{"id":702,"date":"2013-11-13T22:37:15","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T04:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intlwota.com\/happydisco\/?p=702"},"modified":"2013-11-13T22:37:15","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T04:37:15","slug":"your-thoughts-girls-generation-vs-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mescallado.com\/happydisco\/index.php\/2013\/11\/13\/your-thoughts-girls-generation-vs-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Thoughts: Girls Generation vs. America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Wednesday! I got one new reply today, and that’s from Nikki! Quick plug: she does a cosplay idol group called SBA0048; they do AKB0048 cosplay and cover AKB songs! So check them out!<\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know \u2013 they have a better chance than the four who have really made the (half-assed, let\u2019s be honest) attempt to break out on US soil: Wonder Girls, Utada, BoA, and that one guy who was in KAT-TUN a long time ago. Jin? I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m not a boy band type.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In all three cases there was little to no promotion, little to no radio airplay, and the sheer fact that they were *gasp* ASIAN with *gasp* ACCENTS made it difficult for casual listeners to get into it.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Honestly I think the group with the best chance is 2ne1 \u2013 three out of four members speak fluent, accentless english, their music style is one that is really popular here anyway, and they\u2019re trendsetters in fashion circles already. The will.i.am connection doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That said, I think you\u2019re right: ANY effort coming out of any other place, whether it\u2019s European, Asian, African, South American, whatever, has to be concentrated in the US for at least a year. And it has to be a massive effort \u2013 the resources of whatever agency have to be concentrated on that for the entire promotional period. It won\u2019t work otherwise. Whoever it is has to become a household name, has to be familiar to the average tween, teen, early twenty-something american person, or else it\u2019ll remain a niche thing. And there has to be fairly regular releases even after the intense promotional period, or people will get bored with the lack of new stuff. Americans, as a whole, are really impatient.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Anyway that\u2019s my long diatribe about potential Asian success in America \u2013 it\u2019s a subject I\u2019ve thought about often. Mostly because I want to see the groups I like live without having to fly my ass to Japan.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

First off, Girls Generation definitely has the best chance out of the ones who’ve tried so far. However, how much of that is due to the fact they haven’t REALLY tried yet? I mean, there was a ton of hype around Wonder Girls when they first came to the US. They were opening for the Jonas Brothers (ah, remember when those guys were relevant?) and selling copies of their CDs in the US. Even though the only place I physically saw the CDs was in a tween clothing store where I was applying for a part-time job. And the CDs looked cheap. But in terms of popularity, Girls’ Generation has a pretty solid American fanbase already, and probably do have the best chance out of all the Asian music acts.<\/p>\n

I agree about 2NE1, though. Their partnership with will.i.am ensures that there will be some mainstream appeal. I know a lot of people rag on the Black Eyed Peas, but their music is EVERYWHERE. If will.i.am can sufficiently promote 2NE1 and get them some radio time, they could be pretty big. The English speaking nature certainly helps, too. I know that two Girls Generation members speak English, but it feels a bit awkward having the two of them doing all the talking.<\/p>\n