Starship Entertainment‘s Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo Honored for Billboard’s Women in Music List
Starship Entertainment‘s Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo has been recognized by Billboard as one of the ’Influential Women in Music‘.
According to Billboard’s ‘Women in Music 2025’ announced on the 20th (local time), Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo was named in the ‘Labels & Distributors’ category. She has made new history as a female K-pop producer, receiving worldwide recognition for her innovative producing and sharp planning skills.
‘Billboard Women in Music’ selects the best female artists, creators, producers, and executives who have had a significant impact on the music industry in the past year. Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo has proudly been listed on this year‘s ‘Billboard Women in Music’ as the most prominent female K-pop producer, elevating K-pop’s status in the global music market.
Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo is the Vice President and Executive Producer of Starship, where she plays an all-round role from artist planning, music producing, and global strategy. The path she has walked is more than just a success story. Groups planned and led by Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo, such as K.Will, SISTAR, MONSTA X, WJSN, Cravity, and I.B, have created the flow of K-pop with a distinct musicality and identity.
In particular, Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo has greatly contributed to MONSTA X‘s overseas expansion in line with the expansion of the global market. MONSTA X’s first full-length US album, ‘ALL ABOUT LUV’, released in 2020, achieved the feat of entering the US Billboard main album chart, ‘Billboard 200’, at 5th place. Their second English album, ‘THE DREAMING’, also entered the ‘Billboard 200’ for two consecutive weeks. MONSTA X also achieved the unusual feat of participating in the ‘Jingle Ball’ tour, the largest year-end concert in the US held by the famous US broadcasting station iHeartRadio, three times as the first K-pop group.
Ive, who has established herself as an ‘MZ wannabe icon’ with remarkable progress both domestically and internationally, has also succeeded in building a strong brand by twisting the typical formula that existing K-pop groups have relied on based on the concept of ‘self-confidence’. Through the song camp of the A&R team led by Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo, she collaborated with various composers and continued to take on the challenge of giving Ive a color that is optimized for her. This is not a simple response to trends, but the result of Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo‘s planning ability and market insight.
Executive Producer Seo Hyun-joo has been breaking through the limitations head-on since the time when the wall of prejudice against women was higher. He is set to present another vision this year through Starship’s NEW group ‘KiiiKiii (Kiki)’ and ‘New Kids (tentative name)’.
Meanwhile, ‘Billboard Women in Music 2025’ will be held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, USA on the 29th (local time).
Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com Reporter shine2562@donga.com
This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.