K-POP Conquers U.S. Music Market, But Winning Grammys Remains a Challenge

Over the past 15 years, K-POP has evolved from a niche industry into a dominant force in the global music market. Following PSY’s “Gangnam Style” viral phenomenon in the early 2010s, groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK along with their soloist members expanded their status as superstars, transforming K-POP from a genre favored by a small group of enthusiasts into a major force in mainstream music in the United States. This transformation is evidenced by songs and albums that top charts, sold-out stadium tours, and massive, loyal fanbases. In March 2024, the K-POP girl group NewJeans won the “Group of the Year” award at Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony. Lainey Wilson, a country star who grew up in a rural Louisiana community and delivered the announcement, described it as an opportunity to highlight K-POP artists on the other side of the world, marking a symbolic moment in bridging the gap between the two genres. NewJeans’ EP “Get Up” became the second K-POP girl group album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart after BLACKPINK’s work. However, despite K-POP’s dominance in the U.S. music market, it still lacks significant presence in one area: the Grammys. The Recording Academy has prioritized expanding the Grammys globally in recent years, introducing categories such as “Best African Music Performance” and “Música Mêhicana” in 2024 to reflect the growing influence of these genres in the United States during the 2020s. Yet, no dedicated Grammy category has been created for K-POP, despite its consistent presence on Billboard charts and global impact over the past decade. Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said, “There has been a lot of conversation about a K-POP category,” adding that music is so broad, influential, and resonant worldwide. He identified ensuring the appropriateness of the academy’s membership as the biggest obstacle to creating a new category, explaining that adding categories without enough members would prevent proper evaluation of such music, resulting in disaster for both the genre and the academy. To address this, the academy has been working closely with K-POP communities. CEO Mason emphasized, “We are continuously striving to include those who create, compose, produce, and perform K-POP as members of our organization,” stressing that such efforts are essential to accurately define the category and its scope. Another challenge in creating a K-POP category is defining “K-POP” as a distinct genre. The issue of how to categorize K-POP—a broad umbrella term encompassing various styles of popular music created by Korean artists—remains unresolved.