Girls’ Generation was the first kpop group (not to mention female kpop group) that appeared on live US television- on the Letterman Show and Kelly Ripa. They also won a YouTube mv award for I Got a Boy (the FIRST kpop gg mv to get over 100m views) over big American names like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, which further brought exposure to not only snsd but the ENTIRE industry. And, not to mention, they performed at Madison Square Garden with their ICONIC Genie remix (and Miss Tiff’s rap god skills!!!)

the Wonder Girls are often overlooked when it comes to global exposure. They toured with the Jonas Brothers, released English singles, and were the FIRST kpop group to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100 with the english version of “Nobody”. I literally can remember hearing Nobody in Justice when I was still in elementary school…like the Wonder Girls worked really hard to break into the global scene.

We also have BoA, who, for older fans, is LITERALLY the queen. She’s the woman who inspired Taeyeon of snsd to sing in the first place! BoA took Japan and South Korea by storm, but also released a full-length english album and headlined San Fran Pride in 2008. 

Hyuna also made waves when she released Bubble Pop in 2011 and was the first kpop mv to get 100 m views, and remained at the top of YouTube’s “Most Watched” videos for quite some time.

Disrespecting female kpop artists is so ignorant considering the fact that they’re the whole reason the industry has expanded its platform in the way that it has. To make the counterargument that they “failed to gain momentum” or “they flopped” is also totally uncalled for- as asian artists, FEMALE asian artists, they tackled something no one before them had ever attempted before, broke through many barriers, and each achieved what no one had (or has yet to, even) conquer.

Kpop’s statewide success is because of women who led the movement. Show credit where it is due…women run the world.