The Big 4 of K-pop are preparing for a year-end showdown
Artists under HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment are all making comebacks simultaneously, entering a fierce battle as 2023 approaches its end.
HYBE: Will they prove their success DNA in boy groups?
HYBE has dominated the autumn market with BTS Jungkook’s solo album and SEVENTEEN’s comeback.
Jungkook received the Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his song “Seven,” which sold over 1 million units in the US. He also achieved success by winning Best Song and Best K-pop categories at the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards.
His first solo album, “Golden,” released on November 3rd, became a double million-seller on Hanteo within 5 hours of release. He continues to enjoy immense popularity as a soloist, setting new streaming records for K-pop solo artists on Spotify.
SEVENTEEN’s 11th mini-album, “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN,” set a new K-pop record with first-week sales of 5.09 million copies and debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200, the main album chart. Riding this momentum, HYBE is introducing new boy groups in succession.
First, &TEAM is releasing their first full-length album, “First Howling: Now,” on November 15th. &TEAM has demonstrated a strong identity by actively performing in Korea and Japan.
ENHYPEN is releasing their 5th mini-album, “Orange Blood,” on November 17th. ENHYPEN’s “Bite Me,” released in May, accumulated over 134 million streams on Spotify, securing the title of the K-pop boy group with the most streams this year.
SM: Leveraging the Power of Girl Groups to Showcase Planning Expertise
SM is releasing aespa’s new mini album on November 10th and Red Velvet’s new full album on November 13th. It is unusual for SM to make comebacks with two girl groups around the same time. This move is seen as a testament to the efficiency of SM’s multi-label system, which they adopted after the launch of SM 3.0.
What’s drawing the most attention is the concepts of aespa and Red Velvet. aespa’s 4th mini-album “Drama” strengthens their warrior image based on the “metaverse” worldview. The title track, “Drama,” is a hip-hop dance song with a drum source and sleek synths, featuring confident and bold lyrics, emphasizing that all stories start from them.
Red Velvet, the “concept queen,” is releasing their 3rd full album, “Chill Kill,” on November 13th, adding a horror touch to their mysterious world. With strong vocals and a variety of genres, the album showcases the essence of “Velvet music.”
Two SM girl groups are making a comeback within just three days, but aespa is embracing the concept of cyberpunk futurism, while Red Velvet is giving off classical and mysterious vibes, hinting at SM’s unprecedented level of planning.
JYP’s Global Strategy
At JYP, Stray Kids are taking the lead. Stray Kids selected “LALALALA” as the title track for their new album, “Rock-Star,” creating a lively end-of-year atmosphere with their energetic beats and high-speed tempo.
As the first 4th gen boy group to successfully complete a Japanese dome tour with sold-out seats, achieving three consecutive Billboard 200 #1 albums with “Oddinary,” “Maxident,” and “5-Star,” Stray Kids are considered one of the hottest K-pop boy groups globally. Their upcoming comeback is promising to raise their career to new heights.
Starting with Stray Kids, JYP is intensifying its global efforts. As part of JYP’s strategy to localize K-pop, Japanese girl group NiziU has been actively promoting in Korea, and in July, their global girl group launch project, “A2K,” is set to debut.
YG: Will They Fill the Void Left by BLACKPINK?
YG is finally launching BABYMONSTER, a rookie girl group that has been shrouded in mystery for a long time. Last month, YG announced BABYMONSTER’s debut in November. For BABYMONSTER’s debut, YG’s in-house producers collaborated with renowned international composers multiple times to select high-quality songs with an intense atmosphere as debut tracks.
BABYMONSTER is a multinational group consisting of members from Korea, Thailand, and Japan. They have attracted significant attention even before their debut thanks to their status as YG’s first girl group since BLACKPINK in 2016.
However, their debut holds greater significance for YG. YG is currently the weakest among the Big 4 in terms of its artist lineup. The company’s representative boy groups, BIGBANG and iKON, have left YG, and WINNER is on a hiatus due to members’ military service.
Additionally, the future of BLACKPINK, the company’s biggest cash cow, remains uncertain as their exclusive contract has ended. YG is in a precarious situation and its future depends on BABYMONSTER’s debut.
Source: naver
