"HYBE Latin pop group" SANTOS BRAVOS is gaining strong momentum in the global market, using its activities in Korea as a starting point. Social media indicators and streaming performance have surged together, firmly establishing their presence.
On the 30th, HYBE Latin America said that SANTOS BRAVOS (Drew, Caue, Alejandro, Gabee, Kenes) saw their main social media followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube increase by about 609,000 over the past three weeks. That figure represents a jump of more than 23% compared with April 4, just before their visit to Korea.
On global music streaming platforms including Spotify, plays of SANTOS BRAVOS songs skyrocketed 93.5% compared with the same period last month, reaching a total of 32.8 million plays.
Industry observers attribute these results to the group's distinctive sound, which combines Latin pop–based rhythm and soul with K-pop's precise performance, delivering a fresh shock to domestic and international fans. Despite a short promotional period, their strategic targeting of various platforms served as a catalyst for new fandom inflows.
SANTOS BRAVOS dominated major music shows in Korea. Starting with Mnet's M Countdown, their performance of VELOCIDADE on MBC's Show! Music Core, KBS's MUSIC BANK and SBS's Inkigayo spread quickly through social media. In particular, on Inkigayo they showed their power by ranking third in the fan-voted "hot stage."
Their activities on radio and YouTube also stood out. They appeared on MBC FM4U's Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp and shared musical rapport that crossed generations, and on the YouTube channel "It's Live" they drew praise from fans for delicate vocal harmonies and relaxed stage manner.
Challenges with senior artists such as ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR and ILLIT instantly captured the attention of global fans. In particular, the members' active efforts to communicate in Korean and to blend into the "K-pop homeland" were warmly received by domestic fans.
Through their agency, SANTOS BRAVOS said, "This trip to Korea was truly like a dream. We are grateful to everyone who welcomed us warmly," and added, "We learned a lot and will return having grown even more when we visit Korea again."
[Photo] HYBE Latin America
[OSEN]