Kakao Entertainment label artist..I.V.Woods World Tour → New Band's Global Debut

*This content was translated by AI.

Kakao Entertainment (co-CEO Kwon Ki-soo, Jang Yoon-joong, hereinafter Kakao Entertainment) is expanding its influence in the global music market based on the IP of artists of various genres and generations. Since the beginning of the year, affiliated label artists have released a series of news reports and continued to achieve results on domestic and international charts, and the artist lineup is also continuously expanding, signaling the global debut of a new band. In addition, SM Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as SM) artists, who have established a business cooperation system within Kakao Group, are also adding to their activities at home and abroad, creating synergy.

Girl groups Starship Kiki (KiiiKiii) and SM Hearts2Hearts, which debuted side by side last year, continue to make remarkable achievements even though they are in their second year of debut, attracting attention as the next K-pop players. Kiki, who made a comeback earlier this year, achieved both chart performance and buzz with her second mini album "Delulu Pack." The title song "404 (New Era)" swept major charts and music broadcasts in Korea, and also entered the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for three consecutive weeks. It is also growing its presence in overseas markets by being listed on the Billboard Global 200 for the first time since its debut.

Harts-to-Harts also ranked at the top of major music charts in Korea with its single "RUDE!" released on February 20, followed by No. 1 in music broadcasting, No. 1 in popularity on YouTube in Korea, No. 1 in Spotify's Korea Daily Top Song Chart, No. 1 in Apple Music, No. 1 in Korea TOP100, China's largest music platform QQ Music New Song Chart, Trend Index Chart, and K-pop Weekly Chart, becoming a "popular group" that has secured popularity and expanded its fandom by receiving enthusiastic responses from global fans. In particular, Harts-to-Harts' North American showcases in New York on March 19 (local time) and LA on the 22nd have sold out all the time, realizing high interest in the region.

Artists are also taking global steps. Starship IVE achieved overwhelming results with its second full-length album "REVIVE+" released in February. Through the new album activities, he added eight gold medals to set a record of 80 gold medals since his debut, and achieved a perfect all-kill on major domestic music charts. The title song "BANG BANG" has been on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global (excluding the U.S.) charts for two consecutive weeks, and it has been at the top of global platforms such as Spotify and iTunes, confirming its influence. IVE plans to expand its activities as a global artist this year by hosting a large-scale world tour "SHOW WHAT I AM" in major regions such as Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

WOODZ proved its musical perfection through its first full-length album, "Archive. 1," released on the 4th. In particular, Woods participated in writing, composing, and producing all 17 songs in the album, including the double title songs "Human Extinction" and "NANANA," and was praised for presenting his own music world that encompassed a wide range of genres. Immediately after the album's release, all of the tracks entered major music charts, especially at the top of iTunes' top album charts in nine countries and regions, attracting global listeners' attention. Starting with the Incheon Inspire Arena performance on March 14-15, Woods will begin his world tour and begin his global activities in earnest.

Kakao Entertainment bands are also looking forward to their performance. Antenna band Dragon Pony released a mini-album called "RUN RUN RUN" on the 10th and announced its active activities. The album, which unravels the emotions and narratives of youth with the sound of a band, is said to have more clearly imprinted the team's musical color. In addition, Dragonpony, which has been recognized for its solid live skills and stage dominance through large music festivals at home and abroad, has continued its presence on overseas stages, appearing for two consecutive years at the large music festival "EMERGE FEST 2026" in Taichung.

Hrtz, a global band affiliated with Kakao Entertainment.wave will release its debut album "The First Wave" on April 8 and begin its full-fledged activities. Heartwave is a five-member band composed of Korean and Japanese members, and it is quickly forming a fandom with proven performance skills and unique music colors through survival processes. In particular, his ambition is to take a global step with his debut, such as confirming his participation as a special performer at the "KCON JAPAN 2026" in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in May, and then grow into a global iKONIC band through various activities such as festival stages.

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*This content was translated by AI.