Internet distribution flattened national boundaries into one global pop culture market

Evidence

But to Western audiences, “Gangnam Style” felt utterly novel. Few were familiar with K-pop’s slick production, neon aesthetics, and synchronized choreography. That July, rapper T-Pain tweeted, “Words cannot even describe how amazing this video is…” which helped launch the song into a sprawling pop culture phenomenon. At a Dodgers game in Los Angeles that August, Psy was spotted by the stadium Dance Cam, and after briefly hesitating, he performed his now-iconic horse-riding dance to thunderous applause. By September, Scooter Braun had signed Psy to his label, exclaiming, “There is one reason…to be a part of history, to do something no one has ever done before.” The internet had not only introduced K-pop to a global audience but also transformed a controversial, mid-career rapper into an unlikely international sensation. By the year’s end, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism gave Google a special achievement award for its role in spreading K-pop globally, and “Gangnam Style” became the first YouTube video to surpass two billion views. Technology was no longer just a vehicle for globalization; it was becoming a means of cultural equalization. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 298