [176]
October 22, 2016 1st K-pop female soloist hits Billboard Hot 100 chart #94, CL's English language "Lifted" debut.[91]
October 29, 2016 Top album, to date, Billboard 200 #26, BTS Wings, and #19 on Canadian Albums chart.[92]

Contributors

Jeff Benjamin manages and writes the column.[177] Prior to K-Town's launch, Billboard included K-pop news and articles, written by "Billboard Korea staff,"[1][178] which included Jeff Benjamin. He is a music/journalism alumni of New York University, where he interned with Billboard[179] and has contributed to other media featuring K-pop, including Rolling Stone, BuzzFeed, Nylon, CBS Radio, Mnet America, Fuse TV, Mnet TV America and Allkpop.[180]

Other contributors include U.S. staff and Tamar Herman in New York City, Jessica Oak in Seoul, and Billboard Korea staff from offices in Gangnam.[181][182]

Readership and reception

In April 2013, The Korea Herald said, "the more Billboard talks about K-pop, the faster the speed of K-pop advancement in the U.S. will be."[28]

As a K-Town columnist, Jeff Benjamin has been called upon for his opinions on K-pop from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, New York's Korea Society, Mnet America's Headliner series, Television in South Korea, NBC News, and Time, among others;[180][183][184] and has appeared in panels for KCON,[126][180] and Global Hallyu Forum 2013 Washington, D.C.[185][186] South Korean media, including South Korea's own music chart, Gaon Music Chart,[187] has posted interviews and articles about Jeff Benjamin.[188][189][190][191] K-Town articles have been re-phrased and quoted in media in the U.S., South Korea, and around the world.[192][193][31][194][195][196]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bae, Soo-min (January 31, 2013). "Billboard launches K-pop column with INFINITE". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Benjamin, Jeff (January 29, 2013). "Billboard & Girls' Generation Welcome You to K-Town!". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Staff (January 29, 2013). "Billboard Reimagines Brand with Relaunch". Business Street. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ Carr, David (January 7, 2014). "New Leader at Billboard Sees Future in Visuals". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ Staff (January 28, 2013). "Billboard revamps magazine, iPad app, sites". Chicago Business Journal. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  6. ↑ Lamb, Bill. "K-Pop". About.com Entertainment. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ Choe, Sang-Hun (August 9, 2013). "Cramming for Stardom at Korea's K-Pop Schools". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Jackson, Julie (13 August 2013). "Then & Now: A look back at the changing tides of K-pop". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Bell, Crystal (November 20, 2009). "Breaking & Entering: The Wonder Girls". Billboard. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Billboard Staff (September 23, 2010). "21 Under 21: Wonder Girls". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "JYJ Performs 'Ayyy Girl' and "Empty" at the Billboard Studios in NYC!". MTV K. November 26, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Letkemann, Jessica (November 26, 2010). "JYJ Performs Live in Our Studio". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Readers' Poll Results: Your Fave Album Of 2010". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Yoon-mi (August 31, 2011). "Sistar tops first Billboard K-pop chart". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  15. 1 2 PR Newswire (September 28, 2011). "Billboard Korea Premieres K-Pop Masters Event Presented By MGM Grand Friday, November 25". Reuters. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Lee, KyungNam (December 5, 2011). "Hallyu stars at Las Vegas for '2011 K-Pop Billboard Masters'". Mwave. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  17. 1 2 jbarky (December 2, 2011). "[Recap] 2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters". Soompi. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  18. 1 2 "Billboard 2011 K Pop Masters". Songkick. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  19. ↑ "K-Pop to Descend on Las Vegas in November". The Chosun Ilbo. October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  20. ↑ McCurry, Justin (September 28, 2012). "K-pop stars: the lowdown on South Korean pop". The Guardian. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  21. ↑ Power, John. "[Voice] Can Psy start a new Korean Wave?". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  22. 1 2 Bevan, David (November 8, 2013). "A year after 'Gangnam Style,' K-pop continues to make its mark in America". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 McKinley Jr., James C. (October 26, 2012). "Changes to Charts by Billboard Draw Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  24. 1 2 Billboard Staff (November 1, 2012). "PSY Watch: Will 'Gangnam Style' Reach No. 1 on the Hot 100?". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  25. ↑ Voigt, Kevin (October 25, 2012). "Psy: One-hit wonder or K-pop breakthrough?". CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  26. ↑ "US Billboard Charts' First "K-Town" Column Features INFINITE". DramaFever. January 31, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  27. ↑ "빌보드, K-POP 칼럼 'K-타운' 신설" (in Korean). Korea Daily. January 30, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  28. 