Tag: RADAR KOREA

5 Years and 1,000 Artists Later: How Spotify RADAR Supports Emerging Talent on the Path to Global Stardom

September 9, 2025

In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and amplify the next generation of global music talent. What began as a program for emerging artists soon expanded to include support for songwriters and creators, solidifying RADAR’s place as the global home for what’s next in sound. Through RADAR, Spotify bets confidently on new voices and provides resources and opportunities to help rising stars flourish.

Today, we’re excited to share a major milestone: RADAR has now supported more than 1,000 artists since launch.

This isn’t just a number; it’s a chance to celebrate the global impact RADAR artists have made and to reaffirm Spotify’s commitment to supporting them at every stage of their careers. RADAR artists benefit from on- and off-platform opportunities, including editorial support, exclusive content, and personalized marketing plans. Each region tailors its RADAR offerings to reflect local music culture and audience needs, ensuring artists receive support that resonates in their home countries and beyond.

With a presence in all 183 countries where Spotify operates, RADAR champions talent from every corner of the music world. We’re proud to provide a platform that connects artists with new fans and helps them build thriving careers.

Spotlighting RADAR artist journeys

Ambition, talent, and breakthrough moments have defined RADAR’s journey to 1,000 artists. Spanning genres, cultures, and continents, these artists are shaping the future of music, using RADAR as a launchpad for opportunity and growth.

Here are just a few examples of RADAR alums who are making their mark worldwide:

Peso Pluma: From regional star to global phenomenon

Peso Pluma

Peso Pluma was named a RADAR US artist in May 2023, just as Música Mexicana was exploding in the market. At the time, he was already making waves—holding the No. 4 spot on Spotify’s Top Artists globally, thanks in part to his hit single with Eslabon Armado, “Ella Baila Sola,” which had just climbed to the top of both our US and global charts. Within a month of joining RADAR, his monthly listeners jumped by 55%, with export streams up 154% and editorial streams up 116%. Now the most-streamed RADAR artist of all time, Peso Pluma’s journey shows how the program can help artists seize a cultural moment and reach new heights.

aespa: K-Pop redefined

aespa

Girl group aespa joined the RADAR Korea roster in November 2020, the same month they made their explosive debut with “Black Mamba.” Their debut single stormed the Billboard Global Chart (excluding the US) within three days, setting a new record for a K-Pop debut. RADAR helped supercharge their momentum: In just one month, aespa’s monthly listeners jumped by 1,433%, with export streams up 2,389% and editorial streams up an incredible 14,132%. Fast-forward to 2025, and aespa now boasts more than 10 million monthly listeners. Their success highlights how RADAR can help turn a breakout debut into lasting impact.

Rachel Chinouriri: Indie-pop on the rise

Rachel Chinouriri

Since joining RADAR UK & Ireland over a year ago, indie-pop artist Rachel Chinouriri has seen her streams jump 155%, her followers rise by 95%, and her monthly listeners climb from 1.4 million to 4.3 million. Her active audience doubled, showing a real boost in loyal fans. During her first year, she recorded two Spotify Singles, picked up two BRIT Award nominations, and sold out headline shows in New York and LA. Her story shows how RADAR can help artists grow their international audiences.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers: Aussie rock, amplified

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

Australian rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers have journeyed through multiple Spotify programs, from Fresh Finds to GLOW to RADAR. Six months after joining RADAR, they saw a 224% increase in monthly listeners and a 54% rise in followers. They went on to win an ARIA for Breakthrough Artist and support Pearl Jam on tour in Australia and the US—with an upcoming performance at Austin City Limits in Texas slated for later this year.

As the band put it: “Being a RADAR artist brought us to so many new audiences. We’ve been able to go to America, go overseas, and seeing our faces on playlist covers is crazy—really incredible.”

Want to hear from more RADAR voices? Watch our global video celebrating the 1,000-artist milestone, featuring stories from across the RADAR community:

 

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RADAR Songwriters: Celebrating the power of the pen

Spotify’s commitment to emerging talent doesn’t stop at performers—it also extends to the songwriters at the heart of the music industry. Since 2022, RADAR has supported emerging songwriters through dedicated campaigns in a dozen international markets. The program has featured talents like Ines Dunn, Alessandro La Cava, Mbryo, and Bill Maybury, offering playlist support and exclusive content to help songwriters share their craft and connect with fans worldwide.

