Seoul 'melting pot' for global music talent, says producer behind BTS hits

Swedish songwriter Alex Karlsson speaks during "From K-pop to Global Pop: Rethinking Music Without Borders" at Fête de la Musique+ 2026 in Seoul's Mapo District, June 8. Courtesy of Leeway Music & Media

A Swedish music producer who has worked with the biggest names in K-pop — BTS, SuperM, Tomorrow X Together, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM and ATEEZ — said Seoul has become a "global melting pot" for music talent, surpassing creative hubs like Stockholm and Los Angeles, as top songwriters worldwide increasingly look to Korea for the best opportunities.

"I saw an opportunity that seemed more impactful by coming to Seoul rather than going to the States, and not by a small margin," Alex Karlsson said at a music industry conference hosted by the French Embassy in Seoul, June 8.

Karlsson was speaking at "From K-pop to Global Pop: Rethinking Music Without Borders," the opening panel of "Fête de la Musique+ 2026," a Korea-France cultural exchange event held in Seoul.

For Karlsson, Korea's appeal as a creative base comes down to access and structure. He said the country draws top-tier global talent at a scale unmatched by European music hubs, while its systemized approach to music production offers a creative framework he finds valuable rather than limiting.

"Koreans love their systems, and I think that's very much why Korea has gotten to where it is," he said. "There's a recipe to make K-pop songs. As a creative, I love having frameworks, a canvas. Within that canvas I can paint whatever I want."

K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM members, from left, Huh Yun-jin, Sakura, Hong Eun-chae and Kazuha perform onstage during "iHeartRadio LIVE with LE SSERAFIM on TikTok Live" at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles, June 12. Courtesy of Source Music

He contrasted working with Korean labels, where the goal and parameters are defined upfront, with Western collaborations, which he described as open-ended but often unfocused.

Korean production, he argued, draws on the collective energy in the room rather than centering individual artists, and connects more effectively with what global audiences are seeking.

"When I'm working with Western artists, the destination isn't set. It's pure exploration. That typically results in a long psychology session with the artist before you get started," he said.

Karlsson also credited the COVID-19 pandemic with accelerating K-pop's grip on the global songwriting community. While the pandemic dismantled the infrastructure of Western record labels, Korean labels kept commissioning songs.

"K-pop became the final frontier of the songwriter arena," he said. "The politics aren't about knowing the artist or being in the room with them. It's about writing the best songs." Top producers who had previously ignored K-pop, he said, are now competing to prove themselves in the space.

K-pop boy band BOYNEXTDOOR members appear in "HOME VIDEO" Ep. 2, released on the HYBE LABELS YouTube channel on June 4. The documentary episode follows the making of the group's first full-length album "HOME," featuring previously unseen footage of the recording process. Courtesy of KOZ Entertainment

The panel also addressed the genre's evolution. Chung Hyo-won, CEO of Amplified Corporation and the session's moderator, noted that house music has resurged in K-pop this year, citing tracks like girl group KiiiKiii's "404 (New Era)" and Hearts2Hearts' "RUDE!"

Chung flagged the industry-wide push toward sub-two-minute tracks optimized for short-form platforms, and asked panelists whether the trend was stifling artistic ambition.

Tarafa Sahloul, head of Kid Katana Records, cautioned against designing music for virality.

"You lose your creativity and the freshness that makes people love your music," he said, recalling how the biggest viral moment for gaming company Ubisoft's music catalogue came from an old, unmarketed track rather than anything engineered for social media.

Singer-songwriter and bassist Amy Gadiaga said fan response tells a clearer story.

"When artists release songs shorter than two minutes, people complain about it," she said. "The public is still very much looking for authenticity."

From left, moderator Chung Hyo-won and panelists Alex Karlsson, Amy Gadiaga, Andnew and Tarafa Sahloul attend "From K-pop to Global Pop: Rethinking Music Without Borders" at Fête de la Musique+ 2026 in Seoul, June 8. Courtesy of Leeway Music & Media