2NE1 comes up short in the Japanese market, but why?

Many Korean idols have successfully moved into the Japanese music market, and some have even dominated the Oricon Charts. However, when it comes to doing just that, it seems like 2NE1 has a long way to go.

It has come to a surprise to many that 2NE1’s recent move into the Japanese music industry has proved to be anything but successful. Although this fierce quartet is considered to be one of the best idol groups in Korea, their advancement into Japan disappointed – their album, ‘2NE1‘, which was released in Japan on March 16th, reached only #18 on the Daily Rankings; on the Weekly Rankings, it fell to #24.

Some are speculating that this disappointment may be a result from the recent earthquake in Japan, as 2NE1 was supposed to make an appearance on Asahi TV’s “Music Station” on the 11th to promote their album. However, on that same day, the earthquake hit the Tohoku province, leading 2NE1 to cancel their schedule and return home, back to Korea.

Although the tragedy may have played a role in 2NE1’s slump, it fails to wholly explain their disappointment in Japan, as B2ST sold over 10,000 copies of their newly released album on the same day. In addition, B2ST reached #2 on the Daily Charts, while Ryu Shi Won snatched #3.

As a result of 2NE1’s “failure” in the Japanese music market, the media has already started to analyze the cause of their lack of success, as well as the direction of the Hallyu wave. Although certain media outlets have labeled the ‘2NE1′ album as a failure, others have defended the girls’ album. Moreover, situations like these can have an adverse effect on the Hallyu wave.

After the success of the drama “Winter Sonata” in 2002, actors Bae Yong Joon, Ryu Shi Won, Lee Byung Hyun, and others sparked the Hallyu wave. Since their success in the Japanese market, countless of other stars attempted to do the same, as they saw the Hallyu wave as a simple means of making money. As a result, the Hallyu market became deranged in concept; these days, the term ‘Hallyu star’ is used so often that it doesn’t hold the same lustre anymore.

Taking 2NE1’s recent failure into mind, the Hallyu wave should be analyzed more critically so that it may once again spread far and wide.