mvm.

DYNAMITE: the first act whose songs are not predominantly sung in English – and the first artist to win outside the west.

The phenomenon of BTS – the telling of the infamous genre of K-Pop – have beat pop queen and music idol Taylor Swift to the top-spot throne by being named best-selling artist in 2020. With Drake swiftly following Taylor making up the top three, BTS have become the first act to win who are a Korean act, but who are also not formally from the west of the globe.

With their two albums, Map of the Soul: 7 and Be, dominating the charts across the globe, they took the crown with flying colours. Despite Taylor’s emphatic accomplishments of doing the same – releasing Folklore and Evermore in the same year – BTS and the fandom that K-Pop brought, have taken the world by storm. I’m sure this is the only start of it all.

_____________________________________

We still love Taylor, though. In fact, you can view Taylor Swift’s Story of 2020 here:

_________________________________

Fun Fact –they are also the first Korean act to perform at all four major Western award shows: BBMAs, AMAs, Grammys and VMAs; which is an impressive feat all by itself.

With many questioning the integrity of the polls, many are questioning as to why they won the top prize – especially since the songs are not predominantly sung in English at all. This shan’t come as a surprise to many, however, especially how we’ve seen the epics of PSY’s Gangstam Style come to popularity, with only the words of “sexy lady” present that is in a language we understand.

But it is not the language that is used that gets people listening. But, it’s those damn catchy hooks and trailing sing-along lyrics that end up in your head throughout the day – and that is irrespective of what language it is in. With the eclectic blend of gorgeous”boy band pop”, catchy melodic hooks, mesmerising dance choreography, the interlacing of every genre under the sun, and the mass popularity of Asian communities – – you have the domination of incredulously cheesy-but-brilliant Korean Pop. It’s the perfect mixture for music dominance in such a ripe music industry.

Which brings me to the thought for the day: have you listened to K-Pop? What are your thoughts on it – and why do you think it’s so damn popular?