With 10 years of perspective, one can confidentially say that the timing for launching America’s largest Okay-pop pageant couldn’t have been higher.
In the summertime of 2012, Okay-pop was breaking into the American vernacular because of the massively viral success of PSY‘s “Gangnam Model.” The inescapable horsey-dance hit entered the Billboard Scorching 100 for the primary time in September. It could spend seven consecutive weeks on the No. 2 place, coinciding with performances on the MTV Video Music Awards, the Ellen DeGeneres Present, Saturday Night time Stay and the American Music Awards.
Whereas “Gangnam Model” was rocketing up the charts, KCON was introduced as a first-of-its-kind conference/pageant hybrid that regarded to honor all issues Korean-pop tradition. Happening on the now-shuttered Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2012, KCON introduced six Okay-pop acts to U.S. audiences (boy bands NU’EST, B.A.P, EXO-M and VIXX, solo star G.NA and headlining woman group 4Minute).
Dubbed by Billboard as “the mecca of Okay-pop” in 2012, the primary KCON introduced a reported 10,000 followers and set off what grew to become an annual, ever-growing and evolving custom within the California space. Because the pageant moved to a number of days and larger venues in Los Angeles, Okay-pop itself continued to develop and develop in important methods within the States. Chart-topping artists like BTS, Ladies’ Technology, Monsta X, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, LOONA, NCT 127, ITZY and dozens extra have all carried out on the pageant at numerous factors of their careers — making the KCON stage a close to proper of passage for Okay-pop promotions within the U.S.
This weekend will see greater than 16 artists carry out on the Crypto.com Enviornment, together with Stray Children, ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, NCT DREAM, Kep1er, STAYC, TO1 and extra for KCON 2022 Los Angeles. Earlier than one other set of sure-to-be historic moments return to the KCON stage, take a second to mirror on the primary decade of the pageant in California with the ten biggest moments from its historical past up to now.
