Update with full article:
Girls’ Generation’s piece in “The New Yorker” is now available through the magazine’s website.
Original article from 10/2/12:
As Girls’ Generation continues to make inroads into America and the world, more and more media organizations are taking notice. The latest in a string of mentions of the girls by Western media comes from none other than the famous New Yorker magazine, an American magazine that covers politics, social issues, art, humor, and culture.
In his article for the October 8th, 2012 issue of “The New Yorker”, “Factory Girls: Cultural Salesforce and the making of K-pop”, writer John Seabrook profiled Girls’ Generation and K-Pop in general. To gain a sense of what the K-Pop culture is like, he attended “SMTOWN LIVE WORLD TOUR III” in Anaheim, California in May, where he interviewed MoonSoshi9, a Soshified writer. Seabrook also features conversations with various luminaries including Tiffany and Jessica, the Wonder Girls, and Neil Jacobson, an executive at Interscope Records, Girls’ Generation’s label in the United States, as well as MoonSoshi9‘s May 2012 editorial about the girls. In addition, Seabrook gives an overview of the history of K-Pop and Hallyu, the process of training future stars at SM Entertainment, and opinions and items to consider regarding the current status and future of K-Pop in the United States and in the West.
At the moment, the article is only available to subscribers of “The New Yorker“. However, stay tuned to Soshified for more details when the article is released to the general public on Wednesday, October 3rd.
Source: The New Yorker, Soshified Gallery
Written by: residentbenchwarmer@soshified
Contributor: MoonSoshi9@soshified
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it’s great to know that the Hallyu wave is spreading across the globe especially in the US..
and also I’m happy for SNSD for being one of the representatives for this success..
this feat is really not easy but I’m glad that it has worked out :)
What a great objective and informative article to read, there are so many things I learned from the K-pop industry that I didn’t quite know or understood before, until I read this article.
With that said, I’m really anticipating SNSD’s official American debut, with their first all-English album. It would be interesting to see if it does become a success and be accepted in America. I think it’s gonna be a HUGE challenge to accomplish this, but if there is one K-Pop group that can break through the American Music industry and have long-term success (and not just be a one-hit wonder) it’s SNSD.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Girls though, would obviously be getting a solid grasp of the English language. Part of what makes SNSD so great and different from other K-pop groups, is not just their music and looks, but also their engaging and very lively personalities. And it would be hard to showcase these personalities unless all of them (not just 2), are comfortable with the language.
When you read an article on soshified, going into it you fully expect an extreemly positive tone and message. But when you see major American news outlets speak of snsd in such a positive way, (for me at least) that is when you begin to understand that Girls Generation truly is an amazing group
I have to say that I read this entire article, and just like the majority of SONEs, I am very impressed. Not only does this article highlight all of the potential that K-Pop artists have to break into the US market, it also talks about some of the major challenges K-Pop groups and artists will face coming into it. I’ve only recently become a major fan of K-Pop (starting at the beginning of this year) and some of my initial thoughts about K-pop music were, “I wish I could understand what they’re saying” and (specifically when it came to GG), “Why are there so many of them? It’s so hard to recognize who is who!” (I’m happy to say now that I can completely tell them apart and I wonder how I ever thought they looked anything remotely alike).
The point I’m trying to make is that it’s going to take America a while to really COMPLETELY open up to K-Pop music, especially when the lyrics aren’t in English. I truly believe that one of the reasons why PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is doing so well is because the hooks of the songs are in English and it’s short/makes sense. It’s ESSENTIAL that the girls learn English. I hate to say it but it’s true. The reason I stress this is because I have watched COUNTLESS interviews from the times that Girls’ Generation has been in the States and what I have noticed is that it always seems that the members who can’t speak English well (Sunny, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Yoona, & Seohyun) always look like there’s so much that they want to express to their audiences/interviewers but that they are unable to do so because of the language barrier. All of the girls have picked up Japanese now and I think that, with some effort, they could also pick up English easily. My ONLY disappointment with “The Boys” English single was that to American audiences, the lyrics didn’t really make sense. If the girls learn English and work with song writers who will be willing to work with the girls to correct translation errors, this issue will be omitted.
I loved that the author mentioned the idea of collaboration with popular artists in American music today. I think that’s a great idea to at least get more people to take note. I do think that it’s truly about pairing the right groups with the right American pop stars and holding on to the essences of Korean culture, infused with American culture. One of the best ways that they can do this is to really listen to those artists who are Korean American, who will offer an interesting perspective on Korean v. American culture and things that they feel are essential to the music they make.
Based on my own personal observation, one of the reasons that I think Girls Generation is so successful (apart from their dedication and passion to their craft) is that they are insanely easy to relate to. What American record companies and record labels need to look at is HOW exactly this is achieved. Korean reality TV shows that provide glimpses into their lifestyles and their daily activities are one way that the girls connect to their audiences. Also, catchy dances/lyrics, advertisements, and styling are all key here (all of which GG has perfected, by the way). It’s just a matter of putting that same energy into the American market. GG’s biggest advantage is that they have the charisma, talent, and dedication that many artists lack. Their excellent work ethic has already been instilled in them and so it’s only a matter of time before they become huge here.
