Coco Avenue
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Coco Avenue

Los Angeles, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF

Los Angeles, CA | SELF
Established on Jan, 2012
Duo R&B Hip Hop

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"CoCo Avenue Looks To Break Down Barriers As The 1st African-American K-Pop Group [EXCLUSIVE]"

CoCo Avenue are on their way to becoming a new address in the Hallyu world. Band members Jenna and Jenny are two African-American hop-hop and R&B singers who found Hallyu sounds artistically irresistible. The two members of the first all-black South Korean pop group met after Jenny posted a Facebook status announcing "I want to start a K-pop group." She wasn't alone. CoCo Avenue quickly grew to a six-member unit and first made waves with their cover of Jay Park's "You Know." CoCo Avenue are now stripped back down to a duo and their fans are known as Coco Puffs. Jenny, 23, from St. Louis, Missouri, and Jenna, 24, from Jacksonville, are getting ready to release original music. In May, they will set out on a tour of South Korea. We spoke to them about their recording plans, their musical past and how they ended up pursing a Korean pop sound in a KpopStarz exclusive interview.
KpopStarz: What was your background in music and performance before CoCo Avenue? Were you in any other groups?
Jenna: Before K-pop I had a background in musical theatre. I took theatre classes for eight years, but K-pop drew me away from dreams of stage, at least in the Broadway sense. As for as music before K-pop, my playlists went anywhere from hip-hop to rock to neo soul to old Disney jams, pretty much everything except country. That one's just always been a big no for me.
Jenny: Before K-pop I was performing R&B on lots of stages around St. Louis. I took part in show choir in high school and had an acoustic band called Breathless Imperfection. In college, I always performed with my keyboard and won a lot of singing competitions which helped me make a name for myself around campus. I listened to a variety of music before discovering K-pop, R&B, J-pop, C-pop, punk rock, pop.
KpopStarz: What drew you to K-pop?
Jenna: Initially it was the dancing. The first couple of videos I watched were dance heavy: "Sorry Sorry" by Super Junior; "Lucifer" by SHINee; "Tell Me" by Wonder Girls and "Bang Bang Bang" by After School. Eventually, more superficial things started to grab my attention. Basically I discovered 2PM and my hormones went a little haywire. But I don't mind admitting that, because it was those things that drew me into the more grounded things I like about K-pop.
Jenny: What drew me to K-pop was how catchy the music was, how different the video concepts were and I was amazed at how many members were in a lot of groups.
KpopStarz: What did you find most surprising about K-pop?
Jenna: I think people would be surprised at how many sub-genres there are in K-pop. People hear K-pop and imagine bright colors and high voices and immediately say they aren't into it. But there are so many different facets. There's rock, hip-hop, R&B, Rasta, electronic, even, to my despair, country. There's really something for everyone in K-pop if they give it a try.
KpopStarz: Tell us about the differences you see in Korean rap and American rap?
Jenna: Well, this is a hard question for me, because both genres are pretty broad. If we're talking about authentic American hip-hop, I would say a general difference is innovation. Hip-hop is innovative and a lot of what Korean hip-hop is, is an emulation of what they see done here. They make it into their own thing. But American hip-hop is the source. Also, the origins are different. Hip-hop was created to give a voice to people who were being oppressed and had no other platform. Korean hip-hop doesn't have that history, but I won't say it doesn't have a real impact on the music industry. Besides language and, sometimes, content, I really don't see much difference.
KpopStarz: What do you bring to your renditions that K-pop fans might appreciate?
Jenny: I feel like our versions of songs always tend to be a bit more soulful. We always give our listeners a new perspective on the songs we cover.
Jenna: I think, if anything, we bring a theme of inclusion. Our renditions highlight men and women of different size, shapes and shade. It is important to us that every K-pop fan is reflected in our work, that they can look at our covers and say "hey, that person's like me and they're doing K-pop!" K-pop itself is a mixture of many different cultures, sound-wise. It's our mission to bring that mixture out physically.
KpopStarz: What do K-pop artist bring to music that American pop fans might not realize?
Jenny: Dedication. Working with Koreans in the music business has shown us one thing consistently--the work ethic is crazy! Food and sleep are for the weak with these people. It's all about getting everything done when it's supposed to be done, the way it's supposed to be done and producing the best possible product at all times. With dedication like that, it's impossible not to be successful in any industry you take part in.
KpopStarz: How did you choose to cover Jay Park's "You Know?"
Jenny: We loved the sound. Jay Park's entire album was lit, but this song was easily my favorite. I thought we could match its style pretty easily, so when we decided we wanted to cover something from the album, we chose this one.
KpopStarz: Is there much interest in K-pop in St. Louis?
Jenny: Finding people in St. Louis who liked K-pop was like finding a needle in a haystack. The only people who really knew anything about K-pop were my cousin who I converted and my Korean friends.
KpopStarz: What was the first K-Pop cover you attempted?
Jenna: Well, I think our first full cover, when we were a five-member group, was 2PM's "A.D.T.O.Y." It was for a competition, which we won. {flips hair} Shortly after that we covered F(X)'s "Rum Pum Pum Pum," which was all shot in different cities, recorded with different mics in our bathrooms and dorm rooms, with different camera qualities, and badly edited green screen. We really came from super humble beginnings, but we were doing what we loved, so we found anyway we could to get our covers out. We also covered BAP's "Coffee Shop," which was one of my favorites, because the music video is of our first time meeting and behind the scenes of shooting our A.D.T.O.Y. cover. It still gives me feels.
