I’m sorry but when Hybe tried to insinuate Manon was lazy just for the fanbase to push her to 4th place I giggled and kicked my feet so hard

Honestly, if there is something A2K did right, its the fact there was no fan voting. JYP was a bit biased towards Kendall but the girls had mostly equal chances of debuting and it was hard to predict who will debut and who wont. Dream Academy, on the other hand, should have been the same, especially because you got a bunch of girls from different countries, so its obvious some will be more popular than the others. Its also really sad to me how some of those girls are getting votes JUST for that, I honestly have not seen a single person who would talk about Sophia without mentioning her nationality. And also, Manon already has a huge following, so I would be shocked if she wont debut honestly.

I really think that kpop companies don't understand how 1. the tween market has virtually been destroyed and U.S. (I say that because that's all companies want to market to) companies know this, so kpop trying to tap into a market that doesn't exist is just gonna make things hard for them 2. the west does not listen to children on a mainstream level, people poked fun at olivia's age when driver's license blew up and and she still was allowed to curse in her debut album because her company knows that the clean tween image is dead. From the moment these casting calls were made, I knew that JYP was at the very least going to struggle with a2k. (anyway, let me keep watching your video)

i think the west doesn't like groups anymore is bc of all the "drama" & "inauthencity". almost every western group has had their fair share of drama that ends with one or multiple members going solo which led to ppl only liking the individual members & "waiting for their solo career". it's actually sucky bc most of the time, it's the labels & adults around these groups fueling this drama.

these international girl group shows have been so eye opening to me. it’s shown me that kpop companies do not know a thing about their international audiences

Hybe certainly did not do their research when trying to trying to push certain trainees in Dream Academy. Everybody and their mothers knows that ethic minorities has the biggest support and profitability. We are the ones that have limited opportunities, and when you give us even a slimmer of a chance, we go ALL OUT!! Also, if HYBE and JYP really where trying to make a global group, WHERE IS THE GLOBAL MARKETING!!! I don’t see any ads, billboards, etc here in North America. What they’re really doing is putting faith into existence foreign kpop fans to push these group far enough that they hit the lottery, like BTS and Blackpink did, to reach general Western appeal without facing the handicap of ignorance, racism, and cultural differences. I do believe that HYBE’s GG will be more successful than VCHA, but I still feel bad for all the girls. HYBE and JYP are giving these girls a sense of false hope in that they might be just as successful as their company’s seniors. I do, however, feel that because of HYBE and JYP’s bravery to produce such groups, other Korean entertainment companies might follow suit and integrate more south/east asians and non asians into their newest groups. We all know that the initial debut hype of these groups will be successful, so it will definitely catch the attention of medium - small sized companies. We can already see more filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Indian, and non asian idols being integrated in the kpop world through groups and survival shows: TEMPEST, New Jeans, Lapillus, X:IN, Secret Number, Xodiac, Boys Planet, Universal Ticket, Loud, etc I think at the end of the day, it all depends on the company’s research, dedicated, and most importantly marketing skills to make this “new era of Kpop” sustainably successful.

I'll never understand why kpop companies try to market these "global" girl groups to non Asian markets but refuse to adapt to the environment needed for said groups to flourish. I think these companies underestimate how difficult it is to overcome those 4 barriers you pointed out and it'll be harder for these groups to have a lasting impact in the music industry imo. Anyways I'm glad you're back and I'm looking forward to your next projects.

"Real ones remember BP Rania" LIKE A FUCKIN' JUMP SCARE, I DO!!

i was so mad at the R U NEXT? lineup, they revealed at the very end that the rest of the final group members were just gonna be picked by hype (what was the point of a whole ass survival show then) the fact that they had already scheduled a photoshoot with the winner a week before the finale shows it was staged from the beginning, barely any of the international trainees got a spot & for some reason all the talented 18+ members were rejected for minors who had "potential" it's fucked up fr im so sick of companies turning away talent & hardwork for youth (who can't even hold a note btw)

