Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang delivers a speech on the Worldwide Discussion board We, the Youth 2025 Closing Convention held in Seoul, Oct. 27. Courtesy of Hybe
The chief govt of Okay-pop powerhouse Hybe, Lee Jae-sang, mentioned Friday that Okay-pop’s world rise is propelled by a “virtuous cycle” created via energetic fan participation, strengthened by localized methods and a digital suggestions ecosystem.
Talking at a webinar hosted by U.S.-based leisure knowledge analytics agency Luminate, which provides knowledge for the Billboard charts, Lee emphasised the rising significance of “tremendous followers,” extremely engaged audiences who form artist trajectories.
“Followers are extra than simply listeners. They actively take part within the artist’s complete scope of actions,” Lee mentioned. “This creates a virtuous cycle the place a phrase of mouth via social media and communities rapidly results in streaming, establishing a fast and potent suggestions loop.”
He defined that Hybe’s sustained world progress stems from “fan engagement,” supported by a localized model of what the corporate calls the “Okay-pop Method,” an built-in mannequin encompassing artist improvement, manufacturing methods, promotions and fan communities tailor-made to the cultural and industrial context of every market.
As examples, Lee cited BTS member Jungkook’s hit single “Seven,” which grew to become the quickest monitor in Spotify historical past to surpass one billion streams, in addition to Katseye, Hybe’s U.S.-based woman group that just lately reached 33 million month-to-month listeners on the platform.
Lee additionally pointed to Technology Z as a key driver of Hybe’s world technique, noting that the corporate’s fan platform Weverse has cultivated a participatory tradition the place followers instantly create and share content material.
Trying forward, he mentioned Hybe will intensify efforts to achieve Technology Alpha — youthful audiences who’ve but to type fastened cultural preferences, calling it a serious strategic focus for the following three to 5 years.
“They’ll embrace and help not solely Okay-pop but in addition many artists debuting in native markets utilizing the Okay-pop mechanisms as content material they grew up with, with none biases,” he mentioned.
