Tag: K-pop

K-Pop Fans Can Now Blend With Some of Their Favorite Groups on Spotify

May 20, 2022

K-Pop fans, Spotify has a listening experience that will let you connect with your favorite bands in a new way. Through Spotify’s Blend feature, you can sing and dance along to an all-new set of playlists that merge your personal music taste with that of some of the biggest names in K-Pop.

Blend was introduced last year as a new way for two Spotify users to combine their musical preferences into one shared playlist made just for them. Earlier this year, we announced updates that included the chance to Blend with some of your favorite artists. 

Now Spotify is expanding the collection of Blend artists to include K-Pop superstars BTS, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NMIXX, and AB6IX. When you Blend with these artists, you’ll get a curated playlist that combines your favorite tracks with theirs. You’ll also receive a share card showing your taste-match scores and the songs that bring you two together. The cards can be shared directly to Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter so you can show off your matches with other members of the ARMY, Stay, ENGENE, MOA, NSWER, and ABNEW fan bases.

Ready to see what these bands have been listening to lately? Grab your headphones and Blend by following the link for your favorite K-Pop artist below.

Blend with BTS

the band BTS is standing in front of a gas station looking at the camera posing

 

Blend with NMIXX

the band NMIXX are standing in front of the camera posing. Some members are kneeling and others are standing.

 

Blend with Stray Kids

The band stray kids are standing in front of the camera posing. their shadows are showing behind them.

 

Blend with TOMORROW X TOGETHER

the band tomorrow x together are on a white backdrop posing in front of the camera.

 

Blend with ENHYPEN

the band enhyphen are posing in front of the camera in this black and white photo. they are holding a sign that says "just stop."

 

Blend with AB6IX

the band ab6ix are standing outside in front of a concrete structure and are posing for the camera.


Update as of October 19, 2022: BLINKs rejoice: You can now also Blend with BLACKPINK on Spotify. Find a full list of all available Blends here.

Through Breakups and Heartbreaks, TOMORROW X TOGETHER Shares All the Feels in Its New Spotify Enhanced Album

May 9, 2022

K-Pop fans, Spotify has a treat for you. Today, South Korean boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER is releasing its fourth mini album, minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, and Spotify listeners have access to an exclusive enhanced version of the album.

This new five-track album follows the story of the boy who fell in love in the band’s previous album series, The Chaos Chapter. In minisode 2: Thursday’s Child that boy experiences a breakup with his first love. Fans will experience three themes (hate, end, mess) as they listen to the group’s tracks, which feature a mix of hardcore rock, hip-hop, and R&B.

The enhanced album, available only on Spotify, includes never-before-seen content. Fans have access to new videos, storylines (which are personal written commentaries from the band on each track), and audio liners, where the band members give insight into the songs. The enhanced album also features videos of the individual members of the group talking about the fun they had and the memories they shared while creating the new music.

the playlist cover art for tomorrow x together's enhanced album which depicts TXT in red and black on a beige background

“We are thrilled to present this new, immersive content to MOA and all listeners on Spotify,” said TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s leader, SOOBIN. “We put tremendous effort into making our new album and collaborating with Spotify, so we hope you enjoy the special behind-the-scenes experience and feel a deeper connection through our exclusive, personally curated content.”

For the Record chatted with members of TOMORROW X TOGETHER to learn more about their new album.

What can fans expect in the new album, minisode 2: Thursday’s Child? 

SOOBIN: Through this new EP, we showcase a side of ourselves that we’ve never shown before. We tried to express how one could be corrupted and changed by his first heartbreak. The lead single “Good Boy Gone Bad” has some fantastic choreography that’s sure to make a lasting impression in your minds, so be sure to check it out!

In what ways does the enhanced album share more about the intent behind your new music for fans and new listeners worldwide?

SOOBIN: I hope our fans, MOA [Moments of Alwaysness], will be able to dive deeper into the EP as they listen to the behind-the-scenes stories and the episodes that we reveal for the first time.

YEONJUN: We all had a great time discussing the album in such depth. In the process, I’ve definitely grown more attached to every song.

BEOMGYU: We had a heart-to-heart talk on each of the tracks from the album, and I hope our MOA will love it too. Also, I really enjoyed thinking back to the emotions I had while working on and recording each song. 

