SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — After turning the English-speaking world onto Luis Fonsi’s reggaeton-pop hit “Despacito,” Justin Bieber has displayed once again that his appeal goes beyond culture and genre.
His newest single “Heart and Seoul” rocketed up to number one on the K-pop charts, surpassing K-pop hits “Some”, “Every Moment of You” , and “Full Moon.”
Bieber is the first non-Korean artist to reach number one on the K-pop charts. The chorus of the song is English, however, many music critics have lamented that the rest of his song is in Korean, a language he does not speak.
“It comes off as musically pandering, I suppose,” said Rolling Stone writer Adam Ginsberg. “The song itself is damn catchy. The synths, the bubblegum pop sound, all of it. It totally works, but knowing that he doesn’t understand a lick of what he’s saying is just too much.”
“You’re always going to have naysayers, man,” said Bieber. “I’m just grateful to all my fans in Korea for their love and support. Kamsamnida,” he added with a bow.
Sources close to the Biebs say he is reportedly committed to becoming a serious K-pop artist, and is working on a full K-pop album.