I swear if hybe don’t learn their lesson and debut their label pick white girls instead of the global fan picks it’s over for them. They’ll never be able to achieve global group status with DA

as a definite fan of a2k n now planning on following vcha i feel like i have a different perspective on this... it really doesnt seem like jyp is intending to make vcha blow up in the west at all, to me. it seems like when jyp groups have english releases (the feels, moonlight sunrise) or english versions of songs, but to the max. it's just a k-pop group intended to cater to an english speaking audience. their survival show was in a kpop style, their music, their dance, their concept, their marketing (they literally debuted on mubank)---it really doesn't look like what jype is trying at is a real global breakthrough. what a2k+vcha are doing/have done are not in aaaany way marketable to an american that doesn't already like kpop. ALL of their appeal is the appeal of kpop

This made me remember that one mnet show where K-pop fans where recruited and trained over the course of a month (I think) to debut into a project group that would then release a promotional single. They were never a long term group, the whole point of the show was to have I-fans experience what the training for idols is like prior to debut. I think how that show handled their international contestants was better than hybe’s dream academy.

As both an american kpop fan and a former tween girl, I can confidently say that there is currently no market for these groups, and these companies have zero idea what they're doing. Kpop is popular, but aside from blackpink, bts, and on a smaller scale maybe twice, newjeans, txt, and skz, it's mostly still a niche fan base. Most non kpop fans have no idea who enhypen or le sserafim are. The tween market is also very much dead, i was a tween when jojo siwa was in her prime, and most tweens absolutely hated her. She was too childish and not relatable. Billie Eilish on the other hand was writing her own music about things tweens and teens could relate to, but also using language and themes that would not be "public image appropriate." Also these girls should be in LA, not Korea. Going on music bank is not going to help them, they should be going on talk shows, being filmed by american paparazzi, and Meeting up with western celebrities. Then again, the American music scene is FAR from child friendly and it will be difficult for minors to make friends with people in the american market since they won't be around people their age. And kpop girl groups are extremely oversaturated right now, it'll be very hard for them to stand out.

The founder of HYBE did say that kpop composed of less than 2% of the global music market and is decreasing. But he isn’t the CEO anymore. Dream Academy isn’t about creating a profitable group. It is about cashing in on the kpop trend in making a profitable Netflix series.

After learning throughout the years that these companies or tv show networks already have their own finalist line up in mind and will do anything to manipulate the outcome towards their liking: Why bother making it a survival? Why bother asking an audience? Just debut a group normally then. Less drama. More excitement. No fighting. 🤷‍♀

I would consider Lara darker skinned but I agree with you so much about the colorism. Like you're telling me HYBE and JYP couldn't find one darker skinned black girl? 💀

SO glad to have you back queen. A2K and Dream Academy has so far been nothing but JYP and HYBE trying to fuel the dream of American success and not understanding a single thing about it. No one is going to care about these girls in a matter of months, because you can't just transplant things that work for kpop onto American listeners and expect it to take.

If this age system keeps going on, by next year, over 2005 are considered old in KPOP. And 2011 liners start debuting.

i loved watching a2k but i definitely noticed in advance which members jyp was likely to cut vs. keep, and i was disappointed to find out i was right

I’m glad you brought up Hybe trying very hard to push the white contestants to the forefront of the competition. I think it’s such a slap in the face when they were happy to admit years earlier that BTS were propelled by their large Black female fanbase. It’s like once Hybe gained success in the west, they’ve been doing everything they can to distance themselves from their Black fans. I do believe they only want to pick one of the Black girls. It’s just frustrating because that is not how this market works. People have seen how the one Black girl thing works in pop girl groups and are turned off by it.

so glad you touched on the colorism aspect because it feels like a lot of people choose to ignore it

i feel like hybe and jyp and the kpop industry in general either need to accept that their "global groups" will still only be marketable to a niche kpop fan audience in the west and work from there, or seriously just wait until they have a strong, general public kpop fanbase in the west. as it stands now kpop is little more than a passing curiosity for mainstream western media, even if it is incredibly impressive how much kpop has grown over here just within the past 5 years. that said, i don't know if it'll become widely popular here in the foreseeable future, which is why i think kpop companies should just stick with the first thing i suggested: market their western groups to western kpop fans (although that will still bring challenges) and then see if they can expand to more mainstream popularity from there. i hate to say it but it's kind of embarrassing and sad to see hybe and jyp shoot for such a lofty goal as global girl groups that'll be successful in the west when they don't have the established fanbase for that and still don't even seem to understand what westerners (as a very general statement) actually like in "idol" groups, particularly girl groups. they need to take their time researching and understanding the western market, put work into becoming mainstream in the west, and then maybe they can successfully pull off what they're trying to do. i just think they're being too hasty and aiming too high at the moment.