Like the author stated, as long as the girls hold on to their humility, passion for what they do, and their selfless unity (which is absolutely ESSENTIAL for any group), they will undoubtedly be a success here. I cannot contain the amount of sheer excitement I have at the idea of being able to attend a Girls Generation concert here in the States without the rest of their label-mates present (no offense, I love SuJu and f(x) but most GG performances in the US are limited to 3-4 song sets so we don’t get to hear much of what they’ve already done/accomplished). There is a HUGE “pink ocean” here in the US; It’s just harder to recognize because the US is so large that it’s harder to gather fans in one place.
All in all, I am super excited for a full English language album from our girls and their new Japanese album.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this article. It didn’t just skim the surface of Kpop or Girls Generation but really did it’s digging into what makes Kpop tick and what is it about these groups that can cause such a huge takeover. I learned a lot reading this article and of course while I had my internal screams whenever he mentioned one of the girls, I really liked what he had to say and how poetic he was able to bring it across. To be honest, much of the background stuff could have been really boring but I think he did a good job of holding my attention.
Some things that I liked:
– Sooyoung seeming cold and distant made me want to chuckle since Sica is the Ice Princess.
– “Jacobson’s challenge is to put together an album that highlights the Girls’ Koreanness—the distinctive sweetness and purity that sets them apart from other pop acts—while making the music urban-sounding enough to get on the radio and be embraced by, say, Nicki Minaj or Rihanna, who could introduce the K-pop sound and style to their fans.” (probably one of my favorite lines. I really enjoyed that the person who will be in charge of the of the girls’ sound is trying so hard to produce a CD that will keep them in touch with their roots. I look forward to it a little bit more now)
– “Six of us live together, and the other three live like a minute away. So we’re always going back and forth to each other’s houses.”” – interesting to get the facts on this. I wonder who it is that is living away from the dorms and who (if anyone) are they living with.
In all I was happy. It was an indepth objective look at the industry. And it was properly objective. Good AND bad came together in this piece. Not just someone who doesn’t understand trying to be objective or someone who loves it trying to defend it but rather someone who knows nothing much about it trying to describe it to the rest of the world. And I really did like it. So much so that I will be sharing this on my FB page for others to read.
Jessica lives with her parents and Krystal. I’m not sure who the other 2 are, I thought the other 8 lived together in the dorm.
Wow, simply amazing article.
I haven’t been able to experience a concert yet.
How much love will they show me when I meet them face to face?
9, forever 9.
I have just finished reading the full article and I must say, what a fantastic article it was. The author definately did his homwork and had a really indepth understanding of the K-pop world before beginning to write. For once I feel that someone has finally reported on this topic in the correct way, by experiencing it firsthand. I actually learned quite a few things about what goes on behind the scenes and at the agencies themselves as well. The author did a very good of staying neutral while still giving his own opinions on the matters.
I’m extremely proud to see an article like this about K-pop in a magazine of such caliber, and equally as proud to have one of our own Soshified members featured in it. You did an awesome job representing the fanbase and the Girls and congratulations for landing such an amazing interview!
At least he doesn’t sound like a perv, like most of these american writers…looking forward to reading the full article
i think snsd is a great group to represent Beautiful asian women for US magazines! they are pretty and all have model looks. why not use them for more stuf!?!?
You can see that John Seabrook, the writer of the New Yorker piece actually does have some insight into Kpop. Most of these hipster white guys who write about it don’t really “get” the music… and articles of SNSD sometimes even veer off into the puerile or pervy. They see 9 beautiful Asian women and it’s not even about the music it’s about sex… I actually read a review of SM Town last year and the middle aged white writer spends the entire article sexually frustrated how non-sexual the performance is and how rock and roll is supposed to be about sex. Just wow.
But Seabrook seems to understand that Kpop is about PERFORMANCE and ENERGY. What Korean performers do best in the world is connecting to their audiences: through concerts, SMS, TV appearances etc. I give him credit for this, getting even that far is a quite a hard accomplishment for Western journalists, to whom these strange otherworldly looking Asians singing in a different language seem like nothing other than some performance robots sent from Korea to conquer the world.
For example his reference to Berry Gordy is appropriate. And his mention of Bobby Brown is extremely astute. If you watch “Every Little Step” and some of his other videos it is the CORE of what Kpop is about. It’s 100% energy. Every movement of the dance and the verse is about that raw energy. New Jack Swing, which Seabrook mentions itself is much like Kpop. Instead of leaning on old precepts of expectations in the listener’s minds (I like rap. I like metal. I like alternative etc) new jack was a melange of classic R&B, hip hop, even synth flow and electronica beats entirely about the swing and hook of a new sound apart from whatever preconceptions you had about this or that genre before listening to it.