1 2 3 Jeong, Jin-young (April 14, 2013). "Will Billboard interest in K-pop expand the market?". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  29. 1 2 3 Gruger, William (July 15, 2013). "K-Pop's Profile Expands Exponentially, All Thanks to Psy". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  30. ↑ "rocksbackpageslibrary, J.D. Considine". Rock's Backpages. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  31. 1 2 Considine, J.D. (January 8, 2014). "So whatever happened to pop music's Korean Invasion?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  32. 1 2 Lent, Jesse (June 13, 2014). "U.S. Version Of Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 Removed Indefinitely For 'Adjustments' [EXCLUSIVE]". Kpopstarz. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  33. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (September 11, 2014). "INFINITE Become First Korean Act to Top Twitter Emerging Artist Chart, Enter Top Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  34. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 6, 2014). "Most Viewed K-Pop Videos in America vs. Around the World: May 2014". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  35. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 25, 2014). "K-Pop Concerts on Major Global Increase (Infographic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  36. 1 2 Song, Dain (August 6, 2014). "Big Bang goes head to head against Thirty Seconds to Mars for best fan army". JoongAng Daily. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  37. 1 2 "Big Bang's VIPs win Billboard's Fan Army Face-off". The Korea Times. August 19, 2014.
  38. 1 2 3 Jackson, Julie (October 6, 2014). "[Herald Interview] Billboard's Janice Min talks potential and future of K-pop". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  39. 1 2 Lynch, Joe (December 3, 2014). "Psy's 'Gangnam Style' Breaks YouTube Video Counter". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  40. 1 2 3 Benjamin, Jeff (December 22, 2014). "2NE1's 'Crush' Is First K-Pop Entry on Year-End World Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  41. ↑ Charles Aaron; Caryn Ganz; Maura Johnston; Brittany Spanos; Barry Walters (December 19, 2014). "20 Best Pop Albums of 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  42. ↑ Smirke, Richard (April 20, 2015). "Seven Takeaways from IFPI's Study of the Global Music Market Last Year". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  43. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (February 2, 2015). "K-Pop Star Is Top Dream Career for Kids in South Korea". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  44. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (January 19, 2015). "K-Pop Star Earnings Swell in Recent Years". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  45. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (March 6, 2015). "Will a K-Pop Girl Group Take Over the U.S. Soon (Or Ever)?". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  46. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (March 13, 2015). "4Minute's 'Crazy' EP Debuts at No. 1 on World Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  47. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (April 1, 2015). "Exclusive Video Premiere: Singer-Songwriter Justin Thorne and Wonder Girls' Yubin Enlist Their Fans for 'The Heartbroken (K-Pop Remix)'". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  48. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (May 22, 2015). "Listen to Diplo, CL, Riff Raff & OG Maco Team Up for 'Doctor Pepper'". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  49. ↑ "YG & Krayzie Bone Break International Borders With Brave Brothers-Produced 'Cash Money': Exclusive Video Premiere". Billboard. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  50. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (November 30, 2015). "PSY Reveals 'Daddy' & 'Napal Baji' Videos, Star-Studded Album ft. Ed Sheeran, Will.i.am & CL". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  51. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (March 30, 2015). "Why CL's Ultra Performance Was Way More Than a Cool Cameo". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  52. ↑ 씨엘, 해외 팬 영향인가…'타임 100' 2위 배경은 (in Korean). Yonhap. April 14, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  53. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (February 2, 2015). "FTISLAND Rock Out, Preview Future Sound at Debut New York Concert". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  54. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (April 3, 2015). "Amoeba Culture Tour Indicates Bright Future for Live Korean Hip-Hop in America". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  55. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 16, 2015). "Epik High Defy Conventions, Electrify Audiences in New York: Live Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  56. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (July 20, 2015). "BTS Impress With Style... and Freestyle Performances at Curtailed New York Debut: Live Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  57. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 13, 2015). "BTS Show Love for America, Fifth Harmony & Perform Live in Billboard Studios". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  58. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (April 9, 2015). "Epik High Announce Biggest American K-Pop Tour in Years". Billboard.
