This article analyzed the reason why the K-Pop group Girls’ Generation can win the YouTube Music Award, beating many impressive musicians, such as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus. The claim is that Girls’ Generation can win this big award is because of their “obsessive, insatiable, all-consuming devotion” fan bases since the winners were chosen based on how many fresh shares they got. Personally, I think this claim is kind of offensive and rude, but in a way the reasons are the truths in a way. The author quoted the comments of the CEO of K-Pop fansite Koreaboo and the owner of K-Pop culture community Soompi.com as evidence to show that the rabid fandom and pride for their objects of affection are the most important factor in this competition. Also, the author used her own experience in Korea as warrant to describe how the Korean consumers are crazy about the music videos. For the backing, the words of Jeff Benjamin, who covers K-Pop for Billboard stated what the large fans can do in YouTube without restrictions. At the last, the author even made a prediction that next year it will be another K-Pop artist winning this award unless other competitors have this manic support base. Personally, we should respect the effort that Girls’ Generation paid for their songs and albums, even though their fans played an essential role in this award. Girls’ Generation deserve all these glories.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/11/04/why-girls-generation-and-k-pop-won-big-at-the-youtube-music-awards/