TAEHYUN: It’s some great content. We go into detail about how each member tackled the recording process. Listening to how each song came to be definitely makes me appreciate them more. 

HUENINGKAI: I have so much love for this EP, especially with all the effort and passion we all put into it. It’s our first unit track, so the producer and YEONJUN and I talked a lot about how we want this track to feel. I hope our intentions are delivered to you successfully. 

What messages do you want people to take from your music? 

SOOBIN: Through music, we always strive to give voice to what many people feel and experience throughout their lives. We pursue music that many people can empathize with and relate to. We would like to be remembered as artists who are not confined by genre. We want to become artists who linger on in your minds even as time goes by. 

What figures have most influenced your music and your artwork? 

SOOBIN: I watched a lot of shows that deal with love and heartbreak. I took these works as inspiration to delve into and understand these emotions with more depth.

HUENINGKAI: Since I was a child, I have admired my dad. And I have been inspired by many artists, like Bruno Mars and Christopher, since I was a trainee.

YEONJUN: For this album, I was inspired by Post Malone’s music.

BEOMGYU: I referenced some TV shows as well, but I also think all people go through heartbreak or farewell in one form or another, whatever that may be. While working on this album, I tried to think back and put myself in those shoes.

TAEHYUN: I was inspired by The Weeknd’s albums and by a friend who had recently been through a breakup. 

As you look to TOMORROW (the future), what are your goals as a group TOGETHER?

As a group, we still want to meet and enjoy being with MOA from all over the world.

 

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Start streaming TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, the enhanced album, below:

 

Spotify Celebrates Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by Spotlighting Creators and Activists

May 5, 2022

Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month banner

Each May on our platform, Spotify has amplified and honored the cultures and traditions of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This year, our campaign expands from an American observance to a global celebration and highlights the full Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora. We’re proud to now mark May as Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Spotify.  

To celebrate, we’ve refreshed our Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month content hub with new activist-created playlists and a spotlight on up-and-coming artists. With Asian and Pacific Islander artists representing every genre and in all stages of audio creation, this campaign continues our ongoing efforts to create awareness and expand the API community’s presence on Spotify. Read on to learn more about our plans. 

Turning the volume up on API voices

Our API content hub is a space dedicated to the API community that showcases the work of activists while also highlighting fresh new releases from creators across the audio landscape. This year’s hub is adorned with new cover art and features a variety of audio content, from Punjabi and K-Pop playlists to podcasts from API creators around the globe. It’s also home to a variety of specially curated playlist takeovers. 

 

Letting activists take the lead 

This year, we worked with prominent API activists Malavika Kannan, Amanda Nguyen, and ALOK to create a series of playlists, each with a special theme and message. 

Malavika’s playlist is a musical love letter to fearless immigrant daughters, strong diaspora children, the proud queer community, and multilingual Asian Pacific Islanders. Amanda’s playlist includes music that celebrates API culture year-round. And ALOK’s playlist is a curated collection of API musicians across a wide array of genres and geographies. 

K-Pop Girl Group NMIXX Brings the Buzz as Spotify’s New RADAR Korea Artist

March 3, 2022

Two years ago, Spotify announced the launch of RADAR, a new emerging-artist program aimed at spotlighting rising talent from around the globe. From Sweden and the United States to France and India, the artists on Spotify’s RADAR have gone from being nascent figures in the industry to stealing the hearts of fans around the world. Now, following NMIXX’s successful first year in South Korea, home to K-Pop, Spotify has selected the girl group as its first RADAR Korea artist of 2022. 

NMIXX (pronounced “n mix”) came onto the scene last year as part of JYP Entertainment’s latest global K-Pop project. The group comprises seven members—LILY, HAEWON, SULLYOON, JINNI, BAE, JIWOO, and KYUJIN—and together, they embody the meaning of NMIXX. 

“Our name, NMIXX, combines the letter ‘N’—for now, new, next, or an unknown variable—and ‘mix,’ which symbolizes harmony and diversity. It’s about being the ideal mix for the new world,” NMIXX told For the Record. “We think the best substitutes of the letter ‘N’ for us are the words ‘now’ and ‘need.’ We chose the word now because we, NMIXX, are just getting started! And we chose the word need in the hope that more people will want and need us in the future.”

The group’s debut EP, AD MARE (which means “to the sea” in Latin), was released in early February. Along with the EP’s four tracks, NMIXX shared audio liners in which they greet Spotify listeners and express their excitement—in multiple languages, no less—about their new music. 

