However, the mood on the domestic melon chart is very different. It's Not Easy To Dominate The Charts As Soon As New Songs Are Released, Except Some Groups That Are Already Popular.
This is a phenomenon that is constantly being mentioned in the idol market these days. What happened to Melon's Top 100 charts, a domestic streaming platform, which became harder to beat than the Billboard charts, once considered the "dream stage"?
With K-pop growing in the global music market, it's not hard to see a K-Pop idol group top the Billboard charts with their comeback. Recently, many teams have even made it onto the Billboard charts with their debut singles.
Of course, in the case of Billboard's main charts, namely the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, only a few of the hottest idol groups in Korea are included, but it is still a great achievement that many good K-pop idol groups have made it on the Billboard charts.
However, the atmosphere on the domestic Melon chart is very different. It's not easy to dominate the charts as soon as new songs are released, except for a few groups that are already popular. Before the Melon chart was reorganized to what it is today, many idol groups could easily climb to the top of the charts as soon as their new album was released, which shows just how impactful the change is.
For example, LE SSERAFIM emphasized how his name was on the Melon Daily Top 100 chart on the 29th of last month. That's because LE SSERAFIM's record is the best among girl group debut songs released this year based on Melon Daily Chart.
Considering that many girl groups have made their debut this year, and there are many groups that boast high achievements as well, it's understandable why they place great importance on their 10th position in the Melon Top 100. What's even more surprising is that LE SSERAFIM ranked 10th through a month's steady rise in rankings since debuting on May 2.
Why do idols have a hard time conquering the Melon chart like this? First of all, it is necessary to look at the Melon "Top 100" aggregation method. Melon's main chart calculation, Top 100 is created by combining 50% of usage in the last 24 hours and 50% of usage in the last hour. Usage is based on 40% streams and 60% downloads (reflecting 100% of the last 24 hour usage between 1am and 7am to prevent chart distortion), and ratings are updated hourly.
Another reason lies in the limited popularity of K-pop idol groups. The music of idol groups, which in the past tended to be enjoyed solely for musicality, has expanded beyond the musical spectrum, with the members' presence being recognized by more people. However, it's still not easy for all idol groups to stay popular in society, especially if their main target is their fandom.
As a result, the Melon Top 100 chart is not easily penetrated for K-pop idols, and most K-pop artists don't seem to be able to break the chart with their releases. In order to be on the chart and dominate it for a long period of time, it is now only possible for a small number of groups with great popularity and actuality, such as BTS (Bangtan Boys) or BIGBANG.
However, this does not mean that all idol group songs will automatically be eliminated from the Melon Top 100. For example, according to Melon's daily Top 100 chart on June 8, IVE's “Tomboy” (G)-IDLE and “Love Dive” ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively. In addition, other groups such as LE SSERAFIM, Red Velvet, aespa, SEVENTEEN (II) also seem to have made it into the Top 30.
In the end, what do these groups, which achieve great results despite various limitations, have in common? They ultimately suggest a goal that every Kpop idol, or singer in general should achieve: a good song that can overcome the fierce "Top 100" competition. (wk/goddess)