KpopStarz: Do you keep in touch with former members of Coco Avenue?
Jenna: Well, one's my sister, so I have no choice. {laughs} We have lost touch with two original members, Brittni and Shervonne, but we talk to Jessica often and she's doing amazingly. All of them support us in what we're doing. I know they're happy about all the things we're accomplishing, and vice versa.
KpopStarz: Is race a factor when it comes to breaking into the K-pop industry?
Jenna: I think if we say race isn't a factor here at all we're being naïve. When we perform in Korean, people see our skin, and they know we aren't Korean. That can influence their perception of us, either positively or negatively. We try not to worry about that though. Our goal is to see people who look like us represented in a positive light in the Korean industry, so we wear our skin so proudly. So to us, it's most definitely a factor, and we aren't afraid of that.
KpopStarz: Can a black American soul group be taken seriously as a K-pop artist?
Jenna: Absolutely. There's responsibility to be held on both sides for this to be possible I think. We, as Americans, have to be careful to appreciate Korean cultur, and not appropriate it in our journey to becoming artists in Korea. Yes, we sing in Korean, but we're not going to start dancing around in Hanboks, bleaching our skin and claiming anything Korean as our own, absolutely not. We are simply being ourselves, bringing our culture to K-pop. At the same time, there's responsibility to be held on the K-pop industry's side. How long will they draw influences from our culture, many times incorrectly, while continuing to perpetuate stereotypes on what black Americans are and not allow us to have a voice in this? I think this is the most important mission for CoCo Avenue. The fans who look like us deserve to be represented in the right way. We want to do that for them.
KpopStarz: Are there any K-pop artists you'd particularly like to collaborate with?
Jenna: Most definitely. I'd like to work with MFBTY. Not only is their sound and image authentic to who they are as people, it's also just really great to listen to, and that's what we want to be. I'd also like to work with ZICO, because his beats are magic, and pretty much everything he touches right now is a hit.
Jenny: I would really like to collaborate with artists like microdot, Jay Park, Gilme, and most of all Hyorin who I look up to as a vocalist.
KpopStarz: What could you teach Hallyu artists about choreography?
Jenna: Absolutely nothing! As far as dance, I think the idols got that on lock. I would say that they should learn the origins of some of the popular American dances they do before they do them. Like I wonder if so many idols would be so quick to Hit The Dab if they knew dabbing is a term for drug use. Someone should tell them those things.
KpopStarz: Do you have any suggestions on K-pop production that someone in the field might not notice?
Jenna: I think if there was someone to consult, to tell them when they're in danger of appropriation, many times a lot of tension between international fans and Korean fans could be avoided.
KpopStarz: What sets you apart from Hallyu fans?
Jenny: I think the only thing that separated us from fans of K-pop is that we are producing our own Korean music on a professional level. We had a goal that put us beyond watching our favorite groups on television, and so we pushed for that goal. But we'll always be fans, even once we do make it to our goals. That's the thing about K-pop. Once you're a part of the fandom, there's really no escape.
KpopStarz: Do you prefer live shows or recording?
Jenna: I definitely prefer live shows. There's nothing like feeding off the energy of the crowd and getting that instant feedback when they hear our songs. Recording is fun, but the stage has always been where it's at for me.
KpopStarz: What do you think of the famously intense work ethic and training of K-pop artists?
Jenna: I think it's absolutely necessary. You don't make the strides that K-pop has made without having that work ethic. I think it's something we need to adopt if we want to see growth in our own music.
KpopStarz: When will we hear original music from CoCo Avenue?
Jenna: Soon! We've been in the studio, recording and mixing and mastering and music videos are in the planning stages. We're hoping to have our first original song in Korean out in the next couple of months, so be on the lookout,
KpopStarz: How is your GoFundMe campaign going to raise money for recording?
Jenny: It's going well. We always appreciate any help we get, especially when it's coming from people who believe in what we're doing and want to see us succeed. But we still have a lot further to go, and any bit helps.
KpopStarz: Are you excited about your trip to South Korea?
Jenna: Excited and nervous, because there are a lot of big plans for this trip. We're meeting some pretty cool people, and we're setting up some awesome things, so this is more than just a vacation to us. The motto for this trip will definitely be "Work Hard, Play Hard."
KpopStarz: What do you expect you'll be most excited to see or hear?
Jenna: I think they'll be wrapping up "Show Me the Money 5" while we're out there, so I'm hoping to see a couple of the live shows. Jenny and I are also preparing a couple of guerilla performances, so we're hoping those go well.
KpopStarz: What's next?
Jenna: Next is really introducing the world to the idea of a Black Girl Group that sings in Korean. We're really going to show them that this isn't a gimmick, that we'll have hit songs in English and Korean, and we're serious about this. We're going on tours, we're selling albums, we're here, and we don't plan on going anywhere. We just hope the world is ready.
Watch CoCo Avenue covering 4MINUTE's "Crazy" RIGHT HERE. - Kpop Starz


