Bang Si-hyuk, CEO of Big Hit Entertainment and producer of BTS, has joined Variety’s list of international music leaders for 2018.

The list by the US magazine recognized 23 figures in the global music industry who are currently “driving music consumption with creativity, acumen, and passion” and companies “best poised to forge into a promising future.”

 

Introducing Bang as one of the “game changers,” the magazine chronicled his feats as a producer of BTS, stating that 2018 will mark the year the boy band solidifies its position as a K-pop act that is a global pop force.

It also highlighted the record-breaking success of the septet’s “Love Yourself: Tear” album, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, its sold-out world tours and endorsements with international brands such as Coca-Cola, Puma and LG.

The list also included Willard Ahdritz, founder of Kobalt Music Group, George Ash, president of Universal Music Asia Pacific, Simon Robson, president of Warner Music Asia Pacific, and Lee Soo-man, CEO of S.M. Entertainment, one of Korea’s largest entertainment agencies.

Bang made it to Billboard’s annual list of international power players in March.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)