Jaehwa Bernardo

Clockwise from top left: Teaser images for girl group KiiKii, rock band Dragon Pony, SM Entertainment's British boy group dearALICE and girl group Hearts2Hearts. Photo from Kakao Entertainment

Article (news)

Kakao to expand K-pop presence with fresh acts

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739676360900Kakao Entertainment_rookie artists.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Clockwise from top left: Teaser images for girl group KiiKii, rock band Dragon Pony, SM Entertainment&#x27;s British boy group dearALICE and girl group Hearts2Hearts. <em>Photo from Kakao Entertainment</em></span></span></span>Kakao Entertainment, the entertainment arm of South Korean tech giant Kakao, is seeking to strengthen its foothold in the K-pop industry with a lineup of new acts from its affiliate labels.</div><p>Kakao oversees several K-pop labels that manage popular acts, including Edam Entertainment (home to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/6/3/pinoy-crowd-surpasses-iu-s-expectations-in-hereh-concert-1623"><strong>IU</strong></a>), Starship Entertainment (Monsta X and IVE) and Antenna Music (Super Junior&#x27;s Kyuhyun). The company also maintains close ties with SM Entertainment, one of the leading players in the industry.</p><p>In a press release, Kakao said it plans to &quot;cement its position as a key player in the global K-pop scene&quot; by enhancing its multi-label system and &quot;developing globally influential intellectual properties via collaborations with various partners.&quot;</p><p>&quot;To achieve this, [Kakao] will not only continue to discover new singers and showcase them on the global stage but also diversify the musical activities of its existing artists to strengthen their international fandom,&quot; the company said.</p><p>Among the rookie acts that Kakao is promoting is Hearts2Hearts, the highly anticipated girl group from SM that is scheduled to debut on February 24 with the single &quot;The Chase.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/srEUps3-5mo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Composed of eight members, Hearts2Hearts arrives nearly five years after SM&#x27;s last girl group, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/10/21/aespa-returns-with-message-of-confidence-through-ep-whiplash-1632"><strong>aespa</strong></a>, known for hits like &quot;Next Level&quot; and &quot;Supernova.&quot;</p><p>Meanwhile, Starship is also set to launch a new girl group, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/2/3/watch-k-pop-group-ive-stand-out-in-attitude-mv-1753"><strong>KiiKii</strong></a>, following the success of its chart-topping group IVE.</p><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF5DnqPSFai/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A7960848.399999999%2C%22ls%22%3A51342.60000000009%2C%22le%22%3A51757%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1023" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><div><strong> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></strong></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><p><strong></strong>&quot;All eyes are on the fresh act that is expected to become a new &#x27;wannabe icon&#x27; for the young generation worldwide,&quot; Kakao said of KiiiKiii, which has recently been releasing teaser photos and videos on social media.</p><p>Kakao will also help in promoting dearALICE, a five-member British boy band formed in partnership with SM.</p><p>The quintet is set to debut on February 21 with the electro-pop dance track &quot;Ariana,&quot; which they performed on the South Korean music show &quot;M Countdown&quot; in January.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dragon Pony, a rock band launched under Antenna in September 2024, is looking to expand its presence overseas.</p><p>The four-member act has performed at major festivals across Korea and took the stage at Thailand&#x27;s Big Mountain Music Festival in December. The band is also set to perform at Emerge Fest 2025 in Taiwan on February 22.</p>

<p>Kakao Entertainment, the entertainment arm of South Korean tech giant Kakao, is seeking to strengthen its foothold in the K-pop industry with a lineup of new acts from its affiliate labels.</p>

Kakao Entertainment, the entertainment arm of South Korean tech giant Kakao, is seeking to strengthen its foothold in the K-pop industry with a lineup of new acts from its affiliate labels.