Growing up, I was obsessed with both Asian and Western pop culture. In Asian pop culture, the term is widely recognized because idol culture is such an established part of the entertainment industry. Groups like One Direction or Little Mix share some similarities with Asian idol groups, but they are usually described as pop groups or boy bands and girl groups rather than idols. In many Asian entertainment industries, entertainment companies function as talent developers, investing in performers before they debut and creating a complete package around them. in the end…As I tried to understand why there is such a difference between Asian and Western pop industries, I realized that the definition of an idol may never have a fixed answer.