To celebrate NMIXX’s selection as Spotify’s first RADAR Korea artist of the year, For the Record asked the group to share their thoughts and experiences as they take on K-Pop’s global music scene. 

What was your reaction when you heard that you were selected for RADAR?

Spotify RADAR is a project that reaches many people from all over the world, and when we heard that we had the honor of being selected, we were moved and delighted! We are excited for the opportunity to connect with such a diverse audience.

What do you hope to take out of the RADAR experience?

It’s a real pleasure and honor to be able to get closer to more fans with our music through RADAR. We are looking forward to being featured on Spotify Singles with music that is unique to us, and we dream about one day being featured on the billboards in New York’s Times Square. We would also love to collaborate with other artists from around the world who work in different genres, like the project between AleXa and Bader AlShuaibi.

As a new K-Pop group, what do you want prospective fans to know about you?

We want people to know that we are an all-around group whose music features everything from rap to vocals to dance. Our goal is to make MIXX POP a worldwide phenomenon. It’s our own genre that brings multiple genres into one, and we want everyone to know its magic so they can really get into our music.

What messages do you want people to take from your music?

Our title track, “O.O,” symbolizes our eyes being wide open after peeking into the unknown. And our worldview became bigger with our discovery, so we would like you to join us in this incredible journey by listening to this song. “TANK” is about the tank-like confidence that burst from us when we were finally unveiled. We hope that those who listen to our music will take away the same powerful energy that’s been propelling us as we introduce the new genre of MIXX POP.

Why was it important for you to incorporate multiple languages into your audio liners?

We wanted to reach our fans around the world, and we thought the language was an important way to show more people who NMIXX is. That’s why we’ve been putting a lot of effort into learning different languages and sharing audio messages on Spotify both in English and Spanish, and we’re so thrilled by all the compliments we received!

Which artists have most influenced your music?

LILY: Taylor Swift has always been a role model for me, and I love and respect her dearly. I look up to her songwriting skills so much. She is also a strong and smart business woman who has done so well in this industry, and I hope I can navigate it with as much grace and wit as her.

HAEWON: For me, it’s The Weeknd and Imagine Dragons. The Weeknd is the artist that opened my eyes to R&B, and Imagine Dragons got me into pop. I first heard the song “Demons” when I was in elementary school, and although I didn’t understand the lyrics in English, the song touched me deeply.

SULLYOON: I listen and sing to Anne-Marie’s music a lot. It was her albums that made me love music even more.

JINNI: Beyoncé for me. I was blown away by how professional she was on stage. Just one line of her song, and she had the whole crowd wrapped around her finger. She has an incredible stage presence and energy, and I always try to learn from her.

BAE: Ariana Grande’s music has always comforted me and made me feel better. I have been listening to her songs since I was young, and the songs still remind me of the seasons, situations, scents, or emotions I experienced when I first listened to them. She’s the role model who started my dream of becoming a singer. I still listen to her music and see my own image in her songs.

JIWOO: I’d say Billie Eilish. She always has this confidence when she sings, and she delivers all the emotion and depth in each song to her fans, which really touched me. I learned a lot by watching her perform.

KYUJIN: I get a lot of my musical influence from TAEYEON! I absolutely love her unique stage presence, her voice, and her emotional depth. Her music has allowed me to feel and experience so much. It’s because of her that I first dreamed of becoming an artist.

As you look to the future, what are your goals as a group?

We want NMIXX to be a group that brings smiles and happy energy to our fans every time we go on stage. We want to become the kind of artists who are loved by many for a long time to come. And we always want to keep growing and improving. We want to follow the footsteps of the Korean groups that have come before us and become the kinds of artists who continue spreading K-Pop love worldwide.

Spotify Celebrates K-Pop With a Relaunch of Its Flagship Playlist, Now Called ‘K-Pop ON! (온)’

March 2, 2022

It’s been one year since Spotify debuted in South Korea and almost eight years since the launch of our flagship playlist, K-Pop Daebak. Since its unveiling in 2014, the playlist has racked up billions of streams for Korean artists and has expanded their reach around the world. As K-Pop continues to dominate the charts, Spotify is building on this momentum with a complete relaunch of its K-Pop Daebak playlist, now called K-Pop ON! (온). 

