Is bts losing popularity in korea

2021 is halfway through, K-pop during the epidemic period has limited direct activities, but the artists are still very active. In the first half of this year, the physical album market grew 34,25% compared to the same period last year. In addition, global album sales also showed a high growth rate, up to 50.02%. This represents the expansion of the K-pop fandom worldwide.

And to “measure” the popularity of Kpop idols, Hanteo has announced the Top 50 Kpop artists in the first half of 2021. Top 50 are selected based on the following criteria: Album sales, broadcasts, media/music programs, social data, portals, worldwide fandom. Let’s see, which are the idols that have contributed to making Kpop become more popular globally in recent years.

1. NCT Dream

The top position surprisingly belonged to NCT Dream. SM’s “youngest” boy group had a spectacular comeback with all 7 members after 3 years through the full album “Hot Sauce”. The album has reached 2 million album sales in just 16 days. NCT Dream surpassed a lot of seniors to become the first SM group to reach 2 million copies in just over 2 weeks.

2. BTS

Originally dominating the No. 1 position of many charts, but in terms of popularity, BTS only ranked 2. At the beginning of the year, BTS came back with an English single called Butter. The group created a big buzz when staying at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 5 weeks in a row, continuously winning the weekly music trophy despite not promoting.

3. Baekhyun

EXO’s Baekhyun released his Bambi album ahead of his enlistment. The album continues to bring Baekhyun an impressive record of millions of copies. The song Bambi is highly appreciated for its quality, continuously reaching the top of the best songs in the first half of 2021.

4. EXO

EXO has just made a comeback with the special album Don’t Fight The Feeling, achieving the 6th million-selling achievement. Lay’s comeback after 3 years also drew attention.

5. SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN also made a comeback with the album “Your Choice” and the title song “Ready To Love”. This comeback continues to show the group’s stable performance with 1.3 million albums sold in the first week on Hanteo. SEVENTEEN is in the process of promoting and winning music trophies non-stop.

6. IU

IU is the female solo artist with the highest ranking in the top 50. She also just returned with LILAC last March.

7. Rosé

Following IU is Rosé (BLACKPINK). She made her solo debut with On The Ground last March.

8. TXT

BTS’s ‘younger brother fgroup’, TXT has a comeback with 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You). The song is also appreciated in terms of quality.

9. BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK is the only group that has not made a comeback in the first half of 2021 but is still in the top 10. However, the YG girl group had a very successful online concert earlier this year called The Show.

10. TWICE

The last place in the top 10 belongs to TWICE. The group made a comeback with a summer song titled “Alcohol-Free”.

Source: K14

SEOUL, June 15 (Reuters) - K-pop pioneers BTS faced tears and sympathy from fans but anger from shareholders in their management company on Wednesday, a day after the band, pleading exhaustion, announced a break from group musical activities to pursue solo projects.

Many in South Korea reacted with shock and dismay at Tuesday’s news that, with some of its seven members approaching military service age, also triggered speculation about the future of a band whose upbeat hits and messages of youth empowerment have turned them into global stars.

"I could relate to them as they shed tears and honestly told us how they felt," fan Nini Lee told Reuters from a café in Seoul where she had gathered with other fans.

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"Their voice gave me huge strength when I had tough times, and I'm no longer afraid of such headwinds ...Now I want to give my voice of courage to them.".

Kim Young-sun, who runs the cafe, said she felt sorry that she as a fan had only wanted more from BTS at a time when they were struggling, wishing them a well-deserved break to recharge their batteries.

BTS Leader and rapper RM, in a tearful video released on Tuesday on the ninth anniversary of a group that last year became the first Asian band to win artist of the year at the American Music Awards, said he had "felt guilty and afraid" to ask for the rest that he desperately needed.

Singer Jimin said they were struggling to find their identity in what he called an "exhausting process," while RM also lamented that the K-pop industry could not provide young artists with "time to mature".

On social media, some other fans blamed BTS' management group HYBE for relentlessly pushing for new albums and other moneymaking opportunities. read more

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

K-pop boy band BTS' goods are seen on display at a cafe in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

"The K-pop and idol industry had long been running on a profit-making system where the stars cannot take a rest even when they burned themselves out," said Jung Duk-hyun, a South Korean cultural critic.

SHAREHOLDER 'DYNAMITE'

Tuesday's unexpected announcement fuelled anger among investors in HYBE, which went public two years ago and whose shares (352820.KS) plunged 25% on Wednesday, wiping nearly 2 trillion won ($1.55 billion) off its market value.

"They've planted 'dynamite' in the hearts of shareholders," one wrote on a Samsung Securities stock trading platform, referring to one of the group's hit songs.

HYBE shares had performed relatively poorly in recent months, and the company's chief executive and some BTS members unloaded stock totalling 10 billion won ($7.75 million) in December.

All able-bodied South Korean men are subject to about two years of military service, and the oldest member of BTS, Jin, is required to begin his duty next year.

A bill pushing for providing military exemptions to globally renowned artists is pending in parliament, amid prolonged debate over whether BTS deserves similar benefits that sport athletes enjoy.

Lee Ki-hoon, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment Co. Ltd., wrote in a report that BTS' lack of public activity including the impact of military service could result in a 750 billion won revenue loss in 2023.

($1 = 1,290.1600 won)