K-pop: The Advances of K-pop Artists into Hollywood

Joseph Hwang

1. K-pop’s Growing Stature and Influence

At some point, the Hollywood production system began demanding the casting of K-pop idols. In the initial stage, they invited K-pop idols to join as guest vocalists for the OST recording projects in Hollywood films or dramas. However, they are now seriously considering casting K-pop idols as central or major supporting characters in movies and dramas. I acknowledge that this phenomenon reflects the influence of K-pop, aligning with the growing impact of K-pop’s soft power and its expansive global fandom.

Jimin, a member of BTS, is the first K-pop artist to sing the OST for the Fast and Furious franchise. He participated in the OST recording as a vocalist, and the album was released in 2023 alongside that movie. We can discover other similar K-pop artists besides Jimin. Furthermore, Jennie of BLACKPINK was cast in The Idol, HBO’s original drama, and attended the Cannes red carpet, marking her debut in drama.

2. Why Hollywood Wants to Cast K-pop Artists?

First of all, K-pop idols are trained as talented entertainers during their trainee period before debuting. Most K-pop artists must spend their apprenticeship undergoing strict training programs that involve singing, dancing, acting, and other entertainment skills and attitudes. They are fully prepared for casting in any roles and meeting any professional requirements.

Secondly, there is their global fanbase. It is through YouTube and other social media platforms that K-pop artists acquire the majority of their international fandom and begin their careers as entertainers. This point is clear, as K-pop artists appear to have a unique strength compared to other entertainers in the industry. The ability to fulfill a variety of roles and functions without being pigeonholed into one field or genre is also a significant competitive advantage for K-pop artists. The global fan base of these K-pop artists assists Hollywood producers in marketing their content worldwide, whether before or after production. In South Korea, it has become common for music producers to cast K-pop idols in order to leverage the global fandom of K-pop artists.

Thirdly, overcoming market entry barriers is essential. The background of K-pop idols is the Korean Wave, known as Hanllyu. The identity of K-pop groups and idols originates from Hanllyu, which is a cultural movement and trend that spans borders through cultural exchanges. Most cultural content, such as movies, dramas, music, and other forms of art, tends to encounter cultural constraints and limitations in every country. This situation contributes to a lack of empathy, even regarding minor issues. As a result, the global release or debut always carries a risk of success. Hanllyu represents a worldwide collective empathy recognized by global public interest; it has effectively reduced most cultural risks that transcend borders by breaking market entry barriers and gaining consensus preferences from international fans. This implies that engaging in K-pop idols’ projects offers opportunities to participate in the safe communities created by their fandoms.

In conclusion, there’s no reason to shy away from casting K-pop idols in Hollywood projects.

3. K-pop Trainee’s Period

K-pop executive producers have researched ways to mitigate or eliminate business risks while respecting artists’ inalienable rights, even when an artist’s exclusive management agreement is terminated or canceled. As a result, they have finally discovered a group activity format that connects individual artists. The group’s name and trademark rights belong solely to the impresarios.

For group activities, even with numerous conflicts of interest, it is essential to gather individual artists as members of the group. This situation requires unification into a single team with well-structured and systematic education and training programs. Consequently, K-pop apprentices are likely to endure a rigorous and demanding training period. Korean K-pop companies possess accumulated know-how and experience, along with exceptional skills and programs. This training period is often utilized to present pilot content for pre-marketing and promotion before an official debut.

Paradoxically, this distinctive education and training system is especially well-suited for the global marketing of entertainment content, enabling it to more easily overcome market entry barriers in the social media era compared to other methods. Given these points, the advancement of K-pop idols toward Hollywood is anticipated to accelerate and expand in the future.