The latest campaign spotlights LA-based songwriter and producer uv killin em, who has co-written and produced hits for artists including Drake and Sleepy Hallow.

Discover the future of music with RADAR

This 1,000-artist milestone is just the beginning. We’ll keep lifting up the brightest emerging artists and songwriters through RADAR, using Spotify’s global scale and editorial expertise to help more creative voices break through and share their music with the world.

Explore more RADAR stories and data on For the Record, discover regional playlists and featured talent in the RADAR hub on Spotify, or jump right in by streaming the flagship global playlist—featuring an Editorial Watch Feed with commentary from our editors.

RADAR Korea Invites Fans Inside the Vibrant World of RIIZE in Honor of the K-Pop Group’s First Mini Album, ‘RIIZING’

June 26, 2024

Since 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify’s program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, supporting emerging artists on their journeys to global stardom. In South Korea, RADAR has elevated the country’s best and brightest, helping groups like LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX catapult their careers and connect with new fans near and far.

That couldn’t be more true for RIIZE, the newest RADAR Korea artist and the first K-Pop boy group to be part of the program. RIIZE burst onto the scene in 2023 with the catchy pop single “Get A Guitar” and has been steadily climbing the K-Pop ranks ever since.

Since joining RADAR Korea in April, RIIZE has received Spotify support through special editorial placement, a personalized marketing plan, and more. Prominent features on our RADAR Korea playlist and exclusive social media content have helped RIIZE expand its reach and foster deeper connections with listeners. In just two months, the group has seen a more than 40% increase in monthly streams, a 13% boost in monthly listeners, and a 12% increase in user-generated playlists that include at least one RIIZE track.

To date, RIIZE has amassed more than 210 million Spotify streams and currently boasts nearly 4 million monthly listeners. Its music is traveling the globe, transcending language and cultural boundaries as it reaches listeners in Japan, Indonesia, the U.S., and beyond.

Zior Park Brings Us Into His Universe as the Next RADAR Korea Artist

November 5, 2023

Zior Park RADAR Korea Cover

Known just as much for his visually stunning and artistic music videos as he is for his music, Zior Park is unquestionably one of the most diverse and innovative minds to hit the Korean scene in recent years. With a sound that gives off a merry-go-round Danny Elfman fever dream vibe through a hip-hop lens, the young artist’s fame has been rapidly rising since his 2018 debut.

Now he has reached new heights as this month’s RADAR Korea artist.

RADAR, a global Spotify program, is dedicated to showcasing emerging artists around the world through support, helping them expand their audiences to the global stage. Since its launch in 2020, the RADAR Korea playlist in particular has elevated the best and brightest new talent, like AleXa, ASH ISLAND, NMIXX, SOLE, Huh, and LE SSERAFIM, to the global stage.

As this month’s RADAR artist, Zior will grace the top spot on the RADAR Korea playlist. Additionally, we kicked off an exclusive RADAR party last week that included a live performance and the screening of an official RADAR behind-the-scenes documentary.

Zior first hit the scene in 2018 with his single “Beautiful.” His 2020 album THUNDERBIRD MOTEL and 2022’s SYNDROMEZ showed off a freshly polished dark sound touching on nostalgia, pain, and the experience of living a life that is far from normal. Zior’s latest EPs, WHERE DOES SASQUATCH LIVE? Pt. 1 and the recently dropped WHERE DOES SASQUATCH LIVE? Pt. 2 tell the story of “THE MAN WHO SAW SASQUATCH” and the resulting aftermath. Dripping with quirky child-like playfulness, singles such as “CHRISTIAN,” “QUEEN,” AND “MAGIC!” show off the dark-tinged artistry the South Korean has become most known for. 

“I’m thrilled to share my music with a global audience through Spotify’s RADAR program,” Zior told For the Record. “I will continue to explore my musical world and share exciting music and stories that are uniquely Zior Park.”

