According to an analysis of Google search data, BTS; Korea’s most popular band has surpassed Justin Bieber within the last 5 years, even in the United States. An exception to this would be a spike in Bieber’s popularity in July of 2018, around the time when he proposed to girlfriend Hailey Baldwin. The first time BTS met Bieber’s popularity in searches was in May 2017, and then finally surpassed the American singer-songwriter in November in that same year, and since the beginning of July 2018, BTS has maintained a steady lead over Justin Bieber.
What does this say about pop culture in USA, and how the focus has changed over the past half-decade? Have people become less interested in American culture, and more interested in foreign culture? What has become so intriguing about a language that most Americans can’t understand?
K-pop “idols” or stars, are trained from a young age, and even attend “K-pop schools” where they learn how to play the part of a celebrity, all while rigorously training in singing, dancing, etc. They become so global because of the positivity they radiate, and the obsessional component and fetishization the audience places on them. The rise of Korean music in the United States isn’t always a product of good intention, whether the fans are aware of their motives or not. In fact, K-pop super-fans in America are notoriously known for obsessing purely on the idols looks themselves, before their music.
What does this increase in popularity overtime say about the American publics’ interests over time?
According to an another analysis of Google Trends search data, “Chicago homeless shelter” increases in search quantity during the colder months of the year, especially in the last 12 months. In fact, the search had the most dramatic increase toward the end of January, 2019. This is around the time that Chicago experienced “Polar Vortex,” reaching temperatures low enough to reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit below 0.
This shows that, at these times, people; whether homeless or not, are more inclined to search for homeless shelters in Chicago. If these homeless shelters provide food, and emergency shelter, why would this be the only time, and what does this say about the motives behind staying out of homeless shelters? This also raises the question of if homeless shelters in Chicago are doing enough for the homeless community to allow them to have the necessities they need, and why they would be so prone to be uninterested in months where weather isn’t severe.
Luke McFarlane Digital Journalism 