Hey Y'all
I just wrote an article about Rain. It's true that he's huge all over Asia, and now he's trying to break into the US market.
I still get people in the States asking me if I speak Japanese when I tell them I live in Seoul. Is America really ready for an Asian superstar?
What do you think?
http://www.seoulstyle.com/images/art.../Rain_Kpop.htm

Seoulstylista

Hey Liza! Glad you finally made it over.

Liza runs a great site called Seoul Style. If you guys live in Seoul or plan on visiting Seoul I highly recommend you check it out.

Liza, I am writing a few articles I am planning to send your way.

As far as Rain making it in the U.S. I highly doubt it. He will do well with the Asian population, but Americans generally stick to U.S. and Hispanic singers. I am not sure if an Asian singer will ever become a star in the U.S.

Does Rain speak fluent English? If he can sing some really nice songs without an accent he may have a better chance.

Mike

__________________
YesAsia.com Ebay Store!

Visit USFK Classifieds, the FREE classifieds in Korea!

Rain won't stand a chance. It's bad enough we have those popular boy bands who many can't tolerate, so why would another boy from Asia be a big deal?

I think the only Asian that ever made it far in the music business was Jin the Emcee. This kid was a notorious freestyle rapper that probably could have made any platinum album rapper choke on stage in a rap battle, IMO. It's that gift he possessed that let him get as far as he did (a few albums, covers of rap magazines, roles in movies, etc.), but in the end...he was, still, so doubted and criticized that he quit.

I am not sure I would agree. Although most Koreans sing very well. I have been captivated by some of the voices. The one key element to almost anything in life is marketability. You have to be able to sell the package. It is unfortunate society will accept something of lesser quality if the package is glitter.

I was in Detroit one summer and they held free concerts on the river every Friday. The concerts always drew big crowds. One Friday evening Keikko Matsui was performing and very few people were there. That is until she started to play. She was stopping traffic and people were getting out of their cars to watch. The police had a very difficult time with traffic control that night. What was suppose to be a 50 minute performance turned into over 2 hours. She rocked the shoreline that night. She also introed Paul Taylor that evening. Those of you not familiar with either they are very popular Jazz artists. The year was 1994.

In those days there were several bands that toured, especially the club circuit. It has been replaced by bands from the PI.

I have always admired the Korean ability to select background music.

Will this individual make it in the US? Are we truly a global society?

__________________

Chill

I just looked at another Rain thread that Mike posted and he does look kind of "slender and wiry" as opposed to the more beefed up American singers. I'm not sure non-Asian American girls will be fantasizing about a slender Korean guy...

There's actually a jukebox function on that article link I posted in case y'all have never heard Rain's music. I'm not mad about his music personally and at the end of the day, it's really about the music, isn't it?
I do like 1 TYME (their hit song is called 'Hot'), Lee SSang and Drunken Tiger. They do good hip hop in Korea. If you've never heard these bands check out this jukebox link.
http://www.seoulstyle.com/jukebox/player.html
Shin, Mina is also on the jukebox with her hit song "Answer the phone"
Jin the Emcee? Where can you hear his music? Sounds intruiging....

I guess we can turn this question around. Could Shin Mina or Hyori Lee make it in the U.S.? Just look in my gallery and you will see that these girls get the most views. I think American girls would not go after an Asian, boy-band type guy, but American guys would definitely listen to these girls and buy their posters. Additionally, I think even girls would listen to Hyori Lee and Shin Mina and buy their cosmetic and clothing line if they had one. So, my premise is for an Asian pop star to make it in the U.S. she would probably have to be female.

__________________
YesAsia.com Ebay Store!

Visit USFK Classifieds, the FREE classifieds in Korea!

Why is it that foriegn Music really is not popular in the States. Everyonce in a while a song will break through but unless they sing some in english Like Ricky Martin or Julio Englases They can not make it here. I am sure there are others but usually it takes them getting popular with an English song, major radio play & MTV/VH1 to make it big.

__________________
Just my humble opinion!

Hey, Maddana made it in the U.S. and she is British.

__________________
YesAsia.com Ebay Store!

Visit USFK Classifieds, the FREE classifieds in Korea!

British singers have a better chance. They are not singing in Korean, Japaneese, Spanish. Foriegn language singing has never been main stream here There have been a few songs, 99 luft ballones comes to mind, that have made it but if they do not sing in English they will have limited sucess. An example of successful Ricky Martin sings both Spanish and english, Christina Augularia I enjoyed Genie in the bottle in spanish and english but you will notice it was the English version that was released and got play.
I wish I could understand why I gues it is because the taarget audience has only been those that speak the foreign language. Opera is the only singing that I have seen that is accepeted by a large group of english speaking people that is not in English.

__________________
Just my humble opinion!

I have not heard of Maddana. Did you mean Madonna? If so she grew up not far from where I did.

__________________

Chill