I wonder what will happen to global groups in actual 5th gen.

I also think it’s hard because yes kpop has grown in the US it’s still not a huge thing here. The amount of people who still think K-pop is weird is quite large. Also kpop can be a phase here we had our English phase too because of the beetles so it’s very hard to sell something here and keep it going.

A2k(VCha)'s growing- up story has been made great through the reality show. I think some of westerners can relate to the story, and support the group. New things can seem to be awkward. But The girl group can be successful after all.

when they said nothing remotely as negative about any of the other girls, and then said Manon was skipping practices that was a huge red flag. i also got major bad vibes from the elimination announcements being made by a tv instead of a human person with a face. like none of the CEOs or people who were criticizing them earlier had the guts to say it to their faces? Cowardly. Also, the fact that we get no insights into their personalities, and only given one performance, means that a lot of people are voting purely on visuals and home country loyalty which is not a great way to determine talent. Overall I think the decision to now show any behind the scenes content for DA will be a huge marketing miss. those parasocial relationships will get fans to support even if the songs aren't great great. And as you said, the underage contestants in a US market is a big mistake, as it will limit them to teen concepts. A2K's teen concept may appeal to some disney channel watchers, but those weren't the people watching A2K. A2K watchers are likely seasoned kpop fans interested in the creation of a US group, and more interested in mature--or at least not kids bop-esque--concepts. both a2k and DA are flawed in their own ways and will probably both not fare very well in the US market.

i actually rlly enjoyed a2k maybe bc im used to survival shows, but i honestly didn't hate it & i think allowing jyp to make every single decision was smart, esp. w/ how young the girls were. the only thing i didn't like was the amount of episodes it had, lack of artists on the judges panel (complete missed opportunity), & not being on a streaming service. if jyp actually wanted to reach american audiences, this should've been on a streaming service. nizi project was on hulu so like,,, idk what happened there.

ahh you brought up so many good points! I really chuckled wgen they painted Manon as lazy. I dont think anybody outside of the kpop fandom would applaud an artist to perform with a broken foot or work themselves to death. HYBEs portrayal backfiring so hard is EPIC! The colorism in both shows is extremely concerning. As much as they want it to be "global", they're forming a group through the extremely racist view of the korean beauty standards. It'll be interesting to see where both groups end up and if both of them were just "testing the waters" before a fully fledged out global show premieres featuring male contestants 🙃

Blackswan is imperfectly the perfect global group from korea...

Personally, I was glad that H&G werent blasting the girls struggles and weren't prying too deep into their progress while the voting is going on. However, this has led to the show loosing hype as well as content to present to viewers. Less and less people are talking about the show, and while I'm glad that theyre giving them focused training in SK, we're pretty much left with dead air till the next mission happens.

As a casual Kpop listener in Korea, I don't think HYBE and JYP have a grand plan to make girl groups successful in the Western market with a Western-focused approach. First(and last) of all, these companies are not exactly competent (please don't overlook this fact). The groups they've made successful came from the Kpop incubator that's been around since the 1990s. Everything followed the existing formula, and it just happened that some western people liked it. So, these companies didn't really discover any groundbreaking techniques. The artists worked hard, and luck was a big factor. So, I doubt they have a clever plan to create globally successful girl groups for the global market. They're simply giving it a shot, using the same girl group organizational approach they're good at. Putting people with diverse ethnicities into the K-pop training system... that's about it. The mention of XG isn't without reason because, from a Korean perspective, creating a foreign group with no Koreans is pretty much the same concept. I mean, they're just throwing it out there; Would girls who speak your own language, from your own ethnicity, your own nation, be more appealing to you? Would it make you feel more connected? That's it. The rest will probably be the same. (Well, at least XG is getting massive love from Japanese. Could this be an example, perhaps?)

I loved this analysis, even though I don't agree with everything you said. Korean vs American audiences are so vastly different in expectations for musicians, it's not an easy balance. Watching A2k I could see Kalyee had the skills to be an idol but I hated how young she was and didn't want her to debut because I'd rather she mature a bit (especially since she broke down in tears frequently and seemed desperate for adult validation) she just seemed so vulnerable to me and the mother in me wanted her to be a kid more than anything.

