KQ Entertainment
A South Korean entertainment company operating music labels and managing K-pop artists, including ATEEZ and xikers.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
KQ Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company involved in music production, artist management, label operations, live events, and the international promotion of Korean pop music. The company was established in 2016 by Kim Kyu-wook after the formation of Seven Seasons, a label created for the members of Block B following their departure from Stardom Entertainment. The name Seven Seasons referred to the group’s seven members at the time. In June 2016, Seven Seasons adopted the broader KQ Entertainment identity as the company expanded beyond a single artist group and reorganized its operations. KQ operates a multi-label structure. Seven Seasons continues to serve as the label associated with Block B and related activities, while KQ Produce focuses on singer-songwriters, producers, and music production. This structure allows the company to combine idol-group management with the development and release of music from individual artists and creative personnel. The company’s roster has changed over time and has included artists such as Zico, P.O, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Babylon, Heo Young-saeng, Lucy, HBL, and Score, although several of these artists are former affiliates. The company’s most prominent current acts are the boy groups ATEEZ and xikers. ATEEZ debuted in October 2018 and became the central driver of KQ’s international expansion. The group’s activity has included recorded music, global touring, fan events, and overseas promotional work. KQ has emphasized international markets as part of its strategy for building awareness and commercial reach beyond South Korea. The company has also worked with overseas music and entertainment partners, including Sony Music Korea, RCA Records, CJ E&M, and MyMusicTaste, according to published descriptions of its partnerships. xikers debuted on March 30, 2023, adding a younger group to KQ’s active idol portfolio. The company has promoted both ATEEZ and xikers through recorded releases, digital content, fan communications, performances, and international activities. KQ also developed a dedicated fan application for distributing information and content related to the two groups. KQ’s corporate development includes a strategic partnership with Sony Music Korea announced in November 2017. Later reporting described Sony Music Korea as holding a 33 percent equity stake in KQ Entertainment. The partnership provided an additional connection to the Korean and international recorded-music business, although available references do not establish the full current ownership structure. Beyond label and management operations, KQ has used cultural and experiential programming to present its artists internationally. From April 10 to June 10, 2024, it partnered with the Grammy Museum on the KQ ENT. (ATEEZ & xikers) Grammy Museum Pop-Up. The event placed the company’s two principal groups within a prominent music-institution setting and reflected KQ’s effort to connect idol fandom with broader global music culture. KQ Entertainment remains a privately held South Korean entertainment company. Its public profile is closely tied to ATEEZ’s global growth, xikers’ development, the continuing role of Seven Seasons, and the company’s broader strategy combining artist management, music production, international partnerships, and fan-oriented media.
History
KQ Entertainment developed from Seven Seasons, a label created for Block B after the group left Stardom Entertainment in 2013. Kim Kyu-wook founded Seven Seasons with a focus on managing the seven-member group, and the label’s name reflected that original purpose. The company initially represented a concentrated artist-management model rather than a broad entertainment portfolio. In June 2016, Seven Seasons changed its name to KQ Entertainment. The rebranding accompanied an organizational expansion intended to support a wider range of artists and improve management through a more developed corporate structure. Seven Seasons remained in operation as a label within the new arrangement, while KQ Produce was established or maintained as a related label for singer-songwriters and producers. This created a platform that could handle both idol-group activities and more individually oriented music production. A significant corporate development came in November 2017, when Sony Music Korea entered a strategic partnership with KQ Entertainment through an equity investment. Later accounts described Sony Music Korea as owning 33 percent of the company. The relationship connected KQ to a major international music organization at a time when Korean pop companies were increasingly seeking overseas distribution, promotion, and audience growth. ATEEZ debuted under KQ Entertainment in October 2018. The group became the company’s principal growth vehicle and the focus of an increasingly international operating strategy. KQ promoted ATEEZ through albums, performances, fan communications, touring, and overseas activities. The company’s emphasis on international markets helped position the group within the expanding global K-pop ecosystem and gave KQ a profile beyond its earlier association with Block B. The company’s roster continued to change. P.O’s label, Seven Seasons, announced in September 2021 that he would not renew his contract after it expired at the end of that month. In January 2023, Block B members Jaehyo, B-Bomb, and U-Kwon also left KQ Entertainment after their contracts ended. These departures marked a further transition from the company’s original Block B-centered identity toward a business led primarily by newer acts. On March 30, 2023, KQ launched xikers. The group broadened the company’s active artist base and gave KQ a second major boy-group project alongside ATEEZ. The company subsequently supported both groups through music releases, digital content, fan services, and international promotion. KQ also created a fan-oriented application for distributing information and content related to ATEEZ and xikers. KQ has pursued partnerships and promotional activities across the music and entertainment sectors, with published material identifying relationships involving Sony Music Korea, CJ E&M, MyMusicTaste, and RCA Records. The company has also used international cultural events to support its artists. From April 10 to June 10, 2024, KQ worked with the Grammy Museum on the KQ ENT. (ATEEZ & xikers) Grammy Museum Pop-Up, an event centered on the company’s two principal groups. On January 20, 2025, KQ announced an exclusive contract with Sohyang, indicating that its activities continued to include artists outside its two principal idol groups. KQ Entertainment is therefore best understood as a privately held, multi-label Korean entertainment company whose modern identity combines artist management, music production, live activity, fan platforms, and global K-pop promotion.
