by Financial News, along with Hanteo Chart, examines the history of K-pop, focusing on the agencies that led the globalization of K-pop. Hanteo Chart, with 30 years of history, will hold the ’30th Anniversary Hanteo Music Awards 2022′ in February [Simse 1], the world’s only real-time music chart aggregating K-pop big data. -Editor’s Note: The appearance of Seo Taiji and Boys marked a turning point in the history of Korean popular music. There is another legend that started from this, and that is YG Entertainment (hereafter YG). Yang Hyun-suk, a former Seo Taiji and Boys member, has written a new history as the head of YG.
Artists belonging to YG are regarded as the so-called ‘stars of stars’ and draw attention to their artistic side. In other words, many artists with producing skills have created a strong color unique to the so-called ‘YG Family.’
Yang Hyun-suk, the starting point, debuted in 1992 and started the history of the YG division in 1996 under the name of ‘Present Planning.’
Initially introduced in the current planning, Idol KEEP SIX needed to see such an ample light. However, in 1997, with the debut of Jinusean, the name was changed to MF Planning, and the word began to appear on the charts. According to Hanteo Chart, Jinusean’s 1st album ‘JINUSEAN’ sold 620,000 copies yearly and ranked 12th on the annual physical album chart.
Later, 1TYM debuted in 1998. Teddy, who is still active as YG’s main producer, belongs to the group. For this reason, YG’s own musical identity, specializing in Western pop music, especially hip-hop, became apparent from this time on. Therefore, at this time, YG has changed its name to Yanggoon Planning.
In 1999, when they released an album under the name of ‘YG FAMILY,’ the so-called YG division was coined, and in 2001, the name was changed to ‘YG Entertainment.’ Along with this mission, K-pop legends are born one after another.
The heyday of vocals and solos from YG
The 2000s were the heyday of ballads and solo vocals. But, again, it was YG’s artists who led this culture. Debuting in 2002, Wheesung ranked 27th on the annual artist chart, but in the following year, 2003, he ranked 6th with 368,431 album sales. In particular, the 2nd album, ‘It’s Real,’ was so popular that it ranked 4th on the annual album chart.
2003, YG debuted the newest artists and put them in the ranks of success. Big Mama, Gummy, SE7EN, and Lexy all made their mark in the music industry, and a variety of artists, from groups with the solid vocal power to soloists and soloists with performance skills, were active.
On the 2003 Annual Artist Chart, Wheesung ranked 6th, and Big Mama ranked 7th with a total of 323,019 album sales, and Seven ranked 12th with 212,317 album sales. YG artists who achieved such good results in the year of their debut proved their popularity by posting their names on the annual charts until the mid-2000s.
The unique legends of K-pop, Big Bang and 2NE1
In 2006, YG’s ambitious project, BIGBANG, saw the light of day. For Big Bang, G-Dragon participated in writing, composing, and arranging almost all of their albums.
BIGBANG showed unstoppable growth from 9th place in Hanteo Chart’s annual artist chart in 2006, the year of their debut, to 2nd place in 2007 and 1st place in 2008.
In particular, the 3rd mini album ‘STAND UP’ and the 2nd regular album ‘REMEMBER’ gained popularity in 2008, recording a total album sales of 911,898 copies in 2008 alone, overwhelming digital sound sources in their heyday. It showed the power of the album. It was also popular in Japan and contributed significantly to YG’s expansion abroad.
In 2009, Big Bang’s G-Dragon released a solo album, which also became a hit and ranked 9th on the annual artist chart (total album sales of 257,510 copies). In the same year, BIGBANG ranked 3rd as an artist, proving their outstanding skills and popularity as a solo artist and group.
In the same year, 2NE1 debuted with YG’s unique color. 2NE1, a four-member girl group, has been successful with all their songs, from their debut song ‘Fire’ to ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Go Away.’ In addition, solo songs such as Park Bom’s ‘YOU AND I’ and Sandara Park’s ‘Kiss (feat. CL)’ were popular one after another.
2NE1’s performance was particularly outstanding on the annual digital music charts. In addition to the digital music charts, they also achieved good results, ranking 3rd (2nd mini album) and 7th (1st regular album) on the 2009 and 2010 annual music charts, respectively.
Psy ‘Gangnam Style’ that shook the world & audition program that shook Korea
In 2010, PSY moved to YG, and in 2012, Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ literally shook the world on YouTube. ‘Gangnam Style’ was a song included in the regular 6th album (Psy6甲 Part 1), and as much as it enjoyed global popularity, it achieved remarkable results on YouTube and various music sites.
