There’s no doubt that a new K-Beauty product is always trending, especially when a K-Celeb is the face of said product. In recent news, we’ve seen big names like SEVENTEEN’s WonWoo named as the new model of Korean beauty brands like The Face Shop, ZEROBASEONE becoming the new faces of COLORGRAM, and RIIZE becoming the new models of ETUDE, and many more.

There is an abundance of K-Beauty brands with K-Celebs as the face/model/ambassador of the brand - and fans are dedicated to buying these products to support their favorite K-Pop idol or Korean actor. The Olive Young top product ranking (of Apr. 25, 2024) is a great example of this. Out of the 8 products shown, 4 of them have K-Celebs (namely MONSTA X's HyungWon, Go YounJung, 2AM's Jo Kwon, and ZEROBASEONE's Kim JiWoong) as the face of the product, which can increase the odds of consumers buying the product.

Olive Young Screenshot (25/04/2024)

If you've ever wondered why brands opt to add celebrities to their marketing campaigns, a look at the following data from 2021 by LaunchMetrics proves the impact that Korean celebrities (namely BLACKPINK's Jennie and JiSoo, and BIGBANG's G-Dragon) have had on international luxury brands for fashion and cosmetics (which has only grown stronger since then).

LaunchMetrics

If that is the impact that K-Celebs can have on international brands, then it goes without saying that they would have a similar impact on local K-Beauty brands, too.

However, recently fans have been raising the question wondering why K-Celebrities (especially veterans and big names) don't venture into creating their own cosmetics and beauty brands. If they did, surely they'd make a lucrative profit from their fans' support...

In the case of the Western world, artists like Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, and Rihanna have infiltrated the global beauty market with their respective brands. Beyoncé has recently gone viral for her content utilizing her hair care products Cécred, Selena Gomez has become a sensation on social media with her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, and Rihanna has also created a cosmetics brand that is a staple on the dressing tables of many in the form of Fenty Beauty. So, why don't K-Celebrities leverage their fandoms and take the leap?

The K-Beauty Celebrity Cosmetics Landscape Is Not Non-Existent

If you're looking for K-Celebrity cosmetics, but feeling bleak because you can't find any, then don't despair. There is one brand that you can seek out!

That's not to say that K-Pop idols haven't ventured into creating their own cosmetics brands at all. Jeon SoMi is one of the first K-Pop idols to attempt her own cosmetics line.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 글맆 GLYF (@glyfing)

She launched the makeup brand GLYF which she had been working on since 2023.

Negative Reactions To A K-Celebrity Makeup Line

However, the product launch was met with some pushback from netizens as they questioned her intention/sincerity and the pricing of the product.

Some argued that Jeon SoMi's first product, the ILLUÉTTE Highlighter Palette (four colors) at 43,000 Korean won (about 31.39 USD), is too expensive.

Whilst this sentiment spread across communities, to be objective, similar celebrity brands in the West charge similarly or even more. The Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter (one or two colors) retails for 74,100 Korean won (about 54.02 USD) and the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter (one color) retails for 25 USD (about 34,274 Korean won).

On the other hand, if you compare a similar highlighter palette (with 4 colors) from the Korean brand IPKN called the IPKN Flap One Face Palette, it retails for 32,000 Korean won (about 23.23 USD).

Note: all prices and conversions are as of Apr. 24, 2024.

GLYF Official / Fenty Beauty Official / Rare Beauty Official / Olive Young

Taking these brands into consideration, Jeon SoMi's product is slightly on the pricey side but not entirely out of reach. It is up to consumers to buy a product in their comfortable price range.

The Likeliness Of More K-Celebs Opening Brands In Future

Whilst K-Pop idols are at a career and popularity advantage to launch products in the form of beauty and fashion brands, there might be some hesitance on their part due to potential backlash from fans. Jeon SoMi is one case study, but so is former Girls' Generation member Jessica Jung, who faced backlash from her agency when trying to launch her current fashion brand BLANC & ECLARE.

Some fans perceive pursuing businesses like this as a distraction and a lack of dedication to being an idol. Even in the West, Rihanna has received a lot of backlash for not releasing music and focusing solely on her beauty brand, for example.

As K-Pop fandom prioritizes a relationship with the K-Pop idol, for instance, whilst there might be an outpouring of support for the idol's brand - fans might not like the change in focus.

There is also the issue of K-Pop idols losing out on much-needed brand deals essential to marketing their groups or themselves. This is because beauty brand models are usually tied to only promoting that specific brand due to exclusivity clauses in the contract.

Lastly, and naturally, creating a brand in a saturated market is also a huge risk that K-Celebs may not have the time or energy to take on. Especially in South Korea, where K-Beauty giants such as Olive Young rule the day, it might be difficult to navigate the brands under that umbrella and other competitors. Even a brand (distributor) as huge as Sephora (selling international brands) has had to close down operations in South Korea due to being unable to beat the local K-Beauty market.

If competition can be this fierce between distributors, then it will undoubtedly be just as fierce amongst actual brand competitors.

However, there is still hope that more K-Celebs will take the leap to create products that can help fans feel closer to or like them.

What do you think? Should more K-Celebs be starting beauty brands? Do you reckon that being the face of another K-Beauty brand and not starting their own is the best way for K-Celebs to be part of the K-Beauty industry?

