Will K-pop dance challenges on TikTok survive?
Will K-pop fans be able to see more dance challenge videos on TikTok in the future? It depends, say experts, on how the Chinese video-sharing platform handles an ongoing licensing dispute with the world’s biggest music company, Universal Music Group (UMG).
For K-pop stars, TikTok is one of the most vital marketing channels where they can share short videos featuring catchy dance moves from their new songs and promote them.
After rapper Zico started his dance challenge on TikTok with his tune, “Any Song” in 2019, almost all K-pop singers today have jumped on the bandwagon, prompting TikTok users to follow their moves and share their videos. In this way, the singers’ new songs can easily go viral, reaching a broader audience worldwide through the platform that has 1.7 billion monthly active users.
Such a tactic enabled numerous K-pop acts to make major breakthroughs in their careers, as evidenced by the case of girl band VIVIZ. “Maniac,” the lead single off the trio’s fourth mini-album “Versus,” climbed back to the top spots of multiple music streaming charts in Korea about a month after its release in November 2023. Many experts note that TikTok played a pivotal role in promoting “Maniac,” as its ranks on music charts soared after it became a viral hit on the platform.
K-pop, however, may not be able to capitalize on the platform in the days ahead. After TikTok failed to reach a new licensing agreement with UMG, a number of K-pop songs, which have a link to the latter, have been muted on TikTok.
UMG recently ceased licensing content to TikTok, maintaining that the platform attempted to “build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.” TikTok later issued a refutation, stating, “Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters or fans.”
In the wake of their standoff, “Seven” (2023) by Jungkook of boy band BTS and “OMG” (2023) by girl group NewJeans were removed from TikTok last week. This was presumably because producers from UMG’s publishing group participated in the creative process of these tracks.
Although other K-pop tunes by Stray Kids and TWICE are still available on the Chinese platform, industry insiders speculate that they could also disappear in the coming days, as both groups are partners of Republic Records, a label under UMG.
Regarding the current circumstances, music critic Han Dong-yoon pointed out that K-pop management companies may reduce their reliance on TikTok.
“If they can’t use their music freely, they are likely to create less dance challenge videos on TikTok,” he told The Korea Times, adding that the latest brouhaha can deal a more fatal blow to singers contracted to small and medium-sized agencies.
“Big labels have money to perform other promotional activities, but small and medium-sized companies don’t,” he stressed. “Now, it has become more challenging for their singers to present their music offerings to young people and to leave a strong impression through short videos.”
Han, however, believes that TikTok and UMG will return to the negotiation table.
“In TikTok’s case, it may witness a fall in the number of users, as they may opt to leave the platform where music is not freely accessible,” he explained. “UMG may also face a backlash from its songwriters, who think they have lost the chance to promote their creations on a widely used platform.”