"Meet CocoAvenue: The World’s First All Black K-Pop Group"

According to society, Black people and K-Pop are polar opposites. They’re like two conflicting entities that were never meant to meet. Kind of like roasted peanuts and collard greens. You just don’t do that. Right?
Well, I say wrong. With some K-Pop stars donning clothing and accessories made popular by Black people while singing R&B, why is it so farfetched that melanated individuals may actually enjoy it? And, why is it so strange to think that Black people may want to ride the Hallyu wave as well?

That’s where Jenna and Jenny come along. Two beautiful and talented Black women who have made a name for themselves singing K-Pop covers under the name “CocoAvenue”. When I came across their amazing cover of Jay Park’s ‘You Know’ I knew I needed to know more about the girls making history as the first all Black K-Pop group!

How Social Media Brought Them Together:
Jenny, hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, originally found Jenna, a Jacksonville native, through Youtube. Because both girls sang R&B K-Pop covers, are Black, and have similar names viewers often got them confused. “People thought we were the same person” Jenny amusedly explained. This Parent Trap type situation led Jenny to message Jenna and they began singing K-Pop covers together. But it wasn’t until Jenny posted a status update on Facebook saying “I want to start a K-Pop group”, that CocoAvenue was born. Six members later, the group started to record videos together. “In the beginning we had to ‘green screen’ each other together” explained Jenna, as she detailed how each girl lived in a different state, making rehearsing and recording extremely difficult.