Spotify - the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service - announced that RIIZE has been selected as the newest RADAR KOREA artist, making them the first K-Pop boy group to join the program.

As Spotify’s global music program for emerging creators, RADAR supports rising artists around the world on their paths to superstardom, helping talent at all stages of their development while strengthening their connections to fans and new listeners. Previously, Spotify has successfully elevated international sensations like The Kid LAROI, Lauv, Tyla, and Lil Baby, and closer to home, RADAR KOREA has spotlighted artists including NMIXX, Huh, LE SSERAFIM, and Zior Park.

RIIZE debuted with 'Get A Guitar' last September and has released a series of trendy singles such as 'Talk Saxy', 'Love 119' and 'Impossible'. Through their music, the group has showcased their distinctive 'emotional pop' sounds that express their unique colors. This June, RIIZE is returning with their first mini album "RIIZING" and will showcase their newfound growth.

For their entry into the RADAR program, Spotify will support RIIZE with a bespoke campaign to continue to propel them in the global music scene. As part of this interactive campaign, fans and listeners around the world can look forward to a host of exclusive content such as member interviews, on the RADAR KOREA playlist clips and across the following YouTube channels: Spotify and K-Pop ON! Spotify. Moreover, as a RADAR artist, RIIZE will also receive a mixture of Spotify’s best-in-class editorial; on-platform and out-of-home marketing support.

As of April 2024, RIIZE has close to 4 million monthly listeners and 630,000 followers on Spotify, amassing fans from across the globe in their rookie year. The top 10 countries streaming the group comprise Indonesia, Japan, the United States, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico. RIIZE's most-streamed songs on Spotify are 'Get A Guitar', 'Memories', 'Love 119', 'Talk Saxy', and 'Siren'.

“The RADAR KOREA program bolsters Spotify’s dedication to helping music travel the globe and connecting Korean artists with fans and new audiences at every stage of their journeys,“ said JungJoo Park, Spotify’s Head of Music, South Korea. “With their incredible talent, RIIZE as rookies have shown how they’re a force to be reckoned with. So we're thrilled to welcome them aboard as a RADAR KOREA artist and look forward to introducing their unique sounds to more listeners worldwide."

“We’re pleased to be selected to take part in Spotify's RADAR KOREA program, and look forward to connecting with our fans and new listeners around the world,” said RIIZE. “Living up to our team name RIIZE, we will make our best efforts to deliver great music that touches the hearts of our fans.”

Just like the season we're in, RIIZE are once again springing into the music scene with the groovy and addictive single, 'Impossible'. It acts as a pre-release to their upcoming first mini-album, "RIIZING". They've started their promotional cycle by appearing on a number of music programs, collaborating with YouTube channels like STUDIO CHOOM, and uploading their own personal content onto their YouTube channel.

While this might just be the appetizer for what's to come, 'Impossible' hits all the right spots, making it difficult to not just get up and dance along to its rhythm. Although it's totally possible to replay the music video or watch their music show performance all day long, you'll naturally crave for something more — and luckily, even for a rookie group, RIIZE has an abundance of amazing content available waiting for fans to watch.

So here's some types of content you can find on RIIZE's official YouTube channel.

1. "RISE & REALIZE"

For those who are just getting into the group, one fact that you should know is that their team name is a combination of the words "rise" and "realize", symbolizing "a team that grows together and realizes dreams". So of course there needed to be a series named after this. "RISE & REALIZE" takes a more vlog-like approach, documenting RIIZE's journey as a team. It's a compilation of refreshing moments from the members eating food together to waiting to head up on stage. Through these videos, it won't be too difficult to fall for the members' candid charms.

2. "WE RIIZE"

It wouldn't be a K-Pop group's YouTube channel without some variety-like content. In RIIZE's case, they have "WE RIIZE", which has recently reached its 19th episode. Through this special series, RIIZE participates in a number of different activities as a group, showcasing both their competitiveness and playful nature. You'll become totally invested and might even want to take notes for games you could play with your friends.

3. "RIIZE IN (_____)"

Now, this series isn't as extensive as "WE RIIZE" or "RISE & REALIZE" nor does it have that many installments — yet. In similar fashion to "RISE & REALIZE", it's shot in a vlog-like style, following the members around on their schedules outside of Korea. BRIIZE are able to witness instances like WonBin and SoHee eating at a restaurant in Paris or the members visiting a shiba inu cafe in Japan. As they continue to grow in popularity and venture off into even more cities for the first time, we cannot wait for the "RIIZE IN (_____)" playlist to fill up with countless uploads.

4. "RIIPLY"

Coming to a K-Pop group's YouTube channel, you'd generally expect an influx of dance and vocal covers, reaction videos, and performance clips. RIIZE certainly has all of this and more, but they also have a unique series called "RIIPLY". In a collaboration with RIIZE and WIZARD Production, "RIIPLY" was made — a curated playlist with a special twist. Although you could listen to the songs with your eyes closed, if you do you'll miss out on the short retro clips of the RIIZE members. With the song selections and how the videos are edited, it gives the feel of a homemade video stored on a VHS tape. These songs set the mood and with clips of RIIZE playing the background, you'll feel completely healed and recharged, ready to tackle the entire world.

RIIZE's career has just started, so we're certain they'll have more special content sometime soon.

What's your favorite content video from RIIZE so far?