With fans streaming into the Tri-Delta area from places as far as Canada and Florida to attend the KBS – New York Festival earlier this month and SMTOWN New York which takes place at Madison Square Garden tonight, New York City has been the latest to directly experience the effects of the Hallyu Wave! New York Daily News recently published a feature article on this worldwide phenomenon, highlighting the excitement that’s invigorating fans in the city this week.
When B2ST and 4minute recently performed at the MTV TRL Studios, a crowd gathered outside for hopeful glimpses of the idols. After seeing the frenzy outdoors, MTV’s executive vice president Peter Griffin commented, “I haven’t seen this in years … It reminds me of when ‘N Sync was here and the fans lined up around the studio.”
Cedarbough Saeji, a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA in culture and performance with a focus on Korean culture, commented, “[K-pop music videos are] just slick, extremely well produced, always have different themes that really capture audiences’ attentions … The production value is very sophisticated. Every k-pop video is as high quality as any top American act like Lady Gaga or Britney Spears, but the image is a lot cleaner, less sexualization.”
The feature also highlights the Wonder Girls‘ upcoming official debut in the American tween market with their TeenNick movie as well as their past experiences with the Jonas Brothers and more. Furthermore, 2NE1 has “become designer Jeremy Scott‘s muses”, inspiring the shoe “JS Collage Wings x 2NE1″ which will debut next month. The article continues, “The group’s look — high fashion with a colorful, punky twist — has even inspired some updated costumes in the new production of Broadway’s ‘Rent’.“.
According to NYDailyNews, SNSD member Tiffany auditioned for Kollaboration, the Asian American talent show back when she was fifteen years old. Though Tiffany didn’t make the show, she caught the eyes of SM Entertainment scouts that were present at the event. Later on, Tiffany reflected, “I guess I got the bigger end of the deal.”
While discussing her training regiment, Tiffany explained, “I practiced a minimum of 4-6 hours every day … Being there alone gave me a lot of motivation to keep going on.” She also cited SNSD’s fans as a large motivator after the group’s debut. “Words cannot describe [our fans] … They are our inspiration and the foundation behind our music. Without fans we wouldn’t be here.”
In response to SNSD’s foray into the American market with their first English track, “The Boys”, which has reportedly hit #52 on iTunes’ Main Singles Chart, Tiffany expressed, “We’re definitely ready. … I’m not nervous. We’re looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to it.”
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