After time the six member group evolved into a duo but, unlike a few ex-members of Destiny’s Child, there’s no bad blood between the girls. “We all still support each other” the girls said of the past members of the group, “And we’re very passionate about what we do.” That passion is what led them to relocate together to the land of opportunity: Los Angeles.

Overcoming Obstacles:
Being Black and doing anything other than what’s expected of you will always raise eyebrows, and being in the K-Pop world invites a whole new wave of criticism. “Race is a double edged sword” Jenna explained, “It can help us because we stand out, but it hurts us because we can be seen as a gimmick. But that’s not the case”, she continued, “We’re serious about this.”

The girls went on to tell a story of a promotional company that only wanted to book attractive Asian males and the frustration that experience caused. They realized, as most Black people eventually do, that they have to be a million times better than their peers to even be considered as an option. But even with that standing in their way they wouldn’t have it any other way. “We’re so proud of being Black” declared Jenna.

It’s no secret that negative stereotypes affect how the world sees Black people, and in South Korea that is no different. Blackface is common comedic practice and Black people are seen as aggressive, poor and more. Jenna and Jenny hope to break those stereotypes through their music. “K-Pop fans aren’t all the same color” explained Jenna.

And to people who may say they can’t be a K-Pop group because they aren’t Korean, the girls had this to say: “A lot of what K-Pop is comes from what R&B and Hip Hop used to be”. They also described how K-Pop takes from Black culture, then shuts out the creators of the culture, a sentiment I myself have shared here on the blog.

What’s In Store For CocoAvenue in the Future?
While the group doesn’t have any original music available for purchase yet, they’re on a mission to record their first EP this year. Instead of giving their fans, deemed “Coco Puffs”, low quality music, Jenny created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money so they can deliver a top notch album.

“The campaign goes towards studio-time, expenses, renting rehearsal spots and purchasing music rights” said Jenna as she explained just how expensive being a recording artist can be, “Sometimes we get requested to perform at a location, but can’t afford to make the trip”.

One trip they are making? South Korea. The duo will be traveling to the ROK in May to make major moves and catapult their careers!

As a Black K-Pop fan myself let me tell you, what these girls are doing is brave, it’s bold, and it’s important. Representation matters in all arenas, and I’m personally a bit over watching performers use up our culture and spit us out. CocoAvenue is a refreshing change in the world of K-Pop and let’s do what we can to support them.

Want to keep up with CocoAvenue? Check them out on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, Youtube! - Black In Korea


"LOS ANGELES KOREAN FESTIVAL BROUGHT K-POP TO SEOUL INTERNATIONAL PARK"

...K-pop was virtually everywhere on the grounds of Seoul International Park on Saturday evening. Girls Generation blasted in a corner where people were indulging in boba drinks and ice cream. On the opposite side of the grounds, a group of teenage girls rummaged through boxes of ephemera inside a booth that was stocked with the coolest goods repping the latest crop of Korean superstars. Early in the evening, a local duo called Coco Avenue — two non-Korean women who won a K-pop singing contest at last year's festival — got the crowd dancing with their gender-swapped cover of G-Dragon and Taeyang's hit "Good Boy..." - LA Weekly


"Singing duo wins LA regionals of K-pop World Festival"

The Los Angeles regionals of the annual K-pop World Festival — a competition held by the Korean government, KBS and the city of Changwon, South Korea, which gathers talents from around the globe — found a winner last week in CoCo Avenue, a singing duo.

Comprised of Jenna Rogers, 24, and Jenny Johnson, 23, the duo picked up the grand prize inside a University of Southern California auditorium after impressing a crowd of 200 with their rendition of 4men’s “Baby Baby.”

Fourteen teams participated in the contest, organized locally by the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles.

CoCo Avenue will go on to the festival in South Korea with free round-trip tickets.