Listen to the quirky dark side that is Zior Park and other emerging Korean artists in our RADAR Korea playlist.

LE SSERAFIM Takes Its Daring Brand of K-Pop to the World as Our Latest RADAR Korea Group

June 7, 2023

From the very start, K-Pop girl group LE SSERAFIM made it known they would stand at the top. Consisting of members Sakura, Chaewon, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae, the group has garnered global attention with its unwavering spirit and infectious sound. This is even evident in its name—an anagram of the phrase “I’m fearless”—which serves as a mantra to represent the members’ self-confidence and unbreakable poise.

Now the LE SSERAFIM is taking the next step toward pop superstardom as RADAR Korea’s newest featured act.

RADAR, a global Spotify program, is dedicated to showcasing emerging and talented artists around the world through support and resources that help selected artists expand their global audiences. As part of the RADAR program, Spotify is providing promotional support to LE SSERAFIM through interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and billboard placements. We also worked with the group on a RADAR mini-documentary, which you can watch in full below or catch some footage on the Clips featured in our RADAR Korea playlist.

LE SSERAFIM marked its arrival last year with its debut EP FEARLESS and quickly followed that up with a second EP, ANTIFRAGILE. Last month, exactly one year after its first release, the group released UNFORGIVEN, its debut studio album that further showcases the group’s determination to pave its own path. 

Since then, the group’s most-streamed songs globally include: 

“We deeply appreciate the opportunity to connect more closely with our fans around the world through Spotify’s RADAR program,” said Chaewon. “We look forward to continuing to challenge ourselves by sharing music and telling stories that are uniquely LE SSERAFIM.”

Since its launch in 2020, RADAR Korea has supported various emerging Korean artists—including AleXa, ASH ISLAND, NMIXX, SOLE, and Huh—and introduced them to Spotify listeners around the world.

Check out the hottest sounds from these artists and more with the RADAR Korea playlist.

K-Hip-Hop Star Huh Is Ready to Take On the World as Our Newest RADAR Korea Artist

April 10, 2023

Korean artist Huh looking directly at the camera. He is wearing a pink jacket and there are city building in the background

Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify’s program to showcase emerging artists from all around the world, supporting them and taking their talents to the global musical stage. The program’s South Korean initiative, in particular, has introduced artists like AleXa, ASH ISLAND, NMIXX, and SOLE to the world, revealing the country’s breadth of promising new talent.  

And this month, hip-hop sensation Huh is stepping up as the first RADAR Korea artist of 2023. 

Huh made his debut in 2019 when he appeared on the ninth season of the popular Mnet rap competition Show Me the Money. He caught the eye of competition team leaders Choiza and Gaeko of Dynamicduo, who later invited him to join their Amoeba Culture label. Huh hit the ground running with a string of singles and live performances, and the release of his debut album, 926. Last year, Huh returned to Show Me the Money, where he wowed audiences with his track “Midnight Law.”

Now he graces the cover of the official RADAR Korea playlist. 

“I’m excited to be able to connect with listeners around the world and introduce my own colors and music as an artist through Spotify’s RADAR program,” Huh told For the Record. “I’m grateful for the opportunity Spotify has given me as the first RADAR Korea artist of this year, and I’ll continue to showcase who I am and the music I love.”  

This is just the latest example of Spotify’s commitment to spreading the innovative sounds of Korean hip-hop throughout the world. In addition to the relaunch of our global K-hip-hop playlist KrOWN, Spotify partnered with Amoeba Culture in January to launch the K-hip-hop Rookies program, which aims to support rising talent in Korean hip-hop.  

Listen to more of Huh and the amazing new talent in the RADAR Korea playlist.

RADAR Unites K-pop Star AleXa and Arab Hitmaker Bader AlShuaibi to Create “Is It On”

May 25, 2021

K-pop, which has transformed from a burgeoning genre to a full-fledged musical phenomenon, has held onto its border-crossing world domination for some time now. And yet there are always new fans turning to the genre from around the world. One such place where K-pop found a particular popularity is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): From January 2020 to January 2021, the genre saw a 140% increase in Spotify streaming from users in the region. 

