Tomorrow X Together, Enhypen take international markets by storm

After the global success of boy band BTS, entertainment agency HYBE is setting its sights on creating opportunities for its next-generation artists, such as Tomorrow X Together (TXT) and Enhypen, to thrive. The groups have already been taking..

Boy band Tomorrow X Together, top, and Enhypen giving their acceptance speeches at the 36th Golden Disk Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, southwestern Seoul on Jan. 8. [KOREA PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS' ASSOCIATION]

After the global success of boy band BTS, entertainment agency HYBE is setting its sights on creating opportunities for its next-generation artists, such as Tomorrow X Together (TXT) and Enhypen, to thrive. The groups have already been taking international music markets, such as the U.S. and Japan, by storm.

According to the Global Music Report 2021 issued by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in March 2021, the U.S. and Japan are the two top tier music markets in the world.

Forbes published an article focusing on TXT under the title “Tomorrow X Together Enjoyed The Biggest 2021 On The Billboard 200 Albums Chart Among K-pop Acts.”

It compared TXT to other Korean artists who saw success on Billboard charts in 2021 but singled out the boy band saying, “there is one that was more prolific and seemingly successful than any other groups or soloists from the Asian nation.”

Another article by Forbes published on Jan. 9 cited that the fifth-bestselling CD in the U.S. last year was the band’s second full-length album “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze,” which sold 215,000 units last year according to Billboard'syear-end MRC Data report. MRC Data is a data and analytics provider that caters to music businesses and consumers headquartered in the U.S. It services all digital service providers, labels, airplay and music retailers.

The repackaged version of the second album titled “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape” ranked No. 46 in the 50 Best Albums of 2021 by American entertainment magazine Rolling Stone, the sole album by a K-pop artist to be included on the list. “The highlight is the TikTok-viral ballad ‘Anti-Romantic,’ a tender tale of heartbreak realism that showcases the group’s impressive vocal and emotional range,” wrote the magazine. The two albums were also mentioned on the list of Best Albums of 2021, according to Teen Vogue editors.

“0X1=LOVESONG,” the lead track of “Freeze,” topped the list of 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2021: Critics’ Picks released by Billboard.

Enhypen has been enjoying its share of popularity in Japan. The band’s debut Japanese EP “Border: Hakanai” released July in 2021, topped Oricon’s weekly single chart after selling 200,000 units in the first week after its release. In the month after its release alone, it sold a total of 350,000 units and earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan for selling more than 250,000 units.

In the yearly rankings for Rookie Artist Total Sales for 2021, the band ranked No. 2, earning 1.48 billion yen ($13 million) in total sales of singles, albums, streaming and DVDs from Dec. 28, 2020 to Dec. 20, 2021.

Oricon's top album rankings for 2021 listed three of Enhypen's works — its first full-length album “Dimension: Dilemma,” and EPs “Border: Carnival” and “Border: Day One.”

“Dimension: Dilemma” ranked No. 17 on the chart after other K-pop bands such as BTS and Seventeen.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]