Have you ever considered making a follow up video after katseye (dream academy group) debuts or when the documentary drops? vcha seems to be having a very positive reaction for their debut meanwhile katseye is currently prepping for theirs....

You hit every point. HYBE and JYP are literally trying to repackage and sell something that succeded in the USA long ago. They are going to have to do a lot of grunt work if they want to succeed in the west (like performing at colleges and small venues in many different states and countries) and build a niche that way. I think that is why JYP changed the focus of the group. It is more like XG. HYBE is going to go through a lot of pain if they don't get this girl group right. JYP will be fine because he decided to keep with what Koreans like, so he can always just market them like any of his other girl groups. HYBE on the other hand is letting fans vote without the regular format. So even if they try to paint a girl a certain way we just see it as manipulation of the truth especially what they did to Manon. I feel like there's no point to watch the judge's commentary anymore. They either say something so basic that we already know or something way off base 😂 plus all these small videos are annoying. All the girls are talented , but i just dont really care much about their personalities. They all seem nice. That's all I can say.

I think most of y’all miss the point. They’re not trying to cater to the western market by forming these groups. They’re testing what it is about K-pop that people like globally. Twice, blackpink, bts, etc get over 100 million views on some of their videos by doing the regular K-pop formula. These companies want to try to replicate that success however they don’t know why they got that success in the first place. If I were them I would assume it was the K-pop formula that brought these groups success. So if I want to keep producing successful groups in the future I need to make sure the formula actually works. We can see them testing whether the K-pop formula is the key to success with groups like XG and jyps nizi project. And so far the K-pop formula worked for them but this was in Japan. Bring in A2k and dream academy to test the formula outside of Asia. It’s just an experiment to understand why K-pop has had so much success globally. So they can make more money.

You hit the nail on the head with that sentence at the end, about the K-pop market taking something and making it suitable for their own but now trying to sell it back to the West.

I liked A2K,and i like how they all are friends ❤ btw Welcome Back!!!

The best and realest video on this subject yet! Thanks so much you hit everything! Colorism, the lack of needing a kpop formula as far as beauty standards and talent…to make a more western group. Kpop has the some of the formula westerns made look at Motown and making the band. They not only focus on pushing skill and talent they had acting classes and etiquette/ PR classes. Dainty Kane was a 2 time platinum group both albums the talent wasn’t why they failed.. it was management, the same with fifth harmony management was the issue. I deeply feel that’s why we as westerns found a disconnect with girl groups we were tired of behind the scenes management breaking up group, and I feel a lot of western company’s stepped away from groups because they were starting to get call out for the mistreatment and division they created in groups. Western fan want girl groups we just want them to be treated better so they last longer. Better contracts that serve them as humans and artist, in the west you never get updates our members being able to take a mental health break but I’m happy to see that in kpop and hopefully that’s what we can adapt from the kpop world is some of the management and pr skills and strengths. We in the west had variety shows when we had more groups so hopefully this can also build towards that too. When a2k start jyp said he’s looking for what expired him growing up(black music) then in the same breath I watch him pick these ppl and I was like mmm where’s the dark skinned girl, where is the vocals, where is the skill aw talent. Out of all the girls he picked only 4 had naturally good vocals…in my opinion. So I knew from then what he was on. An with dream academy the thing that’s working for them is how mysterious it is, how talented the girls are and how Controversial it’s becoming which weirdly will catch the western audience eye.

A2K was too long? It was too short! Every ep was under 30 mins until they got to Korea.

I'll be interested to see if/when they try this with a boy group. They probably thought it'd be easier to market/promote a girl group and it'd probably be easier to get more contestents. I get that aspect of it, but it would be interesting to see what the difference would be. That being said though, the case of kpop companies testing the waters with female competiton shows before fixing it with the male addition just keeps getting bigger

Now ith vcha and katseye, jyp group feels like a American group for Korean market, and with katseye till now they have tried more to appeal to western market since they have a better understanding of us market among kpop companies

Both of the groups are 6 members and for a lot of groups there is a 6 member curse where groups with 6 members always has a scandal or they just don't become popular

Glad to see that there's kpop fans that see the colourism and racism in this shows.

