When most Americans think of K-Pop, they may think of flashy videos to upbeat songs with intensive choreography with lyrics they can't understand. Some may even go as far to label K-Pop as "weird" or "out-there." The last thing that comes to mind is a group of white boys singing in Korean. However, that is exactly the image a peculiar group of American men is trying to portray. What originally started as a thesis project by a graduate student is turning into a topic about representation in the music industry and the K-Pop industry in general.

For those who may be unaware, the group in question known as EXP EDITION originally started as a thesis project by Bora Kim at Columbia University. Just recently, the group relocated to South Korea in order to attempt to become an idol group in the competitive industry. Now, what makes the group peculiar is that none of the members are Korean, or even full Asian. One of the members is half-German and half-Japanese while the other members are ethnically white. While the group raises some eyebrows, there are others who are questioning what's wrong with these group of guys doing what they're doing. Well, I'm about to break it down for you.

There are may be people who argue that "K-Pop should be more diverse!" I see where you're getting at, but think of it this way. Non-Korean idols is not a new concept in the genre. There are plenty of idols who come from all over Asia such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand just to name a few. There are even idols who come from Canada and here in America. However, how many Asian artists that are successful in the American music industry are you able to name? The answer is probably pretty close to none. K-Pop, along with other genres of Asian music, serves as a place for Asian artists that the American music industry doesn't offer. So, in a sense, it is quite essential for K-Pop idols to be Asian because they represent a race that is not fairly represented everywhere else.The fact that EXP EDITION is made up of members who are not Korean or full Asian is not the thing that is trying to break into the music scene in an Asian country with Asian people is not the most frustrating about the group, which may be a surprise to those who are not K-Pop fans. What's frustrating about the group is the fact that they seemed to have bypassed the entire system. While K-Pop is all glitz and glam from the outside, there is a lot going on behind-the-scenes that we don't see. Idols start out as trainees as young as 9-10-years-old and train for periods lasting anywhere from 1 year to 5 years after auditioning for entertainment companies. There are even trainees that never get to debut because that is how competitive the industry is. The fact that EXP EDITION has just recently moved to Korea and are entering music programs and putting out music like it's nothing while so many other trainees have been training for years is what is really frustrating. If they really think they have a shot at being idols, they should be subjected to the same experience as everyone else.

I'm not trying to hate or rain on their parade. All I'm saying is that there are a few very obvious problems with the group that needs to be sorted out, like the fact that they don't speak Korean. The K-Pop industry has given rare exceptions to idols before, but EXP EDITION should not be one of them.