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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.'
Hype Malaysia
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
K-pop Boy Group WINNER To Embark On Asia Tour; Malaysia Show Set For November
From one K-pop concert announcement to another, fans are truly being spoiled with a steady stream of shows coming to Kuala Lumpur this year. It's certainly been a while since this boy group last performed in Malaysia, but the wait is finally over, as they're officially making their return to give fans a night to remember! Earlier today (Tuesday, 8th July), concert organiser CQ Entertainment announced on social media that K-pop boy group WINNER (위너) will be embarking on their 'OUR MOMENT' tour across Asia later this year — and it's now confirmed that Malaysia is one of the stops. Here's what we know so far: Back in May, YG Entertainment announced that WINNER would be holding a three-day concert this July at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, South Korea. This sparked speculation among fans that the group would soon embark on a world tour, and possibly make a comeback with new music, as it has been five years since their last album, 'Remember.' While there's no news of a new album just yet, what we do know is that the boys will be returning to Malaysia as part of their upcoming Asia tour, marking their first concert here since 2020. Although limited information has been released at the time of writing, here are the confirmed details so far: WINNER 'OUR MOMENT 2025 ASIA CONCERT' in KUALA LUMPUR Date: 1st November 2025 (Saturday) 1st November 2025 (Saturday) Venue: TBA TBA Organiser: CQ Entertainment Be sure to stay tuned for more updates, or follow CQ Entertainment on all their social media platforms for the latest information about the upcoming KL show in the coming days. We certainly can't wait to see Kim Jin-woo, Lee Seung-hoon, Mino and Kang Seung-yoon back on stage after all these years. While we wait for the details, have a gander at what you can expect from the tour: Source: Instagram
