The Rise of K-Pop and K-Beauty
With the rise of diversity in the 21st century, America has incrementally made way for other cultures in its cultural zeitgeist. In particular, the spotlight has highlighted Korea.
The industry that has seen the most drastic change has been the music business industry in America. Despite Kpop being under the radar of the global market for years, America has just begun to take notice. Thanks to the monstrous popularity of BTS and each of its seven talented dancers / singers / artists, Kpop continues to break through and shift the American music landscape.
Reaching milestone after milestone, BTS recently became the first Kpop act to be nominated by the Recording Academy for any category and to present an award at the past 61st Grammys. BTS is shaking up the touring industry as well as their concerts are a guaranteed sell out--the most expensive single ticket sold ever on one resale market went for a whopping $3849.38 for the act’s Chicago stop during the 2018 Love Yourself World Tour. They are also set for their debut performance on Saturday Night Live alongside Emma Stone on April 13th, which comes only a day after their highly anticipated album release for Map of Seoul: Persona. As BTS leaves behind their home country for bigger, international audiences, the boy band will continue to make tidal waves and transcend barriers through their music and artistry.
Another Kpop sensation that has trailed BTS is Blackpink, a four-member girl group under YG Entertainment. With the title sponsorship by KIA Motors, Blackpink will be embarking on their first-ever In Your Area world tour to promote their new album Kill This Love, which is set to drop on April 5, as well as to represent KIA as their Global Ambassadors. Blackpink also made their US debut on Good Morning America this past February, and America seems ready to embrace their rising fame.
The rise of K-beauty has also made waves in the American beauty industry. In recent years, the skincare industry has shifted its focus back to the basics: taking care of skin now takes precedence over makeup. Although Glossier can be seen as the pioneer of the philosophy, K-beauty has always advocated a skin-first mentality.
Starting with the bestseller The Little Book Of Skin Care: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowy Skin, author Charlotte Cho enlightened American audiences to ways of allowing your skin to reach its glow potential through tips, tricks, and product recommendations. Prior to her book debut, Cho launched Soko Glam in 2012, offering customers her curation of K-beauty products and dedication to “all things K-beauty”.
Soko Glam is also credited for the infamous “Ten Step Korean Skincare Routine” beauty trend. The digital beauty community embraced and took it by storm, with an overwhelming amount of love and reviews across all social media platforms. The ten steps are:
makeup remover / oil cleanser
water based cleanser
exfoliator
toner
essence
treatments
sheet masks
eye cream
moisturizer
sun protection
For further info check out Soko Glam’s official routine: https://sokoglam.com/pages/the-korean-skin-care-routine
Alongside niche K-beauty companies, big corporations such as Sephora and Ulta have made it easier and faster for American consumers to get their hands on these beauty products than ever before. These companies carry numerous K-beauty brands, even having a separate category for these products on their respective websites. Some of these trendsetting brands include Glow Recipe and its sensationally fruity concoctions, Cosrx and its magical pimple patches, and finally Laneige, who has Olympic Gold Medalist Chloe Kim behind them as their brand ambassador
Since the debut of Korea in the American marketplace, its impact does has increasingly grown in scale and reach. As America continues to make room for representation and inclusivity, Korea will continue to make louder, bigger waves.
