K-Pop Vs. Football; EXO, BTS In The Running To Perform At The FIFA World Cup 2018 Final

Organizers of the FIFA World Cup have decided to let fans decide which songs will play at the 2018 finals, catapulting two of the biggest K-pop music groups, BTS and EXO, in the roster. Other music artists included include J Balvin and Zedd.

"Turn it up and feel the beat!" FIFA's official Twitter account posted on July 4. The organizers let fans picked the song they want to hear. The songs that made it to the top four are Zedd's "The Middle," J Balvin's "Mi Gente," Exo's "Power," and BTS's "Fake Love."

EXO vs. BTS

As K-pop is slowly drawing the attention of Western audiences, it's not surprising why two of South Korea's music artists have been included as top picks for an international event. Both EXO and BTS have achieved international recognition and have gained hardcore fans from many different countries.

EXO has been described as "the biggest boyband in the world" by the media and was labeled as the "Nation's Pick" by Korean press. The group's performance at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang drew widespread global attention and is partly the reason why they are now more well-known in the U.S. more than ever.

BTS, meanwhile, is known for their huge social media presence and at one point made it to the Guinness World Records for "having the world's most Twitter engagements for a music group." The boy group is popular among U.S. audiences as well, having been included on Forbes' most powerful and influential celebrities.

The Winner

In the end, one would have to emerge the winner, and this time, the crown goes to EXO. Their song "Power" will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, which will definitely bring the house down.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe. It is currently ongoing in Russia starting from June 14 and will end with the final match on July 15.