EXO Aiming For A K-Pop Crossover? – Noh Yongmin Contacts Ariana Grande And Taylor Swift
Right now, the biggest K-pop group performing today is Big Bang. With their song “Bang Bang Bang” making it on the iTunes Top 100 as well as being number one on the Korean charts, they are truly sitting on the top of the K-pop music food chain. However, there are a flurry of other K-pop groups ready to dethrone them, including Bangtan Boys (BTS).
However, the one K-pop group that has the best chance at dethroning Big Bang is EXO. With their recent accomplishment of breaking the record for best-selling K-pop album ever – which was their own record with a previous album by the way – it is evident that other K-pop groups better take notice. Now, there are reports that may take EXO to the next level of popularity as their manager is contacting American chart toppers like Ariana Grande and Britney Spears for a possible K-pop crossover.
According to Soompi, Noh Yongmin, one of the six managers for EXO, is asking numerous American acts to listen to EXO’s hit song “Love Me Right,” the music video for which can be observed above. How Yongmin is doing this is through posting the music video on the official pages of said American acts. So far, the exhaustive list of artists hit up with the music video includes Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Sia, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Pink, NSYNC, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and Katy Perry. Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian were also shown the music video, though probably more for their connections than their musical prowess.
@ladygaga Hello I am an Asian guy in my 30s who loves music. I have discovered an awesome song
— YM.Noh (@Groovechaja) June 7, 2015
Though Noh Yongmin’s approach has seen a multitude of varying responses, it is evident that K-pop is garnering attention outside of South Korea thanks to Wonder Girls, Girls’ Generation, and even Psy, as reported by KpopStarz. Britney Spears learned how to do the “Gangnam Style” dance from Psy himself on The Ellen DeGeneres Show back in 2012. Ariana Grande’s manager, Scooter Braun, is under SB Management which so happens to be the same company that manages Psy and 2NE1’s Lee “CL” Chaerin. And speaking of CL, she appeared alongside the likes of Grande, Lance Bass, and Justin Bieber in a lip sync cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “I Really Like You.”
As of now, there is no official word by any of the contacted artists on what they think of EXO’s “Love Me Right.” What is recognized among the K-pop fan community is that Noh Yongmin is truly dedicated in making EXO one of the most popular, or possibly the most popular, K-pop group in the world.
[Image via EXO’s Official Facebook Page]
