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With rising stars Ateez and StayC, smaller K-pop labels take on the Big 4

  • Four music labels dominate K-pop through groups such as BTS, Blackpink and NCT, but smaller outfits have taken them on by launching some fast-rising acts
  • Girl Group StayC, who released a new EP this week, are signed to label High-End entertainment and Ateez, Eden and Maddox to KQ Entertainment

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K-pop boy band Ateez are managed by KQ Entertainment. It is one of the smaller K-pop labels looking to make an impact in the music business. Photo: KQ Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

The K-pop industry has been largely dominated by the so-called “Big 4” entertainment companies – SM, YG, JYP and HYBE – which represent some of the most bankable stars, like BTS, NCT and Blackpink.

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Their massive clout is most visible in the sales of physical albums, with the singers from these four labels accounting for 60.9 per cent of total sales in 2021, according to sales tracker Gaon Chart.

It obviously is not an easy environment to play in, but there are quite a few small- and mid-sized companies that are making breakthroughs by launching up-and-coming groups to spearhead the next generation of K-pop.

K-pop girl group StayC.
K-pop girl group StayC.
Among them are KQ Entertainment and High-Up Entertainment, which house boy band Ateez and girl group StayC, respectively. KQ Entertainment currently runs two sub-labels – Seven Seasons and KQ Produce. The former manages K-pop act Block B, while the latter represents singer-songwriters like Eden and Maddox.
In 2018, KQ debuted Ateez, an eight-piece act consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho. Numerous K-pop experts point out that the company employed a smart tactic by actively promoting the group in the international markets from the beginning, allowing them to build a strong global fan base.

The group’s talent as entertainers has fuelled its growth as well. It took home the “Worldwide Fans’ Choice” award at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards [Mama] soon after its debut, and recently wrapped up a US tour titled, “The Fellowship: Beginning of the End,” with success, drawing some 70,000 audience members.

“Following Ateez’s US tour, some 100,000 people have newly joined the group’s official fan community,” KQ said.

The octet is the only group not represented by the Big 4 to have secured a spot on Gaon’s top 20 album sales chart last year. It ranked 18th with its September release, Zero: Fever Part. 3, selling more than 700,000 copies.

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