'HYBE's Companion' Colombian Band Morat Achieves First No. 1 on Billboard's 'Latin Airplay'

The Colombian four-member band Morat, in partnership with HYBE Latin America, has achieved its first No. 1 on the major U.S. Billboard charts, proving that the global expansion strategy of K-pop companies is also yielding results in the Latin music market.

According to the latest Billboard chart released on the 29th (local time) for August 2, Morat's song 'Me Toca a Mí' from their fifth studio album 'Ya Es Mañana' has reached No. 1 on the 'Latin Airplay' chart. This is an astonishing achievement, jumping a remarkable 13 spots from the previous week, and Billboard noted it as 'the highest increase on the Latin Airplay chart this year' and 'Morat's first No. 1 on this chart.'

The success of 'Me Toca a Mí' did not stop at just a ranking increase. The song also earned the title of 'Greatest Gainer,' awarded to the song with the largest increase in listenership. According to Billboard, during the tracking period from July 18 to 24, 'Me Toca a Mí' recorded 9.1 million radio listener engagements, a 64% increase from the previous week.

The 'Latin Airplay' chart is an authoritative indicator that ranks songs based on the number of plays and listenership on Spanish-language radio stations in the U.S. In a context where Latin music is rapidly growing worldwide, achieving No. 1 on this chart is considered a significant accomplishment that demonstrates an artist's global influence and popularity.

The background of Morat's success lies in HYBE's strategic partnership. HYBE Latin America announced on the 18th that it had signed a management contract with Morat in collaboration with WKE Entertainment (Walter Kolm Entertainment) in the U.S. It is evaluated that the partnership with Morat, who has secured a solid fan base with emotional lyrics and bright, cheerful melodies, has further strengthened HYBE Latin America's local status.

Isaac Lee, Chairman and CEO of HYBE America, explained at the time of the contract with Morat that it 'shows HYBE's confidence in the global potential of Spanish-language music,' adding that 'Morat's joining HYBE Latin America aligns with the vision of building a global ecosystem for superstars pursued by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk.'

This achievement is interpreted as the fruit of HYBE's strategy to expand its business scope beyond K-pop into the global music market as a whole. In particular, the Latin music market has been rapidly growing in recent years, drawing attention as a new growth engine for the global music industry, suggesting that HYBE's proactive entry has led to meaningful results.

HYBE Latin America is also expanding collaborations with various Latin artists beyond Morat. They are collaborating with 'reggaeton superstar' DY, as well as artists from the Zarpazo label, including Gregorio Umaña and Magna, and are working on various projects with members of the legendary Mexican rock band, Meme del Real, Adrian Cota, and América Fernández from DOCEMIL Music.

Music industry insiders predict that Morat's No. 1 on the Billboard chart will be an important milestone in HYBE's global strategy. One insider stated, 'HYBE's strategy of applying the successful know-how of K-pop to Latin music has achieved its first results,' and added, 'It is expected that HYBE's influence in the Latin music market will further expand in the future.'

Morat's success this time is also a case that once again demonstrates the power of music that transcends borders and languages. It proves that HYBE's vision of 'global connection through music' is being realized in Latin America as well.