K-Pop is more than a music genre—it’s a cultural hub for fandoms, superstars, fashion moments, and more. With K-Pop ON! (온), Spotify is creating a destination that gives fans and artists even stronger ways to connect with each other. That’s the reason for the new playlist name and the addition of the Korean word “온,” which means “100” or “whole.” When combined with the English word “on,” the playlist’s name embodies the idea that K-Pop is always on 100 for the whole world. And that couldn’t be more true; every day, K-Pop brings new songs, styles, and trends to the world. With K-Pop On! (온), fans aren’t just tuning in to a playlist, they’re immersing themselves in a worldwide phenomenon. 

Since 2018, K-Pop streams on Spotify have increased by 107% in the United States and 230% globally, resulting in almost 8 billion streams per month around the world. The love of the genre is truly global, with the U.S., Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, and the U.K. rounding out the list of the top countries that stream K-Pop. The music has taken over the Spotify platform. In fact, in the last 90 days, there have been over 4.7 million searches for the term “K-Pop” on Spotify. 

These searches include a wide array of artists and songs, ranging from big hits by top stars to deep cuts from emerging artists. Since the playlist’s original launch in 2014, BLACKPINK and BTS have been the most-streamed artists, while the most-streamed songs have been “DDU-DU DDU-DU” by BLACKPINK, “FANCY” by TWICE, “DALLA DALLA” by ITZY, “Kill This Love” by BLACKPINK, and “SOLO” by JENNIE (from BLACKPINK). 

 

 

Spotify couldn’t launch K-Pop ON! (온) without help from a few fan-favorite artists, so it’s rolling out star-studded billboards around the world to celebrate. Fans will find larger-than-life images of NMIXX in LA; BTS, aespa, and NMIXX in NYC; ATEEZ, Red Velvet, NCT DREAM, and more in South Korea; aespa, SEVENTEEN, BLACKPINK, and more in Indonesia; BTS, NMIXX, and IVE in Japan; and BTS, TWICE, and ENHYPEN in Toronto—with more exciting content to come, across the platform and on Spotify’s own channels. 

Want to join the millions of fans around the world singing and dancing along to K-Pop? Stream our newly minted K-Pop On! (온) playlist here.

한국 론칭 1주년, 스포티파이가 공개하는 데이터와 그간의 성과

February 14, 2022

스포티파이가 한국에서의 서비스 론칭 1주년을 맞아 지난 한 해 동안 스포티파이와 한국 아티스트들이 이뤄낸 주요 데이터와 성과를 발표했습니다. 

전 세계 리스너들이 보다 많은 대한민국 그리고 한국계 아티스트를 발견하고 깊이 연결될 수 있도록

데이터에 따르면, 지난 1년 동안 K팝 음원은 전 세계적으로 월평균 79억 7천만 회 이상 스트리밍된 것으로 나타났습니다. 이는 스포티파이의 한국 론칭 이전과 비교했을 때 약 27% 증가한 수치입니다. 나아가 전 세계 4억 6백만명 이상의 청취자를 보유한 스포티파이의 184개 국가 중 한국 아티스트를 새롭게 발견한 청취자가 가장 많은 상위 10개국은 미국, 브라질, 인도, 인도네시아, 멕시코, 독일, 영국, 필리핀, 일본, 프랑스 순으로 나타났습니다.  

앞서 언급한 데이터 비롯하여 지난 1년간 더 많은 아티스트들을 더 많은 전 세계 청취자들과 새롭고 깊이 있게 연결하기 위해, 스포티파이는 아래와 같이 다양한 방식으로 쉼 없이 달려왔습니다. 

또한, 폭넓은 한국 음악과 아티스트를 전 세계 청취자들에게 소개하는 ‘K팝 허브(K-Pop Hub)’는 스포티파이가 국내 론칭된 지 1년도 되지 않아 총 스트리밍 횟수 14억 3천만회를 달성, 이 역시 코리아팀의 론칭 전과 비교했을 때 19.5% 증가했습니다. 지난 1년간 인도, 인도네시아, 미국, 일본, 필리핀, 말레이시아, 태국, 브라질, 멕시코, 대만 순으로 K팝 허브에 가장 많이 접속한 것으로 나타났고, 전 세계적으로 K팝 허브에서 가장 많이 스트리밍된 상위 10개 플레이리스트는 K-Pop Daebak, TrenChill K-R&B, WOR K OUT, Women of K-Pop, Dalkom Cafe, Girl Krush, K-Pop Rising, KimBops!, Korean OSTs, 그리고 Best of Korean Soundtracks 순이었습니다. 

