Asian Celebrities

While stuck indoors waiting out hurricane Irene last weekend, I was introduced to Korean superstar girl-group 2NE1 via their reality show on YouTube. The music of 2NE1 (and K Pop in general) is sort of a grab bag of Western top 40, produced and executed with every cultural reference point (hip-hop, R&B, house, electro, adult contemporary) assembled without regard for the greater implications or genre expectations we usually associate with the music. While this may sound cynical from an outsider’s perspective, for 2NE1 its exactly the opposite; what’s more earnest than collecting and reorganizing music based solely on whatever sounds cool? Read More