Read on Twitter
Wrote about how K-pop & Korean drama had their biggest breakthrough in India amid the pandemic as more people sought the perfect mental escape from the anxiety of the times we are in.
A look at some hard numbers & soft anecdotes
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
A look at some hard numbers & soft anecdotes
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
First, the numbers:
BTS ranked 68th on JioSaavn in Jan with ~780,000 streams. It's at the 8th spot in Oct with ~2.3M streams. This is significant, for unlike Spotify, where BTS has consistently broken records, local platforms have only just begun ramping up their K-pop library
BTS ranked 68th on JioSaavn in Jan with ~780,000 streams. It's at the 8th spot in Oct with ~2.3M streams. This is significant, for unlike Spotify, where BTS has consistently broken records, local platforms have only just begun ramping up their K-pop library
. @weverseofficial, an app that allows fans to interact with their favourite Kpop idols, has seen its MAUs on Google Play Store in India grow by ~64% between Oct '19 and Feb '20. From March to Sept, the MAUs went up by ~115% as per Similar Web. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
Korean-drama-dominated OTT @Viki saw its overall traffic from India take a 3% hit between October '19 and Feb '20. But then, the site traffic from India climbed by 36% in March, and another 46% over the last 6 months, as per an analysis of estimated data from SimilarWeb.
Besides, ~6 Korean titles featured on @NetflixIndia trending list since March: eg. Crash Landing on You, It's Okay to Not be Okay, Kingdom 2, @ygofficialblink (Light Up The Sky)
India is now among the top 5/6 countries contributing to YouTube MV views of @BTS_twt & BLACKPINK
India is now among the top 5/6 countries contributing to YouTube MV views of @BTS_twt & BLACKPINK
All this has created more interest in the language, of course. Just how much, you ask?
Duolingo saw an 11% increase in Korean learners in India between Oct'19-Feb'20. Through March, the increase was 98%. Between March and now, it has seen a 256% jump.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
Duolingo saw an 11% increase in Korean learners in India between Oct'19-Feb'20. Through March, the increase was 98%. Between March and now, it has seen a 256% jump.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
Now, some nuance:
Korean cultural wave, called Hallyu, has been popular among Indian GenZ and millennials for a few years now. However, it caught on among people across age-groups during the pandemic largely because a lot of people had time to invest in the songs/dramas now.
Korean cultural wave, called Hallyu, has been popular among Indian GenZ and millennials for a few years now. However, it caught on among people across age-groups during the pandemic largely because a lot of people had time to invest in the songs/dramas now.
BTS songs, for instance, become a lot more than just peppy numbers once you understand the lyrics. Looking up the translations, the fascinating back story of the 7 members, it all requires time-investment. So do Kdramas -- some episodes are almost 2hour long + subtitle-watching.
The +ve overtone of BTS songs & the optimistic undertone of Kdrama helped new Hallyu converts escape from Covid-related anxiety. For some, BTS became a companion in solitude during lockdown. Others saw K-drama as family-friendly. Not everyone could Netflix&Chill through this time
Besides a few people in their circle nudging them towards the K universe, what accelerated discovery for them was celebrities like @diljitdosanjh and @iTIGERSHROFF talking about being BTS fans. Social media influencers spoke about watching and enjoying Kdramas during this period.
Korean culture becoming more mainstream in India is a big deal. It cannot be seen as just another foreign culture influencing Indian pop culture consumption trends. People have long considered western culture cool, but wrt far-east, it's largely "Ah they all look the same, etc."
But all that is changing now, gradually. And it ought to be acknowledged, maybe even celebrated, all while keeping in mind that Korean culture also has issues like unrealistic beauty standards etc. that should be done away with.
Thoroughly enjoyed working on this story. Couldn't have done it without the help of my OGs @malathijogi and @shrutithenaik. Maltz, who helped me find the lovely people I spoke to for this piece. And my bae, Shooti, for being the propelling force behind getting this out. Borahae
And all this happened because one fine evening, @1kunalbahl asked on Twitter, "What's with Korean soap operas taking over urban Indian households"...
Thanks, again, for the nudge. Keep them coming. :-) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
Thanks, again, for the nudge. Keep them coming. :-) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms
