On March 18, Australian hip-hop star Iggy Azalea took the stage at a previously undisclosed location for an event sponsored by Samsung at South by Southwest (SXSW). The 24-year-old female rapper wowed the crowd with her live vocals and enthusiastic stage show. 

Day 2 of SXSW Music was dominated by hip-hop, with artists like DeJ Loaf kicking off performances in the wee hours of the morning. In addition to Iggy Azalea, Wiz Khalifa, 2Chainz and Big Sean were present for showcases. 

While Hallyu fans easily recognize Samsung as a Korean brand, the company focused on its programming on a western audience. Even though acts like YG Entertainment’s Epik High and Crayon Pop were present in Austin for K-Pop Night Out, they did not perform at the Samsung event.

By selecting Iggy Azalea as the first headlining performer of their showcase, Samsung provided pop and hip-hop fans to engage with an artist who is not American, but extremely popular. It was the type of performance which easily could have been delivered by CL.

She did not freestyle during the performance but reinforced her integrity as a rapper by providing live vocals as opposed to lip-synch.  

The Australian star performed her hits including "Work" and "Bounce," which rouse the same level of frenetic reaction from listeners as CL's "The Baddest Female" or "MTBD." 

Fans of Korean pop often cringe at the comparisons between CL and Iggy Azalea or Nicki Minaj. However, she possesses combination of talent, sex-appeal and drive that has catapulted the careers of those starlets.

One of the greatest struggles for women in hip-hop is finding a balance between femininity and gangster cache. Both CL and Iggy Azalea incorporate hip-hop with pop, while mastering the cross-cultural appeal that remains devoid from rappers like DeJ Loaf.

From the perspective of flow and stage presence, CL has much more in common with Iggy Azalea than Beyonce. While Beyonce may be one of the queens of pop, her rap style leaves much to be desired.

Beyond the comparisons between the two artists, the Samsung showcase was the latest example in the rebranding of Korean technology and cultural exports. Although, there were several Korean indie showcases including EE that were held in the city, the Samsung Milk showcase provided the best context of what is illustrated in Euny Hong’s “The Birth of Korean Cool.”

It was not branded as a Korean event or an Australian showcase. The event highlighted exclusivity and emphasized the cultural cache that is growing out of Samsung and Korea.

Entrance for the event was obtained through a low-key distribution technique, which created an air of exclusivity. The showcase and its delivery provided a unique perspective on Korea’s involvement at SXSW, while showing the potential that is present for marketing CL to new fans in the United States.