The festival is a part of the Korean government’s attempt to spread Hallyu around the world and will be held next month in Changwon. - The Korea Times


"'K-팝 경연대회' 성황리 끝나..코코 애비뉴 우승"

지난 28일
USC 강당에서 열린 '2015 K-팝 아메리카 경연대회'에서
'코코 애비뉴'란 이름으로 출전한
올해 24살의 제나 로저스와 23살 제니 존슨 팀이
한국 발라드 듀오 포맨의 '베이비 베이비'를 열창해 우승했다.

이들은 K-팝이 좋아 한국어를 배우고
LA 한인타운으로 이사까지 한 '한류팬'이다.

'코코 애비뉴'는 부상으로
한국 왕복 비행기표와 KBS 뮤직뱅크 입장권을 받았다.

또 오는 10월 경남 창원에서 열리는
'2015 K-팝 월드 페스티벌'에 미국 서부 대표로 참가하게 된다.

2등은 태스티의 버스터 음악에 춤을 춘
22살 자라 타라씨에게 돌아갔다.

올해로 5번째를 맞는
'2015 K-팝 아메리카 경연대회'에는
모두 14개 팀이 참가해
멋진 가창력과 화려한 댄스를 선보였다. - Radio Korea


"“K팝 경연대회 1등 실력 보여드릴게요”"

“K-팝을 사랑을 전 세계에 알리고싶어요”

LA에서 K-팝에 푹 빠진 숙녀 두 명이 LA 한인축제에서 한국 대중가요를유창하게 부른다. 제나 로스와 제니 리릭은 10월3일 오후 7시 서울국제공원 중앙무대에서 ‘코코 애비뉴’ 공연에 나선다.

코코 애비뉴는 한국 대중가요와 한국어를 좋아한 숙녀가 결성한 걸그룹이다. 한국 음악과 문화에 큰 관심을 내보인 이들은 시간이 날 때마다 한국어로 노래와 랩을 연습한다.

코코 애비뉴의 실력은 이미 가요계에서도 주목받았다. 이들은 엠넷 아메리카 K팝 경연대회에 출연했고 워싱턴 DC K팝 경연대회에서는 1등을 차지했다. 또한 아메리카 K팝 페스티벌에 우승해 K-콘(Kcon) 무대에 3년째 오르고 있다.

이들은 LA 한인축제중앙무대를 통해 한국어 노래를 연습한 실력을 뽐낼 예정이다. 코코애비뉴는 최신 가요부터 인기곡까지 멋진 무대공연을 선보일 것이라고 전했다.

로스와 제니는 “K팝을 부를 때 가장 신이난다. 한국어로 부른 노래 음반을 발매하면 참 좋겠다”고 말했다. - Korea Times


"Who Is Coco Avenue"

Korean pop, or K-Pop, is a musical genre originating in South Korea which describes their modern form of pop music ranging from dance-pop to pop ballad, electronic, rock, metal, hip hop, as well as R&B. It was and is still a major influence of the Hallyu-the Korean Wave of South Korean pop culture-which spread like wildfire around the late 90’s. Here today, riding this wave, we introduce you to the world’s very first all black K-Pop group: CocoAvenue. Two beautiful black women with the unique talent of singing in the Korean language. As a fan of beauty and all things foreign, I must say, Damn, that’s sexy!
This duo, which was once six members, is made up of Jenny from St. Louis, who found Jenna of Jacksonville, via YouTube. Kind of hard to miss when fans often confused the two because both were black, sang R&B K-Pop covers, and had similar names. Either way, we are glad the universe brought them together. Some things are just meant to be. Though I personally do not speak or understand the Korean language, I must say they’re voices are truly captivating and enticing. For all I know, they could be talking smack and I’d still fall in love with them.
In our time, we have seen our share of American R&B/hip hop/pop girl groups from Salt-N-Pepa and TLC to 3LW and Destiny’s Child. Now, we have these two stepping into the unknown and making it look good! In this industry, two things are certain: you will have fans and you will have haters. Let them hate! Barriers were made to be broken, and these two beauties are doing just that! Get it, girls! - Gold Pager


"Jenny Lyric and Jenna Rose of Coco Avenue: When K-Pop is not Korean"

Duo Jenny Lyric and Jenna Rose of CoCo Avenue are contributing to K-pop and they are not even Koreans, but African Americans. K-pop is a big world apart from Psy and his phenomenal, "Gangnam Style." It is a world that has already been making a global wave, and there are other artists in the sphere who are not from South Korea.

