Latest news with #TWICE
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix Made A Fictional K-Pop Group With Real Streaming Power
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: (L-R) Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans speak during the KPop Demon ... More Hunters Special Screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) On June 23, 2025, Netflix and Sony Animation's fictional girl group HUNTR/X from the film KPop Demon Hunters was the most streamed girl group on global Spotify, outstreaming popular real-life girl groups like TWICE and KATSEYE in the process. Just days after the film's release, HUNTR/X has managed to capitalize on the film's success seemingly overnight, with several of their songs soaring to the top of the global Spotify charts. According to Pop Base, their song 'Golden' reached the top 20 most popular songs, sitting at number 14 with a total of 2.78 million streams in a single day, and that's in addition to the seven other songs the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack had chart on the same list. While this might seem like an anomaly, Netflix has managed to deliberately leverage the popularity of its films in tandem with fandom and the popularity of K-pop as a genre in an effective media strategy. Netflix has managed to turn fictional artists into real-world successes. Using K-Pop's popularity to their benefit SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 01: Girl group TWICE arrives at the M2 X Genie Music Awards on August ... More 01, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) Kpop Demon Hunters, released on June 20, 2025, is an animated film that follows a k-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, that tour by day and fight evil demons by night. The concept on it's own is already highly engaging, and manages to bring in fans of K-pop, fans of animation, and fans of fantasy. Already, the film has a wide variety of viewers, and, through that variety, Netflix and Sony were able to capitalize on their full music rollouts. Since the songs were each featured in the film, rather than being featured in a companion compilation album, fans were already familiarized with the songs that are now charting. K-Pop as an art form, is already one of the most successful vehicles for success in the music industry. With acts like the aforementioned girl group TWICE and other groups like BLACKPINK and BTS, the genre has shown a level brand loyalty and fandom that hasn't been seen for musical acts since the 90s, with fanbases of said groups often being international, multilingual, and more than willing to promote the groups they love. KPop Demon Hunters understands this and managed to capitalize on that formula, emulating the success of real life K-pop groups. Conversations on social media only aided this campaign, with the music being top of mind and the virality of those discussions allowing people who may not have seen the film to still engage with the music. Kpop Demon Hunters has shown that HUNTR/X is more than just a part of the film's narrative; it's a legitimate girl group with actual streaming power. Netflix Has Been Here Before HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: Miley Cyrus attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on ... More March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) I remember dancing in the club in 2019, and the song 'On a Roll' performed by Miley Cyrus as her character Ashley O in Black Mirror began to play. It had never dawned on me until that moment that Cyrus's success as an artist, despite that particular episode explicitly showcasing how her character was trapped and being controlled by the music industry, would cause fans to ignore the themes of Black Mirror and still stream the song to success. For months, the song would be played, and people would take to the dance floor, singing it word for word. Even online, people were discussing the song's duality between authenticity and satire. The song became a real-world hit, charting at number 65 on the UK Singles Chart and number 18 in New Zealand, and even landed on Billboard's coveted best songs list for 2019. This shows that the success of Netflix's fictional acts is more than just a coincidence; it's deliberate. Keys to Success Having good music doesn't automatically equate to being a global success, but when a streaming juggernaut like Netflix is in your corner, doors open. Netflix has the fiscal means to hire top producers, writers, and singers. Often times, people can feel the difference between songs made for bands in films and songs made for bands that are successful in real life. For example, the song 'Takedown' from the film was perfomed by the real girl group TWICE, and the polish and authenticity they represent shines through. It also helps that fans are already familiar with the story that's associated with each of these songs. When fans listen to the song 'Golden,' they can relive the struggle and eventual triumph that the cast of characters went through to create and perform that single in the film. So, when fans stream that song, they aren't just listening to it because they like it; they're also listening to it to relive those moments in the film, which, in the end, might lead them to rewatch the movie, a win-win for Netflix. The Bigger Picture AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 30: Vocaloid software artist Hatsune Miku performs at Afas Live on ... More October 30, 2024 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns) We live in a world where fictional acts turned