박상욱 스포티파이 코리아 매니징 디렉터는 “긴 여정의 초기단계에 있는 만큼, 앞으로도 한국의 아티스트, 창작자 및 업계 파트너들에게 신뢰받는 글로벌 파트너로서 함께 성장해갈 것“이라고 강조, “아티스트들에게는 전 세계 곳곳의 청취자들과 연결될 수 있는 기회를, 청취자들에게는 새로운 음악을 발견하고 일상 속 듣는 기쁨을 드리기 위해 스포티파이 코리아팀에서 항상 노력할 것”이라고 소감을 밝혔습니다.

S4A의 확산, 더 다양하고 많은 한국 아티스트들이 국경 없는 음악 생태계 속 활로 개척할 수 있도록

론칭 이후 한국 아티스트 및 레이블에 대한 지원 역시 대폭 강화해왔습니다. 그 중 특히 아티스트 전용 플랫폼이자 혁신툴인 S4A의 확산과 교육을 통해, 아티스트들이 전 세계 청취자와 팬에 대한 깊은 이해를 바탕으로 보다 효율적으로 활동을 기획할 수 있도록 도움을 제공해왔습니다. 

S4A는 실시간 글로벌 청취 통계 분석과 다양한 리소스를 무료로 제공하는 만큼, 레이블과 아티스트에게는 유용한 데이터 및 툴로 작용합니다. 현지 뮤직팀에서 S4A의 확산을 위해 노력해온 결과, 1년도 채 안 되어 한국 아티스트의 S4A 가입률이 국내 론칭 전보다 42.4 증가한 것으로 나타났습니다. 또한, 각 수록곡을 시각적으로 표현하는 디지털 아트워크 개념의 캔버스(Canvas) 영상 기능을 이용한 한국 아티스트의 수 역시 254% 증가한 것으로 집계됐습니다.

One Year in South Korea and Local Artists Are Finding Fans Around the Globe

February 14, 2022

One year ago, Spotify made its debut in South Korea, and since then, even more listeners around the world have fallen in love with K-Pop music. So to celebrate the anniversary, Spotify is sharing data that shows how Korean artists have found a home—and global audience—on the platform. 

K-Pop’s borderless reach 

Spotify’s global K-Pop hub, which was unveiled last year at the South Korea launch, has become a one-stop destination for listeners to discover a wide range of Korean artists and music. In just one year, the monthly average K-Pop streams worldwide reached over 7.97 billion per month, a 27% increase compared to the year before. In the same time frame, traffic to the K-Pop Hub reached 1.43 billion, a 19.5% increase in comparison to the year before launch.

Across Spotify’s 184 markets, the top 10 countries whose listeners had discovered Korean artists during the last year were the United States, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Germany, UK, Philippines, Japan, and France. Listeners from these countries also went to the K-Pop hub in droves to discover new music. And among the playlists within the K-Pop hub, the top 10 most streamed globally were K-Pop Daebak, TrenChill K-R&B, WOR K OUT, Women of K-Pop, Dalkom Cafe, Girl Krush, K-Pop Rising, KimBops!, Korean OSTs, and Best of Korean Soundtracks.

Spotlight on artists 

Spotify also showed support for the Korean music industry with the launch of “Spotify for Artists,” a platform designed to help singers, producers, and musicians expand their reach. 

Spotify for Artists provides real-time stats and helpful resources for artists, and in the year since Spotify South Korea’s launch, the registration rate on Spotify for Artists by Korean artists grew by 42.4% when compared to pre-launch figures. Korean artists were also big fans of the “Canvas” feature, which lets artists experiment with their album artwork by creating short-form looping videos for each of their songs. The number of sign-ups for Canvas increased 254% compared to the year before. 

The best is yet to come 

“As a committed global partner to Korean artists, creators, industry partners, and more, we will continue to support the growth of the Korean music-streaming ecosystem and offer more opportunities for Korean artists to be connected with more listeners around the world,” said David Park, Managing Director of Spotify Korea. “This is just the beginning.”

To top off an exciting year, here’s a look at some of the achievements since Spotify launched in South Korea:  

Ready to stream with the masses? Discover the artists climbing the ranks on Spotify’s K-Pop Hub.

https://open.spotify.com/genre/kpop-page 

 

*All data is from Feb 1st 2021 to Feb 1st 2022, 1 year since launch in South Korea

EQUAL Artist of the Month STAYC Encourages Women Artists To Express Themselves

October 29, 2021

Spotify’s EQUAL Global Artist of Month, STAYC, chose their name very carefully. The six-person K-pop group’s moniker is actually an acronym for Star To A Young Culture, a phrase that reflects their goal of dominating pop culture. And so far, they’re well on their way!

With almost 2.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the group is quickly gaining global attention with catchy fan-favorite songs like “STEREOTYPE” and “ASAP.” STAYC’s work has also earned the group accolades, including a nomination for Rookie of the Year at Korea’s 2021 Seoul Music Awards.

Together, STAYC band members Sumin, Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon, and J create an upbeat sound they describe as “teenfresh,” a term the group has coined to represent their unique blend of youthful, fresh tunes. They explain, “We want to deliver new messages while also delivering a sense of comfort and empathy to listeners, regardless of gender and age.”

The rising stars are the first group from Korea and the first K-pop artist to be on the cover of Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist. They’re also advocates for women artists, calling for continued diversity and opportunity within the industry. For the Record spoke with the EQUAL artist to fill in the blanks and learn more about their creative process and the women creators they admire.

Celebrating 7 Years of Spotify’s Flagship K-pop Playlist, K-Pop Daebak

September 12, 2021

On September 12, 2014, Spotify unveiled K-Pop Daebak, a first-of-its-kind playlist that became home to the K-pop genre on Spotify. Since then, it’s racked up nearly 5.3 billion minutes of streaming and 1.7 billion accumulated stream counts, and introduced approximately 70,000 tracks worldwide. Today, seven years later, it has over 3.1 million followers on Spotify, making it one of the most important global hubs of the genre and connecting the genre with a global audience. 

In honor of the impactful playlist’s seventh anniversary, we’re sharing the streaming data with K-pop fans. Check it out:

Over the past seven years, the playlist has been streamed for nearly 5.3 billion minutes—that’s over 88 million hours. And translated into years? Ten thousand years of K-Pop Daebak listening. 

In that time, we’ve found that the age group that streams K-Pop Daebak the most are Gen Z, with over half of the streams coming from 18- to 24-year-olds (51%), followed by 25- to 29-year-olds (20%), and those ages 17 or under (13%). And the top 10 countries that have listened to the flagship playlist the most? The United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.

“Spotify is dedicated to connecting Korean artists and their work to listeners all over the world, so that music can be discovered and enjoyed far and wide across borders,” says Kossy Ng, Head of Music, Asia, Spotify. “This has [been], and will continue to be, our mission in Korea for the long term and we are honored to serve as a bridge that connects K-pop and Korean artists to the world.” 

Since launching its service in Korea back in February, Spotify has also accelerated its support for Korean labels and artists by providing Masterclasses of our Spotify for Artists platform featuring various cutting-edge tools and data to empower them to connect with a larger global audience.

But K-pop doesn’t start—or stop—with this one playlist. In addition to K-Pop Daebak, Spotify offers a wide range of playlists and music from Korean artists through our global K-pop hub. Playlists range from RADAR Korea and Fresh Finds Korea—dedicated to helping listeners discover rising Korean artists—to R&B and hip-hop-focused TrenChill K-R&B and K-Hip Hop +82, indie music-focused In The K-Indie, and countless more. The hub also has multiple playlists filled with tracks from Korea that are ever evolving, organized by various themes, moods, and moments so you can dive into K-pop nonstop.

Celebrate K-Pop Daebak’s 7th anniversary by streaming the playlist below.

Filipino Boy Band SB19 Brings P-pop to the World With Their New EP

July 21, 2021

Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin, the five members of Filipino boy band SB19, are leading the Philippine-style pop movement known as P-pop with lively hits and coordinated dance moves. The band has seen increased popularity around the globe from 2020, when they joined RADAR, our emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the world, to 2021, when they were nominated for a Billboard Music Award. 

With Spotify’s RADAR support, SB19 has found new listeners in markets like the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, and Australia to add to their ever-growing fan base. The popularity of SB19’s music is representative of a love for the genre of Filipino pop music. There’s a growing appreciation and pride for local Filipino music, and Spotify’s Tatak Pinoy playlist has more than 1.3 million followers, with streams continuing to increase year over year. 

Now, SB19 is ready to take the world by storm with their latest EP, Pagsibol. “Pagsibol,” a Filipino word that translates to “germination” in English, celebrates the band’s journey in the music industry. It’s representative of how seeds grow into plants, or germinate. The EP’s tracks symbolize SB19’s beginnings—their roots. 

To celebrate Pagsibol through audio and visual art, Spotify and SB19 collaborated with six Filipino visual artists to bring the EP to life on jeepneys—the iconic Pinoy mode of public transportation. Each jeepney’s design is inspired by a track from Pagsibol. Fans can also look forward to exclusive SB19 content on Spotify’s Tatak Pinoy playlist. 

For the Record chatted with SB19 to learn more about their new EP and the creative process that went into recording it.

What can fans expect from Pagsibol?

SB19: Listeners will get to witness a more bare SB19 as we share our humble beginnings and how we persevere through hardships. Fans will get a glimpse of our paths and what we went through. We consider this EP to be very meaningful as everything is from us: the conceptualization, the creative process, everything in this product. Even though this is our “Ikalawang Yugto” or “Second Chapter,” we regard this as our brand-new start as artists. Also in this EP we offer different types of music to cater to various listeners. We hope to inspire and reach a bigger audience with Pagsibol.

What are the lyrical themes that you’ve tackled in the EP? 

SB19: Since the EP is about our beginnings, the themes we’ve incorporated are everything that got us to where we are right now. We first introduced “What?” as an empowerment song. This was followed by “MAPA,” which is a song for people who have been there with us since the start—our parents. There’s also “SLMT,” which is a play on the Filipino word “salamat” that means “thank you.” This song is dedicated to our fans, who we are eternally grateful for. Each single tackles different subjects, but they all still stay true to the theme of our origination. 

How does the group work together creatively? 

SB19: We are very hands-on with all our art. We make sure that what we release is genuine. The creative direction is mostly by Justin, and then we as a group conceptualize and find our common ground. Pablo will start on the formulation of our songs and we collaborate from there. Since this whole creative process is tedious, we make sure to support each other, hear everyone’s suggestions, and make it an easygoing and cooperative environment. 

What advice would you give fellow Filipino artists and bands looking to make their presence more global? What do you see for the future of P-pop?

SB19: Just YOLO! Find your strength and love what you do. Put your mind and soul in it. You’ll be successful in no time. We see P-pop as another strength for our country to show the world what we are capable of. 

Stream SB19’s new EP, Pagsibol, below.

Spotify Invites Fans to the K-pop Playground With a New Enhanced Album From TWICE

June 11, 2021

It’s no secret that K-pop is taking the world by storm, and when it comes to new music and exclusive content, fans around the globe just can’t get enough. That’s why Spotify is collaborating with nine-member girl group TWICE to launch a new enhanced album to support Taste of Love, their latest release.

TWICE Presents Taste of Love, the Enhanced Album features a colorful playground of captivating video and audio that goes along with the group’s six new songs. On Spotify, listeners can find exclusive content like track-by-track explanations, personal written commentary about each song, and exclusive videos featuring TWICE. Fans can watch as Jihyo makes a plate of s’mores and Momo perfects a refreshing alcohol-free mocktail. They’ll also hear secrets from Dahyun’s trainee-days diary and learn from Mina as she shows them how to take the perfect selfie. 

“We are so excited that TWICE collaborated with us on this enhanced album—not only for ONCE [the name of TWICE’s fandom], but also for new fans of this incredible group,” says Kossy Ng, Head of Music, Asia at Spotify. “Enhanced albums allow fans to connect with artists in a deeper, more engaging way, and they give artists a way to immerse fans in the inspiration, stories, and creativity behind their art.”

Ready to listen to the album’s mix of bossa-nova, hip-hop, disco, and dance melodies while hearing more from the group? Check out TWICE Presents Taste of Love, the Enhanced Album. 