So many things to discuss. First off I think HYBE & JYP are kind of over reaching here with Kpop's popularity outside of asia. Kpop is more mainstream-ish but I still think it's still a niche in a sense. It breaks records, sells out venues, songs chart extremely well. But they don't have the MAIN publics blessing so to speak (it's normal to like Kpop now but it's not as accepted as I would say being into Marvel or Starwars is). So getting people who aren't into Kpop into a Kpop group that has a mix of koreans & non-koreans is gonna be a up hill battle. I think both should of used there US connections more in these shows. It can be advertised as JYP&HYBE making a global group. But it should be done through the american companies they have contracts with. It should somewhat detach itself from the Kpop system. Cause to non-kpop people thats all they know about kpop. And if they see "international Kpop group made through a Kpop company" there probably gonna be turned off cause they made it through a "system" that is exploitative so to speak. So to me I think both groups will have mimumum success in the Kpop space. Cause Kpop fans will be fine with it cause we are used to the way Kpop works. But outside of that it's a struggle bus. Cultural disconnect is a factor as well. There not saying it but there still following the korean standard of beauty and the korean standard of what is to be accepted from a girl group. But alot of those things aren't gonna fly outside of asia. Yes we still have huge problems with colorism & fat phobia in american. But it's not as normalized as it is in SK and there is major backlash to people who openly show that they are colorist and fatphobic. Like I said in another comment people in America are going to NOTICE the lack of black girls in the group, there gonna NOTICE that everyone is not darker then the of color sand. And there gonna NOTICE that there all very skinny. And alot of that is not gonna fly with non-kpop watching Americans. So yah I would say a side from the different nationalities there's nothing truly global about these groups. Cause there not considering what the fans outside of asia like and or would want from a girl group. I feel like both HYBE&JYP just want there cake and to eat it too. They want a globally successful international group but they don't want to change the system or there cultural thinking to make one. If your going to make a GLOBAL group you have to consider the market & the market differences. If not then just make a group in SK that's full of non-koreans or a mix of them. Which I feel like is the main problem both of these groups are gonna have. Trying to appeal globally, while also trying to have that korean girl group appeal. I hope my essay doesn't offend everyone, just my thoughts on the matter. :D

The thing is, with groups like Aespa, Gidle, and Kiss of Life (most recently) there is so much potential for making it globally. They all have that more mature "western image", prioritize stage presence and live singing (and good vocals), have several members who are close to being all-rounders, and of course write / produce their own music (with the emphasis here being on Gidle and Kiss of Life, but Aespa probably has potential here too). All of them have foreign members, with Gidle really monopolizing the Chinese market, which a lot of companies ignore for some reason. Not to mention the Thai market with Natty and Minnie, Japanese with Giselle (who is also a huge fan favorite with western audiences, similar to NingNing), and of course NingNing in China as well. So I would much more expect them to blow up globally, than any carefully curated survival show group, whose diversity can seem forced and performative. Also, I don't understand the need for girl groups historically to be more diverse (think Spice Girls, Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, Pussycat Dolls), while boy groups have been historically much more ethnically homogenous (aka Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, One Direction, BTS, Jonas Brothers, Boys II Men, Beatles, Jackson 5 etc etc.). Of course there are all Black, all White and all Korean, Japanese etc girl groups, but for some reason it's much more expected for girl groups than boy groups to be diverse, and the reason for that in my opinion is not nearly as innocent as wanting equal representation (and more leaning into sexualization and fetishization of certain races and ethnicities).

Loved your video. You're points were excellent. It's like you're in my head. If Hybe knows what is good for them, they'll make sure Eunchae does not debut. However, they're stubborn and might have to learn the hard way. Also, it's nice to see that voters aren't choosing between the black girls which was my fear. I feel like we've gotten over this scarcity mindset and are deadset on both of them succeeding.

I SCREAMED WELCOME BACK GIRL

I think ak2 is for people in america that like kpop

They should have given the american labels the rain to market the group and give them a song genre etc, while the K pop company handles the training/preparation and does the final selection. Because at this rate these groups arent going to be global, just K pop (without only korean/asian members). Basically they are copying blackswan but don't want to admit it.