virtual idols, like the Gorillaz, Hatsune Miku, or the Squid Sisters from Nintendo's Splatoon, can fill arenas. With that knowledge, it makes complete sense that a streaming service like Netflix, which dabbles in multiple forms of content, capitalizes on its music, which it can root in long-form storytelling rather than short-form music videos. In the end, HUNTR/X is more than just a one-off trend. If anything, they've shown that they have the staying power, global reach, and storytelling necessary to not only push for a second film but also push for increased space and visibility for other fictional pop stars, even across genres. Netflix could be sitting on a potential goldmine by offering something different to a lane of serious competitors in an already saturated industry. If HUNTR/X proves anything, it's that people aren't just watching fictional artists in films; they're streaming them.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
J-Hope and AR Rahman collab loading? BTS star seen vibing to Rahman's song with Pharrell Williams at Paris Fashion Week
We have seen some crazy collabs and crossovers in the past year, such as Chris Martin giving a shout-out to Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah, Ed Sheeran and Shah Rukh Khan headbanging to the former's song or Arijit Singh performing with DJ Martin Garrix. Recently, composer AR Rahman and Pharrell Williams debuted their track 'Yaara Punjabi' during the Louis Vuitton Paris Fashion Week. The song garnered even more attention because K-Pop artiste and BTS member J-Hope was seen vibing to its beats from the front row of the show. A post shared by ARR (@arrahman) J-Hope, who just returned from military duty along with the rest of the members of the band, was seen attending the show alongside other stalwarts of the entertainment industry, such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Future, Spike Lee and more. While most heads were banging along to the 'Punjabi-Gospel' tune created by two of the most innovative composers of the last thirty years, J-Hope vibing along to Punjabi lyrics was definitely not something people expected. Fans of the star and the band flooded the comment section of the video shared by Rahman, asking for a collab between the two. ALSO READ: Paris Fashion Week: BTS' J-Hope, Jackson Wang, Cha Eun Woo, BamBam, TWICE's Sana, and more serve major looks – Watch pics One user commented, 'Hobi (J-Hope) vibing to AR Rahman! Nice,' while another user on X wrote, 'If there is one Indian artist that I want BTS to collab with, it is AR Rahman. He is a musical genius. He's the only one I'd love to see a collab with.' Fans have already expressed exactly what they want, and with the amount of crossovers that have happened over the past year, there is a chance that BTS and Rahman might give fans what they want. Rahman definitely seems to be in agreement with the fans, as he even posted an article about J-Hope vibing to his song. With a successful event in the bag, where he debuted a new international track, met greats like Spike Lee, and hung out with Pharrell, the BTS collab can be the next chapter for AR Rahman, and it might help the pop group get back in fighting form after their hiatus from music.
Pink Villa
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
BLACKPINK and TWICE's comeback plans compared, former's new single labelled as 'scam' by fans
TWICE and BLACKPINK are set to embark on group world tours around the same time. They will also be making their full-group musical comeback ahead of that. Since both of them have big, global fanbases, they are often compared with each other. With their upcoming schedule colliding and due to Jeongyeon's latest update regarding TWICE's tour plans, BLACKPINK and their agency YG Entertainment are facing criticism. TWICE's plans for THIS IS FOR World Tour TWICE is set to release 14 songs as part of their fourth full-length album, THIS IS FOR. Additionally, they will drop 9 solo songs, a new Japanese album and also Chaeyoung's debut solo music. Recently, Jeongyeon revealed that the group is preparing the solo songs as bonus musical offerings for their upcoming THIS IS FOR World Tour. She further mentioned that the tracks will not be included in their upcoming album. As BLINKs (BLACKPINK's fandom) came across Jeongyeon's statement, they couldn't help but "envy" ONCEs (TWICE's fandom). They were impressed by how much effort TWICE was putting in creating songs just for their concerts, besides a full-fledged packed up musical release schedule for the year. Meanwhile, BLACKPINK was only set to unveil a single, that too during their Goyang concert. No information regarding an official MV release has been provided by YG Entertainment. The long wait for about 3 years just for one track, and not an album, has been labelled as a "scam" by fans. Disheartened BLINKs asked the girl group and theur label to take notes from TWICE. As per them, "Twice makes music for the love of the game while Blackpink members have to be forced into the recording studio." The only thing that might bring some solace to BLINKs is if BLACKPINK's upcoming single release comes with a music video. Given that the group hasn't engaged in any group activities since their 2022 Born Pink era, this comeback is highly anticipated. It will also mark their first music release since re-signing with YG Entertainment for their group schedule management.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Everyone has that': BTS's J-Hope reflects on high school crush and innocent youth with TWICE's Sana