RADAR Unites K-pop Star AleXa and Arab Hitmaker Bader AlShuaibi to Create “Is It On”

May 25, 2021

K-pop, which has transformed from a burgeoning genre to a full-fledged musical phenomenon, has held onto its border-crossing world domination for some time now. And yet there are always new fans turning to the genre from around the world. One such place where K-pop found a particular popularity is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): From January 2020 to January 2021, the genre saw a 140% increase in Spotify streaming from users in the region. 

So with K-pop’s prominence as a dominant genre in the MENA region, our Spotify RADAR team saw a unique opportunity to bring an artist from each market together to participate in a cross-border collaboration. The result? Spotify’s first RADAR KOREA artist AleXa and RADAR MENA’s Kuwaiti-Saudi-based creator Bader AlShuaibi’s new single “Is It On.”

“Is It On” is a K-pop-style track with high energy based on a distinctive reggaeton rhythm, a fresh melody line, a catchy lead sound, and a drop. Over the past year, Spotify oversaw a virtual collaboration between AleXa and Bader that will ultimately give both artists global exposure and help them expand their audiences to over 178 markets. Of particular interest are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt, and Qatar, which are currently the top five MENA countries streaming K-pop music.

“K-pop is a phenomenon that has blown up across the world, and as MENA is a crossroads of culture and trade routes from East to West since antiquity, it only makes sense that K-Pop makes a stop over in MENA,” says Spotify’s Wissam Khodur, Artist and Label Partnerships, MENA. “K-pop already has a healthy share of streams per capita in the region, but making the region’s first collaboration between both cultures and genres (K-pop and Khaleeji Pop) will help grow the appreciation for K-pop for sure and bring the artists closer to their fans.” 

RADAR was designed to help emerging artists around the world reach the next stage in their careers and strengthen their connection to listeners. Spotify provides RADAR artists with resources and access to integral marketing opportunities to help them boost their careers, in addition to expanded reach and exposure. When it came to this collaborative song, Spotify was available to support every step of the way.

“From a wide range of marketing support, including a billboard placement in New York Times Square to local and cross-regional playlisting, we’ve been excited for this RADAR collaboration featuring a K-pop artist for the first time in Spotify’s history,” explains Spotify’s Wootae Kim, Artist and Label Partnership, Asia. “We are confident to introduce both AleXa and Bader to each other’s market and globally in the most Spotify way, while continuing to connect K-pop with the world in creative ways.”

To celebrate the launch of the song, we asked each RADAR artist to reflect on the collaboration and what it meant for them as creators. Read what they had to say below. 

Bader AlShuaibi

You’re known for your pop hits. What elements were different in creating a K-pop song? 

Music is music, so the same passion was injected into this project, but the new element I felt during this song was that the tempo of the music was different than what we are used to in the MENA area. It was a fun, new, awesome experience.

What elements of your own creativity and style did you infuse in “Is It On”?

Trying something new in every production. In this one in particular I sang with a fast flow, I almost rapped. Something I’ve always wanted to try and I did.

How can music bring people together across borders? 

Music is a very passionate way of communication. The expansion of Spotify around the globe made it easier to understand what’s going on in every part of this planet. We can understand each other better with music.

AleXa

You became the first RADAR KOREA artist back in August 2020. What has your experience been like since then?

It is a huge honor and I still feel grateful for all the opportunities Spotify has provided. RADAR enabled me and my team to share our music and work of art to fans all over the world. I also got to meet new fans thanks to Spotify. I’m so grateful to everyone behind the scenes that helped make this possible! 

Why should your fans be excited for this collaboration? 

I really believe that this is a never-heard-before kind of project! It has lyrics in Korean, Arabic, and English. And the melody exudes a unique energy based on a distinctive reggaetón rhythm and catchy lead sound. Every element in the track is so distinctive and culturally outstanding on its own, yet they are all beautifully intertwined with each other. It’s a harmony of different cultures. 

I still remember during the recording session, everyone was so pumped up and excited, dancing and jumping to it. I really hope our fans and everyone who gets to hear this project can feel the same energy! 

What are you looking forward to in the future coming out of this collaboration?

I’m currently preparing for my comeback in mid-June, which is very soon! I hope that my lovely and beautiful A.I. Troopers (fan base) enjoy “Is It On,” and hopefully our song reaches new fans globally. I’m also hoping that through this project, more people get to understand that music is borderless and that music itself is communication when listeners can feel the beat!

Want more RADAR? Stream the global RADAR playlist below.