The globalization of postcolonial pop music: putting the success of the K-pop industries into theoretical perspectives

Abstract

It is uncontested that the unexpected rise of K-pop in the last decades has been no less than impressive. Korea has become the 7th largest music market in the world, and K-pop idol groups routinely are ranked on Billboard charts despite originating from a postcolonial country. However, there is dearth of scholarship theoretically and empirically to explain this phenomenon. This collection aimed to address this gap through investigating how and why the K-pop industry has achieved its present status. The eight articles included in the special issue deal with this question from various perspectives: the nature of the music itself, (gender) diversity in its fandom, and innovative strategies employed by the leading firms. Together, we believe that our collection paints a comprehensive picture of K-pop and its success, advancing our collective understanding of innovation management, cultural industries and the global pop music in general.