Latest news with #2025Mid-YearReport
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Is K-pop's global strategy backfiring? As popularity up abroad, domestic interest wanes
Absence of breakout rookie girl groups and weakening domestic fandom raise concerns for K-pop's future at home Despite chart-topping hits on Billboard and sold-out world tours across the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, K-pop's grip on its home turf appears to be slipping. Industry experts are sounding the alarm over a growing disconnect between the genre's global success and its dwindling influence at home — particularly as the domestic fanbase, once the engine of the K-pop phenomenon, shows signs of fatigue. At the heart of the issue is a conspicuous absence of breakthrough rookie girl groups in the first half of 2025. These groups have historically driven fandom growth and revitalized the market, but this year's lineup failed to deliver the same impact. Data released in the Circle Chart's 2025 Mid-Year Report backs this up. Total digital music consumption for the top 400 songs fell by 6.4 percent year-on-year and compared to the genre's 2019 peak, it has plunged by a staggering 49.7 percent. Meanwhile, physical album sales — a metric typically bolstered by passionate fans — also dropped by 9 percent, totaling 42.4 million units, down from 46.7 million the year before. The number of albums surpassing 1 million units in sales fell from nine to seven, and not a single release managed to exceed 3 million — a feat achieved by Seventeen just a year ago. These numbers suggest stagnation, or even a decline, in the size and spending power of domestic fandoms. Kim Jin-woo, a data journalist at Circle Chart, noted a sharp drop in girl group dominance in the domestic market. 'In the first half of 2024, NewJeans held the top spot in market share and five girl groups were in the top 10. This year, only aespa, Ive and NewJeans made the cut,' Kim said. Kim also cited growing listener fatigue stemming from similar-sounding concepts and English-heavy lyrics aimed at overseas audiences — part of a broader 'de-K-pop' strategy that may be alienating local fans. 'Many groups now focus on global accessibility, often gravitating toward a narrow range of genres and English lyrics,' Kim said. 'This might attract international listeners but has started to exhaust interest at home.' Music critic Lim Hee-yun also pointed out that shifting media consumption habits have weakened the dominance of idol groups. 'With music increasingly consumed through self-produced content, fan platforms and social media, fandoms are less concentrated,' he said. 'Idols used to dominate the charts thanks to mass fan activity, but that's no longer the case. In contrast, solo artists are resonating more with casual listeners.' The Top 10 of the 2025 mid-year digital chart paints a telling picture: Solo acts like Woodz with 'Drowning' at No. 1, Hwang Garam with 'I Am a Firefly' at No. 3 and Jo Jazz with 'Don't You Know' at No. 7 — none of whom enjoy major global recognition — significantly outperformed their idol group counterparts. Seven of the Top 10 artists were solo performers, leaving aespa, Ive and Boynextdoor as the only groups in the Top 10. Lim added that while idol tracks are 'fun and powerful,' they often lack emotional depth. 'Ballads or rock-inflected songs with strong melodic structure and individual expression are better suited for immersive listening,' he said. Industry officials warn that this trend raises serious questions about the sustainability of K-pop's current trajectory. A sluggish domestic market could eventually undermine the health of the entire ecosystem. 'As K-pop pursued global mainstream appeal, the music took on a more (Western) pop-oriented flavor — but unless you're on the level of BTS' Jungkook, that strategy rarely pays off,' an entertainment official said. 'Even with its global expansion, K-pop remains confined to a subculture category rather than breaking into the true global mainstream.'
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Is K-pop's global strategy backfiring? As popularity soars abroad, domestic interest wanes
Absence of breakout rookie girl groups and weakening domestic fandom raise concerns for K-pop's future at home Despite chart-topping hits on Billboard and sold-out world tours across the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, K-pop's grip on its home turf appears to be slipping. Industry experts are sounding the alarm over a growing disconnect between the genre's global success and its dwindling influence at home — particularly as the domestic fanbase, once the engine of the K-pop phenomenon, shows signs of fatigue. At the heart of the issue is a conspicuous absence of breakthrough rookie girl groups in the first half of 2025. These groups have historically driven fandom growth and revitalized the market, but this year's lineup failed to deliver the same impact. Data released in the Circle Chart's 2025 Mid-Year Report backs this up. Total digital music consumption for the top 400 songs fell by 6.4 percent year-on-year and compared to the genre's 2019 peak, it has plunged by a staggering 49.7 percent. Meanwhile, physical album sales — a metric typically bolstered by passionate fans — also dropped by 9 percent, totaling 42.4 million units, down from 46.7 million the year before. The number of albums surpassing one million units in sales fell from nine to seven, and not a single release managed to exceed three million — a feat achieved by Seventeen just a year ago. These numbers suggest stagnation, or even a decline, in the size and spending power of domestic fandoms. Kim Jin-woo, a data journalist at Circle Chart, noted a sharp drop in girl group dominance in the domestic market. 'In the first half of 2024, NewJeans held the top spot in market share and five girl groups were in the top 10. This year, only aespa, Ive and NewJeans made the cut,' Kim said. Kim also cited growing listener fatigue stemming from similar-sounding concepts and English-heavy lyrics aimed at overseas audiences — part of a broader 'de-K-pop' strategy that may be alienating local fans. 'Many groups now focus on global accessibility, often gravitating toward a narrow range of genres and English lyrics,' Kim said. 