Read more: http://en.yibada.com/articles/125255/20160521/coco-avenue-jenny-lyric-jenna-rose-k-pop.htm#ixzz4Besn3Qj6

Los Angeles-based CoCo Avenue are not even coming from Koreatown. Jenny Lyric hails from St. Louis, Missouri while Jenna Rose is from New Brunswick, New Jersey.
CocoAvenue makes the supposedly opposite Black people and K-pop go together, according to Black in Korea. They are two talented and beautiful black girls who wanted to ride the Hallyu wave, have made a name for themselves singing K-pop covers and are starting to make history.
The African American girls both found K-pop from YouTube, and admired the girl group Wonder Girls in 2009 who opened for them, other K-pop acts. They then created music videos each which they posted on YouTube, were able to build a following and fans started to be confused who is Lyric and who is Rose since their genres were the same.
Lyric then reached out to Rose and offered that they do covers together because they are like twins. Being non-Koreans, the duo feel they have opened a lot of doors about K-pop.
Then they made covers together and CocoAvenue was born. The group used to have six members. With each girl living far away from each other, or in different states, recording and rehearsing had been difficult.
Coco Avenue ended up with two members though they still support each other. The duo Lyric and Rose then relocated to the land of opportunities, Los Angeles.
However, just like other artists, they were not able to please everyone. Some criticized them for not really doing K-pop, mainly because they are not contributing money to Korea, USA Today reported. Yet, the girls just love to sing Korean and even gain fans in Seoul who love their covers of popular K-Pop songs, with some twist to add their own taste.
Here is Coco Avenue Lyric and Rose with two members of Coco Crew, covering GD and Taeyang's "Good Boy," obviously changed to "Good Girl." - Yibada


"Musical duo Coco Avenue is breaking stereotypes with their own brand of K-Pop"

K-Pop is a global phenomenon. As a soft economic power, it has spanned the globe and converted tens of millions of fans who now love Korean pop culture music, TV and film. If there was a benchmark for K-Pop, arguably it was Psy’s massive global hit, “Gangnam Style”, which is one of the most viewed YouTube videos EVER, passing the 2.5 billion viewer mark.

But as K-Pop is evolving, there are tons of other artists making Korean pop music — and they’re not all Korean. Case-in-point is CoCo Avenue, a duo based in Los Angeles. You may think they hail from LA’s Koreatown, but Jenny Lyric is originally from St. Louis and Jenna Rose was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. And they’re both African American.

Both singers, like most indie musicians today, posted their performances on YouTube and they both connected with their mutual love for K-Pop, recording covers of K-Pop hits. They eventual gained followings and before you know it, they collaborated with duets and eventually joined forces. Coco Avenue was born!

But some critics say what they’re doing is not really K-pop. And most of the comments come from those in Korean American communities. The main charge they make is that CoCo Avenue is not really contributing money to Korea, therefore it’s not really K-pop. Lyric says, “It’s not so much what we classify ourselves as.” Rose adds, “We just like to sing in Korean.”

And sing in Korean they did — to fans in Seoul. They recently played a concert there and got a huge, positive response. Fans, of course, recognized the songs, as most of what CoCo Avenue sings are covers of popular K-pop tunes. But Lyric is quick to add that “it’s our goal to put our own thing, our own sound, into what they’ve already created. And I think the people who watch our covers appreciate that we take that twist on it.”

The duo were recently interviewed on PRI’s The World and it’s an insightful talk with host Marco Werman. It just goes to show that K-Pop is becoming universal and although some Korean communities are crying foul that non-Koreans are entering the marketplace, it just goes to show that inclusion is they key for this industry to prosper. - YomYomF


"Breaking stereotypes with their own take on K-Pop"

Ask most music fans what they know about K-pop and they'll probably mention Psy and his massive global hit, "Gangnam Style."
But there are tons of other artists making Korean pop music — and they're not all Korean.

