South Korea
Jung Kook is gearing up for the release of new music. On Sunday (June 2), the BTS star announced that he will be dropping a new single titled “Never Let Go.” The track is set for release at 1 p.m. KST on June 7 through Weverse and BTS’ official social media channels. ‘Never Let Go’ […]
BTS has announced plans for its 2024 FESTA celebration.
This year’s event, to be held June 13 at Seoul Sports Complex in South Korea, will mark the superstar K-pop group’s 11th anniversary.
The 2024 FESTA will feature an official appearance by BTS’ Jin following the completion of his military mandatory obligation. The singer-songwriter will be giving a hug (or handshake, if preferable) to 1,000 lucky fans at the complex’s Jamsil Arena, according to a news release. Jin will also deliver a message “consisting of a variety of segments promising an unforgettable experience for ARMY,” the release says. The artist’s message will be livestreaming to those with ARMY Membership through Weverse Live.
In addition to Jin’s appearance, this year’s FESTA will offer a variety of activities, including a sketch diary to commemorate BTS’ 11th anniversary.
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On Saturday (June 1), BTS unveiled the official timeline for the 2024 FESTA. Leading up to the main event, the boy band share a collection of unreleased photos, stream previous concerts, and post handwritten content from each of the seven members.
BTS’ Jin, RM, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook are currently serving in the South Korean military, which mandates an 18-month military enlistment for all able-bodied men by the time they turn 28. A few of the members have pursued various solo projects amid their service, and the full group is planning to reconvene for band activities in 2025.
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BTS made its first Billboard chart appearance in 2013, when “No More Dreams” debuted at No. 14 on World Digital Song Sales (before climbing to No. 2 seven years later). Since then, the group has broken numerous records, including the most Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 debuts among groups and the most top 10 debuts among groups. It’s been an exciting few years for the BTS boys individually as well, as all seven members of have now scored solo hits on the Hot 100.
Further information about the 2024 FESTA, which is open to the public, will be revealed at a later date. See the BTS’ announcement on X (formerly Twitter) below.
RM has dropped the music video for his song “Groin,” which appears on the BTS star’s new album, Right Place, Wrong Person.
On Monday (May 27), the RM shared the Pennacky-directed clip for “Groin,” which finds the singer and rapper decked out in a dark Adidas track jacket while dancing and rapping in the streets.
The three-minute video arrives on the heels of RM’s second solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person, which was released on Friday (May 24), and topped Billboard‘s latest weekly new music poll featuring artists in various genres of music.
Right Place, Wrong Person brings with it 11 new tracks for fans to enjoy amid BTS’ military obligations.
Led by the dream single “Come Back to Me,” the album also features the alternative-based songs “Nuts,” “Heaven,” “LOST!” and more. Overall, the project reflects a “raw and honest presentation of RM’s distinctive sensibility, aesthetics, and beliefs,” per a BigHit news release, and follows the South Korean artist’s 2022 debut album, Indigo, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
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Right Place, Wrong Person includes collaborations with British rapper-singer Little Simz (“Domodachi”) and singer-guitarist Moses Sumney (“Around the World in a Day”). “Come Back to Me” features lyrics by RM, with guest musicians OHHYUK from South Korean band HYUKOH, and guitar and bass from Kuo of Taiwanese band Sunset Rollercoaster, as well as contributions by singer-songwriter JNKYRD and San yawn of Balming Tiger.
RM and his BTS bandmates Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook are currently serving in the South Korean military, which mandates an 18-month military enlistment for all able-bodied men by the time they turn 28. A few of the members have pursued various solo projects amid their service, and the full group is planning to reconvene for band activities in 2025.
Watch RM’s “Groin” video below.
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TWICE‘S “I Got You” has topped this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Feb. 2) on Billboard, choosing the K-pop group’s fun new single as their favorite new music release of the past week. “I Got You” brought in 84% of the vote, beating out new music by Keith […]
Jennie is ending 2023 with a major announcement.
On Sunday (Dec. 24), the BLACKPINK superstar shared with her nearly 83 million Instagram followers that she is launching a new label and company called OA.
“Hi, this is Jennie. This year was filled with many accomplishments, and I’m so thankful for all the love I’ve received,” the K-pop singer wrote on her Instagram Story. “I’m also about what’s to come, as I start my solo journey in 2024 with a company that I have established called OA. Please show lots of love for my new start with OA and of course BLACKPINK. Thank you.”
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Jennie also posted a black-and-white photo of herself, tagging OA’s new Instagram account, which had already gained about 850,000 followers as of press time on Sunday morning. OA’s page featured two images with a caption briefly explaining its mission.
“OA, which stands for ODD ATELIER, is a space that aims to create new things that attract attention in a different way from what is usual or expected,” the artist captioned an image of the company’s logo emblazoned on dark hoodies. “It is a label founded by artist JENNIE in November 2023.”
