Kakao Entertainment (co-CEOs Kwon Ki-soo and Jang Yoon-joong, hereafter Kakao Entertainment) is expanding its influence in the global music market based on artist IP across various genres and generations. Since the beginning of the year, artists from its subsidiary labels have successively released new records and continued to post results on domestic and international charts, while the company has also announced the global debut of a rookie band, continuously expanding its artist lineup. In addition, activities by SM Entertainment (hereafter SM) artists, who have established a business cooperation framework within Kakao Group, have added to the synergy.
Girl groups Starship KiiiKiii and SM Hearts2Hearts, who debuted side by side last year, are being recognized as next-generation K-pop contenders as they continue to post notable results despite being in their second year since debut. KiiiKiii, who made a comeback earlier this year, captured both chart performance and attention with their mini album 2, Delulu Pack. The title track 404 (New Era) swept first-place positions on major domestic charts and music shows, and entered the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for three consecutive weeks. The group also appeared on the Billboard Global 200 for the first time since debut, increasing their presence in overseas markets.
Hearts2Hearts also rose to the top of major domestic music streaming charts with the single RUDE! released on Feb. 20, followed by a music show first-place win, No. 1 on domestic YouTube trending, No. 1 on Spotify Korea daily top songs chart, No. 1 on Apple Music Korea TOP100, and No. 1 on QQ Music's new release chart, trend index chart and K-pop weekly chart in China, securing both mass appeal and fandom expansion as a confirmed top group enjoying enthusiastic responses from global fans. In particular, Hearts2Hearts' North American showcases on March 19 (local time) in New York and March 22 in Los Angeles were sold out for all performances, reflecting strong local interest.
The artists' global activities continue. Starship's IVE achieved overwhelming results with their full-length album 2, REVIVE+, released in February. Through promotion for the new release, they added eight music show wins, bringing their career total to a record 80 music show wins, and they also achieved a perfect all-kill on major domestic streaming charts. The title track BANG BANG charted for two consecutive weeks on the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, and ranked highly on global platforms such as Spotify and iTunes, confirming their influence. IVE plans to expand activities as a global artist by holding a large-scale world tour, Show What I Am, across major regions including Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania this year.
WOODZ of EDAM Entertainment demonstrated musical completeness with his full-length album 1, Archive. 1, released on the 4th. In particular, WOODZ participated in writing, composing and producing all 17 tracks on the album, including the double title tracks "Human Extinction" and NA NA NA, earning praise for presenting his own musical world that encompasses a wide genre spectrum. Immediately after the album's release, all tracks entered major streaming charts, and especially ranked high on iTunes top album charts in nine countries and regions, drawing interest from global listeners. WOODZ will kick off his world tour with concerts at Inspire Arena in Incheon on March 14–15 and will intensify his global activities.
Kakao Entertainment bands are also generating anticipation. Antenna band Dragon Pony released the mini album RUN RUN RUN on the 10th and signaled active promotions. The album, which expresses youth sentiment and narrative through band sound, has been praised for further clarifying the team's musical identity. Having demonstrated solid live skills and stage presence through performances at major domestic and international music festivals, Dragon Pony performed for the second consecutive year at the large-scale music festival Emerge Fest 2026 in Taichung, receiving enthusiastic responses from local audiences and maintaining their presence on overseas stages.
Kakao Entertainment's global band Heartswave (hrtz.wave) will release their debut album The First Wave on April 8 and begin full-scale promotions. Heartswave is a five-member band composed of Korean and Japanese members that quickly formed a fandom through verified instrumental skills and a distinctive musical identity demonstrated in the survival process. Notably, even before their official debut, they confirmed participation as a special performer at KCON JAPAN 2026 in Chiba Prefecture in May, signaling the start of global activities with their debut, and they aspire to grow into a globally iconic band through festival stages and various other activities.
[Photo] Provided by each agency
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