The fifth generation of 'different' rookies is coming to the music industry.
Rookie groups that are the pride of major agencies such as SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and Hive are set to debut one after another in September, making for some exciting competition.
Kicking off the fifth generation of idols is Wake One's group ZeroBaseOne (Hanbin, Kim Ji-woong, Jang Hao, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, Ricky, Kim Kyubin, Park Gun-wook, and Han Yu-jin). The nine-member boy group ZERO BASE ONE became the first debut album to become a "million seller," selling a total of 1.82 million copies of their first mini album "Youth in the Shade" in the first week of its release on March 10.
The fifth-generation idols are already having an impact on the stock market. Even though they've only released a taste of what's to come, they're causing a stir in entertainment stocks that have been quiet for a while, and the outlook for the second half of the year is even more positive as the rookie competition is fiercer than ever.
 |
| ▲Group RIIZE. Photo provided by SM Entertainment |
One of the most anticipated members of Generation 5 is the seven-member rookie group RIIZE. They're SM's first male idols in seven years since NCT, and they're set to debut next month with their first single, "Get A Guitar," on March 4. With the release of vintage image cuts reminiscent of H.O.T, the first generation of boy groups, and the news that Lee Chan-young, son of singer Yoon Sang, will be joining the group, interest in them has been at an all-time high. The group has already proven to be a hot topic, surpassing 1 million followers within four days of opening their Instagram account and being featured in various advertisements and photoshoots even before their debut.
YG Entertainment is also launching Baby Monster in September, a girl group that will succeed Blackpink under the leadership of recently returned executive producer Yang Hyun Suk.
The seven-member multinational girl group is the first girl group to come out in more than seven years since BLACKPINK and consists of members Ahhyun, Haram, Laura, Farita, Chiquita, Luca, and Asa, who were selected through a public evaluation. Even before their debut, Pre.sun's debut song "DREAM" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Trending Songs chart, heralding the group's arrival as a major newcomer. They were already "hot" even before their official debut.
Hive's Boy Next Door also announced their first comeback in September. Boy Next Door is the first K-pop group released by KOZ Entertainment, a label under Hive led by Zico. Produced by Zico, they released their debut single "WHO!" on May 30. The songs "One and Only," "I'll Turn Around," and "Serenade," which were included in the debut single, were selected as "Boy Groups to Watch in 2023" by the American Grammy Awards.
Coincidentally, in September, newcomers from SM Entertainment and HYBE Entertainment, two of K-pop's leading agencies, announced their debuts on the same day, and it is expected to be an exciting showdown between the youngest members who will be responsible for the future of each company.
 |
| ▲Baby Monster's pre-debut song "Dream". Photo courtesy of YG Entertainment |
The arrival of the fifth generation idol is shaking up the stock market, as well. The stock price of S.M. has risen for five consecutive trading days, starting on the 21st, the day after Rise's new songs "Memories" and "Siren" were first released. On the 29th, S.M. closed at 141,000 won, up 100 won (0.07%) from the previous trading day. The previous day, it had risen more than 5%.
YG Entertainment also ended the day at 78,900 won, up 3500 won (4.64%) from the previous trading day due to expectations for Baby Monster. Hive rose 6500 won to 251,000 won.
Securities firms are predicting that the sales volume will rise further as new fans from the rookie group's debut converge. "Next month, S.M.'s first boy group in seven years, Rise, will debut," said Kim Hyun-ji, a researcher at Daol Investment & Securities. "The company's performance will continue to improve over the next three years as the lineup of artists increases."
"Baby Monster is scheduled to debut in the second half of this year and the return of Akdong Musician is expected," said Choi Jong-kyung, a researcher at Heungkuk Securities, adding, "Blackpink is expected to defend its profitability in the second half of the year even during its inactive period."
 |
| ▲Group Zero Base One. Photo courtesy of the author. |
In the second half of the year, a number of new talents from large agencies are expected to make their debut in the K-pop industry, raising expectations, but on the other hand, some people are concerned about the 'boom and bust' phenomenon in the K-pop industry.
As K-pop fans become more sophisticated, it is becoming increasingly difficult for groups from small and medium-sized agencies to gain popularity, and popularity is shifting to teams from large publicly traded companies that are willing to make bold investments. The 'rookie competition' is expected to become more intense depending on the gap between the initial investment and recognition of agencies.
In fact, the fact that Hive-affiliated artists accounted for 46.2% of the album sales among the top 100 domestic album sales in the first half of this year, as compiled by Circle Chart, is a clear indication of the polarization. Newzine, who recently released their mini-second album "Get Up," backed by music videos for all of their songs, sold 1.65 million copies in the first week, which is more than five times the 310,000 copies of their debut album a year ago. On the other hand, the initial sales of small agency groups Hi Ki and I.L.O.P, who debuted around the same time, have yet to exceed 10,000 copies.
YG's rookie group Baby Monster and SM Entertainment's Rise, who debut next month, have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media since their days as trainees, making them household names upon their debuts, but this is nearly impossible for rookies from small and medium-sized agencies who lack name recognition and marketing resources.
As a result, K-pop fans and experts alike are concerned about the lack of diversity in the industry, which has led to the phenomenon of girl groups from certain agencies dominating the market.
Comments
Post a Comment