iKON on leaving YG Entertainment: “We just wanted to learn more”
K-pop boyband iKON have opened up about their departure on YG Entertainment and why they decided to make that choice.
In December 2022, YG Entertainment announced that the K-pop agency and iKON had “mutually agreed” to end the boyband’s exclusive contract, following a “long and careful discussion” with the group’s members.
Thereafter, the six-member group signed with 143 Entertainment in January 2023. Since then, the boyband have released their third studio album, titled ‘Take Off’, and embarked on a world tour in support of the record.
In a new interview with Forbes, iKON has opened up about why they decided to leave YG Entertainment. Member Bobby spoke about how, even though their former agency was a “great company”, that the group felt like they needed to make in change in order to grow.
“We had this really great opportunity and met this really nice guy. He was like, ‘Why don’t you join us [at 143 Entertainment] and have some opportunities for yourselves to learn more about this industry and everything?’,” Bobby explained.
“YG Entertainment is a very beautiful and great company. But like, they literally do everything for you, you know? All we had to do was, like, be on the stage and write music,” he added. “So, we just wanted to learn more since we were young and that’s why we chose this path.”
Elsewhere in the interview, iKON also teased upcoming solo releases from some of the members, with DK saying that he has an album coming out “next year”. Meanwhile, Chan hinted at including a solo song of his in iKON’s next album, while ruling out a “full solo album” for the time being.
In other iKON news, Bobby recently opened up about former groupmate B.I‘s departure from the K-pop boyband in June 2019. The rapper touched on how he had felt “abandoned” but has since “forgiven” the singer.
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Puah Ziwei
NME