'This might attract international listeners but has started to exhaust interest at home.' Music critic Lim Hee-yun also pointed out that shifting media consumption habits have weakened the dominance of idol groups. 'With music increasingly consumed through self-produced content, fan platforms and social media, fandoms are less concentrated,' he said. 'Idols used to dominate the charts thanks to mass fan activity, but that's no longer the case. In contrast, solo artists are resonating more with casual listeners.' The Top 10 of the 2025 mid-year digital chart paints a telling picture: Solo acts like Woodz with 'Drowning' at No. 1, Hwang Garam with 'I Am a Firefly' at No. 3 and Jo Jazz with 'Don't You Know' at No. 7 — none of whom enjoy major global recognition — significantly outperformed their idol group counterparts. Seven of the Top 10 artists were solo performers, leaving aespa, Ive and Boynextdoor as the only groups in the Top 10. Lim added that while idol tracks are 'fun and powerful,' they often lack emotional depth. 'Ballads or rock-inflected songs with strong melodic structure and individual expression are better suited for immersive listening,' he said. Industry officials warn that this trend raises serious questions about the sustainability of K-pop's current trajectory. A sluggish domestic market could eventually undermine the health of the entire ecosystem. 'As K-pop pursued global mainstream appeal, the music took on a more (Western) pop-oriented flavor — but unless you're on the level of BTS' Jungkook, that strategy rarely pays off,' an entertainment official said. 'Even with its global expansion, K-pop remains confined to a subculture category rather than breaking into the true global mainstream.'
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More luxury homebuyers paying with cash this year, report says
More luxury homebuyers are paying with cash to acquire properties this year, a report from Coldwell Banker Real Estate revealed. The company said in its "2025 Mid-Year Report" that more than half of over 200 surveyed Coldwell Banker luxury property specialists reported an uptick in wealthy buyers purchasing homes with cash. Roughly 34.1% said there has been a "slight increase" while 16.6% said there has been a "significant" rise in that method. Mortgage rates have played into the increase in buyers paying cash to acquire homes, according to National Association of Realtors Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research Lawrence Yun. These States See The Most All-cash Home Purchases "High mortgage rates are not appealing for borrowing, and, therefore, that induces the wealthy to pay all cash for real estate (after selling off a few of their assets)," he told FOX Business. Read On The Fox Business App Many have been turning to personal savings, stocks or funds they netted from selling another property as the "primary" means to make their luxury home purchases, according to the Coldwell Banker Real Estate report. Meanwhile, for 45.4% of specialists, cash purchases have stayed at their current levels so far this year, per the report. On the flip side, just 3.9% of the Coldwell Banker luxury property specialists indicated their clients were moving away from buying homes through all-cash deals, Coldwell Banker Real Estate said. The trend in cash purchases comes as roughly 68% of Coldwell Banker agents said rich homebuyers they work with are "maintaining – or increasing – current real estate exposure." "We've had a lot of volatility along with macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty this year. There's been a lot of transition and that's actually turned a lot affluent buyers toward real estate," Jenna Stauffer, a Florida-based broker and Global Real Estate Advisor for Sotheby's Internal Realty, told FOX Business. "Real estate proves itself as an anti-fragile asset," she continued. "Unlike many investments that struggle under uncertainty, real estate tends to strengthen over time and remains one of the best long-term hedges against inflation. That's why so many smart investors and high net worth buyers are parking their money in property this year. They're using it to preserve and grow their wealth." While wealthy buyers are sticking to their guns when it comes to what they want from a home, Coldwell Banker Real Estate also said they "are being strategic about their purchases and prioritizing aspects of the home that create value over aesthetic perfection" such as affordability, taxes, and investment potential. That could drive a rise in "smart buyers" focused on "discernment and strategy instead of pure indulgence," according to the report. Top Five Buyer-friendly Housing Markets Offer Price Cuts And Increased Inventory The report also shed light on how ultra-high net worth buyers with over $30 million in assets and "aspirational buyer" worth $1-5 million are engaging with the luxury real estate market. Some in the latter category, faced with economic uncertainty, are approaching the market with caution, per the report. Michael Altneu, vice president of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, said in the report that the luxury market "has continued to show strength" in 2025 but various factors have "tempered a more full-scale rebound in market activity." The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing data showed a 1.7% increase in sales of luxury single-family homes in the period spanning January to the end of May from those seen in the same timeframe last year and a 1.8% uptick in sale prices, according to Coldwell Banker Real Estate. For attached luxury properties, there was a 8.1% decrease in sales but the median transaction price went up an average of 8.4%. Small Real Estate Investors Reach Record Market Share, Now Dominate 59% Of Investor Purchases Both types of properties saw year-over-year increases in supply during the first five months of the year, with luxury single-family homes posting a 19.6% jump and attached notching a 14.8% rise, the report said. The U.S. saw active listings of single family homes, condos, townhomes and other types of housing reach over 1 million in May, a level that the country hadn't climbed above since the winter of 2019, according to a report released in early article source: More luxury homebuyers paying with cash this year, report says Sign in to access your portfolio
