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

Kakao to expand K-pop presence with fresh acts

Jaehwa Bernardo

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.

Kakao to expand K-pop presence with fresh acts | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Traffic

Horoscope

Music

Kakao to expand K-pop presence with fresh acts

Kakao to expand K-pop presence with fresh acts

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 16, 2025 12:28 PM PHT

Read More:

K-pop

K-pop news

Kakao Entertainment

Hearts2Hearts

KiiKii

dearALICE

Dragon Pony

SM Entertainment

Starship Entertainment

Antenna Music

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.