I just listened to vcha’s “predebut” single and holy shit the lyrics are so twee and saccharine. I wasn’t really bothered when it was ITZY or something but hearing that sort of sentiment in english was like WHOA

love this analysis. altho you said underage idols in korea are desexualized due to their age and have a new jeans clip there, they are certainly sexualized. it's just not as overt as in America due to cultural differences

I feel like kpop really stepped in place for the dying genre of girl/boy groups in the west (it may not sound true because this is usually associated with kpop, but before kpop groups started trending in the west, we did have a short lived era where western groups had choreo with their songs). I hope Katseye can build up the hype for girl groups who don't song in korean again. One group i recommend checking out that got slept on was G.R.L. the song in particular that stood out to me and just screams AMERICAN DREAM is called "vacation". It has an upbeat sound, a simple melody, great vocals and super fun and energetic choreography! Also Girlicious with their debut song Like Me.

Ok 2 things: welcomed back Felt and GURL YOU'RE SO PRETTY. But on a more serious note, i think the reason why companies make survival shows, is because they know that ppl will watch no matter what. I mean ppl are still waiting I-Land 2 and The second edition of Girls Planet. It doesn't matter how much ppl say that they won't watch them anymore. And as for VCHA (and i thought the Queendom Puzzle group was a bad name) i think they'll have a niche bcuz of JYP company stans, and the ppl that are still grieving the lost of 5H and LM and want a western girl group.

I think if they’re debuting teens they should target a young audience to avoid being over sexualized or pushed to grow up too fast

i havent finished the vid but that fkn survival show compilation in the beginning genuinely brought me somewhere dark💀💀 i was supposed to never be reminded of these moments again

Idk who's DA traget audience is, is it Kpop fans or american? They not even cover currently famous songs in America individually (supposed to be their 1st mission so people can hear their singing skills one by one)

I feel like HYbe is already trying to mess up the line up with this new mission and voting system. The same way JYP choose only one black girl (which he always intended to do), while I'm hoping that they get bitten at their own game, I do feel like they will try to get rid of at least one of the black girls and one of the east asian girls if both end up at the top 6. You can also clearly see who they are pushing out of the white girls but they will once again end up in the bottom, so I wonder how they will fix that. Cause I KNOW Celeste was not their top pick, they were looking at emily and Brooklin and yeah they are not gonna be at the top based on public vote

WE NEEDED THIS…

This is very interesting but I’ll say I think the U.S. is inching towards being prudish. People don’t want to see sex scenes in movies and tv shows, gen Z and younger millennials are having less sex than our parents… I think this ties into the type of music we’re consuming. For example hip hop is down significantly from where it was in 2022. Cardi B and Megan’s latest duet didn’t see the numbers WAP saw in 2020 (and arguably, neither one of these songs are great) I feel the U.S. is definitely liking the youthful stylish Y2K aesthetic right now which is why I believe NewJeans has been doing so well with people outside of the K-pop sphere. It’s a strange paradox we say no more child stars but are obsessed with NewJeans…

I can’t with all of the 5th generation , like didn’t lesarafimr and new jean debuted last years what do you mean 5 th gen. Even the first girl group of the generation g ilde are still in their mid 20 and only started to truly rise in their popularity. The third gen are reaching their 30 just like how 2 ne gen idole did during the earlier years of 3rd. Let be real Covid made a gap of 1/2 years that don’t really count. You can’t compare in years. Until we can really feel a change of generation and style I will admit a 5 th gen

I spy Electric Shock in the background. I respect u ❤

All i can say is these small videos for Dream Acedemy are very annoying and i can't keep up with it. A2k was better in the sense that it had actual episodes but i do like that DA has 18+ members, 13 year olds should be in school not on stage also the Ageism in Kpop is crazy most US Artists only blow up in their early 20's and it's not like ur bones start cracking after u hit 20.

Great video, but I will say that hybe had already announced the global girl group since 2021, I even joked saying that I was gonna drop out of college and go audition. I dont really remember hearing jyp mentioning any of this until recently

KPOPS MILA TEQUILA WE LOVE U

i don't get it why they don't just sign some independent artists and promote than with their crazy budget instead of keep trying make this "global groups" who aren't relatable to no one in the globe

I agree with every single point you’ve made here! I just don’t see these groups becoming successful in America.

Nothing like a weekend felt thinkpiece to keep me educated, welcome backkkkk 🎉🎉🎉🎉

I just have to say I love love LOVE your videos. Your commentary and sort of “philosophy and history” lessons on these topics are so well explained and I just can’t express enough how well done your videos!! Your voice makes them incredible too 💗💗❤️❤️

You never miss. Also, I peeped Cat & Mouse by Blackswan ^_^

Omg, youre so pretty! Your hair is so beautiful too 😊

Omg I almost didn’t recognized your channel!!! Loving the little rebrand!!

