Billboard launched a new chart, the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100, on Aug. 25 in conjunction with Billboard Korea.I just thought it would be interesting to post what the Globe and Mail wrote about this in its Saturday edition last week (which I bought to read on the flight home - who knew Saturday editions cost $3.00 (+ tax) in Canada now?):
Billboard Korea said that it is the second such chart in Asia after Japan, reflecting the rising potential of K-pop and its current worldwide popularity. [...]
Based on digital sales via major websites as well as downloads from mobile service sites, the rankings will be announced every week simultaneously in the United States and Korea and offered to other countries such as Japan, Russia and Brazil through the Billboard network.
Okay, on second thought, maybe not that interesting, but it does go to show that there is at least some growing awareness of Korean pop culture out there. Oh, and the subtitle seems somewhat familiar...
4 comments:
The only chart I look at is the itunes top ten. If you google that(scroll down) you'll see 22 countries listed. On that list is Japan but not S. Korea. Psy and others have complained about Korean music not being very well known in the U.S. and U.K.
Why isn't S. Korea one of the many countries on the itunes top ten list? My students tell me it's because Apple doesn't like S. Korea. I think it might have something to do with Korean websites like 'Melon' only charging about 6 pennies per song, but frankly I have no idea. Does anyone know the answer?
I honestly really don't know. This post might be helpful to read.
And I have to say, seeing how similar the top ten for 20 different countries is(Japan being the exception - as Korea would be) was pretty creepy. Monoculture, anyone?
SK is not on Apple's iTunes list because there is no iTunes music/movie store in Korea (or at least there was not last I checked). Apple Korea has not made any music deals in Korea, so they only sell software and apps and stuff. However, when Korean acts sell in the West, they have been known to hit iTunes' various country charts.
There is no Apple agenda here. Considering how long it took to bring the iPhone to Korea, I don't find it very surprising that a Korean iTunes music site is going so slowly.
Oh, case in point:
http://www.soompi.com/news/mnet-and-soribada-found-to-be-illegally-distributing-music-abroad
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