Asia's largest music market offers size, diversity
By Kim Ji-soo
K-pop is thriving. The popularity of top K-pop idol groups such as BTS and TWICE has the effect of expanding the size of the overseas market for all Korean musicians.
And top balladeers are taking the jump.
The Korean band Nell announced Monday its plans to perform in the Japan market. The band will perform at WWW stage in Shibuya, Tokyo, under the title Nell's Season 2018 "The Colors."
The rock band that debuted in 2001 has numerous hits including "Time Walking on Memory" and "Green Nocturne." Popular Korean R&B singer Lena Park popularized one of the band's songs, "Thank You" when she sang her version of it in an "I Am a Singer" reality television show.
The Nell members have also been a frequent performer at Korea's music festivals such as Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Seoul Jazz Festival and Greenplugged.
The band set up their own label company, Space Bohemian, in 2016.
They are known for having produced some recent songs including the song for a unit group of Wanna One.
Nell follows in the steps of other "non-idol" Korean singers.
Top balladeer Sung Si-kyung is expected to issue a single album in Japan early July. Sung, who debuted in 2001, is known for his honey-sweet voice and such hits as "I am Touched by You" and "To You." More recently, he has focused on tracks for Korean dramas including "My Love from the Star."
To advance into the Japan market, he has opted to performing at a shopping mall and other more people-friendly stages, as he starts out as a virtual rookie in the Japanese music market.
Singer Lee Jeok released his hit songs in Japanese in April, and performed in Japan this month, signaling his entry there. Also a writer, he is known for hit songs including "It's Fortunate."
Singer Roy Kim also made a Japan debut this year. The winner of the fourth season of audition program "Superstar K" released a compilation of his hit songs including "Bom, Bom, Bom" in an album released in Japan on May 16. Kim also sang the duet "Heaven" with Kim Ei-zi that was part of the soundtrack of the popular 2017 television drama "Guardian."
The Japanese music market is Asia's largest and the world's second-largest, one of the reasons singers actively knock on its doors. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the Japanese music market stood at $4.4 billion in 2017.
"The Japanese music market is heavily focused on the performance market, so these artists who can draw big audiences will have their eyes on the Japanese market, and these singers such as Sung, Lee, Roy Kim and Nell have that power," said Jang Min-gi, project researcher at Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
"In addition, these are singers who have sung for drama soundtracks." She also pointed out Japan's fandom tends to be more widely spread over age and remains loyal, another attribute musicians take note of.
But Jang of KOCCA said more Koreans making forays into Japan ― where performances and concerts matter much ― may well illustrate the current limitations in the Korean music market.
In announcing his Japan activities, Lee Jeok had cited the tolerance for genres variety in the Japanese market, whereas idol groups dominate the K-pop market.
At the same time, it's hard to deny the popularity of Korean stars in Japan recharged by the popular TWICE adds allure for other Korean music acts. The girl group TWICE's popularity is high where its single released in May "Wake Me Up" sold more than 200,000 units in the first week.
So more idol groups are expected to expand their activities into Japan this year. SM Entertainment's girl group Red Velvet has a Japanese mini-album planned for early July. Also, the seven-membered Oh!My Girl is preparing for its Japan debut that is slated for in August.
 |
| Korean rock band Nell announces that it will perform in Tokyo in July. Courtesy of Space Bohemian |
By Kim Ji-soo
K-pop is thriving. The popularity of top K-pop idol groups such as BTS and TWICE has the effect of expanding the size of the overseas market for all Korean musicians.
And top balladeers are taking the jump.
The Korean band Nell announced Monday its plans to perform in the Japan market. The band will perform at WWW stage in Shibuya, Tokyo, under the title Nell's Season 2018 "The Colors."
The rock band that debuted in 2001 has numerous hits including "Time Walking on Memory" and "Green Nocturne." Popular Korean R&B singer Lena Park popularized one of the band's songs, "Thank You" when she sang her version of it in an "I Am a Singer" reality television show.
The Nell members have also been a frequent performer at Korea's music festivals such as Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Seoul Jazz Festival and Greenplugged.
The band set up their own label company, Space Bohemian, in 2016.
They are known for having produced some recent songs including the song for a unit group of Wanna One.
Nell follows in the steps of other "non-idol" Korean singers.
 |
| Singer Sung Si-kyung performs on a stage in Japan. Korea Times file |
Top balladeer Sung Si-kyung is expected to issue a single album in Japan early July. Sung, who debuted in 2001, is known for his honey-sweet voice and such hits as "I am Touched by You" and "To You." More recently, he has focused on tracks for Korean dramas including "My Love from the Star."
To advance into the Japan market, he has opted to performing at a shopping mall and other more people-friendly stages, as he starts out as a virtual rookie in the Japanese music market.
Singer Lee Jeok released his hit songs in Japanese in April, and performed in Japan this month, signaling his entry there. Also a writer, he is known for hit songs including "It's Fortunate."
 |
| Singer Roy Kim released his hits in Japan this year. |
Singer Roy Kim also made a Japan debut this year. The winner of the fourth season of audition program "Superstar K" released a compilation of his hit songs including "Bom, Bom, Bom" in an album released in Japan on May 16. Kim also sang the duet "Heaven" with Kim Ei-zi that was part of the soundtrack of the popular 2017 television drama "Guardian."
The Japanese music market is Asia's largest and the world's second-largest, one of the reasons singers actively knock on its doors. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the Japanese music market stood at $4.4 billion in 2017.
"The Japanese music market is heavily focused on the performance market, so these artists who can draw big audiences will have their eyes on the Japanese market, and these singers such as Sung, Lee, Roy Kim and Nell have that power," said Jang Min-gi, project researcher at Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
"In addition, these are singers who have sung for drama soundtracks." She also pointed out Japan's fandom tends to be more widely spread over age and remains loyal, another attribute musicians take note of.
But Jang of KOCCA said more Koreans making forays into Japan ― where performances and concerts matter much ― may well illustrate the current limitations in the Korean music market.
In announcing his Japan activities, Lee Jeok had cited the tolerance for genres variety in the Japanese market, whereas idol groups dominate the K-pop market.
At the same time, it's hard to deny the popularity of Korean stars in Japan recharged by the popular TWICE adds allure for other Korean music acts. The girl group TWICE's popularity is high where its single released in May "Wake Me Up" sold more than 200,000 units in the first week.
So more idol groups are expected to expand their activities into Japan this year. SM Entertainment's girl group Red Velvet has a Japanese mini-album planned for early July. Also, the seven-membered Oh!My Girl is preparing for its Japan debut that is slated for in August.
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