In a rare and tender moment, BTS's J-Hope looked back on the memories of his teenage years during a recent episode of 'Fridge Interview,' which is hosted by TWICE's Sana.' The episode, which aired on June 19, offered fans a nostalgic glimpse into the softer, more introspective side of the global superstar. A glimpse into J-Hope's school days J-Hope, known offstage as 'Jung Hoseok,' shared that he was a quiet and reserved student during his school years. Attending a co-ed organisation where boys and girls were separated into different classes, he admitted that social interactions were limited, especially since his father was a literature teacher at the same school. This added pressure made him even more cautious about his behaviour. Despite his efforts to stay focused in class, J-Hope confessed that he occasionally found himself distracted by a classmate he had a crush on. 'Of course, everyone has that during school,' he said with a shy smile, calling it 'a beautiful time in life.' A memory shared with sincerity The way J-Hope described his youthful feelings of sneaking glances at his crush but never having the courage to speak to her was relatable enough with the fans. His honesty and softness got stuck, reminding viewers that even global icons carry memories of innocent, unspoken affection. Sana also felt relatable in the feeling, calling those moments 'innocent and sweet.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Handmade Painted 3D Book Mug Designed By A Famous Engineer is Sweeping Western Australia SOLYMALL Shop Now Undo Their shared reflections created a warm and relatable atmosphere that fans described as 'BangTWICE crumbs,' which is a nod to the cherished interactions between BTS and TWICE over the years. More than just nostalgia With the school-time stories, the episode also touched on how both idols have grown since their old days when they were rookies. They laughed over past times, shared memories of overlapping schedules, and even danced together to J-Hope's latest single, 'Killin' It Girl.' The conversation wasn't just about looking back; it was a celebration of how far they have come and a reminder that behind the fame are individuals shaped by the same experiences as anyone else.
Pink Villa
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Stray Kids beats TWICE to win Favorite Music Group at 2025 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards: Full winners list
Stray Kids continue to expand their global influence, this time by bagging a major Western award that celebrates youth pop culture. The group made headlines after taking home their first-ever Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award. They won in the hotly contested Favorite Music Group category. The 2025 Kids' Choice Awards aired live on June 21 from Santa Monica, California. It saw some of the biggest names in music, film, TV, and online entertainment gather under one roof. And yes, they got slimed too, in a night filled with fun and fan-powered victories. But for K-pop fans, the highlight of the evening came when Stray Kids were crowned winners. They beat out stiff competition from artists like TWICE, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, blink-182, Jonas Brothers, and Linkin Park. Stray Kids have been on a steady rise with chart-topping albums, viral performances, and sold-out tours. Their win at the Kids' Choice Awards marks a major breakthrough into mainstream U.S. pop culture. It was made possible by the passionate fan votes from STAYs around the world. Social media lit up with congratulations following the group's win. Fans celebrate the moment as not only a personal victory for the members. They also see it as another milestone for K-pop's growing presence on international stages traditionally dominated by Western acts. Complete winners list Below is the full list of this year's fan-voted winners across categories spanning entertainment, gaming, sports, and digital media: Favorite Music Group – Stray Kids Favorite Male Artist – Bruno Mars Favorite Female Artist – SZA Favorite Female Breakout Artist – Sabrina Carpenter Favorite Male Breakout Artist – Benson Boone Favorite Global Music Star – Africa: Tyla Favorite Music Collaboration – luther Favorite Song – Taste Favorite Viral Song – Bluest Flame Favorite Album – Short n' Sweet Favorite Movie – Wicked Favorite Animated Movie – Inside Out 2 Favorite Movie Actress – Ariana Grande Favorite Villain – Jim Carrey Favorite Song from a Movie – Defying Gravity Favorite Female Animated Voice from a Movie – Auli'i Cravalho Favorite Male Animated Voice from a Movie – Dwayne Johnson Favorite Family TV Show – XO, Kitty Favorite Kids TV Show – The Thundermans: Undercover Favorite Reality TV Show – America's Got Talent Favorite Female TV Star (Family) – Peyton List Favorite Male TV Star (Family) – Xolo Maridueña Favorite Female TV Star (Kids) – Kira Kosarin Favorite Male TV Star (Kids) – Jack Griffo Favorite Female Creator – Salish Matter Favorite Male Creator – MrBeast Fan Favorite Kids' Creator – Ms. Rachel Favorite Podcast – LOL Podcast Favorite Gamer – IShowSpeed Favorite Video Game – Roblox Favorite Butt-Kicker – Emma Myers Favorite Sports Star (Male) – LeBron James Favorite Sports Star (Female) – Simone Biles A milestone moment for Stray Kids Stray Kids' win at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards isn't just a trophy on the shelf. It's a symbol of their growing impact beyond Korea. With this victory, Stray Kids join a small but mighty group of K-pop artists breaking boundaries. And if this is any indication, their global domination is far from over.