She didn’t elaborate further on her specific plans for the new venture.
In early December, YG Entertainment announced that the agency renewed its exclusive contract with all four members of BLACKPINK, sending the company’s stock soaring on news that its most successful act would remain with the agency.
BLACKPINK is to date the most successful K-pop girl group to have impacted the U.S. market. The four-piece headlined Coachella earlier this year, and in 2022 became the third K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 with its album Born Pink.
Jennie had some major accomplishments of her own in 2023. In addition to releasing long-awaited solo music, she made her acting debut in the HBO drama series The Idol and was named an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire.
See Jennie’s OA announcements on Instagram below.
Jung Kook is reflecting on failed love in the somber music video for his ballad “Hate You.”
The minimalistic new clip, which dropped on Saturday (Dec. 9), opens with black-and-white shots of the BTS superstar sitting by himself on a bed and overlooking a brightly lit cityscape while solemnly singing about the scars of a past relationship. The video later shifts to color and features an animated snippet of two lovers running through a snowy forest.
“Audiences are taken on a transformative journey alongside the artist as the video unfolds, shifting from a melancholic black and white ambiance to a burst of colors with the vibrant hues breathing life into the visuals,” Big Hit and HYBE wrote in a press release about the video.
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“Hate You,” co-written with Shawn Mendes, appears on the K-pop singer’s first solo album, Golden. The set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in November.
“‘Hate You’ is a pop ballad track that evokes a deep surge of emotions with a simple blend of lofi piano and Jung Kook’s vocals,” the news release continues. “It portrays the heartbreaking moment of forcing oneself to hate one’s innocent beloved as the love one feels is too much to bear.”
The vulnerable “Hate You” videos follows Golden remixes of “3D” (with Justin Timberlake) and “Standing Next to You” (with Usher).
The fresh releases arrive as Jung Kook prepares to enlist in the South Korean military. In late November, he took to Weverse to share a sweet message with ARMY.
“In December, I will start a new journey I’m leaving you for a while to serve in the military,” he wrote. “As I share this news, I feel heavy on one hand, and on the other hand, I’m reminded of precious memories with ARMY, so my heart warms up. Every moment I’ve spent with you has been the brightest time of my life. ARMY’s laughter, support, and love led me to this point. Thank you so much for supporting my dream and walking with me silently.”
South Korean requires an 18-month military service stint for all able-bodied men by the time they turn 28. BTS announced a pause in their group work in October 2022 to allow all the singers to enlist. The group is expected to reconvene in 2025 when all have completed their duty to country.
Watch Jung Kook’s “Hate You” video below.
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South Korean companies SM Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment have launched what they are calling a “local integrated corporation” in North American as part of previously hinted-at efforts to accelerate their joint stateside operations and build upon the successes of their K-pop artists in the world’s largest music market. The companies said on Tuesday (Aug. 1) […]
Driven by K-pop groups such as Seventeen, Stray Kids and Tomorrow X Together, sales of the top 400 physical albums in South Korea totaled 55 million through June — a 57% increase from the prior-year period, according to Circle Chart, the company that manages music charts in the country.
Seventeen had 21 titles in the top 400 albums and accounted for 16.2% of the tally’s sales, totaling 8.9 million units. Meanwhile, HYBE, the company behind Seventeen, was responsible for 40.4% of sales in the top 400.
Physical album sales in the United States don’t come close to those numbers. In a country of about 52 million people — less than one-sixth of the United States’ 332 million people — South Koreans bought an average of 1.06 albums per person in the first half of the year (counting only the top 400). That’s 23 times the United States’ per-capita album purchase rate of roughly 0.05 units (also counting only the top 400, according to Luminate).
Comparing South Korea’s first-half physical album sales numbers to those of the United States demonstrates just how big of a gap exists between the two countries in terms of consumption habits. In the United States, superfans and direct-to-consumer sales helped boost physical album sales 13.3% to 41.1 million in the first half of the year — a big improvement from 4.7% decline in the year-ago period. But that figure pales in comparison to South Korea, a country with less than one-sixth the population. Sales of the top 400 physical albums in the United States totaled 15.4 million units over the same period — 72% fewer than in South Korea.
Taylor Swift’s rabid fanbase is the closest thing the United States has to the fandom seen in South Korea for K-pop groups such as BTS. Swifties, as they’re known, helped created intense demand for the pop titan’s Eras Tour, which overloaded Ticketmaster’s website in the United States and turned her concerts into civic events recognized by local politicians. Her album releases have become events unto themselves as fans snap up multiple versions of vinyl LP and CDs.
