Ex-SM Entertainment CEO launches new agency, plans to debut six K-pop acts by 2028

Former SM Entertainment CEO Nikki Semin Han has established a brand-new music label, with plans to debut six new K-pop acts by 2028.

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According to an exclusive report by Variety, Han has teamed up with a group of former colleagues from SM Entertainment to launch Titan Content, a newly established music label based in the US. The agency described itself to Variety as “the world’s first premier multinational K-pop powerhouse music company”, with facilities in both Los Angeles and Seoul with the goal of breaking their upcoming roster of artists into the US music market.

According to Variety, Titan Content is currently working on launching two K-pop girl groups, two boy groups, a male soloist and a female soloist by 2028. The company is slated to kickstart global auditions in 2024 for these acts, with the goal of unveiling the first in 2025. The company also plans to “combine traditional K-pop business models and content with Web3, metaverse and AI innovation”.

Han was previously the CEO of SM Entertainment, one of K-pop’s biggest labels housing some of the industry’s top acts, such as Girls’ Generation, f(x), NCT, SHINee and more. After leaving the company, Han went on to become president of TV production company Astory, which was behind the 2022 hit K-drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, as well as CEO of Astory subsidiary AIMC.

Other chief executives of Titan Content include people who have trained the likes of SEVENTEEN, TWICE, ITZY, THE BOYZ and more. “Think of Titan like the ‘Avengers’ of the K-pop community joining forces to redefine the industry,” Han said of the company in a statement to Variety.

“With a proven record of elevating global superstars, Titan’s founders and executives have played key roles in helping shape K-pop and making it a global lifestyle with passionate fans across the world,” he added. “Together, we’re creating a company where artists thrive, fans come first, music takes center stage, and industry disruption reigns supreme.”

In other K-pop news, the first day of the 2023 MAMA Awards was held yesterday (November 28) at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The evening featured special performances from the likes of ENHYPEN, Jeon Somi and more, as well as awards being taken home by groups such as BTS, Kep1er and more.