About YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment, led by rapper-turned-producer Yang Hyun-suk, is Korea’s top-tier music agency vying with SM Entertainment to win the domestic number one. Formerly named as Hyun Producing which debuted Keep Six, the company changed its name to MF Producing and led hip-hop duo Jinusean to a success. Jinuseon, co-produced by Yang Hyun-suk and Korea’s first hip-hop duo DEUX member D.O, introduced American hip-hop style to the local scene and grabbed both trend and commercial success. Afterwards, YG debuted Korea’s first hip-hop idol group 1TYME and solidified their color as black music through the big-scale performance of YG ‘Family,’ joined by all the YG artists.
In 2000s, solo singer Se7en led the success of YG while WheeSung, Gummy and Big Mama made a series of hit after YG cooperated with R&B label M-boat. Recently, Big Bang and 2NE1 have grown as Korea’s top idol groups and PSY’s “Gangnam Style” nabbed international success, which made YG Entertainment becoming the country’s top agency. YG’s sales of last year reached 99.7 billion Korean Won (approximately 94.5 million US Dollars).
This year, YG played aggressive producing in activities of their artists. One of the remarkable producing this year is a series of individual activities of Big Bang members. Starting with Seungri, G-Dragon, Taeyang and T.O.P released solo album or single in turn and received nice responses. Along with some chart success, the Big Bang members received outstanding results with their quality music.
In discovering new faces, YG made active movement to introduce WINNER, the winning boy group in the firm’s self-produced audition show “WHO IS NEXT – WIN” in corporation with Mnet. WINNER has already grabbed a significant number of fans through the show, slated to have a splendid debut soon. Attracting 8,000 fans to their first exclusive Japan fan meeting, WINNER also opened up Big Bang’s Japan dome tour.
In the global department, Big Bang proved their name value. The group ranked at No.5 on Japanese concert ranking this year with accumulated 719,000 audiences. From November to next January, the group hit the road around the country starting with Saitama Seibu dome, Osaka Kyocera Dome, Fukuoka Yahoo! Oku Dome, Nagoya Dome, Tokyo Dome to Sapporo Dome. According to YG, this six-city dome tour is expected to draw in a whopping 771,000 audiences in total.
G-Dragon’s second world tour “G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind” attracted 361,000 fans into its Japanese destinations and the star stood at No. 17 on the Japanese concert ranking. The artist drew in a total of 570,000 audiences through the tour around the globe. PSY’s “GENTLEMAN” reached the fifth spot on the Billboard’s Singles chart and its music video surpassed 600 million hits, marking PSY as the winner of the most-watched clip on YouTube two years in a row.
About promotion and public relations, Yang Hyun-suk took a new track to introduce the company’s plan by himself through “From YG,” the direct communication channel via YG’s official blog. The chief music producer has shot to one of the opinion groups and is playing a big role on the K-pop scene. His appearance on SBS’s talent show “KPOP STAR” also helped him to connect more with the public. The office building of YG Entertainment was unveiled through MBC’s popular variety show “Infinite Challenge” and helped the company have more intimate image.
Source: Ten Asia
Big Bang, Power of ‘Together and Apart’
This Year’s Performance
Year 2013 was the year when YG Entertainment, Inc. took one step ahead. YG, still competing to win the top spot of K-pop with SM Entertainment, raised individual ‘manpower’ of each musician this year. World star PSY’s global popularity went on and on, while Big Bang, who firmly grabbed their position as the top boy group, displayed individual members’ musical development as well as increased awareness from the public. Girl group 2NE1 put up a good fight, YG’s new boy group WINNER marked themselves as a next-generation idol group through a TV audition.
PSY’s “GENTLEMAN” continued the popularity of “Gangnam Style” without difficulty. The music video of “GENTLEMAN” surpassed 100 million views only four days of its release on April 17, setting the new record, and jumped straight up to No. 12 on Billboard’s Singles chart only with its first second days’ usage data. The addictive electroniic dance tune reached the fifth spot on the chart at the highest and its music video hit 400 million views on YouTube in 55 days of its release, becoming the 16th most-watched video on the world’ biggest online video streaming service. On December 13, the “GENTLEMAN” video outnumbered 600,314,700 hits and made itself as the most-watched clip around the world this year. Throughout these records, PSY scooped up the title as the most-watched video’s artist two years straight.
However, YG’s biggest result this year will be Big Bang members’ growth to solo artists. Starting with Seungri, Big Bang members G-Dragon, Taeyang and T.O.P released solo albums or singles in turn as well as Daesung who released the debut album “D’scover” and the first solo single “I Love You” in Japan this year. Seungri got away from his image as the youngest member of the group and was recognized as a male musician through his second solo EP “LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE.” With his skilled Japanese, Seungri showed vigorous activities in the country, appearing on TV variety shows and dramas. G-Dragon spent one of the best years with the second full effort “COUP D’ETAT.” T.O.P also displayed noticeable activities with movie “Commitment” and introduced solo single “DOOM DADA,” while Taeyang electrified music fans with “RINGA LINGA.”
The ‘united’ Big Bang is currently active with Japan dome tour. Since November until next January, the group has hit the road across the country, starting with the Saitama Seibu dome, Osaka Kyocera Dome, Fukuoka Yahoo! Oku Dome, Nagoya Dome, Tokyo Dome to Sapporo Dome. According to YG, this six-city dome tour is expected to draw in a whopping 771,000 audiences, the honorable achievement of Big Bang four years after their official Japan debut. Back in 2009 when Big Bang made their Japanese debut, the group was recognized only by K-pop manias. After building up awareness step by step from small club shows, Big Bang finally achieved the current position as one of the most beloved K-pop groups in Japan.
This Year’s Star
The most distinguished star of YG Entertainment this year is G-Dragon. Throughout this year, G-Dragon has been active around the world. After finalizing his solo world tour in success, G-Dragon cemented his presence as a solo musician. GD stepped up on the top status as an idol singer by making numerous chart success with “COUP D’ETAT” and becoming a symbolic idol-turned-musician.
For the first time as a Korean singer, the twenty-something musician entered Billboard’s Album chart 200 two years in a row. G-Dragon’s reinterpretation of Korean folk song “NILIRIA,” featuring US hip-hop big name Missy Elliott, was included in the top 25 songs of the year chosen by American magazine Complex. Throughout his second world tour “G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind,” the singer attracted 570,000 audiences, entering the phase as the one and only greatest idol.
What’s Next?
What attracted the biggest attention among YG’s plan for next year is PSY and Big Bang’s new records. PSY is said to have been working on his new album, while Big Bang also increased huge expectation toward their upcoming group effort after showing outstanding individual career this year. Big Bang’s Taeyang will also unveil his solo album next year, while WINNER’s upcoming work as an idol group is grabbing attention from music fans.