Black K-Pop Fans in America
On September 29th at 8:00 AM, Marisa Babalola woke up earlier than expected, filled with elation. She was beyond excited to see her favorite Korean boy group, BTS, live in concert for the first time.
“I was literally counting down the hours until the concert started, I could barely eat anything. It honestly all felt surreal,” Babalola said.
10 Hours Later
When the lights deemed in the Prudential Center, Marisa felt euphoria. She turned on her light stick and saw the others light up in unison. When the members walked out, the song ‘Idol’ began to play. The group she idolized was right in front of her.
Fans like Marisa are one of the few to stumble upon a music genre that became a worldwide phenomenon, known as K-pop. K-pop is known for its sharp choreography, colorful concepts, impactful lyrics, and catchy sound. Black Americans were able to form a connection with the music, despite the language barrier and being outside of the American black music culture.
K-pop groups like BTS, EXO, MONSTA X, BLACK PINK, NCT 127 and GOT7 have pushed the genre to new heights and continue to gain global popularity. Korean boy groups BTS and NCT 127 appeared on American talk shows like Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Cordon and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Other groups have appeared on American media outlets like iHeartRadio, Buzzfeed Celeb, Billboard, and Fox5NY.
The song lyrics tackle social issues that are prevalent in society such as mental health, self-love, accomplishing one’s goal, etc.
A song by B.A.P titled ‘Wake Me Up’ highlights mental illness and how society doesn’t see it as a serious illness. It also criticizes society for not helping those who suffer from the illness. Even Song Ji Eun ‘Don’t Look At Me Like That’ highlights accepting all types of love, whether it be interracial love or homosexual love.
B.A.P ‘Wake Me Up’ Lyrics: Photo Credit to Xinjun
Song Ju Eun ‘Don’t Look At Me Like That’ Lyrics: Photo Credit to Platypizz2
Ebonie Pierce, who is from Maryland, doesn’t see a problem with being a fan of color and living in the U.S.
“It’s really fun and exciting being a Kpop fan generally, but it feels especially exciting to be a fan of color. It makes me feel like I’m adding to the diversity,” Pierce said. “When I go to concerts, I feel like a gem.”
“The songs that I listen to most often are so uplifting and full of care and kindness. They talk about being happy and at peace in spite of your situation and loving yourself and family. I formed a connection because, at times, I go through situations that these songs express,” said Pierce.
K-pop communities primarily reside on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Tumblr. The online community allows fans from different racial backgrounds to connect with others that share a similar love for the genre and culture. On Twitter, fan activities range from talking about the latest song release to simply posting a funny meme.
The online community has created a space for fans like Kori Gilchrist to find people that love the genre just as much as she does. Kori, who resides in Georgia, has found it hard to stay a fan of the genre, despite it having a positive impact on her life. She has been labeled not black enough for liking a genre that is outside of the American black music culture.
“A lot of people expect me to like a certain genre because I’m black. Then, when people find out I don’t like black people music, I’m all of a sudden anti-black or I don’t like my culture,” said Gilchrist.
Gilchrist said, “I could be having the worst day and all I have to do is listen to my favorite group or watch videos of my favorite idols to feel better. It’s therapeutic in a weird way.”
Aspyn Jones, who lives in Dallas, Texas, has faced racism within the supposed inclusive online K-pop community. She has been sent messages that called her a “dirty nigger” and told her to “drink bleach.”
“It was just overwhelming. I wanted to stop liking K-pop but I really love my ultimate groups and I wouldn’t leave them even after that,” said Jones.
In May of this year, an article published by Buzzfeed News reported that some female BTS fans faced racism within the BTS fandom because of their admiration for the Korean boy group. To combat this racism, black BTS fans created two anti-racism hashtags: #BlackARMYsequality and #BlackARMYsMatter
Both hashtags were made to create a safe haven for black K-pop fans on Twitter and share their experiences.
Earlier in the year, the hashtag #BlackArmyBeauty went viral after Elismarier Ortiz created the hashtag to empower black BTS fans. Black fans were able to post pictures with their favorite BTS member (bias) while using the hashtag. The hashtag gave black female fans a day to show their love for K-pop and showcase their black beauty.
This past September, #KPOPBLACKOUT was a hashtag that gave black fans their own version of selca (picture) day. Similar to the #BlackArmyBeauty hashtag, this gave fans the opportunity to post a picture with their favorite member, regardless of group. Created by @tashauna.ajoi, the hashtag was used to connect black K-pop fans across Twitter and allow them to be seen, celebrated, and represented.
Deijha Blake, a member of the Brooklyn College Korean Culture Club, has witnessed black fans fall victim to racism on Twitter.
“Black Kpop fans are seen as lesser than or at the bottom in the K-pop community. Even though I haven’t had anything racial happen to me personally, it’s still disappointing to see,” said Blake. “It honestly makes me sad to see this because we all enjoy the music, so why should it matter?”
Despite the negative labels and other hardships that K-pop fans of color face in the U.S, black K-pop fans have found a way to create a refuge for themselves on the internet. With hashtags and exclusive groups made for K-pop fans of color on Facebook and Tumblr, these groups give fans a place to connect with people like themselves.
Because of K-pop, Black fans in America are breaking the stereotype of what is acceptable for them to enjoy. Black Americans that love K-pop is changing how black and non-black Americans view music and other cultures. With K-pop starting to become more mainstream in the U.S, the change is slowly happening.
Imani Marshall, who lives in California, believes that online communities for people of color are a good place for fans to connect and embrace being black.
“Everyone needs to feel like they’re not alone,” said Marshall. “Everyone wants to be able to be openly excited about things that make them happy. Black people are no different.”