So with K-pop’s prominence as a dominant genre in the MENA region, our Spotify RADAR team saw a unique opportunity to bring an artist from each market together to participate in a cross-border collaboration. The result? Spotify’s first RADAR KOREA artist AleXa and RADAR MENA’s Kuwaiti-Saudi-based creator Bader AlShuaibi’s new single “Is It On.”

“Is It On” is a K-pop-style track with high energy based on a distinctive reggaeton rhythm, a fresh melody line, a catchy lead sound, and a drop. Over the past year, Spotify oversaw a virtual collaboration between AleXa and Bader that will ultimately give both artists global exposure and help them expand their audiences to over 178 markets. Of particular interest are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt, and Qatar, which are currently the top five MENA countries streaming K-pop music.

“K-pop is a phenomenon that has blown up across the world, and as MENA is a crossroads of culture and trade routes from East to West since antiquity, it only makes sense that K-Pop makes a stop over in MENA,” says Spotify’s Wissam Khodur, Artist and Label Partnerships, MENA. “K-pop already has a healthy share of streams per capita in the region, but making the region’s first collaboration between both cultures and genres (K-pop and Khaleeji Pop) will help grow the appreciation for K-pop for sure and bring the artists closer to their fans.” 

RADAR was designed to help emerging artists around the world reach the next stage in their careers and strengthen their connection to listeners. Spotify provides RADAR artists with resources and access to integral marketing opportunities to help them boost their careers, in addition to expanded reach and exposure. When it came to this collaborative song, Spotify was available to support every step of the way.

“From a wide range of marketing support, including a billboard placement in New York Times Square to local and cross-regional playlisting, we’ve been excited for this RADAR collaboration featuring a K-pop artist for the first time in Spotify’s history,” explains Spotify’s Wootae Kim, Artist and Label Partnership, Asia. “We are confident to introduce both AleXa and Bader to each other’s market and globally in the most Spotify way, while continuing to connect K-pop with the world in creative ways.”

To celebrate the launch of the song, we asked each RADAR artist to reflect on the collaboration and what it meant for them as creators. Read what they had to say below. 

Bader AlShuaibi

You’re known for your pop hits. What elements were different in creating a K-pop song? 

Music is music, so the same passion was injected into this project, but the new element I felt during this song was that the tempo of the music was different than what we are used to in the MENA area. It was a fun, new, awesome experience.

What elements of your own creativity and style did you infuse in “Is It On”?

Trying something new in every production. In this one in particular I sang with a fast flow, I almost rapped. Something I’ve always wanted to try and I did.

How can music bring people together across borders? 

Music is a very passionate way of communication. The expansion of Spotify around the globe made it easier to understand what’s going on in every part of this planet. We can understand each other better with music.

AleXa

You became the first RADAR KOREA artist back in August 2020. What has your experience been like since then?

It is a huge honor and I still feel grateful for all the opportunities Spotify has provided. RADAR enabled me and my team to share our music and work of art to fans all over the world. I also got to meet new fans thanks to Spotify. I’m so grateful to everyone behind the scenes that helped make this possible! 

Why should your fans be excited for this collaboration? 

I really believe that this is a never-heard-before kind of project! It has lyrics in Korean, Arabic, and English. And the melody exudes a unique energy based on a distinctive reggaetón rhythm and catchy lead sound. Every element in the track is so distinctive and culturally outstanding on its own, yet they are all beautifully intertwined with each other. It’s a harmony of different cultures. 

I still remember during the recording session, everyone was so pumped up and excited, dancing and jumping to it. I really hope our fans and everyone who gets to hear this project can feel the same energy! 

What are you looking forward to in the future coming out of this collaboration?

I’m currently preparing for my comeback in mid-June, which is very soon! I hope that my lovely and beautiful A.I. Troopers (fan base) enjoy “Is It On,” and hopefully our song reaches new fans globally. I’m also hoping that through this project, more people get to understand that music is borderless and that music itself is communication when listeners can feel the beat!

Want more RADAR? Stream the global RADAR playlist below.