  59. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (May 5, 2015). "Epik High Extends North American Tour: See the Full Schedule". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  60. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 24, 2015). "BTS Show Off Some Very 'Dope' Looks & Dance Moves in New Video". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  61. 1 2 "Big Bang joins Billboard Hot Tours list w/ $1.7M in revenue from LA stop". The Korea Times. October 29, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  62. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (May 27, 2015). "BIGBANG Announce Huge Arena Tour for America This Fall". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  63. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (October 13, 2015). "BIGBANG Confirm Their Power as a Group & Individuals at Jersey 'Made' Arena Shows: Live Review". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  64. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (November 10, 2015). "Block B Preview U.S. Tour, Talk Favorite America Memories: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  65. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 2, 2015). "KCON 2015 Saturday Recap: Super Junior, GOT7, Monsta X & More Shake the Staples Center". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  66. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 3, 2015). "KCON 2015 Sunday Recap: Shinhwa, AOA, Zion.T, Crush & More Shut Down Staples Center". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  67. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 9, 2015). "KCON 2015 New York Recap: Girls' Generation, VIXX & More Attempt to Satiate East Coast K-Pop Fans". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  68. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 10, 2015). "KCON Los Angeles & New York Draw 75,000 Total Attendees". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  69. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 6, 2015). "Red Velvet Talk First U.S. Performance, Their New Member & Summer Songs at KCON 2015: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  70. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 7, 2015). "GOT7 Talk 'Just Right,' Learning Acrobatics & Give Confidence Advice to Fans at KCON 2015: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  71. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 12, 2015). "Zion.T & Crush Reveal New Music Details, Favorite R&B Albums at KCON 2015 Los Angeles: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  72. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (August 20, 2015). "Roy Kim Previews New Album, Talks A Cappella at KCON 2015: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  73. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (September 1, 2015). "Monsta X on Rookie Rivals & Why They're 'The Avengers' of K-Pop at KCON 2015 L.A.: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  74. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (September 10, 2015). "AOA Reveal Confidence Tips & Who's the Best Lacrosse Player at KCON 2015 L.A.: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  75. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (April 28, 2015). "Nick Cannon's 'Make It Pop': How He Mixed K-Pop & Nickelodeon Culture for Hit Kids Show". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  76. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (April 30, 2015). "'Make It Pop' Star Megan Lee Talks K-Pop & Diversity on U.S. TV, Status of Career". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  77. 1 2 Caramanica, Jon (April 5, 2015). "Review: 'Make It Pop' on Nickelodeon Veers Toward K-Pop". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  78. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (April 16, 2015). "New 'Pitch Perfect 2' Trailer Features BIGBANG's K-Pop Hit 'Fantastic Baby'". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  79. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 19, 2015). "Epik High Talk U.S. Tour, Getting Randy Jackson's Co-Sign & Being 'Afraid' of Yoko Ono: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  80. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (July 16, 2015). "Emma Stone Says She's 'Obsessed' With K-Pop, Loves 2NE1 and Girls' Generation". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  81. ↑ "Actress Emma Stone confesses love for K-pop on Conan". The Korea Times. July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  82. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (November 10, 2015). "K-Pop Boy Band EXO Collaborate With 'Star Wars' on New Single 'Lightsaber': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  83. 1 2 3 Benjamin, Jeff (May 3, 2016). "K-Pop Concerts Continue to Grow Outside Asia: Exclusive Infographic". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  84. ↑ O'Malley Greenburg, Zack (July 26, 2016). "Bigbang Theory: How K-Pop's Top Act Earned $44 Million In A Year". Forbes. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  85. ↑ Tam, Lincoln (May 28, 2016). "Fans plan to welcome K-Pop group with haka". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  86. ↑ Doo, Rumy (June 3, 2016). "Solo K-pop acts go strong on Billboard chart". The Korea Herald. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  87. ↑ Kim, Yu Young (July 20, 2016). "K-pop groups dominate Billboard World Albums Chart". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  88. 1 2 3 Benjamin, Jeff (April 4, 2016). "GOT7 'Fly' Into Multiple Billboard Charts, Outpeak PSY on Artist 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  89. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (August 16, 2016). "Blackpink's Major Debut: New K-Pop Girl Group Lands No. 1 & 2 on World Digital Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  90. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (October 12, 2016). "CL Enters the Hot 100 With Solo Single 'Lifted'". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  91. