Latest news with #SourceMusic
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Le Sserafim reaches 300m Spotify streams with ‘Crazy'
Le Sserafim has achieved 300 million streams on Spotify with 'Crazy' as of Wednesday, agency Source Music said Friday, citing the platform. It is the group's fifth song to achieve the feat, following 'Antifragile,' 'Perfect Night,' 'Fearless' and 'Smart.' 'Crazy' is the title track for the group's fourth EP, which was released in August last year. The electronic dance tune made Billboard's Hot 100, entering at No. 76 and staying for another week at No. 99. The single also got Le Sserafim its first entry on the UK Official Singles Top 100, ranking No. 83. The group has concluded the Japan leg of its first international tour, 'Easy Crazy Hot.' The tour will resume in Taipei next month and will end in November with a two-day encore gig at Tokyo Dome, according to the plan it has shared so far.
Pink Villa
05-06-2025
- Business
- Pink Villa
NewJeans accuses ADOR of ‘illegally collecting evidence' in Min Hee Jin case at 2nd contract dispute hearing
The escalating legal feud between girl group NewJeans and their agency ADOR took another intense turn during their second court hearing. It was held today, on June 5, 2025, at the Seoul Central District Court. The session was part of ADOR's lawsuit to validate its exclusive contract with the group. It was marked by sharp disputes over the admissibility of documents linked to former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin's separate legal battle with Source Music, LE SSERAFIM's agency. Dispute over document requests During the proceedings, both sides debated a request submitted by ADOR for materials from the ongoing Source Music vs. Min Hee Jin lawsuit. It is being handled in the Western District Court. NewJeans ' legal team pushed back strongly against the request. They claimed that some of the data in question was gathered illegally. 'There is some data among the relevant case materials that could be considered illegally collected evidence in violation of the Information and Communications Network Act,' they said. However, ADOR argued that the files, obtained through an internal audit, were necessary to build their case. They revealed, 'It is a matter for the Western District Court to decide, but this is data obtained through an audit process. The computer file is the problem, but the provider consented and the computer is owned by the company, so it cannot be said to be illegal.' The court sided with ADOR on this point. While not validating the documents as evidence outright, the judge allowed their submission. The court stated that it is up to the plaintiff to sift through the files to identify and prove what is legally admissible. What's the outcome of second hearing? As in the first hearing held earlier this year, the court once again encouraged both sides to consider mediation. It probed for any possibility of reconciliation. ADOR expressed a willingness to explore the option after the court reaches a preliminary decision. NewJeans' side, however, was firm in their stance. Their legal representatives rejected the proposal entirely. They reiterated that trust between the two parties has been irreparably damaged and that a return to ADOR was out of the question. About the dispute NewJeans first declared their exclusive contracts with ADOR nullified in November 2024. The group made accusations that the agency had severely breached its obligations. After that, the group rebranded under the name NJZ and began operating independently. However, they soon got legally barred from releasing new music, appearing in ads, or promoting under the NJZ label without ADOR's approval. What's next? With both sides standing firm and legal complexities deepening, the next hearing is scheduled for July 24 at 4 p.m. KST. The court is expected to further review evidence and arguments, possibly inching closer to a resolution. Though, for now, any form of settlement remains off the table.
Korea Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Le Sserafim surpasses 200m views with ‘Fearless' music video
The music video for Le Sserafim's debut song garnered 200 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday, agency Source Music said Wednesday. It is the group's second music video to hit the mark after 'Antifragile,' the title track from the group's second EP. The group's debut single "Fearless' is an alternative pop tune that made both the Billboard Global 200 and Global 200 excl. US. The single amassed 300 million streams on Spotify as of April 2024. The mini album of the same title sold more than 300,000 copies in its first week, a first-ever for a K-pop girl group, and went on to notch the No. 1 spot on Oricon's Daily Album Ranking. The quintet is in the middle of its first international tour and will go live in Kitakyushu, Japan, this weekend.
