Can Vietnamese Pop Be the Next K-Pop? Sony Thinks So

• Sony and YeaH1 are using the K-pop playbook to introduce V-pop abroad.
• The strategy is consistent with a streaming-driven move to emerging music markets.
• UPRIZE, a V-pop group, becomes the test case for whether this approach can be scaled globally.

Sony Music Entertainment and Vietnam's YeaH1 Group are deliberately positioning Vietnamese “V-pop” to follow the global success of K-pop. This collaboration capitalises on a changing music ecology in which digital streaming and emerging market audiences drive international success.

In late 2025, Sony purchased a 49% share in 1Label JSC, YeaH1's music production and artist management business, while collectively forming SYE Holdings. The joint endeavor debuted UPRIZE, a seven-member boy band created through YeaH1's reality show Tan Binh Toan Nang (Show It All), a K-pop-oriented talent developer that aired on Vietnam's VTV3. Notably, YeaH1 Group's revenue more than doubled in 2024 to 1 trillion dong (~ $38 million USD), while net profit nearly reached 125.7 billion dong.

As noted by Nikkei Asia, YeaH1 Chairwoman Thao Le Phuong stated that the “partnership is a historic moment for Vietnam's entertainment industry,” further indicating plans to export performers beyond Southeast Asia. Sony's Kenneth Ong underlined the strategic intent of creating long-term professions that reflect Vietnamese cultural identity while leveraging Sony's worldwide infrastructure. 

Global Music Revenue and Streaming Trends

The data is consistent with broader worldwide business trends where the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) states that recorded music revenues increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2024, reaching approximately $29.6 billion. Subscription streaming, which is now the industry's backbone, accounted for approximately 69% of total income, emphasizing the importance of worldwide discoverability and playlist placement.

Global music growth has slipped from its past highs, with mature markets in North America and Asia experiencing the most dramatic slowdown. Emerging regions, such as Latin America and Africa, continue to report double-digit rises, indicating a strong global market for different pop genres.

V-Pop’s Strategic Moment

Vietnam's music industry has traditionally been domestically focused, with a small global footprint. Local revenue numbers are limited, but industry observers like Nikkei Asia note that Vietnam accounts for less than 1% of global music revenues, necessitating worldwide development.

Sony and YeaH1's strategy is similar to successful models in the Philippines and Japan, where homegrown pop stars have broken through globally. SB19, a Filipino boy band, has repeatedly ranked on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, demonstrating that non-Korean Asian groups can also garner worldwide streams and fan bases.

Beyond Music to Multimedia Ecosystems

Sony opposes the typical silo paradigm, instead treating music as a catalyst for its larger business environment. Under this model, popular artists support a variety of business units, including PlayStation soundtracks and hardware tie-ins such as Sony headphones, to boost revenue far beyond traditional streaming sales.

UPRIZE's rollout will be a litmus test for this multinational development strategy, following a high-profile launch in Ho Chi Minh City attended by global stakeholders such as Spotify. The band is currently working on their debut album, which will be released in April 2026, followed by a large-scale tour and promotional push later that year.

As global markets expand and streaming opens up access to new perspectives, Vietnam's V-pop is gradually growing beyond its regional exclusivity. Previously unknown outside of Southeast Asia, the genre is now on the verge of a big international breakthrough just like K-pop.