Check out CoCo Avenue, a duo based in Los Angeles. You may think they hail from LA's Koreatown, but Jenny Lyric is originally from St. Louis and Jenna Rose was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. And they're both African American.

Lyric and Rose both discovered K-pop from watching videos on You Tube, particularly the Wonder Girls, a girl group from South Korea. "Seeing their video on You Tube was kinda the gateway to seeing every other K-pop act after that," Lyric says. This was in 2009.

Both women started making music videos on their own, posted them on You Tube, and built a following, seperately. But then fans started confusing them. "People would message Jenny, thinking I was her," says Rose.

Eventually it was Lyric who reached out and said "I think we're kinda like twins. Let's do some covers together."

Because they're not Korean, both women feel they've "opened a lot of doors ... about what is K-pop," says Rose.

But some critics say what they're doing is not really K-pop. And most of the comments come from those in Korean American communities. The main charge they make is that CoCo Avenue is not really contributing money to Korea, therefore it's not really K-pop. Lyric says, "It's not so much what we classify ourselves as." Rose adds, "We just like to sing in Korean."
And sing in Korean they did — to fans in Seoul. They recently played a concert there and got a huge, positive response. Fans, of course, recognized the songs, as most of what CoCo Avenue sings are covers of popular K-pop tunes. But Lyric is quick to add that "it's our goal to put our own thing, our own sound, into what they've already created. And I think the people who watch our covers appreciate that we take that twist on it." - PRI (NPR)


"You don't have to be Korean to be a K-pop star"

Ask most music fans what they know about K-pop and they'll probably mention Psy and his massive global hit, "Gangnam Style."

But there are tons of other artists making Korean pop music — and they're not all Korean.

Check out CoCo Avenue, a duo based in Los Angeles. You may think they hail from L.A.'s Koreatown, but Jenny Lyric is originally from St. Louis and Jenna Rose was born in New Brunswick, N.J. And they're both African American.

Lyric and Rose both discovered K-pop from watching videos on YouTube, particularly the Wonder Girls, a girl group from South Korea. "Seeing their video on You Tube was kinda the gateway to seeing every other K-pop act after that," Lyric says. This was in 2009.

Both women started making music videos on their own, posted them on YouTube, and built a following, separately. But then fans started confusing them. "People would message Jenny, thinking I was her," says Rose.

Eventually it was Lyric who reached out and said "I think we're kinda like twins. Let's do some covers together."

Because they're not Korean, both women feel they've "opened a lot of doors ... about what is K-pop," said Rose.

But some critics say what they're doing is not really K-pop. And most of the comments come from those in Korean American communities. The main charge they make is that CoCo Avenue is not really contributing money to Korea, therefore it's not really K-pop. Lyric says, "It's not so much what we classify ourselves as." Rose added, "We just like to sing in Korean."

And sing in Korean they did — to fans in Seoul. They recently played a concert there and got a huge, positive response. Fans, of course, recognized the songs, as most of what CoCo Avenue sings are covers of popular K-pop tunes. But Lyric is quick to add that "it's our goal to put our own thing, our own sound, into what they've already created. And I think the people who watch our covers appreciate that we take that twist on it."

This story was first published on PRI.org and GlobalPost. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY. - USA TODAY


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Coco Avenue is an LA based African American Female duo that sings and raps covers and original songs in Korean and English.

Coco Avenue was formed in 2012 with 6 original members. They received attention after appearing on the Mnet America mini-series #MyKpop. After moving to LA, current members Jenna and Jenny began making a name for themselves by winning kpop cover competitions all over the US as well as performing at events like Ktown Night Market, OC block Party, Best of Ktown, Annual LA Korean Festival, Kpop-con Miami, and Kcon. Currently, they are collaborating with multiple individuals in the kpop music industry to  complete their first original EP which will feature Korean and English versions of each song. 

Band Members