Latinx and Korean Fusion Marks the Beginning of a Distinct Cross-Cultural Convergence

Alternative rock group Reik and K-Pop boy band SUPER JUNIOR recently joined forces on their hit single “One More Time.” Banding together to make this seemingly unconventional hit, their cross-cultural collaboration is more likely than you think.

Written by Samantha Paradiso

Photo courtesy of SJ Dreamland

Just a couple of years ago, K-Pop was not on America’s radar. However, with the likes of K-Pop groups like BTS, this genre has become more popular than ever in the States. These boy bands are making waves with fans and entertainers alike, with high-profile artists such as Halsey and Nicki Minaj collaborating with them. However, SUPER JUNIOR, an OG K-Pop group that formed back in 2005, recently worked with Reik, an Alternative band from Mexico, to create “One More Time.” It may seem strange that this unusual pairing came together, but considering Latin America’s immense East Asian population, it’s less absurd than you think. 

There are a number of factors that contribute to Latin America’s East Asian population. According to an article from HuffPost, there was an increase in Chinese migration to Mexico due to laborers looking to work on the railroad system and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, among other factors. But this isn’t the only nation in Latin America with an East Asian population. Brazil houses the largest Japanese community outside of the residing nation itself, and Peru peaks at 1.47 million individuals of Asian descent, with the latter having had a president of Japanese descent a few decades ago. Other countries such as Argentina and Panama serve as hubs for this ethnic group as well. 

Given the historical and demographic context, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when SUPER JUNIOR and Reik banded together in 2018. In fact, this isn’t SUPER JUNIOR’s first dip into Latin American music. Prior to the collab, the K-Pop group worked with Leslie Grace, a Dominican American singer, on their single “Lo Siento,” setting a record for the first song from a Korean group to appear on the Latin Billboard charts. SUPER JUNIOR’s dedication to their immersion in Latinx music is likely due to the fact that a large chunk of their fanbase belongs to this demographic. 

But this isn’t the only boy band that has begun to cater to this particular audience. Artists like KARD, SF9, and BTS have all since toyed with Latinx-influenced music. Additionally, KCON, a Korean event that dually serves as a convention and music festival, came to Mexico in 2018 for the first time ever. Its organizers indicated that attendance soared over 30,000 people. During KCON, boy band group NCT 127 perform Michel Telo’s massively popular “Ai Si Eu Te Pego,” a Brazilian song from 2011. In the same year, Taemin from SHINEE performed his own rendition of the viral hit “Despacito” at Music Bank in Chile.

Artists’ sounds are constantly evolving, and REIK’s transition from their balladic alternative style to faster-paced reggaetón rhythms serves as only one example. However, the blending of artists’ styles is not as common. Individuals’ musical taste can vary greatly and often reflect a vast array of genres, and K-pop and Latinx artists have found a way to engage these varying interests. Though Latinx music and K-pop have been regarded separately in the past, this can no longer the case. The merging of these two distinct genres indicates the blossoming of a new sub genre altogether. In fact, these collaborations could very well set the precedent for other ethnic musical genres to come together. 

So although Reik and SUPER JUNIOR’s collaboration in early 2018 seemed to have come as a surprise, this partnership has been long in the making. With all of this built-up buzz in 2018, it leaves audiences to wonder what K-Pop groups and Latinx artists alike will do next in regards to their cross-cultural engagement.