K-pop’s sun rises on Western television
K-pop idols’ appearances on Western television are proof of their surging popularity.
With K-pop stars taking over global music charts and their collaborations with international artists grabbing the world’s attention, it’s no surprise that they are receiving a slew of love calls from Western TV as well. The year 2018 was a landmark one in this regard, with several appearances by the global phenomenon, BTS or Bangtan Boys, in talk shows as well as award ceremonies. This seems to have opened the floodgates, and more South Korean stars are being invited to American small screen and events.
While PSY and Girls’ Generation were frequent faces on American TV in the early years of this decade, these acts are taking western small screen by storm more recently.
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BTS: The best-known representative of K-pop in the West, the septet behind chart-topping hits such as Idol and Fake Love, has racked up a long list of US TV appearances. Most recently spotted at the Grammys where they presented an award, the boy group has appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, America’s Got Talent, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, as well as the popular UK talk show, The Graham Norton Show. Their jovial personalities have made them quite a hit with western TV audiences.
Blackpink:The latest K-pop stars to wow America, this all-female quartet appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 11. They performed their hit Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, which was their first song to grab a place on the Hot 100 singles chart, to a cheering audience. This was followed by a performance in Times Square, New York City on Feb 12, for Good Morning America. Set to create history by being the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella in April, the group also appeared on Strahan and Sarah on February 15.
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NCT 127: Most recently seen alongside Jason Derulo in the Michael Jackson tribute single, Let’s Shut Up and Dance, this young boy group made their US TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live in October 2018. They performed Cherry Bomb and Regular in a much-loved mini-concert. The 10-member group, which has two Canada and US-born artists, also performed on a TV special celebrity Mickey’s 90th anniversary. The highlight of their US visit, however, was their presence at the red carpet of last year’s American Music Awards.
Monsta X: The Shootout hitmakers were featured on the popular talk show, Good Day New York, in July 2018, followed by Access Hollywood and Good Day LA, while they were touring North America. They also appeared on BUILDseries, a popular live talk show where they interacted with their fans.
GOT7: Known for tracks such as Got It? and Lullaby, the seven-member boy group also appeared on the morning show Good Day New York in July 2018, while they were in the US for their world tour.
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