The Weverse fan platform, HYBE’s big bet on monetizing superfans, has added another superstar act to its roster.
Australian-born the Kid LAROI’s own Weverse artist community goes live at 6pm PT on Monday (October 7), making the rapper-singer-songwriter the latest Western addition to the platform.
He joins such artists as Ariana Grande, Conan Gray, thuy, and Lauv on a platform that, until recently, had been dominated by K-pop acts, particularly from Weverse owner HYBE.
Weverse bills itself as the “ultimate global superfan platform,” and HYBE has been taking steps to make that label a reality. Earlier this year, it signed a new deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) that, among other things, saw the record giant take a stake in Weverse.
Several months later, Ariana Grande, who’s signed to UMG’s Republic Records, became the most prominent non-K-pop artist to join Weverse.
The arrival of Columbia Records-signed the Kid LAROI, on the platform marks another milestone for Weverse. The rapper was just 17 when he entered the limelight with his 2020 mixtape, F*ck Love (Columbia), which topped Australia’s ARIA Charts and reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
His 2021 breakout hit, Stay, reached number one on the singles charts in the US, Australia and Canada. Though his 2023 debut album, The First Time, met with moderate success, he remains in the top 100 on Spotify’s Daily Top Artists Global chart.
“Since his debut, The Kid LAROI has been attracting fans from around the globe, extending well beyond North America,” Weverse Company President Joon Choi said.
“Weverse is dedicated to supporting artists experiencing a surge in global popularity by offering robust infrastructure and unique tools for a variety of direct-to-fan opportunities.”
In an interview with MBW earlier this year, Choi said he joined Weverse in 2021 to “build the ultimate fan platform.”
Content available via HYBE’s Weverse superfan platform includes music videos, teasers, movies, live streams and artist-to-fan communications.
It also has a merch platform known as Weverse Shop, a music player called Weverse albums, and a K-Pop-centric music publication called Weverse Magazine.
“Weverse is dedicated to supporting artists experiencing a surge in global popularity by offering robust infrastructure and unique tools for a variety of direct-to-fan opportunities.”
Joon Choi, Weverse
Later this year, it plans to introduce subscription-based memberships, which will include “enhanced features for fans to enjoy Weverse in a more convenient environment, along with the integration of certain fanclub features.”
From its launch in 2019 to 2023, Weverse amassed a monthly active user base of more than 10 million. However, that number slid in 2024, dropping to 9.2 million in Q1 of this year.
HYBE’s earnings from its “artist indirect-involvement” segment, which includes Weverse, saw an 18.3% YoY drop, to the equivalent of $108.31 million.
That doesn’t seem to have slowed momentum at the platform. Choi told MBW that Weverse has “extensive plans to expand [its] artist roster, including both established superstars and promising rising talents across various regions and genres.”
He added: “I think being a fan of someone/something, loving an IP, and loving an artist is a universal emotion, so the potential for growth in the superfan business and economy is limitless.”Music Business Worldwide