Pink Villa
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Min Hee Jin vs LE SSERAFIM's agency: June hearing gets scheduled for KakaoTalk messages' validity as evidence amid NewJeans row
Source Music filed a 500 million KRW damages lawsuit against former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. Its second hearing took place on May 30, Friday, during when the agency was set to present some important 'evidence' of the case, that involved text messages. However, Min Hee Jin's side alleged the messages to be illegally obtained. Hence, the court ordered a separate hearing to check its legal validity, as reported by K-media outlet Sports Today. Min Hee Jin's stance in the Source Music case LE SSERAFIM 's label, Source Music, was prepared to present a 20-minute showcase of documents supporting their claims. However, Min Hee Jin 's legal representative raised an objection, arguing that the KakaoTalk messages included in the presentation materials were obtained without proper authorization. Thus, as per the defendant, the texts should not be considered as evidence. ADOR refuted it by claiming that the messages were legally obtained and used in previous trials. Elaborating their concern, Min Hee Jin's team stated, 'What worries us most is that the presentation may contain message excerpts related to the disputed incident.' Additionally, her legal counsel also submitted a formal request for the trial to be held in a closed session, away from public scrutiny. Court decision on Min Hee Jin's request The 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court acknowledged the former ADOR CEO's concerns regarding the legal admissibility of the KakaoTalk messages, however they denied the second request of a closed session. The judge's ruling mentioned, 'We will proceed with a public hearing, but will restrict any discussion or display of the specific KakaoTalk excerpts the defendant contests until further review." Upon hearing both parties' arguments, the court decided to hold a separate hearing on June 27 to assess the legitimacy of the KakaoTalk evidence. About Min Hee Jin vs Source Music case Min Hee Jin claimed in a press conference that HYBE initially planned to debut NewJeans as their first girl group but instead chose to launch LE SSERAFIM first. She also alleged that HYBE later limited NewJeans' promotional activities and favoured LE SSERAFIM. The dispute further involved Min Hee Jin's disagreements over the casting and training process for NewJeans with HYBE
Pink Villa
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Why is LE SSERAFIM's Japanese song DIFFERENT being called 'harmful to artists'? Teasers receive major flak from netizens
LE SSERAFIM is set to make their much-awaited Japanese comeback next month through the drop of a new single called DIFFERENT. Ahead of that, some concept teaser clips have been unveiled to give a sneak peak into the new track. But the teasers, which were supposed to generate positive buzz, were met with heavy backlash. Some even went as far to call it comeback harmful S it affected people from various walks of life. Know about the controversy. Why is LE SSERAFIM receiving backlash from fans for DIFFERENT's teasers? Recently, the popular HYBE girl group LE SSERAFIM commenced their promotional campaign for their fourth Japanese single DIFFERENT. The released track samplers featured alleged AI-generated visuals. Sampler A included a transparent frozen cake, jiggling inside a fridge and sampler B included a giant female doll looking at a miniature version of a busy city through the glasses. The reliance on AI instead of creative artists was disliked by the fans. Check out fan reactions of DIFFERENT MV's track samplers The fans cited the downsides of choosing generative AI over human labour. They felt that it was disrespectful to the craft as well as a means to snatch away the livelihood of a lot of artists. They urged Source Music, LE SSERAFIM's agency, to not work with people who resorted to half-hearted and cost-effective AI works. They claimed, "it is harmful to artists and the environment." They further mentioned, "cutting corners like this leads to a sloppy and unappealing final product." They even called for the stoppage of AI usage in K-pop visuals. As per the fans, artificial intelligence-generated content has been rapidly growing in the industry. Many people view it as a threat to human artistry, perceiving it as a shortcut that devalues the work of real designers, illustrators, and CGI professionals. Relying on machine-generated photos and videos, potentially replaces meticulous craftsmanship with impersonal, automated graphics. The life of the content is allegedly lost in the process. Some even argued that it negatively affects the company's credibility in terms of providing quality content and LE SSERAFIM's comeback promotion visuals were doing no good to Source Music's reputation.
