You all might be well aware of the BTS band and its rockstars Jung Kook, Jimin, V, etc. But do you know the company behind its success? It’s the Big Hit Music Label.
With the Korean entertainment industry on the rise, many actors, singers, and entertainers have got a chance to prove their talent to the world. They constantly showcase their talents and are reigning in the hearts of the people not only in Korea but around the world. One such production company is Big Hit Labels, which is among the most popular South Korean music label.
Today, we will read in detail everything about Big Hit Entertainment and its role in taking the Korean industry and its superstars to great heights.
About Big Hit Label
Founded as Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, it is an entertainment subsidiary of Hybe Corporation. The founder of this label is Bang Si-hyuk, and its headquarters are placed in Yongsan Trade Center, Seoul. Currently, the CEO of Big Hit Music is Shin Young-Jae. In 2007, the company signed the vocal trio 8Eight.
Later in 2010, the company came into a joint management contract with JYP Entertainment, which handled the boy group named 2AM. In the same year, Bang Si-hyuk, the founder of Big Hit Music Label, enrolled to his team RM as the first BTS member. This was the augment of the creation of what is known today as BTS.
Post his enrollment, Big Hit Music conducted nationwide auditions to recruit other potential singers for the group. Finally, in 2013, the team was completed after strict auditions which multiple rounds. The BTS team made their grand debut on June 13, 2013, under Big Hit Music Label.
However, in 2012, the company also signed the famous female singer Lim Jeong-hee and created a girl band, GLAM. At that time, the aim of the Big Hit Music Label was to create a girl group to collaborate with BTS and increase its popularity. However, following a controversy, the girl band was disbanded. Kin Da-hee, a member of GLAM, was found guilty of blackmailing Lee Byung-hun and sentenced to prison.
Further Advancements
After facing a lot of ups and downs, entries and exits, and renewal or termination of contracts, Big Hit Music was able to create a famous boy band, which ended up releasing multiple superhit songs.
Later in 2021, Bit Hit Label announced its collaboration with Universal Music Group. According to this partnership, Big Hit America and Los Angeles-based Geffen Records decided upon moving the distribution of BTS to the US and multiple other countries.
The BTS songs were thus recreated in other languages, which made the band world famous. Also, multiple music production companies, such as Sony Music, Columbia Record, The Orchard, Universal music, etc., came forth to produce and formulate the BTS songs. It helped its singers get recognition which US pop singer such as Olivia Rodrigo get at such a small age. Consequently, the scale and turnover of Big Hit Music Labels took an unprecedented leap!
However, in March 2021, Big Hit Entertainment announced its change of name to Hybe Corporation. It thus became a greater company with a wider array of businesses under its umbrella. Consequently, the world saw a rise in the number of business units and ventures under the Big Hit Label. Also, Big Hit Music became a subsidiary of Hybe.
The Two Famous Groups of Big Hit Label
Under the Big Hit Label, two most popular music bands or groups have emerged. Let us read about them in detail.
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BTS
Known as Bangtan Sonyeondan in Korean and Bangtan Boys in English, BTS is a boy band from South Korea that assembled in 2010. It was originally a hip-hop group, which with time, evolved into a multi-genre music band. It is also known as Bulletproof Boy Scouts. The members of BTS include Jin, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, Suga, V, and Jungkook. They are writers, producers, singers as well as dancers in their music videos.
The debut of BTS was marked by their 2013 album 2 Cool 4 Skool. They released two Korean-Japanese language studio albums- Wake Up and Dark & Wild, in 2014. By 2017, BTS had managed to reach an international audience and become a part of the global music market.
The band has received a lot of international acknowledgments. It got a Gold Certification from America’s RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for its single “Mic Drop.” The band charted on US number-one albums four times and was the first South Korean act to reach the number-one position on Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200. Also, BTS’s single “Dynamite” was nominated for Grammy Award.
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Tomorrow X Together
TXT is another famous K-pop band that originated in Seoul, South Korea. The group is formed up by five Korean artists- Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Soobin, Taehyun, and HueningKai. It debuted in March 2019 with its play “The Dream Chapter: Star.” it works under the Big Hit Label and has won awards such as Golden Disc Award, Melon Music Award, Gaon Chart Music Award, etc.
Apart from albums and live shows, the band also participates in online shows and television series. It is, however, quite famous for its concerts and fan lives.
Solo Singers
Besides these two world-famous bands, Big Hit Music has also promoted a plethora of solo singers under its label. Some of them include the following-
- Lee Hyun– He debuted in 2007 as a member of 8Eight under the Big Hit Label, but his band was disbanded in 2014. Post that, he has worked solo or in duets. While his most famous album is “The Healing Echo,” and he has also worked in many extended plays and released a wide number of singles.
- RM– RM, or Rap Monster, is the leader of BTS and has also released a number of solo hits under the Big Hit Label. His second mixtape Mono came in the 26th position on the US Billboard 200. Some of his famous songs include “Awakening,” “Fantastic,” “Change,” etc.
- Agust D– Min Yoon-gi, or Suga or Agust D, is a famous South Korean rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He debuted with BTS in 2013 and has also created many solo or collaboration songs. His first solo mixtape Agust D reached number 3 on Billboard’s World Albums Chart.
- J-Hope- J-Hope or Jung Ho-Seok is a singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and producer. He is also a part of BTS and releases his solo mixtapes under the Big Hit Label. His first album, “Hope World,” became the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist in 2018.
- Jin-Kin Seok– Jin is another BTS member who is also prevalent for his solo tracks. His most famous tracks include “Awake,” “Epiphany,” and “Moon,” all of which are charted on the Gan Digital Chart of South Korea.
Big Hit Label also has under its purview a big team of Producers, Creative Directors, and performance Directors. The singers and actors are well-trained, and their public relations are also handled by professional teams.
Final Words
The systematic approach towards perfection is what has made Big Hit Label one of the most famous and successful music labels in the world today. Its reach has expanded to greater parts of the world, and it has broken the language of barrier to make its music reach the souls of music fans around the world.
While there are rumors about the disintegration of BTS and further changes in the structure or functioning of Big Hit Label, we hope that the label and its contributors keep entertaining audiences around the world with their exceptional skills!
