Spotify are releasing exclusive K-Pop singles
To celebrate the huge influence Korean music has on Spotify, they’re teaming up with some top artists for an exclusive new series of singles.
It’s been 10 years since Spotify launched their flagship K-Pop ON! (온) playlist. In that time it has become a cultural hub for the music of South Korea, amassing billions of streams. Yearly streams on the playlist have grown an astonishing 5,600% since 2015.
To celebrate 10 years of sharing K-Pop with the world, Spotify are bringing new music from some of South Korea’s top artists. Spotify will be releasing their very first K-Pop ON! (온) singles, starting with a new release from ENHYPEN on February 16th.
Spotify will be dropping their next single with SHOWNU X HYUNGWON on February 29th. Finally, a new drop from STAYC comes to the playlist on March 15th. Each of the new releases centres around the theme of “My First K-Pop Crush, representing the first moments of discovering a love of K-Pop. Each song is a cover of a song by a “sunbae”, which is a senior artist.
The new releases can be explored in greater detail through bonus content on Spotify’s K-Pop ON! (온) Video Podcast and YouTube channels. They will explore the behind-the-scenes moments that made these songs special and unpacking the stories of the artists involved’s first K-Pop crushes.
Spotify said: “Whether they’re just discovering the genre or uniting over a shared passion, K-Pop ON! (온) has become a key destination for new listeners and veteran superfans alike.”
South Korean music has become globally significant in the last decade. From viral artists like PSY to huge boy and girl groups like BTS and BLACKPINK. In 2023, South Korea saw a surprisingly huge growth in album sales, showing the format isn’t dead.
The surge in Korean music’s global popularity joins the explosion of Latin music’s place in the global stage. They both represent a shift away from English-language music’s dominance. This comes as digital services equalise the visibility of all music around the world, as well as the introduction of digital services further around the world.