- 2025
Sohyang signed an exclusive contract
[1]KQ announced an exclusive contract with Sohyang on January 20, 2025.
- 2024
Grammy Museum pop-up was held
[1]KQ and the Grammy Museum staged a two-month pop-up focused on ATEEZ and xikers.
- 2023
xikers debuted
[1]KQ Entertainment debuted xikers on March 30, adding a new boy group to its active roster.
- 2021
P.O left Seven Seasons
[1]P.O’s contract with Seven Seasons ended in September 2021 and was not renewed.
- 2018
ATEEZ debuted
[1]ATEEZ made its debut under KQ Entertainment in October and later became the company’s primary international growth act.
- 2017
Sony Music Korea entered a strategic equity partnership
[1]Sony Music Korea announced an investment and strategic partnership with KQ Entertainment; later accounts described a 33 percent holding.
- 2016
Seven Seasons became KQ Entertainment
[1]The company adopted the KQ Entertainment name and expanded its structure to support a broader range of artists and activities.
- 2013
Seven Seasons was created for Block B
[1]Following Block B’s departure from Stardom Entertainment, Kim Kyu-wook established Seven Seasons as a label dedicated to the group.
Products and positioning
A South Korean K-pop company built around artist development, multi-label operations, global fandom, and international promotion, with ATEEZ and xikers as its principal active idol groups.
K-pop boy group · 2018
ATEEZ
ATEEZ is KQ Entertainment’s flagship boy group, debuting in October 2018. The company has built the group through albums, digital releases, performances, touring, fan content, and international promotion. ATEEZ’s overseas activity has been central to KQ’s strategy of developing a global audience and extending the company’s reach beyond South Korea.
K-pop boy group · 2023
xikers
xikers is a KQ Entertainment boy group that debuted on March 30, 2023. It represents the company’s second major active idol-group platform after ATEEZ and is supported through recorded music, performances, digital content, fan communications, and international promotional activity.
Music label · 2013
Seven Seasons
Seven Seasons is the label originally created for Block B and retained within the broader KQ Entertainment structure after the 2016 corporate rebranding. It has managed Block B-related activities and represented artists associated with the company, although several former artists have since departed.
Music label and production platform
KQ Produce
KQ Produce is the KQ-affiliated label focused on singer-songwriters, producers, and music production. It complements the company’s idol-management business by providing a structure for individual artists and creative contributors.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024KQ ENT. (ATEEZ & xikers) Grammy Museum Pop-Up
United States
KQ Entertainment partnered with the Grammy Museum on a pop-up experience dedicated to ATEEZ and xikers. The event ran from April 10 through June 10, 2024, presenting the two groups in a major international music-institution setting.
Brand decisions
2025
Exclusive contract with SohyangOtherBackground
KQ’s business includes artist management beyond its principal idol groups.
Action taken
KQ announced that it had signed Sohyang to an exclusive contract on January 20, 2025.
2023
xikers debutProduct launchBackground
KQ had established ATEEZ as its central active group and sought to broaden its current artist portfolio.
Action taken
The company launched xikers on March 30, 2023.
Aftermath
xikers became KQ’s second principal active boy group and received music, fan-content, and international promotional support.
2018
ATEEZ debutProduct launchBackground
KQ sought to establish a new artist platform after broadening its structure beyond Seven Seasons and Block B.
Action taken
KQ Entertainment debuted ATEEZ in October 2018 and subsequently emphasized overseas markets for the group.
Aftermath
ATEEZ became KQ’s leading active group and a major vehicle for its international profile.
2017
Strategic equity partnership with Sony Music KoreaM&ABackground
KQ was expanding its corporate and music-business structure beyond its original Block B-centered role.
Action taken
Sony Music Korea invested in KQ Entertainment and entered a strategic partnership; later reporting described Sony Music Korea as holding 33 percent.
Aftermath
The partnership connected KQ with a major music company and supported its broader domestic and international operating ambitions.
Equity ownership. 33% (Reported after the November 2017 partnership announcement)
2016
Rebrand from Seven Seasons to KQ EntertainmentStrategyBackground
Seven Seasons had been established around Block B, but the company sought to support a wider range of artists and improve its management structure.
Action taken
The company changed its name to KQ Entertainment while retaining Seven Seasons as a label and operating KQ Produce as a related music platform.
Aftermath
The reorganization enabled KQ to develop additional artists, including ATEEZ and later xikers, while preserving the Seven Seasons identity.
Sources3 sources
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