SEOUL, July 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Billboard, the U.S. music chart operator, has decided to exclude artist webstores from the tabulation of digital single charts, raising doubts about whether this decision is aimed at preventing K-pop singers from reaching the top. Billboard recently announced that it would no longer include D2C (Direct-to-consumer) websites in chart [...]
SEOUL, June 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Artificial intelligence (AI) models, which utilize machine-learned photos of K-pop girl group members collected illicitly, are being extensively distributed online. CivitAI, a platform for sharing generative AI models, hosts numerous AI datasets derived from learned photos of popular K-pop girl groups such as Le Sserafim. The published files consist [...]
SEOUL, June 27 (Korea Bizwire) — An increasing number of K-pop artists are being featured on Hollywood movie soundtracks. “Barbie Dreams,” performed by K-pop rookie sensation Fifty Fifty, can be found on the original soundtrack album for the new fantasy comedy film “Barbie,” scheduled for release on July 19. Jimin, a member of the K-pop [...]
SEOUL, June 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean seniors over 50 years of age, once considered outcasts in the popular music market, are emerging as significant consumers for K-pop. Subscribers to streaming platforms between the ages of 50 and 59 listened to 1.91 billion minutes of music last year, according to a report by the [...]
SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Synth pop has recently undergone a resurgence in the K-pop music scene, capitalizing on the retro wave and the global preference for easily accessible music. Synth pop is a sub-genre of pop music that thrived in the late 1970s and 80s. It features electronic instruments, particularly synthesizers but differs [...]
SEOUL, May 22 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop idol groups have emerged as the mouthpieces for the harsh realities experienced by South Korean teenagers. Girl group (G)I-dle, known for songs depicting confident girls and its charismatic stage performances, released a new EP “I Feel” last week. The group aims to guide individuals on rebuilding their self-esteem [...]
SEOUL, May 5 (Korea Bizwire) — An unprecedentedly uphill competition to rise to the top of domestic music charts is expected to take place this month with the return of big girl groups, such as Le Sserafim, aespa and (G)I-dle, with new albums. The first of the three groups to step into the ring is [...]
SEOUL, May 4 (Korea Bizwire) – The popularity of K-pop remains strong in Thailand, but fans are becoming increasingly frustrated over the soaring concert prices. According to Thai media outlet MGR Online, the average price of a K-pop concert ticket in Thailand this year has reached 5,270 Thai baht (US$155), which is a 17.9 percent [...]
SEOUL, March 8 (Korea Bizwire) — About half of all K-pop fans bought albums to collect celebrity goods, and not for the music itself, a survey showed Tuesday. The Korea Consumer Agency conducted a survey of 500 consumers said they had used a a paid K-pop fandom service, which showed that they purchased albums (78.9 [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korean music industry has expanded its foray into the global market with well-trained idols and their devoted fans, and now it is venturing into the virtual space with a new breed of idols. Non-humans, hyper-real avatars made with artificial intelligence (AI) have growingly taken the stage in the [...]