The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Fri, July 8, 2022 | 01:14
Food
K-pop stars to continue to dominate online charts in 2016
Posted : 2015-12-31 17:20
Updated : 2015-12-31 17:53
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

By Kim Jae-heun


The year 2015 has been an eventful year with first-generation hallyu (Korean wave) stars bringing joyous news ― Bae Yong-joon tied the knot with actress Park Soo-jin in July only two months after they acknowledged their relationship. Top actor Won Bin and actress Lee Na-yong also held a small private wedding in eastern Gangwon Province two months earlier.

Scandals involving idol stars' secret love lives, such as that of singer IU with rocker Chang Kiha and Suzy of girl group "Miss A" revealing a romance with hallyu star Lee Min-ho, also shocked fans.

Popular K-pop stars like PSY and Big Bang returned this year to sweep the charts. PSY, who swept the world with his mega-hit "Gangnam Style" in 2012, released his seventh album "Chiljib PSY-Da," which includes his two singles "Daddy" and "Napal Baji" (Bellbottoms). The mega star ranked no.1 for three consecutive weeks on Billboard's World Digital Songs Chart, and the music video for "Daddy" hit over 80 million views in only 30 days since its release on Dec. 1.

YG Entertainment's hip-hop group Big Bang released its long-awaited new singles, "Loser" and "Bae Bae" early in May, which topped 10 major domestic music charts instantly and the group's music videos hit more than 3 million views in just eight hours after the songs' online release.
YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
K-pop boy band iKON of YG Entertainment / Courtesy of YG Entertainment


New K-pop stars

K-pop boy bands such as iKON of YG Entertainment and Bangtan Boys (BTS) of Big Hit Entertainment are newly rising in K-pop. The seven-member hip-hop boy group iKON debuted on stage at one of the country's biggest venues, the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, on Oct. 3, gathering more than 13,000 fans. No K-pop band or singer had ever debuted so strongly, in such a large venue usually used for established singers only. Six major sports and entertainment dailies from Japan participated in a press conference, along with Chinese media including Youku and Sina Weibo. The boy band will make its official Japan debut in January, followed by nine concerts there in February, where they are expecting some 95,000 fans.

The boy band is also hot in China as its songs "Welcomeback" and "Rhythm Ta" ranked third and fifth, respectively, on the China QQ Music Chart after the album's release on Oct. 1. On Weibo, iKon's hashtag page recorded 1.5 billion hits.

BTS ranked fourth in album sales this year according to the official music-ranking site Gaon Music Chart, after EXO who dominated the K-pop field with support from its agency SM Entertainment for forming fandoms all over Asia. Despite its medium-sized agency, BTS managed to win the Best Korean Act at the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards. The seven-member band from Big Hit Entertainment beat other ambitious young guns like B1A4, GOT7, VIXX and GFriend to rise as a new prospect.

Leading U.S. music magazine Billboard also praised BTS after their New York concert at the Best Buy Theater on July 16, reporting that the band showed "a more relaxed and freer side of themselves that made the show much more memorable."

YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
A scene from Psy's title tune "Daddy" music video. / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

The five-member girl band EXID had an unconventional breakthrough to K-pop success with their single "Up & Down," which topped the music chart after a fan's video of group member Hani dancing to the song on the street went viral on Facebook. Although the group did did not grab any fancy awards, they were definitely one of the busiest girl bands this year. According to a poll by online music service Genie and mobile locked-screen service Cash Slide's, Hani topped the lists as the most prospective girl band member for 2016.

YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
Fashion model and actress Lee Sung-kyoung of YG Entertainment
/ Courtesy of YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment's hip-hop boyband Big Bang / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
Singer and CEO Jay Park of hip-hop label Above Ordinary Music Group (AOMG)
/ Courtesy of AOMG
Newly debuted K-pop girl group, GFriend, rose to stardom after an accident during their performance of "Me Gustas Tu" at the SBS radio show in Inje, Gangwon Province, on Sept 5. Group member Yuju fell four times on the wet floor during the performance, and its video footage went viral on YouTube. GFriend won the 2015 MelOn Music Award for New Artist along with iKON and they were included in the top 10 of the Gaon Music Chart for song copyright fees and album sales.

Rising actors and actresses

Park Seo-jun from major entertainment agency Keyeast is an actor to watch this year as he swept four awards at the MBC Drama Awards for his appearance in the successful TV drama series, "She Was Pretty," which aired from Sept. 16 to Nov. 11 in 2015. The romantic comedy's highest online rating recorded 59.8% on Oct. 22, making Park a top star. The 27-year old actor will spend a busy year in 2016 appearing in two television dramas and two films "The Chronicles of Evil," and "The Beauty Inside."

Lee Sung Kyoung is a rising actress who first made her mark as a successful fashion model in 2008. In 2014, Lee first debuted as an actress with a supporting role in SBS's television drama "It's Okay, It's Love," and took the starring role in MBC's melodrama "Queen's Flower," which aired from March 14 to Aug. 30 last year. Lee won Best New Actress at the MBC Drama Awards, where she was picked as the main emcee along with Shin Dong-yup, one of the most popular comedy show hosts in television. Lee will appear in the tvN's new television drama "Cheese in the Trap" that premiers on Jan. 6 and her first screen appearance is confirmed for the movie, "Broker."

Emailjhkim@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
  • Yoon under fire for nepotism, cronyism allegations
  • World Cultural Industry Forum highlights Sweden's impact on K-pop
  • IMF chief says 'cannot rule out' possible global recession
  • Just pizza and coffee for Korea's first successful space rocket launch?
  • 'Green stocks are China's next tech stocks'
  • [INTERVIEW] Digitalization key to recovery of travel industry: Yanolja chief
  • Will Korean firms' efforts for World Expo 2030 bear fruit?
  • BGF Retail starts first commercial drone delivery service
  • Fed: Sharply higher rates may be needed to quell inflation
  • 3 fishing boats catch fire at Jeju port, 1 person rescued
  • 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' to be adapted into webtoon 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' to be adapted into webtoon
  • [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise
  • BLACKPINK to drop new album in August BLACKPINK to drop new album in August
  • Maroon 5 removes Rising Sun Flag on homepage amid controversy Maroon 5 removes Rising Sun Flag on homepage amid controversy
  • aespa calls for action on sustainable development goals aespa calls for action on sustainable development goals
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group