Hello82
{{Short description|K-pop content and record company}}{{Infobox company
| name = hello82
| logo = Hello82.png
| industry = Music entertainment
| founded = {{Start date and age|2018}}
| founder = Jae Yoon Choi
| hq_location = Los Angeles, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Jae Yoon Choi (CEO)|Sang H. Cho (COO)|Moo Hyun Kim (CSO)}}
| website = {{URL|hello82.com}}
}}
Hello82 (stylized as hello82) is an American music and entertainment company founded in Los Angeles, California. The company serves as a record label specializing in distribution, marketing, event-planning, and content production. It operates with a global focus on promoting K-pop to audiences worldwide.{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=2024-02-05 |title=ATEEZ Is Record Store Day's First-Ever K-Pop Artist of the Year |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ateez-record-store-day-k-pop-artist-of-the-year-1235599485/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}
History
KAI Media, operating as hello82 was founded in 2018. The company was founded in Los Angeles, California by Jae Yoon Choi as a digital media company,{{Cite web |last=Yoo |first=Hong |date=2024-04-10 |title=[Herald Interview] K-pop at forefront of changing music consumption: Hello82 founder |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240410050122 |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}} and has served as an independent music label since 2021.{{Cite magazine |last=Peoples |first=Glenn |date=2024-04-03 |title=KAI Media, Company Behind K-Pop Label hello82, Raises More Funding for Expansion |url=https://www.billboard.com/business/record-labels/kai-media-k-pop-label-hello82-funding-expansion-1235648211/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} It has offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Seoul. In 2019, hello82 became an official Facebook media partner and started producing Facebook original shows such as 82Challenge and 82minutes.{{Cite web |last=Fell |first=Nicole |date=2024-04-11 |title=Hello82 and Grammy Museum Open K-Pop Pop-Ups Ahead of Coachella |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/k-pop-coachella-pop-ups-ateez-lesserafim-1235865292/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
In 2021, the South Korean girl group Itzy collaborated with hello82 to introduce a new series titled IT'z Playtime.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-08 |title=Girl group ITZY releases first episode of YouTube series 'IT'z Playtime' |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/02/08/entertainment/kpop/itzy-kpop/20210208151200369.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=koreajoongangdaily.joins.com |language=en}} Additionally, hello82 began partnering with K-pop artists for music distribution online and in-person for the United States and Europe market during the same year. In 2022, hello82 initiated their in-person event series, PLAY82, with Nmixx. In 2022, hello82 established over twelve pop-up stores in various locations which were decorated with photo walls, offered giveaways, and featured customized merchandise during the ATEEZ tour.{{Cite magazine |last=Benjamin |first=Jeff |date=2022-12-08 |title=How hello82 Brought K-Pop Fan E-Commerce to the Top of the Charts & On Tour With ATEEZ |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/hello82-interview-charts-ateez-tour-pop-up-shops-strategy-1235166577/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} Moreover, they unveiled their flagship fan space, hello82 LA. Subsequently, in 2024, an additional flagship fan space was established in Atlanta.
In March 2024, hello82 announced that it secured funding from CRIT Ventures, Kakao Entertainment, and Snow Corp. bringing funding to $8 million to date.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-03 |title=KAI Media, Company Behind K-Pop Label hello82, Raises More Funding for Expansion |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kai-media-company-behind-k-164105897.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}} hello82's YouTube channel has over 1.8 million followers with K-pop celebrities doing viral challenges, playing celebrity babysitter to kids and singing karaoke in foreign languages.{{Cite web |title=hello82 – YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HHeTLXHMM5FiEyQpS1toA |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=www.youtube.com}}
Artists
Releases
P1Harmony's sixth mini-album, "HARMONY: ALL-IN", which was distributed by hello82, entered the Billboard 200 chart in June 2023. This marked the group's first Billboard 200 entry.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=P1Harmony enters Billboard 200 chart for first time |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/04/732_353497.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=koreatimes |language=en}} Later on in 2023, hello82 did the physical distribution and promotion of, ATEEZ's The World EP.Fin: Will, which debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart with 152,000 album-equivalent units, including 146,000 pure album sales. This marked Ateez's first number-one and fourth top-10 album in the United States.{{Cite web |last=Benjamin |first=Jeff |title=ATEEZ's Album Collaboration With Hello82 Leads A Virtual Reinvention Of Record Store Experiences |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2021/08/24/ateezs-album-collaboration-with-hello82-leads-a-virtual-reinvention-of-record-storelike-experiences/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Forbes |language=en}} The album also performed well in the United Kingdom, reaching a peak position of 2.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title=THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/ateez-the-world-epfin-will/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Official Charts |language=en}} In 2024, hello82 released a special vinyl version of The World EP.Fin: Will (X Ver.) for Record Store Day, marking their venture into vinyl distribution.{{Cite web |last=Kocharian |first=Joseph |date=2023-12-11 |title=ATEEZ, 'THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL' review |url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/ateez-the-world-ep-fin-will-conquers-the-global-charts-35629/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Rolling Stone UK |language=en-GB}}