Netizens are currently engaged in a debate regarding the extent of Taylor Swift’s popularity in South Korea. One netizen, on an online forum, has put forward theories attempting to explain why the globally renowned singer-songwriter “appears to lack the same level of popularity in Korea.”
The post stated:
“Taylor Swift’s competitive edge lies in her prowess as a singer-songwriter with English lyrics. Naturally, Americans are drawn to Taylor’s charms, given her American identity, beauty, and the cultural resonance of her lyrics.”
“For Korean listeners who cannot understand the English lyrics, the emotional impact of Taylor’s songs is lost. Pop singers like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Adele appealed to Korean audiences with their vocal color, techniques, and dynamic musical styles.”
“However, Taylor doesn’t have exceptional vocal skills in comparison to those artists, and the beats of her songs are monotonous. It makes you wonder why she’s so popular…especially for those who can’t even understand her lyrics.”
“It is the same phenomenon as the Korean ballad singers having less success overseas in comparison to BTS and BLACKPINK, who have succeeded in appealing to international fans through their visuals, beats, rapping, vocals, and dance moves.”
The netizen’s argument boils down to Taylor Swift’s cultural identity, language barrier, and genre specificity, which may not seamlessly resonate with Korean audiences.
Drawing a comparison with artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, the netizen suggested that Taylor Swift’s relatively lower popularity in Korea mirrors the limited overseas recognition of Korean ballad singers.
In the comments section, some netizens concurred with the notion regarding the pop genre, while others contributed fresh perspectives, asserting that Taylor Swift enjoys popularity in Korea, albeit with her songs not ranking as prominently on domestic streaming platforms compared to Spotify.
Numerous commenters contended that Taylor Swift could effortlessly fill large concert venues if she were to tour Korea, suggesting that she likely boasts a larger fanbase in Korea compared to the mentioned pop artists.
Humorous remarks surfaced, speculating that Taylor Swift might be indifferent to her level of popularity in Korea. Additionally, one comment disclosed Taylor Swift’s adoption of a K-pop marketing tactic, incorporating photocards in her recent albums.
Some of those comments are-
- “There are people around me who like Taylor for her lyrics by analyzing them…but I am kind of tired of trying to translate every bit of the English lyrics. I also personally like addictive songs, which I don’t find in Taylor’s songs, except for a few. She also doesn’t use her voice in technically varied ways, so I don’t find myself listening to her songs that often. But she is already a world-class singer, so who even cares?”
- Taylor’s songs gave me a lot of strength when I was down. She also rose to the top from the bottom so if you know her story then I think it’d be hard not to like her. The fact that Koreans might be discussing her appearances just drives me crazy…
- But I think Taylor has more fans even in Korea compared to the other artists lol I just think that she doesn’t appear as much on our platforms. But if she ever held a concert here, I bet she would sell out immediately.
What do you think about this?