China And Japan Provide Different Platforms For EXO And WINNER

Idol groups WINNER and EXO have demonstrated that China and Japan provide a very different K-pop experience for artists, according to the Korean media outlet Sports Hankooki.

After debuting only two years ago, the members of EXO have worked their way up to becoming superstars in the K-pop industry both in and out of Korea. WINNER, the idol group that debuted only this year, has already begun getting the love of international fans and music outlets.

As the K-pop market continues to expand, it has become vital for idol groups within the industry to promote themselves overseas. The second generation of idol groups has paved the way for artists now to get their name out to fans in Japan, Europe and North America.

The current generation of K-pop groups that have emerged is expected to continue expanding the culture of Korea as well as Korean pop.

EXO has become an example of a group that has successfully accomplished this feat, as they vowed to "keep working hard for fans all around the world" during an interview with Billboard.

Along with the industry in Japan, it has become equally as important to tap into the Chinese music industry, as it has proven to be the first step to gaining international success, as seen from groups associated with big management agencies, including SM, YG and JYP Entertainment.

Since their debut, groups EXO-K and EXO-M worked to promote themselves in China Although it's only been two years, the influence that EXO has in the Chinese music industry is already quite extreme, especially after SM Entertainment found a platform for EXO to have their first solo concert in the country.

Unlike EXO, WINNER has been dominating the market in Japan. The boy band is already preparing their Japanese debut album release, which is set to happen this month, only shortly after their debut in Korea.

Although the K-pop craze in Japan has been reported to die down, the interests of local fans are reserved for those that put importance in debuting in the country first, evident from the undying popularity of K-pop sensation Big Bang.

Big Bang debuted in Japan before they made their entrance in the Chinese music industry, and have continued to fight all odds as they are still managing to top major Japanese music charts. It has reportedly been noted that the bands that start off with promotions in Japan will continue to stay popular in the country, which is a phenomenon that is expected to stick for WINNER as well.

"We want affinity to be the theme when trying to appeal to our Japanese fans," explained the members of WINNER during an interview with Sports Korea. 

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winner
EXO
SM Entertainment
YG Entertainment
JYP Entertainment
Big Bang
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