2018 in South Korean music
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The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2018 in music in South Korea.
Notable achievements and events
- January 10–11 – IU and BTS win the digital and album daesangs, respectively, at the 32nd Golden Disc Awards.
- February 25 – CL and Exo headline the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, serving as representatives of K-pop at the event.[1]
- February 28 – At the annual Korean Music Awards, BTS, Kang Tae-gu, and Hyukoh win the grand prizes.[2]
- April 1 and 3 – The Spring is Coming Korean cultural diplomacy concert takes place in Pyongyang, North Korea, which featured performances from various South Korean musicians including Cho Yong-pil, Red Velvet, Lee Sun-hee, Baek Ji-young, and Seohyun.[3]
- April 20 – The Korea Music Content Association launches new certification system for albums, downloads, and streaming in South Korea.[4]
- May 27 – Love Yourself: Tear by BTS becomes the first K-pop album to top the Billboard 200, as well as the highest-charting album by any Asian act.[5]
- May 28 – Twice's "Wake Me Up" becomes the first single by a foreign female artist to be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[6]
- May 29 – BTS's "Fake Love" becomes the first K-pop song to enter the top-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, and the 17th non-English song to do so in the chart's history.[7]
- June 16 – "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" by Blackpink records 36.2 million views on YouTube video within 24 hours, setting a new record by a Korean act.[8]
- June 25 – Blackpink's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and Square Up simultaneously become the highest-charting song and album by a K-pop girl group in the US at the time.[9]
- August 8 – Red Velvet's "Power Up" become the first ever song by an SM Entertainment artist to achieve Perfect All-Kill on the iChart.
- October 24 – The 9th government-run Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards take place.[10] Kim Min-ki, Jo Dong-jin, Gim Jeong-taek, and BTS are awarded with the Order of Cultural Merit; BTS were the youngest recipients of the honor in South Korean history.[11] Yoon Sang is awarded with the Presidential Commendation and Kang San-ae and Choi Jin-hee receive the Prime Mister's Commendation.
- November 5 – Twice become the fastest K-pop girl group to reach 20 million views on YouTube with "Yes or Yes", doing so in 10 hours and 27 minutes.[12]
- November 9 – "Mic Drop" (Steve Aoki remix) is certified platinum by the RIAA, making BTS the first Korean group with a platinum-certified single in the US.[13]
- November 12 – Exo becomes the first group to surpass 10 million total album sales in South Korea.[14]
- December 1 – At the annual Melon Music Awards, iKon and BTS win the grand prizes.
- December 10, 12, 14 – The 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards are held in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong over the course of a week. BTS and Twice receive the grand prizes at the ceremony.
- According to Forbes, "the South Korean music market experienced a 17.9% increase in revenue growth in 2018, and it was described as 'shifting from 'potential' to 'power' player'" on the global stage.[15]
Award shows and festivals
Award ceremonies
| Date | Event | Host |
|---|---|---|
| January 10–11 | 32nd Golden Disc Awards | Ilgan Sports and JTBC Plus |
| January 25 | 27th Seoul Music Awards | Sports Seoul |
| February 28 | 6th Korean Music Awards | Korean Music Awards Committee |
| October 24 | 9th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards | Korea Creative Content Agency |
| November 6 | 1st Genie Music Awards | MBC Plus and Genie Music |
| November 28 | 3rd Asia Artist Awards | Money Today, StarNews and MTN |
