Big Hit Entertainment, the predecessor of HYBE, shook the boy group market when it debuted BTS in 2013. In 2022, HYBE announced its entrance into the girl group market. The first girl group of HYBE will be debuted by its affiliated label Source Music, and its another label ADOR is also preparing for a rookie team with the aim of debuting this year. Belift Lab, its joint venture with CJ ENM, also announced the news of an upcoming “I-Land 2” which will feature female trainees.
Starting with BTS, HYBE achieves continuous success with SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and ENHYPEN in a row. That’s why ‘HYBE equals Boy group’ is considered official among K-pop fandoms and the industry. However, as of this year, HYBE’s lineup is expected to be much richer.
At least two teams are expected to debut, including Source Music girl group with Sakura and Kim Chae-won and ADOR’s rookie called “Min Hee-jin Girl Group.” The schedule of “I-Land 2” is not yet decided, but considering that ENHYPEN, which was formed through Season 1, officially debuted about two months after the end of the program, HYBE might debut as many as 3 girl groups this year. What is the background of HYBE’s expansion to the girl group market over its main league which is boy group?
The girl group market is smaller than the boy group one, so it is less attractive simply by looking at the figures. However, if you think about it, on the contrary, the potential for growth is open. Growing album sales and overseas responses are proof of this market’s great potential.
The record for the highest first-week sales of K-pop debut girl group albums has changed rapidly in recent months. IVE‘s first single “ELEVEN”, which was released in December last year, recorded 150,000 copies in the first week according to the Hanteo Chart. This was a new record for the highest first-week sales of K-pop debut girl group albums at the time, but the No.1 title was handed over to Kep1er in about a month. Kep1er’s debut album “FIRST IMPACT” sold 200,000 copies in the first week. Afterwards, Kep1er immediately lost the first place to NMIXX. This is because NMIXX’s debut single “AD MARE” recorded 220,000 copies in the first week. Album sales are the size of the fandom, while the size of the fandom means the size of the market. Recently, the girl group market has been growing so fast that the first place has changed every month.
Senior groups’ power of influence is also growing. BLACKPINK‘s first full-length album “THE ALBUM” (2020) recorded 680,000 copies in the first week, showing off their album power that surpassed that of other boy groups. In addition, BLACKPINK became a million-seller with this album, opening the era of “million-seller girl groups”. Girl groups’ performance was remarkable not only in the album but also in the concert sector. TWICE held a solo concert at Tokyo Dome in March 2019. The group is currently the fastest overseas artist to enter Tokyo Dome after their debut. In February, they successfully held a 7-night solo tour in the U.S. with a total of 100,000 audience, causing a great sensation in the U.S. market.
It is particularly noteworthy that the reaction has begun to come from the U.S. beyond Japan, which already has a strong fandom. The opening of the Korean girl group market in the U.S., the “big hand” of the global music market, means that a blue ocean will unfold. HYBE, which studied America through BTS and established HYBE America to aggressively target the local area, could not have been unable to detect this change. Judging this year as the starting point for dominating the girl group market, it seems that they decided to make bold investments. As BTS did, people are paying attention to whether HYBE’s girl groups will increase the market size of K-pop girl groups and present new milestones.
