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K-pop acts that debut under established agencies usually end up making it big. These companies have the money and resources to build hype for the group's debut and get the beginner idols all the necessary media coverage to cement their place in the industry.
The same cannot be said for artists who debut under small companies. Most K-pop groups who debut without the backing of the big three, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment, or YG Entertainment, end up disbanding and being forgotten.
However, some K-pop acts have single-handedly been able to turn their agencies into the powerhouses they are today. BTS is one of the best examples since they managed to turn the relatively small Big Hit Entertainment into the mighty HYBE Corporation.
Here are 4 K-pop acts who led their agencies down the path of success.
EXID, BTS, and 2 more K-pop acts who single-handedly made their agencies taste success
1) BTS
BTS is one of the true underdog stories in K-pop history. Not only did they elevate themselves to being world superstars, but they also managed to turn their almost-bankrupt company into the most profitable agency in the Korean music industry. They also helped uplift the economy of South Korea.
Big Hit Entertainment was leaking money before the group came onto the scene. In 2015, they almost went bankrupt. However, BTS, through their talent and hard work, managed to outshine and outperform every other group in K-pop, turning every listener into a fan willing to buy their music.
Their meteoric rise in popularity allowed Big Hit Entertainment to become HYBE Corporation, a leading company in innovation as per Forbes. The corporation has now been able to absorb various smaller entertainment agencies, and debuted many other groups as well.
HYBE is the most profitable company in K-pop and one of the most profitable companies in the world. The words BTS and HYBE are almost synonymous as BTS made HYBE what it is today.
2) EXID
K-pop agency Banana Culture was standing solely because of EXID. However, the five-member girl group was almost close to disbanding as their company did not have the resources to promote them.
However, member Hani’s Up & Down fancam went viral and Lady Fortune smiled upon the group. The song became a national sensation and started rising on the Melon chart.
This saved the group from disbanding and money started pouring into Banana Culture, enough to fund EXID’s further releases and make a profit. However, with the departure of EXID from the company in 2020, the agency became inoperative.
3) GFRIEND
Source Music’s girl group GLAM was embroiled in a huge fraud scandal that almost caused the agency to go bankrupt. Luckily for the agency, GFRIEND's debut saved them from withering away.
Back in 2015, GFRIEND was the only group under Source Music. Although the finances were limited, GFRIEND managed to make it big. They became a well-loved group in South Korea as their vocals charmed listeners.
This helped Source Music shift from a basement office to a proper building in 2019. Despite having saved their agency, GFRIEND was disbanded in 2021. However, the company is still going strong and recently debuted the powerhouse girl group Le Sserafim.
4) IU
IU is one of the most popular solo artists in South Korea. Her agency, LOEN Entertainment, has substantial recognition in the Korean music industry today solely because of her. Despite being a singular person, she has managed to achieve unprecedented domestic success.
When she signed with LOEN Entertainment, she was not guaranteed to succeed. However, her song Good Day in 2010 proved to be a major breakthrough. With IU becoming a world-famous idol, LOEN Entertainment’s reputation and finances have enjoyed its positive influence.
All odds were stacked against these K-pop idols, but they were able to come out on top and prove their underdog status because of their perseverance and talent. Their success stories have motivated other acts with no big companies supporting them to try their luck in the cut-throat Korean music industry.