I agree with so much of what you said here, frfr Thoughts: 1) They expanded too quickly, they really should have dipped their toes into the market by introducing western, non-Korean trainees into Korean groups. These groups don’t work, in either market, without normalizing Western trainees 2) Not sure why they didn’t start with a boy group? Boy groups sell better? Why did they start with a girl group? 3) What I would WANT the A2k group to be is not what it will be-it’s an excellent opportunity to give teen girls music made by girls who look like them, without sexualizing them. If it was marketed similarly to early Jojo Siwa, it fills a massive void-I just don’t see JYP wanting to do that

so excited to watch this video, ive been waiting for it! and you look SOOO gorgeous btw!!!

This is my first time seeing your face and you’re really pretty

Thank you for this discussion. While I don’t necessarily agree with all of your points (as an American, I find the idea that our music industry favors “organic” or “authentic” musicians laughable), I do think this is an important discussion for fans to have and I think you were very measured in your approach. First time visiting your channel, and I’ll be back.

i mean if you watched r u next u would know the global kpop fandom dgaf abt minors or minors debuting, it's protect minors till they threaten your faves then it's bully and harass them...

Oh my goodness, the way my jaw dropped when I saw this video! It's been a while since you uploaded and considering you're one of my favourite creators I felt so empty 😭

I'm a fan of Katseye, and you're right. I don't like this video. But I chose to watch it so that I can come back in the future and laugh when you're proven wrong. I remember years ago, back when I was an EXO-L, I made a post on OH about how I believed it was possible for a Kpop group to blow up in the West and all the other users (people like you) ended up telling me in no uncertain terms how much of an idiot I was and how that would never happen. A few years later, BTS blew up in the West. They weren't the boy group I was expecting, but they certainly proved what was then believed to be the impossible could be possible. Fast-forward to now, and it seems like I've found myself in a similar position when it comes to Katseye. Well, I won't make too long a post, so I will just address a point you made. The fact that Kpop groups are able to gain massive fanbases in the West and can sell-out areans and stadiums is proof in and of itself that Westerners are NOT over boy/girl groups. It's also proof that what Gen Z care about is not "authenticity." Because if they did care, no Kpop group would be popular in the West because they are all clearly manufactured. You can claim "well, it's because of cultural differences blah blah blah" but that statement is subjective and based on no substantiated evidence. If you were to ask me, it's not because these groups are Korean, therefore allowing Gen Z to willingly overlook their lack of authenticity. But because the Kpop methodology offered something novel to the market. Personal anecdote: when I first got into Kpop, what caught my attention wasn’t the fact that they were Korean, but that it was the first time I laid eyes on a boy group that could dance in sync with such creative choreography, the first time I learned about positions like main vocals, main visual, main dancer, etc. The first time, I saw variety shows, group reality shows, photo cards, and on and on with lots of content. I remember literally thinking to myself back then, "Why don't we have this in America???" You see, the issue isn't that boy or girl bands aren't popular in the West anymore. The issue is that Western Labels have not evolved with how they manage and market boy and girl bands in the West. Kpop companies are FAR ahead of them, and that's why Kpop groups were able to succeed where they failed. When it comes to authenticity, Gen Z aren't fools. We know almost all our content is sponsored or manufactured for consumption in some way. Influencers are a great example of this. Despite their "relatable" personas, we do know Influencers are there to get us to buy products. So, in terms of authenticity, what matters to Gen Z isn't if authenticity in itself, but rather how it is packaged. Even the part about nepobabies. Most of Gen Z are cool with nepobabies so long as they acknowledge their privilege and have the talent to back it up. Miley Cyrus is a well known example of a well loved nepobaby. And it's not as if Kpop lacks authenticity. In Kpop, authenticity is perceived less on the production side of things and more on the parasocial one. The relationship between members and the relationship between the group and fans is what keeps consumers connected. Because lets be honest, most Kpop stans don't stan purely for the music. But they do stan and it's thanks to the Kpop methodology. This methodology is what they want to test on Western audiences. When you said that the goal of these companies is to reach beyond the niche of Kpop fans, you're right. However, because the Kpop methodology has proven superior over the Western methodology for making bands, it's not crazy for these companies to attempt breaking further into market by implementing the methodology that has shown proven results but with their own people. Kpop methodology plus Westerners does look like a good formula for success despite what you may think. It only depends on if the music is good or not. Edit: this ended up being a long post anyway...