For the American musical Establishment, anything out of a “factory” from Asia, especially in music will never have any SOUL or substance. Like all culture, music is very dramatic social currency but this is especially true in the US, where we have all these cultural and social hangups… for example “white” stations wouldn’t even play “black” music in the US in my lifetime even MTV which was supposedly this great social revolution refused to play black artists until Michael Jackson broke the color barrier in the 80s. And it’s not limited to whites.. many racist bars, clubs, and stripclubs play “white” music like classic rock or country because young black youth would rather leave than ruin their “cred” by listening to that effete white stuff. Americans, including many educated musical critics simply will not listen with open ears to anything from Korea. At best it’s pretty but empty. At worst it’s an abomination and a reflection of how Western things get twisted without soul in Asian culture. Sad but it’s true in 2012.
The really sad thing is the fact that these writers don’t admit and CANNOT admit is that “factories” have produced some of the best artists. The writer briefly mentions Berry Gordy and Phil Spector and these Kpop factories are the legacies of that type of system. Some of the greatest artists of all time in the WEST were groomed by producers, fathers and companies using a very similar method from an early age as SM and other Kpop use. The list includes some of the most popular pop singers of all time:
Little Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Justin Timerblake, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Christina Aguilera, Selena etc etc the list is long. Training from a young age makes them versatile musicians and performers who at their core understand performance values. If you see a biography of Michael Jackson there was NO ONE more dedicated to delivering a best performance for his fans. Again this is the attitude of the best Kpop artists.
I guess the onus is on this first global generation of Kpop stars to prove it once the idol stage of their careers are over. I think in terms of music and acceptance from paternalistic and cooler-than-u hipsters in the West (not that it’s, ultimately, important) is what kind of music and what kind of careers some of these Korean superstars produce once they’re done with SNSD or Big Bang. I think you’ll see at least a few really important performers in the next 10-20 years come out of this genre… as you’ve seen emerge from the Jackson 5, Destiny’s Child w/e in the West. I might be right or might be wrong but time will tell even long after the Kpop fad around the world is just a historical memory.
This. ^
It is very nice to see that the US mentions of Kpop have not dropped off of the face of the earth now that SM Town and other Kpop groups have moved back to promotions in Asia. I look forward to reading the article and seeing what they have to say. I imagine that it will be fairly good with a few moments of objective, observer blunt facts thrown in: in other words, I imagine that this article will talk about the girls and Kpop much in the way that previous articles have. That these are hardworking and dedicated groups and solo artists who have given up A LOT to be where they are. However, it will also mention something along the lines of “from a very young age, all of the stars in KPop now have been groomed by entertainment companies in all forms of entertainment and celebrity lifestyle, like factories pumping out the perfect car.” And while this may be a general view of the training process, I do hate to see that none of these articles ever seem to point out that the young kids WANT to do this and like any young kid who has a dream, they have to start early and struggle.
(Seriously…China’s harsh history really washes over all of Asia and most people think that since the stars started young and were training for years that they were put into camps like Chinese gymnasts and unable to speak to or see their family throughout the entire time…..)
I can’t wait to read this article! The K Pop wave is here guys!
Hi everyone, I also wrote a short, critical piece on SM’s ‘cultural technology’, with Girls’ Generation and YG’s PSY as examples. The article is available to everyone here:
http://www.berfrois.com/2012/09/joel-gn-play-pop/
Cheers,
Joel
How cool that they were featured in the The New Yorker. I hope they will be more recognized here in the US. I want everyone to know their names and faces, not just kpop fans.
Can’t wait to see the whole article.
AMEN :D
I would really love to see the whole article about this one. To be quite honest, I am a little skeptical about it, being entitled “Factory Girls” and all that. Although the article started off great describing Girls’ Generation and the reactions/insights of some fans, I would love to see the whole article and see everything for myself, especially since the fact that this appears on The New Yorker. This may be one of the opportunities that I would love to be proven wrong.
Anyhoo, apologies for being skeptical and seemingly lukewarm about it, but still, it’s a great thing overall. Can’t wait to see the whole article.
…forgot to mention one little tad detail though… I saw this post in the forums and I remember I made a similar comment… and for some reason I can’t find it in my history section of my profile… did that thread get deleted/closed in the forums section?
♫ hallelujah hallelujah…..♫ GLOBAL GENERATION is on the loose…i repeat GLOBAL GENERATION is on the loose. babes i’m here in the USA and i’m ready…i said that I’M READY FOR YOU. *crying i can’t wait for this day to come where i’ll be able to go in stores and pick up a physical copy of SNSD English album. i’ll wait for you babes, i’ll wait patiently as best i can. SSF i’ll wait also for the article to come out and read it. thanks for the news :)
The girls are really getting much more well known around the world, including the United States. And I know that everyone in the United States is absolutely ready for Girls’ Generation to make their big American debut next year.
Get ready, America, ’cause here comes Girls’ Generation
shoot i will join just for snsd.
holy shit jon!
(…my short responses are the ones where I am amazed beyond words…)
hahaha that comment was great XD
I’ll have to agree… definitely something amazing has to happen for you to remain almost speechless hehe (I’m used to reading your long comments here ^^)
hahahahahahaha @Franimal
That’s great to hear. :) also, love to see hyoyeon in the middle for once!