Why K-pop is in crisis

Plus, 6 things to know about heat pumps before you buy. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by Suzanne Nuyen April 9, 2023 Good morning and Happy Easter. This week, [Trump's felony charges were revealed]( [Tennessee's House expelled two members]( and [Twitter slapped a false label]( on NPR's account. Plus, Scott Simon asks questions about democracy and accountability. Best of NPR It's no doubt that K-pop is a global phenomenon. The music genre has [inspired thousands]( to enroll in Korean language classes, pushed girl group [BLACKPINK to the top]( of Spotify's charts and [introduced new categories]( to award shows. When BTS performed for NPR's [Tiny Desk Concerts]( K-pop fans [broke a viewership]( record in less than an hour. [BLACKPINK performs onstage at the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.]( Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV/Paramount Global But K-pop's upward trend could be ending, according to a leading figure in the industry. Bang Si-hyuk, who chief produces BTS, says growth has slowed or turned negative in some markets and [the industry "is in crisis]( 🎵 BTS' hiatus could play a factor. The megahit group made K-pop a key player in the global music market, but the band [took a break last summer]( for mandatory military service. 🎵 The K in K-pop is diluting as non-Korean producers use the industry model to develop local artists. 🎵 The dilution could make or break the genre. Whether or not its identity as Korean music will persist as it evolves remains to be seen. New to K-pop? Whether you're a die-hard stan or just starting out, check out some of NPR's guides to the industry. 🏁 Start here to sample some [essential K-pop hits]( throughout each generation of the genre's evolution. 🎧 Let LAist's Vivian Yoon take you on an eight-episode historical journey through the music that defines her in [California Love: K-pop Dreaming](. 🎧 Listen to Throughline's Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei break down how a war-torn, decimated Korea became a [major global soft power driver](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- The Week That Was [Angel Reese of the LSU Tigers gestures toward Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes by pointing to her ring finger toward the end of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game in Dallas on Sunday.]( Maddie Meyer/Getty Images LSU beat the University of Iowa's women's basketball team last weekend to earn its first NCAA championship title in a record-breaking, triple-digit-scoring game. But that's not what fans were talking about all week. Instead, a [storm of internet debate ensued]( over LSU player Angel Reese's use of a hand gesture to taunt Iowa's Caitlin Clark during the game. The criticism of Reese, who is Black, revealed a racist double standard. U.S. sales of super-efficient heat pumps are rising, as many tout them as a key climate solution. Think of the machine as an air conditioner that can work backwards: It uses a refrigerant to cool air on hot days but can also absorb bits of heat from the outdoors to warm your home. Before you hurry out to buy one, [read our guide]( to decide if it's the best solution for you. Getting laid off is never fun, and it's even scarier if you're on parental or medical leave when it happens. Unfortunately, it's legal for companies to [lay off an employee in the middle of leave]( as long as it doesn't use the leave as the reason for letting them go. 🎧 Newly laid-off employees give their advice on how to cope. This past Friday, Samantha Casiano held a funeral for her daughter Halo, who was [born two months early and lived just four hours](. Halo had a congenital disability called anencephaly and could never survive. Still, Casiano had to give birth because Texas abortion laws do not have an exception for fetal anomalies. After her experience, she says, she won't get pregnant again for fear of reliving the experience. --------------------------------------------------------------- Podcast Picks [An image of a robotic woman holding a man over a blue background. ]( Donald Iain Smith; Usman Kawazoe It's Been A Minute: Brittany Luse wants to give you new ways to think about the things everyone's talking about, beyond the obvious takes. 🎧 This week, she talks to Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz, who writes for New York Magazine's The Cut, about how [AI chatbots are coming for our love lives](. Civics 101, from NHPR: Haven't been in a social studies class in a while? Here's a refresher course on how our democracy works. 🎧 Albert "Buzz" Scherr, a criminal law and justice professor, explains [how grand juries and indictments work]( and the process around former President Trump's recent legal woes. Detours, from WGBH and PRX: Adam Monahan, longtime producer of Antiques Roadshow, reveals what happens to all the stuff on the show after the cameras leave town. 🎧 Arnold Shapiro is responsible for putting Peanuts cartoons on Hallmark greeting cards. This week, hear about Arnold's 12-year relationship with Peanuts creator Charles Schultz and follow the journey of his comic strip collection from [six-figure TV appraisal to a permanent home]( at the Charles M. Schulz Museum. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scott's Thoughts [Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives at an event at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida.]( Joe Raedle/Getty Images A good weekend to you, after a week in which a former president was indicted. No one in America is above the law. But also, the Tennessee legislature expelled two elected state reps for protesting for gun control on the House floor. Both reminded me of a recent effort by David Miliband. He's the former U.K. foreign secretary, now head of the International Rescue Community as well as a separate working group that judges progress not just by democracy but accountability, which has produced a world Atlas of Impunity. We asked him: Q: How does accountability differ from democracy? A: Democracy is one (strong) form of accountability. But democracy is no guarantee. Human rights are undermined in some democratic societies. Do we need to see a strengthening of democracy? Yes. But is that enough? No. Q: Where do you see that today? A: The impunity we have seen in Ukraine, from the invasion to rampant violations of international humanitarian law, is part of a broader global trend. Twice as many aid workers have been killed in the last decade as in the one before that. Civilians now account for 84% of war casualties. Democracy is in retreat, with governments suborning the judiciary and intimidating the media. Look at the climate crisis through impunity: The current generation is able to override the interests of future generations because future generations have no say. Q: The U.S. scores better on your index than Russia or China. But it’s still No. 118 out of 163 countries. Where do we fall short? A: Racial discrimination, economic inequality, and democratic access. The purpose of the Atlas is to offer to people the chance to see how their country performs and to argue for change. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter was edited by Carol Ritchie. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]