HYBE, SM, JYP and YG: who is behind your groups
Photo: K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 4.0. Adapted for the web.
In K-pop, the agency selects the hopefuls, trains them for years and decides when they debut. That is why fans talk about agencies almost as much as about the groups.
SM Entertainment
One of the veterans: it was key in creating the idol model in the nineties. Today it is home to aespa.
YG Entertainment
Known for a sound close to hip hop. It is the home of BLACKPINK.
JYP Entertainment
Founded by singer and producer Park Jin-young. It gave us TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY.
HYBE
It began as Big Hit, the agency of BTS. The group’s success turned it into a conglomerate with several labels: BigHit Music also has TXT, Pledis has SEVENTEEN and Source Music has LE SSERAFIM.
Beyond the big four
Not all success comes from them. ATEEZ are with KQ Entertainment, IVE with Starship and ENHYPEN with Belift Lab.
Knowing a group’s agency helps you understand its sound and even find similar groups. Each group profile shows theirs.