It’s been 12 years since South Korean rapper Psy brought his infectious hit Gangnam Style to the world, bursting open the doors to the K-pop explosion.
In Australia, the groundswell of support for the pop groups full of young, beautiful, highly fashionable and heavily produced bands from Asia has only escalated.
This year has proven to be the biggest year yet for the Asia Pop genre with Live Nation Entertainment reporting a 600 per cent increase in the number of live shows in Australia.
In its world-first fan insights study, ‘Future Sound’, Live Nation Entertainment says this reflects a meteoric rise of K-pop and Asia Pop across Australia and New Zealand, but one that has been building for years.
The trend began with South Korean pop music developed to incorporate J-pop, C-pop, Mandopop, Thai-pop and City-pop – all contributing to the Asia pop sensation.
“What we’re seeing is not a new phenomenon; it has been an undercurrent in our musical landscape for years, only now receiving the widespread recognition it deserves,” Wenona Lok, Asia Pop Promoter and Talent Buyer at Live Nation Australasia, said.
“Asia Pop has transcended its niche status and exploded into mainstream fandom, fostering deep connections between fans and artists through social content, dance and fashion to name a few.”
There has been a 275 per cent surge in the number of artists since 2015, and TikTok Australia reported 61 million K-Pop views by fans in the last 12 months alone.
One hundred per cent of K-pop fans surveyed were demanding more live experiences, the study found.
K-pop girl band TWICE made history by playing four stadium shows in Australia in 2023, while fellow K-pop girl band ITZY’s performance at Spark Arena made them the highest-selling K-Pop act in New Zealand ever.
Tickets for K-pop superstars Stray Kids’ October stadium tour are in hot demand, while J-pop virtual pop star Hatsune Miku is touring in November as well as a joint offering from K-pop act Hyukoh and Taipei-based Sunset Rollercoaster.
Australia’s connection to some of the biggest names in Asia pop may be contributing to the excitement, says Live Nation.
Danielle and Hanna from NewJeans, Rose from BLACKPINK, BangChan and Felix from Stray Kids, Darren Qiu and Cantopop singer Cecilia Cheung – all home grown – are inspiring a legion of Australian fans.
Jocelle Koh, Founder of Asian Pop Weekly said that the growth and interest for Asia Pop has been heartening to see.
“Western consumption of Asian Pop has become so much more dynamic in the past three to four years, and globalisation of the wider genre is the clear next step,” says Koh, whose ambition is to bridge the gap between Asian music and Western culture.
It’s not just about singing along – in fact the study showed 98 per cent of fans now listen to music in languages other than English and more than 60 per cent prefer it despite English being the primary language spoken at home.
For many, the fashion, style and dance routines are just as important.
When asked what they love most about Asia pop, 90 per cent of fans said the dancing and choreography, with 57 per cent saying they enjoyed learning the dance routines.