So glad you are back!

tbh i was almost done with them when they didnt have not one AfAm contestant for a genre apart of their culture lmaoooo

I hate how people call some artists industry plants. Like half of the people in the music industry are all "plants" if that means they had support from the start. You can't just waltz in and become the next biggest pop star, it's almost impossible. Most people's playlists are filled with both "plants" and nepo babies, and they don't even know it. Shut up. Music is music. Anyways, BOYSWORLD is really great, and I still support them. Them and FLO.

welcome back! we missed you and I swear you give a video essay like no one else. and aahh face reveal! you ate!

Ahh face reveal! You’re so pretty! Also I love your videos, your commentary is always so insightful and well-put 😊

I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but it would be cool if you did a video on if Kpop is really that popular in America. This video really made me think, do normal Americans citizens (not in the Kpop fandom) listen to Kpop on a regular basis, or is it just a passing fad in America. Just a thought

YOU ARE BAACK! SO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS! The only positive thing about this shows for me - the chance to meet new talents. I usually check all contenstants, from A2k I loved Gina (her single Freedom is awesome) and Melisa so much, alogside vcha and in Dream academy I love all of them! Adela may be eleminated, but she announced new music!! (Melissa Too! THE SONG CALLED THIS LOVE AND WILL BE OUT ON FRIDAY!!) Otherwise I would never met these talented girls, but that's all.

Great video!! I 100% agree that they are trying to "break through" the US market without making necessary adjustments to the present day reality. Representation is a great example, the different cultural ideas about being "youthful" too, especially for girls. Both projects feel out of place - Dream Academy appears to be lost with what they are trying to do. Funny enough, the idol system originated mainly from Japan, back in the 60s/70s (Kpop started in the mid 90s) and it has developed in the past decade or so to be more decentered. There's more and more independent groups, songwriting from members, and even the emergence of anti-idols/alt-idols, which turn the system by its head. Companies have incorporated this in their appeal to youth, with acts like BiSH and Keyakizaka46, which absolutely could not exist in the Kpop system. The Japanese idol system also has stronger emphasis on authenticity, in my opinion, even if constrained by culture (see the repercussions about what happened with Yamaguchi Maho, for example). It's mature enough to be on its own, with some regional expanse only (like the 46/48 groups in Thailand, Indonesia...). Kpop is still immature, I feel, and the original reign of 3 companies is already slowly falling apart. The original economic push for Kpop was openly a Korean government soft power strategy, which has its limits over an initial expansion. Another interesting comparison - Jpop acts did try to break through the US market around the 90s or so, mainly with solo acts. There's more opening for this now, for sure, but there's the somewhat uncrossable wall of racism against Asians in the US, even with good adaptions - which is, by the way, not happening at all. I agree these projects will only fill a specific niche over time, and I would complement that the whole thing will decenter and settle down eventually (again, similarly to Japanese idols, but with its own nuances). Finally, one good example of this maturity at place is XG. The songs and marketing has been excellent, but sadly they only have Japanese members that do not speak English (which is such a weird marketing strategy, and show the limits of the Japanese context too, but that's for another comment haha).

The problem with translating kpop to america is that the foundations of the kpop industry: manufacturedness//conformity, extreme hard work, youth, and a single beauty standard are all things that americans hate. any successful translation of kpop tactics will need to look extremely different to be successful.

Yay happy you're here! Love the new format and hot takes.

Whoo, felt is back!

super excited to see you back

that was soo good and interesting thank you so much !!

I missed this channel 😭😭😭

Glad to see you back I really missed your content!!

So glad you’re back

Omg i havent seen your vids in a while! Im glad your back :)

omgg I missed your videos so much welcome back!!

i'm so happy you're back i've missed you fr!

YOU’RE BACK!!!

i dont think flo is the global girl group you think they are. they are pretty localized in the UK, just saying

Having seen both shows: JYP's A2K will succeed; and HYBE's Dream Academy will fail. One has appeal, the other one doesn't!