| December 1 | 10th Melon Music Awards | Kakao M |
| December 10, 12, 14 | 20th Mnet Asian Music Awards | CJ E&M (Mnet) |
Festivals
| Date | Event | Host |
|---|---|---|
| October 2–3 | Asia Song Festival | Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange |
| December 25 | SBS Gayo Daejeon | Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) |
| December 28 | KBS Song Festival | Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) |
| December 31 | MBC Gayo Daejejeon | Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) |
Debuting and disbanding in 2018
Debuting groups
- Ateez[16]
- D-Crunch[17]
- DreamNote[18]
- Fanatics - Flavor[19]
- Forestella[20]
- Fromis 9[21]
- (G)I-dle[22]
- Girlkind[23]
- Gugudan SeMiNa[24]
- GWSN[25]
- Honey Popcorn[26]
- Iz*One[27]
- JBJ95[28]
- Loona[29]
- Maywish
- Nature[30]
- NeonPunch[31]
- Noir[32]
- NTB[33]
- Oh!GG[34]
- Pristin V[35]
- Saturday[36]
- Spectrum[37]
- Stray Kids[38]
- Target[39]
- UNB[40]
- Uni.T[41]
- W24[42]
- We Girls[43]
- WJMK[44]
Solo debuts
- Ash Island[45]
- Elkie[46]
- Haon[47]
- Ha Hyun-woo[48]
- Holland[49]
- Hoya[50]
- Hynn[51]
- Jennie[52]
- J-Hope[53]
- Jin Longguo[54]
- Jung Il-hoon[55]
- Katie[56]
- Key[57]
- Kim Dong-han[58]
- Lee Chang-sub[59]
- Leo[60]
- Mino[61]
- Moonbyul[62]
- Onew[63]
- Zior Park[64]
- Sohee[65]
- Sori[66]
- Son Dong-woon[67]
- Sooyoung[68]
- twlv[69]
- Vinxen[70]
- Wheein[71]
- Yoo Seon-ho[72]
- Youra[73]
- Yubin[74]
- Yuju[75]
- Yuri[76]
Disbandments
Releases in 2018
First quarter
January
February
| Date | Album | Artist(s) | Genre(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don't Be Pretty | 14U | Dance | [136] |
| Act. 4 Cait Sith | Gugudan | Dance | [137][138][139] | |
| 3 | Money Flower OST | Various artists | OST, Ballad | [140] |
| 4 | Bad Guys 2 OST | Various artists | OST, Pop-rap | [141] |
| 5 | Director's Cut | Seventeen | Dance, Ballad | [142][143] |
| 8 | Baby Funk | Naul | Neo soul, Funk | [144] |
| 12 | Mi Amor | CocoSori | Pop, Dance | [145] |
| 13 | Golden Slumber OST | Various artists | OST, Ballad | [146] |
| 19 | Back | Yang Yo-seob | R&B, Ballad | [147] |
| Spring Again | Jung Seung-hwan | Ballad | [148] | |
| 20 | One Shot, Two Shot | BoA | Dance, Hip hop | [149] |
| 21 | Lucky | Weki Meki | Dance | [150] |
| 22 | Black Dress | CLC | Dance, Electronica | [151] |
| 26 | 10 Stories | Kim Sung-kyu | Rock, Ballad | [152][153] |
| Mamma Mia! | SF9 | Dance, Ballad | [154][155] | |
| 27 | Dream Your Dream | Cosmic Girls | Dance | [156][157] |
| The Second | Take | Ballad | [158] | |
| 28 | 28 Identity | Cheetah | Hip hop | [159] |
March
Second quarter
April
May
June
Third quarter
July
August
September
Fourth quarter
October
November
December
| Date | Album | Artist(s) | Genre(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Present: You & Me | Got7 | Pop-rap, Ballad | [427] |
| 5 | Retro | Jung Key | Ballad, R&B | [428] |
| Voice | Onew | Ballad | [429] | |
| I'm Yours | Laboum | Ballad, Dance | [430] | |
| 6 | Laberinto | Up10tion | Dance, Hip hop | [431] |
| 7 | 180° | Ben | Ballad | [432] |
| 10 | Remember Us: Youth Part 2 | Day6 | Pop rock, Alternative rock | [433] |
| 11 | Mark | Lee Chang-sub | Ballad, Alternative rock | [434] |
| Maze Garden | Crucial Star | Hip hop | [435] | |
| 12 | The Year of "Yes" | Twice | Dance, Ballad | [436] |
| 13 | Love Shot | Exo | Dance, R&B | [437] |
| 14 | 15 | Buzz | Pop rock, Ballad | [438] |
| Snail Mail1 | Younha | Ballad | [439] | |
| 19 | Millions1 | Winner | Dance, Hip hop | [440] |
| 24 | A'ndy to Z1 | Andy | Ballad | [441] |
| 26 | New Chapter No. 2: The Truth of Love | TVXQ | Dance, R&B | [442] |
| 27 | Boycold 2 | Vinxen | Hip hop | [443] |
Deaths
- Maeng Yu-na (aged 29), singer[444]
- Seo Min-woo (aged 33), singer (100%)[445]
See also
Notes
- 1The following was released as a single but charted on the Gaon Album Chart.