Korean Pop music, or K-pop, as it is better known for, has always had a presence in mainstream Western media, but, as of the last four years, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. It is rare for American’s to be a part of this industry, but over the years, there have been many Asian Americans who have really succeeded in this industry and are even trying to make their way to the American industry. The following is a list that highlights many of these incredible music artists.

 

1. Mark Tuan (GOT7)

Mark Tuan is a Chinese American singer and rapper in the group Got7. He was born in Los Angeles, CA and grew up in Arcadia, California. While in high school, he auditioned for one of the three top South Korean entertainment agencies called JYP Entertainment. In 2010 he became a JYP Entertainment trainee and had trained for four years. In 2014, his group Got7 debuted, and they are continuing to do well in Korea and internationally as well. In 2019, Mark had started his solo career in China and held many events which slowly grew his reputation as a solo artist. On January 11, 2020, Mark released his first ever Chinese single, Outta My Head​ ​ and it sold over 70,000 units.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         @mtuan93/ Via twitter

 

2. Johnny Suh (NCT 127/ NCT)

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Johnny Suh is a Korean American singer who was born in Chicago, IL. In 2007, he Auditioned for a renowned South Korean agency known as SM Entertainment. He passed the audition and moved on to become a trainee for the company. Johnny became a part of their pre-debut training team SM Rookies, until he finally debuted in 2016 in the group NCT 127. With NCT 127’s popularity rising in the U.S, they have been able to break through into the American music industry and have even been on shows such as “Good Morning America”.

 

 

 

         @NCTsmtown_127/ Via twitter

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3. Jae Park (DAY6)

 

Jae Park was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina but moved to The United States when he was five. He grew up in Cerritos and attended college at Cal State Long Beach. In 2012, Jae joined a South Korean audition television show called “K-pop Star” and placed 6th. Afterwards, Jae signed a contract with JYP Entertainment and became a trainee. Jae then debuted as the lead guitarist and vocalist in 2015 in JYP Entertainment’s, first ever, idol boy band. In 2020, Jae released English music under the name “eaJ” and has even been featured on the label 88Rising’s YouTube.

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         @day6offical / Via twitter

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4. Tiffany Young (GIRL’S GENERATION)

 

Stephanie Young Hwang or more commonly known as Tiffany Young, was born in San Francisco, CA. She is a Korean-American singer and songwriter. When she was 15 years old, she participated in a singing competition for SM Entertainment and placed 1st which led her to sign to the company. In 2007, Tiffany debuted in the group Girl’s Generation or also known as SNSD, a prominent girl group in the K-pop industry. In 2017, Tiffany left SM Entertainment and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a solo career in the American entertainment industry. In 2018, Tiffany released her first solo single in the US and, one year later, her first EP, Lips on Lips,​ ​was released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       @tiffanyyoung/ Via twitter

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5. Eric Nam

 

Eric Nam is a Korean American singer, songwriter and television host. He was born in Atlanta, Ga and attended Boston College. In 2011, Eric participated in a South Korean singing contest and he placed in the top 5. He then signed with B2M Entertainment and began his solo career. In 2016, Eric Nam released his first U.S. single Into You and eventually released his first English album, Before We Begin. ​ Eric is also known for interviewing many actors and singers, for example, he once interviewed Jamie Foxx. Eric was even named an Honorary Ambassador for the 2018 Winter Olympics that took place in PyeongChang, South Korea. In 2019, He also started a podcast called, “K-pop Daebak w/ Eric Nam” which is a full English podcast where he discusses new K-pop releases.