Why do Asian pop stars have a hard time succeeding in the U.S. market?

Sunday 26th April, 05:30 AM JST

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Michiko3 at 02:19 AM JST - 29th April

I agree with littleboy, the U.S. market is ridiculously locked in and close minded. If some of us out there are interested in listening and learning about other cultures, radio is not the place to look. Other types of any other culture other than the "NORM" in the U.S. has to be explored on a personal level. You won't find any other types of music in mainstream media other than hispanic. I for one would love to see Japanese popstars on the cable channels and music on the radio. And why not, we have Univision for hispanics and spanish popstars. Do we not have Asians in America as well, where is the market for them?
Ultradude at 09:22 PM JST - 29th April

Most do really suck and it certainly helps if you sing in fluent English for starters. The few good ones just haven't been lucky, had the right agents or whatever combination of timing, fundage and connections it takes to make it all click. Plenty of non-white, non-American bands and singers make it moderately big in the US all the time. Whahh, racism...whahh, FAIL.
Orchid64 at 08:38 AM JST - 30th April

I wonder how many people who are saying the American market is closed actually understand the market, particularly those asserting that even other English speakers can't succeed in that market. British acts in particular have had tremendous success in the U.S., as have at least some Australians.

The market isn't simple. It's multi-layered. If you're only looking at the teen market and focusing on manufactured pop acts like Miley Cyrus, then it probably is hard for foreign acts to penetrate. However, the adult markets are wildly varied.

The main issue right now is that rap and hip-hop are popular and that type of music originated largely in the U.S. and few outside acts can manage to do it without looking like copycats. Also, the whole American Idol thing is skewing the current market. In the past, when other types of music (heavy metal, synth-pop, etc.) were riding waves of popularity, there were plenty of foreign acts that were popular. During the heavy metal phase, Def Leppard was played endlessly on MTV (as were the Scorpions, who are German). U2 has been huge in the U.S. and continues to do well there, and Abba was also quite popular. It's the current music trends which are affecting what type of acts become popular, not any inherent lack of desire to enjoy foreign acts.

If you are biased in viewing the U.S. market in a particular way (and ignoring vast sections of the music-buying public and the history of popular music in the U.S.) in order to claim people are racist or closed-minded, I guess you can assert anything.

The bottom line is that Japanese pop groups are generally not very good. They are like 3rd rate Britney Spears. They are just as manufactured and untalented, but not as well polished. Most Japanese groups look like amateur hour when you see them performing.
mirkwood at 12:17 AM JST - 1st May

Bottomline.. They are just not good enough. Who wants to listen to manufactured popbands who cant sing live in tune or boybands looking so girlish or havent gone thru puberty?
mareo2 at 01:06 AM JST - 1st May

"...America is closer to music than Japan is. American bands can play as much as they want, whenever they want, for free... in garages of where-you-have. And unlike japanese bands who have to pay a thousand yen an hour to practice once a week..."

I have some friends that play in bands in Japan and is really hard to get enough time and a place to practice enough. An amateur of the west have far more experience in hours of play than most japanese profesionals.
rurika at 02:16 AM JST - 1st May

I don't believe America is so racist that the market isn't open to asian entertainers. Korean stars like BoA and Se7en are becoming known to people who had no familiarity with kpop.

Lack of English ability is a big problem. I cringed when I watched a big name asian entertainer being interviewed in English and muttering answers that weren't related to the questions and were nearly impossible to understand.
kokuryu at 05:12 AM JST - 2nd May

One reason and one reason only: they refuse to put their songs on the US iTunes. That's it. I buy a ton of JPOP all the time, but usually end up having to buy the original discs and rip them, or using a bunch of proxy servers and iTunes to buy it from iTunes Japan.
RangerMIFFED at 06:01 AM JST - 2nd May

Pizzacato...remember them? Great and very popular. Also, a really nice blend of English and a bit of Nihongo. Catchy songs. I have all their cd's.
Nordon at 07:52 AM JST - 2nd May

Language barrier mainly.

Saying foreign bands can't make it in the USA and racism is patently ridiculous considering the history such as the Beetles, and besides, given how huge rap and hip hop are in the States, how many rap artist do you think are white?
rogerbentham at 09:31 AM JST - 2nd May

every singer from asia sucks.
fatfrenchfool at 09:48 AM JST - 2nd May

because Jpop is not the bomb.
fatfrenchfool at 09:49 AM JST - 2nd May

Pizzacato...remember them?

yes, but they not on the MTV so they not take off the bigtime
fatfrenchfool at 10:21 AM JST - 2nd May

maybe I should try to crack the market and make like a bandits there too
jonnyboy at 03:58 PM JST - 2nd May

i imagine the problem is the same for a lot of popular culture coming out of asia; artists just don't do their own thing so you either get a poor imitation of a western style, or a tacky take on "traditional culture"
dracpoo2 at 12:41 PM JST - 3rd June

There are Carribbean artistes who have made it big in the US. Its just a matter of how you sell yourself. The Asians are trying to be like the American artistes...they are just not interested in Asian wanna-be versions of themselves.