Hallyu reaches Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Step aside Britney, make way for Rain

Britney Spears (25) was once every Cambodian girl's idol. Her face appeared on millions of T-shirts and school bags. Her posters were plastered on beauty parlour walls and souvenir shops.

But the scandals surrounding the pop tart (ouch!) and other young American starlets have horrified the youth of culturally-conservative Cambodia.

There is a boom in locally-produced Cambodian music, Indonesian, Indian & yes, South Korean artists.

According to a proprietor of Empire Disc music shop in Phnom Penh, Britney's latest album - due for release in November has received virtually no interest - and offerings later than her 2000 studio album Oops I did it Again no longer moved.

He also said, "We don't sell Korean music yet, but there is not a day that goes by when someone doesn't ask for it." (Yoo hoo...calling all Businessmen...Cambodia is an untapped market for Korean music.) He added, "Television now shows a lot of Korean music clips, and people want to buy it."

The article further mentions that...wholesome Korean pop sensation Rain is a huge star in Cambodia. Britney, by comparison, has lost significant appeal.

I bet Britney's recent performance on the MTV Awards (refer to photo above) did not help one bit. A 23-year-old music fan from Cambodia said, "She is a mother of two but she dances with few clothes. We don't want to follow our parents' ideals exactly, but we don't want to follow this example either."

Source: The Star Newspaper, Malaysia (World News, W44) - Monday 24, Sept 2007




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