HYBE, led by CEO Jaesang Lee, announced on the 16th the establishment of a new joint venture, NFO LLC, to manage pop star Tyla globally.
Tyla, a 2002-born Generation Z singer-songwriter, won “Best African Music Performance” at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards. Hailing from South Africa, her 2023 single “Water” reached number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking her as a global sensation.
Additionally, Tyla’s full-length album “TYLA,” released in March 2024, debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Known for its fresh sound blending Afrobeats, Amapiano, Pop, and R&B, her music has surpassed 3 billion streams on Spotify alone.
HYBE will manage Tyla’s global affairs and provide integrated support in key areas such as touring, marketing, and promotion crucial for artist growth. They also plan to explore synergies in fields including recording, publishing, brand partnerships, and merchandising while strengthening the local music ecosystem by creating a framework to discover and nurture emerging African artists.
To achieve this, HYBE partnered with African music industry veterans Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle to establish NFO LLC. Both have extensive experience and networks across the global music industry, and are expected to play a significant role in fulfilling NFO LLC’s vision and diverse portfolio alongside HYBE America Management President Jen McDaniels.
Jaesang Lee, CEO of HYBE, stated, “This partnership marks an important turning point in HYBE’s global expansion strategy. By combining Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle’s expertise with HYBE’s global network and resources, we will build a sustainable connection to share the artistic talents of African artists with fans worldwide.”
Hixon and Gayle said, “The launch of NFO LLC will be a powerful stepping stone in expanding HYBE’s presence in the rapidly growing African music market and the Afrobeats genre. Utilizing HYBE’s world-class talent and infrastructure presents a great opportunity and competitiveness for both K-pop and African music, and positive synergy is expected.”
With the successful debut of KATSEYE in America last year, establishing itself as a next-generation pop star, all eyes are on whether HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy will expand into the African music market beyond North and South America, Japan, and India.
According to a World Bank report on the African music industry, US streaming revenue for African music is expected to reach approximately $500 million by 2025, about a fivefold increase compared to 2017. The expansion of digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok has driven the international rise of African artists. The introduction of the GRAMMY’s “Best African Music Performance” category and Billboard’s “U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart” highlights the growing commercial influence of African genres.
Meanwhile, HYBE America and Geffen Records launched the girl group KATSEYE; HYBE Japan introduced boy groups &TEAM and AOEN; and HYBE Latin America recently debuted the boy group Santos Bravos and the band Musza. In September, HYBE India was established, marking its entry into the 1.4 billion population market.
Image source: Tyla’s official website
