BTS, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber,… all sent their congratulations to HYBE’s billion-dollar deal, but where is Ariana Grande?
Ariana Grande’s absence in the congratulatory video caught attention.
On the evening of April 5, HYBE uploaded a clip confirming the partnership of Ithaca Holdings and HYBE. This “billion-dollar deal” caught massive attention around the world after the Kpop “giant” acquired Ithaca Holdings, including SB Project (the management company of Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin and Demi Lovato) and recording label Big Machine Label Group.
This partnership will make HYBE one of the largest and most influential entertainment companies in the world. Up to now, all of the subsidiaries under HYBE cover the following artists: BTS, TXT, SEVENTEEN, NU’EST, GFRIEND, ENHYPEN, ZICO, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Lady A, …
The highlight of the video is the moment when a series of HYBE artists congratulated this impressive alliance. At first glance, viewers around the world could see HYBE’s power by acquiring Ithaca, helping BTS’s company “expand” not only in Korea but also globally.
BTS said, “Such great news that leaves us all in awe! Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, J Balvin! The team behind these and so many incredible artists have come together with HYBE. We hope this new adventure will give fans a fresh experience and be a source of new joy”
RM and SUGA emphasized, “It feels like our world is becoming more connected and smaller. We are witnessing these impossible things come true, such as this incredible news.! “
J Balvin, the owner of the hit song Mi Gente and other famous Latin songs, also said that this alliance will push everything to a new level. He also congratulated Scooter Braun and CEO Bang.
Demi Lovato and SEVENTEEN also expressed pride in this partnership. Justin Bieber also showed his feelings briefly, congratulating CEO Bang and Scooter Braun, and expressed optimism about the international collaborations that will take place in the future.
This video didn’t bring something new because most of the public already knows quite well about the alliance between Ithaca and HYBE, the opportunities open to the artists of both sides when becoming part of a “family”. However, what’s notable is Ariana Grande’s absence in this congratulatory video.
Although the SB Project and Big Machine Label Group have many affiliated artists, the three biggest names are Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Demi Lovato. Among these 3, Ariana Grande still has the biggest influence and popularity in the present time, similar to BTS in Big Hit. In general, Ariana Grande is clearly one of the most influential young female artists in the world at the moment.
Therefore, the absence of Ariana Grande in the video celebrating the merger made the public feel confused. Although there are still a lot of artists from both companies that did not appear in the clip, the absence of “Little diva” is still unfortunate.
Most likely, because she had busy schedules, she couldn’t film her congratulation. However, looking at Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber or J Balvin, whose videos are all short ones filmed by phones, it’s difficult to believe Ariana Grande didn’t have time to just shoot a few seconds to say congratulations, especially when she is SB Project’s most prominent artist!