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (October 17, 2016). "BTS' 'Wings' Sets New U.S. Record for Highest-Charting, Best-Selling K-Pop Album". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  92. ↑ Bateman, Vicky A. (April 10, 2016). "Jay Park Plans to Release English Songs in June: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  93. 1 2 Herman, Tamar (April 12, 2016). "Epik High on Being First Major South Korean Act to Play Coachella: 'It Feels Like a Miracle'". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  94. ↑ Herman, Tamar (June 7, 2016). "Despite Last Minute Venue Change, South Korean R&B Singer Dean Stuns During NYC Debut". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  95. ↑ Herman, Tamar (July 7, 2016). "Korean Boy Band GOT7 Discusses Breaking Records, Selling Out Shows & Dabbing". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  96. ↑ Melendez, Monique (June 26, 2016). "KCON New York 2016: Ailee Comes Home, Seventeen Makes First American Appearance & More". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  97. ↑ Herman, Tamar (August 1, 2016). "SHINee, GFriend & More Light Up KCON LA 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  98. ↑ Herman, Tamar (August 2, 2016). "KCON LA 2016: BTS, Monsta X, Davichi & More Close Out Fest". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  99. ↑ Herman, Tamar (June 27, 2016). "Ailee Talks New Jersey Homecoming, Haters & What Empowers Her at KCON New York 2016: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  100. ↑ Melendez, Monique (June 27, 2016). "Crush Talks Erasing Musical Boundaries at KCON New York 2016: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  101. ↑ Melendez, Monique (June 27, 2016). "Day6 Talks the Meaning of Rock, Career Aspirations & Fusing Dance Music With Their Sound at KCON New York 2016: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  102. ↑ Herman, Tamar (August 3, 2016). "SHINee Talk Upcoming Projects & How EDM Is Influencing K-Pop Artists at KCON LA 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  103. ↑ Herman, Tamar (August 4, 2016). "Amber Talks Emigrating to Korea & Her Eclectic Music Inspirations at KCON LA 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  104. ↑ Herman, Tamar (August 5, 2016). "TWICE on Being a Multinational Girl Group & Recording South Korea's Song of the Summer". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  105. 1 2 Herman, Tamar (May 24, 2016). "GFriend & More Memorable Performances From Toronto Kpop Con 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  106. ↑ Cheng, Michelle (February 22, 2016). "Western Journalists Take on K-Pop Phenomenon". The Quad. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  107. ↑ Bai, Stephany (June 30, 2016). "KCON NY: The Dream of K-Pop Is Alive in New York". NBC News. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  108. ↑ Park, Si-soo (August 1, 2016). "'K-pop gets closer to US mainstream'". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  109. ↑ Joyce Lee, Arpita Aneja and Salima Koroma (November 1, 2016). "Here's Why CL Is the Future of K-Pop in America". Time. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  110. ↑ "BoA Signs With No. 1 Hollywood Agency". The Korea Herald. May 6, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  111. ↑ "Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. April 4, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
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  113. ↑ "Wonder Girls on the Wendy Williams Show!". Allkpop. July 20, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  114. ↑ "So You Think You Can Dance 2005, TV Show". TV Guide. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  115. ↑ "Wonder Girls showcased on Billboard's '21 Under 21'!". Allkpop. September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  116. ↑ Billboard Korea staff (August 25, 2011). "Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 Launches; Sistar Is No. 1 on New Korea Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  117. ↑ Brown, August. "K-pop enters American pop consciousness". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  118. ↑ Lee, Jin-Man (October 11, 2011). "K-Pop Star Rain Joins South Korean Army". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  119. ↑ Tharoor, Ishaan (October 28, 2010). "The Colbert vs. Rain Dance-Off". Time. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  120. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (June 12, 2014). "K-Pop Star Taeyang Hits Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  121. ↑ "Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. March 17, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  122. ↑ Billboard Staff. "K-Pop Hot 100 Chart: Top 10 Songs of the Past Year & Birthday Wishes From Big Stars". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  123. ↑ Trust, Gary (September 26, 2012). "Maroon 5 Still Tops Hot 100, PSY One Step From No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  124. ↑ "Psy Backstage at iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012". Billboard. September 22, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
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  127. ↑ "Billboard Magazine Covers 2012". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  128. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 31, 2012). "'Glee' Takes on 'Gangnam Style': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  129. ↑ "Big Bang Featured On Hit American Television Show, Glee!". KpopStarz. November 29, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  130. ↑ Jeff Benjamin, Jessica Oak, Billboard Korea Staff (December 21, 2012). "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2012: BIGBANG, PSY, 2NE1 & More". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  131. ↑ Billboard Staff, Austin (March 14, 2013). "SXSW Shorts: Charli XCX, Shoes, Nik Bartsch, White Lung and K-Pop's f(x)". Billboard.