‘Gangnam Style’ was the first in the world to achieve 1 billion views on YouTube, and two years later, in 2014, it reached 2 billion views. In 2021, it recorded 4 billion views. YouTube celebrated the unprecedented records of ‘Gangnam Style’ and displayed a symbolic image and the number of views.
Around this time, it was audition programs that became as popular in Korea as Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style,’ and through this, Lee Hi and Akdong Musician became members of the YG family. In particular, Akdong Musician, who won the SBS ‘K-Pop Star Season 2’, released their debut album in 2014, their 1st regular album ‘PLAY,’ ‘Give Love,’ and ‘200%’ all occupying the music charts. He vomited.
Not only that, Taeyang’s solo and Epik High’s regular albums were also successful, and the singers under the group achieved good results in both group and solo activities. In 2015, Jinusean’s comeback after 11 years and Big Bang’s comeback after three years and two months heated the music industry. In particular, that year, Big Bang innovatively released a new album, releasing a double single every month from May to September.
The Living History of Girl Groups ‘Blackpink’
WINNER debuted in 2014, and iKON debuted in 2015. In 2017, WINNER’s song ‘REALLY REALLY’ from their 1st single ‘FATE NUMBER FOR’ made a massive hit on music charts. It was the first male idol to succeed by recording 100 million streams, a diagram.
In 2018, iKON’s ‘Love Scenario’ continues to gain immense popularity. In addition, as befits a YG division where each member has outstanding abilities, Bobby, Song Min-ho, Kim Jin-woo, and Kang Seung-Yoon made successful debuts as solo artists.
In 2016, when YG’s girl groups were inactive, BLACKPINK finally debuted. From their debut song ‘Whistle,’ they recorded an all-kill on the domestic music charts, and even the title song ‘Playing with Fire’ released later became a hit and enjoyed tremendous popularity.
BLACKPINK’s album power blossomed in the 2020s. In 2020, it ranked 6th on the annual artist chart with a total album sales of 1,052,023 copies. In particular, the first full-length album, ‘THE ALBUM,’ released in 2021, sold nearly 600,000 copies within one day of the album’s release, breaking the record for first place among girl groups. Hanteo Chart officially announced this album’s Initial Chodong sales amount as 689,066 copies.
This record was broken again by Blackpink themselves, and the history of the girl group’s Initial Chodong sales was rewritten as “BORN PINK,” released in 2022, achieved Initial Chodong sales of 1,542,950 copies. BLACKPINK is the only girl group to record Initial Chodong sales of over 1.5 million copies in history.
In addition, the members’ solo activities continued in the order of Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, and each album was also greatly loved by global fans and proved its power on the music charts. In particular, Lisa’s ‘LALISA’ album, released in 2021, recorded Initial Chodong sales of 736,221 copies, ranking first among female solo artists in Initial Chodong sales.
Also last year, BLACKPINK took first place in the Hanteo Chart’s Weekly World Chart for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks of September and the Monthly World Chart for September, proving their unending global popularity.
The emergence of the global 4th generation
The YG family also has a 4th generation artists. The starting point is ‘TREASURE,’ which debuted in 2020.
Treasure has set a record of over 160,000 copies in the first week since its debut album. In the 2021 ‘Hanteo Global K-Pop Report,’ Hanteo Chart evaluated that “every album has shown growth.”
Debut album ‘THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER ONE’ recorded 160,614 copies, setting an unprecedented Initial Chodong sales record for a rookie. One thousand seven hundred seventy-three copies, the first regular album recorded Initial Chodong sales of 200,575 copies and continued to break its record. The combined Initial Chodong sales of the four albums amount to 702,548 copies.
Treasure then sold 530,000 copies in the first week with their 1st mini-album, “THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE,” released in 2022 and became a half-million seller in the first week, showing a flawless appearance as a 4th-generation K-pop leader.
Treasure then sold 530,000 copies in the first week with their 1st mini-album, “THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE,” released in 2022 and became a half-million seller in the first week, showing a flawless appearance as a 4th-generation K-pop leader.
And on the 2nd, YG Entertainment announced the appearance of a next-generation girl group. BABY MONSTER, released as ‘YG Next Movement,’ is the first girl group in 7 years since BLACKPINK. I’d like to know what kind of ‘star’ YG’s unique ‘hip sensibility’ will create.
