Photo credit: Billboard Magazine
Both Billboard and Yahoo! Music have recently released articles featuring JYJ or otherwise known as TVXQ, which we previously posted about. TVXQ was known for holding world records of having the most fans, yet they aren’t as well known as other boy bands like the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and N’Sync. These two websites have shed some light on Asian entertainment going global, which may not only open up opportunities to other rising artists, but also stir up some talk about Asians in general.
There is something to be said with Billboard’s magazine being sold out in 24 hours and its JYJ article getting flooded with over 200 pages of comments from fans and anti-fans. Both websites cover the issue of why JYJ is no longer TVXQ – the band members were previously “stuck” in a contract for 13 years and are still engaged in a legal battle with their company, SM Entertainment. The articles, which briefly mention the “slave contracts,” may get people wondering about the negative side of the South Korean entertainment business, which is unfortunately something a majority of the entertainers in South Korea must suffer through silently.
What do you think? Is this positive coverage for Koreans and Asian Americans, even if the music itself may not do justice for Koreans and Asian Americans? (On a side note, I find their new tracks pretty catchy.)
