November 13, 2012 12:38

Big pop stars of the future to come from Asia and South America, says report

British charts will see an influx of foreign-language acts after success of Psy's 'Gangnam Style'

Photo: PA

Psy's internet smash 'Gangnam Style' may have had a permanent impact on the UK scene, as a new music industry report predicts that British charts will be increasingly filled with acts from Asia and South America.

'Gangnam Style' has racked up over 700 million hits on YouTube, and gave Seoul rapper Psy the first ever UK Number One by a Korean artist.

According to the report by music industry trade body IFPI, in future record companies will increasingly invest in pop acts Japan, China, Korea and South America – after identifying those countries as the most likely home of the next Rihanna or Lady Gaga.

Max Hole, Chief Operating Officer of Universal Music Group, told The Independent: "I don’t think Psy will be a one-off. The production values and the creativity coming out of Korea are remarkable."

He added: "The focus of the recorded music industry for the last 40 years has been on the ten main music markets – US, the UK, Germany, France etc. The next 30 years the focus is going to move to the emerging markets and that’s very exciting for us."

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