  132. ↑ Oak, Jessica (March 26, 2013). "f(x) Talks About Performing as First K-Pop Act at SXSW". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  133. ↑ Jessica Oak, and Jeff Benjamin (April 4, 2013). "G-Dragon Opens Up at World Tour Kickoff: Exclusive Video Interview". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  134. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff. "Girls' Generation Reacts to YouTube Music Awards Win, Talks New Music: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  135. ↑ I.said.hi (December 16, 2013). "G-Dragon and SHINee Rank in Top Ten Among "World Album Artists" for Billboard's 2013 Year-End Charts". Soompi. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  136. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (December 18, 2013). "G-Dragon & SHINee First K-Pop Acts to Rank on Year-End World Albums Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  137. ↑ Billboard Staff and Billboard Korea staff (December 23, 2013). "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2013: K-Town Picks". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  138. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (January 23, 2014). "K-Pop Girl Group 2NE1 Featured in Upcoming Episode of 'The Bachelor'". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  139. ↑ Locker, Melissa (January 28, 2014). "The Bachelor Watch: Poor Unfortunate Seouls". Time. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  140. ↑ Billboard Staff (May 2, 2014). "2NE1, Spice Girls, Fifth Harmony Dominate Girl Group Week Readers' Poll". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  141. ↑ Billboard Staff (March 20, 2014). "Lady Gaga Taps K-Pop Act Crayon Pop to Open Summer Tour Dates". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  142. ↑ "Crayon Pop Open for Lady Gaga's Concert". Mnet America. August 14, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  143. ↑ meltedd (March 28, 2014). "Crayon Pop Surprised to Receive Offer to Open Lady Gaga's US Tour". Soompi. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  144. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 13, 2014). "Watch Microsoft Brilliantly Shade Apple With 2NE1's K-Pop Hit in New Ad". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  145. ↑ "Microsoft features 2NE1 song I Am The Best in new advertisement". The Straits Times. August 13, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  146. ↑ "K-Town, Jeff Benjamin Goes Where K-Pop Lives". Billboard. September 22, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  147. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (October 6, 2014). "2NE1's 'I Am the Best' Tops World Digital Songs Chart After Big Sales Week". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  148. 1 2 Benjamin, Jeff (November 11, 2014). "Watch K-Pop Boy Band BtoB Teach 'America's Next Top Model' Contestants Their Dance Moves". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  149. 1 2 Altatis, Conviron (March 28, 2014). "2NE1 to Guest in America's Next Top Model Season 21 Finale in Banpo Hangang Riverside Park, Seoul". Fashion Times. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  150. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff, and Jessica Oak (December 11, 2014). "The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2014". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  151. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (December 11, 2014). "The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2014". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  152. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (April 8, 2015). "EXO's 'Exodus' Album Earns Biggest Sales Week Ever for a K-Pop Act". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  153. ↑ "Exo,Chart History, World Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  154. ↑ "K-pop artists VIXX, Roy Kim help celebrate Earth Day in DC concert". The Korea Times. April 22, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  155. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (July 1, 2015). "Americans Finally Get to Stream (Almost) All the K-Pop They Want With Apple Music". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  156. ↑ Medved, Matt (August 11, 2015). "Skrillex & Diplo Bring Out CL, Vic Mensa, Kiesza & Silento for 'Best Jack Ü Show Ever'". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  157. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (August 19, 2015). "Diplo Talks K-Pop & New Songs Recorded With CL in 'Time' Interview". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  158. ↑ "Mad Decent Block Party". Mad Decent. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  159. ↑ Billboard Staff (August 19, 2015). "Fan Army Face-Off 2015: T-ara's Queen's Reign Supreme Over 64 Major Fanbases". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  160. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (September 18, 2015). "K-Pop Stars Hit New York Fashion Week 2015: Who Was Best Dressed?". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  161. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (October 14, 2016). "Girls' Generation's Taeyeon Is Its First Member to Go Solo & First to Hit No. 1: Check Out the Stunning 'I'". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  162. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff. "K-Pop Girl Group Rania Adds African-American Member". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  163. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (November 23, 2015). "CL Kicks Off U.S. Solo Career With 'Hello Bitches' Dance Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  164. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (December 22, 2015). "EXO Is Top K-Pop Act on Year-End World Albums Charts for Second Year in a Row". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  165. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (December 30, 2015). "The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  166. ↑ Jeff Benjamin and Jessica Oak (December 20, 2016). "The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2015". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  167. ↑ Herman, Tamar (April 5, 2016). "'Descendants of the Sun': Get to Know the Smash Hit Korean Drama Through Its Music". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  168. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (March 9, 2016). "Most Viewed K-Pop Videos in America, Around the World: February 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
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