| Brittany Press, publicity manager at Helix Publicity / Courtesy of Brittany Press |
"Although more K-pop groups are coming to the U.S. for their promotions and some are scoring well-deserved award nominations at American music awards, it seems many people in the U.S. music industry still want K-pop to go away, believing it is just a fad," Press, the publicity manager at Helix Publicity, said in a recent email interview with The Korea Times.
Helix is a New York City-based publicity agency dedicated to promoting K-pop and Asian artists in the international markets. It currently works with K-pop stars like MAMAMOO's Wheein, AB6IX and LIGHTSUM.
| Wheein of K-pop girl group MAMAMOO / Courtesy of The L1VE |
"There are close-minded people who do not understand K-pop because it is in another language or because they have an outdated and, frankly, racist point of view about Asian artists. Many simply do not take it seriously and consider it as 'real' music," she added.
Some major media professionals scoffing at K-pop and Asian artists have even asked her why Helix does not work with any white artists.
"They often do not even listen or give any kind of consideration to the artists we are currently promoting," Press said. "It is a true shame, but I hope this will gradually change as time passes and K-pop artists keep promoting their music worldwide."
Hence, the ultimate goal of Press and Helix is to make the voices of K-pop singers and Asian artists heard in the U.S. and other parts of the world, without compromising their images to make them more "Western."
"It has taken Asians far too long to be widely appreciated in the West despite their talents," she pointed out. "In the past, when Korean singers came to the U.S., this was hardly covered in the media, with only their fans knowing about the news. Even when they made it into radio or TV shows, this had such a little impact that most people do not realize or remember that Girls' Generation was on 'Late Show with David Letterman' and that Wonder Girls did a movie with channel Nickelodeon in 2012."
| K-pop act Girls' Generation / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
As Press said earlier, things are changing in a positive way these days, but she believes more can be done.
"I would like to see more nominations outside of the specially created 'K-pop' category," she noted. "I want to see more K-pop stars getting spins on the radio. To achieve these goals, I and Helix are working closely with Korean music labels to further promote K-pop singers and connect them to their global fans."
In fact, everyone working at Helix is a K-pop fan and Press is no exception. The manager, who joined Helix in 2021, said she has been into K-pop since she was a pre-teen.
"I love K-pop's choreography, its elaborate stages and how passionate the artists are in every aspect of their work," she said. "I also love the feeling that the music emits. In fact, I have been a fan of Kim Jae-joong and Kim Jun-su, the former members of K-pop act TVXQ, since 2003 and I hope I get a chance to team up with them in the future."
Currently, Helix is promoting a plethora of high-profile K-pop acts. Asked which K-pop rookies are getting noticed in the international market these days, Press named Omega X, aespa, Kep1er, ENHYPEN, IVE and Xdinary Heroes.
"In the case of Omega X, which is one of our clients, its insanely catch songs and the members' immense talents are gaining people's attention," she said. "And the group's 'second chance' back-story is another factor leading people to root for it."
Omega X ― comprising Jaehan, Hwichan, Sebin, Hangyeom, Taedong, Xen, Jehyun, Kevin, Junghoon, Hyuk and Yechan ― debuted under Spire Entertainment in 2021 with the EP, "Vamos." All members either participated in survival shows or debuted as part of other K-pop acts prior to joining Omega X. As of Friday, the music video of its January release, "LOVE ME LIKE" exceeded 15 million views on YouTube.
Press then moved on to talk about Helix's competitive edge. According to her, the company makes catered campaigns for each client, offering various pricing options that fit their budgets and needs.
"We do not ask for a long-term agreement if it is our first time working together, as we believe it is important that we become true partners first," she elaborated. "We also have employees in-house who speak our clients' respective languages. We do most of our work with K-pop labels remotely, but at times, we have staff working with the agencies in person. We initially reach out via email or schedule in-person meetings in Korea to discuss the potential for working together."
Wrapping up the interview, Press disclosed what she wants to accomplish in the days to come.
"Opening up a physical office in Korea would be amazing," she said. "Most of all though, I would love to see Helix becoming a leading PR agency in the industry, known specifically for working with Asian artists and for amplifying their voices on a global scale."