But Swift’s U.S. physical album sales in the first half of 2023 can’t compare to sales for the top artists in South Korea. In the United States, Swift dominated physical album sales in the first half of the year with a 7.4% share of the top 400 — more than twice the number of the runner-up artist, K-pop group Stray Kids. Through June 30, she totaled 1.15 million physical album sales across her catalog. Those numbers sound impressive until you consider them against the 8.9 million overall sales for Seventeen in South Korea.
In terms of physical sales for single albums, Swift also finished atop the heap in the United States. Her 2022 album, Midnights, sold 430,000 units through June 30. (Swift’s new album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), was not included in the top 400 of the first half of 2023 because it was released in July). But the top-selling album in South Korea was Seventeen’s 10th Mini Album ‘FML,’ which sold 5.5 million units over the same period. In fact, a whopping 13 albums surpassed the 1-million-unit threshold in South Korea through mid-year. It’s worth noting that even if Midnights had doubled its physical sales number in the United States through mid-year, it wouldn’t have reached the top 10 on South Korea’s chart.
Three HYBE employees could be prosecuted for insider trading in South Korea for allegedly using non-public information about K-pop group BTS’ planned hiatus before the news was given to investors, according to multiple reports out of South Korea. South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the equivalent of the Securities Exchange Commission in the U.S., […]
SEOUL — South Korea’s SM Entertainment appointed Jang Cheol-hyuk as the company’s new CEO on Friday (March 31), as the K-pop giant vowed to turn over a new leaf by bringing on a fresh leader and board of directors. Jang succeeds outgoing CEO Lee Sung-soo.
“I feel a great responsibility to assume the position as a CEO when SM is about to take a big leap forward,” said Jang in a statement. “We will establish a sound [and] transparent governance structure and faithfully implement the SM 3.0 strategy so that SM can become a fan-and shareholder-centered global entertainment leader.”
The landmark corporate shakeup is part of SM’s bid to improve corporate governance as well as its production system, which in recent years lagged behind rivals and invited investor scrutiny. Friday’s appointments also put an end to the weeks-long drama that gripped the K-pop world, pitting industry giants HYBE, home to boyband BTS, and South Korean tech giant Kakao against each other.
A certified accountant and professional manager, Jang joined SM in early 2022 as CFO and has been involved in creating the blueprint for SM’s future. Dubbed SM 3.0, the plan is to diversify the company’s artist portfolio and delegate more creative control away from the single-pipeline structure helmed by SM founder Lee Soo-man.
For years, Lee hasn’t had an official role at SM — which developed K-pop groups EXO, NCT and Girls’ Generation — but he had nearly unchecked powers as its largest shareholder. He was being paid millions of dollars a year in production fees, a setup that ended late last year following a shareholder revolt.
At Friday’s meeting, Kim Kyung Wook, a former SM CEO and now shareholder, pressed the agency to recoup the production fees, but outgoing CEO Lee Sung-soo — who is Lee Soo-man’s nephew — said the company was not ready to consider that step.
Cracks began to show at SM in February after management, without Lee Soo-man’s approval, signed a partnership deal with Kakao. The founder retaliated by selling most of his shares to HYBE and laying the groundwork for a possible merger between the two largest K-pop agencies.
Friday’s shareholder meeting had been hyped as a spirited battle between HYBE and Kakao before HYBE abruptly threw in the towel last week and ceded some of its SM shares to its rival.
Together with subsidiary Kakao Entertainment, Kakao has now secured nearly 40% of shares in SM, becoming the company’s largest stakeholder. Jang Yoon-Joong, executive vp/global strategy officer at Kakao Entertainment, as well as Align Partners CEO Lee Changhwan — who led the shareholder revolt — have now joined the board as non-executive directors.
Three SM executives, including incoming CEO Jang, were also appointed to the board, while five outside directors were also approved: Kim Kyu-Shik, chairman of the Korean Corporate Governance Forum; Kim Tae-him, attorney at Pyeong San Law Firm; Moon Jungbien, professor at Korea University Business School; Lee Seung-min, partner at Peter & Kim; and Sung M. Cho, CEO of music analytics company Chartmetric.
Before BTS conquered the world, Lee Soo-man was the most famous face of K-pop in Korea for reasons both good and bad. He has been lauded as a visionary but criticized for his harsh treatment of trainees and artists. While he treated stalwart artists like family, keeping them on the roster even after their career peaks, he also was accused of excessive control over the acts’ professional and personal lives. He has also been convicted of embezzlement, though he later received a presidential pardon for his contribution to K-pop.
Lee Soo-man still holds over 3% of SM’s shares but hasn’t disclosed his future plans regarding the company. A representative sent to Friday’s meeting on his behalf stayed silent at the gathering.
“Today marks an end of an era at SM, a company I founded in my name,” said Lee, in a statement emailed to reporters shortly before the shareholder meeting. While not commenting directly on the proceedings, he said he was staying outside the country and is “deeply immersed in the world of global music.”