The group 82MAJOR has clinched their first-ever win on a music show. The members were overcome with emotion, unable to hold back tears after this milestone achievement, which came three years after their debut.
On Wednesday, 82MAJOR (comprising Nam Seong-mo, Park Seok-jun, Yoon Ye-chan, Jo Seong-il, Hwang Seong-bin, and Kim Do-kyun) secured the top spot on MBC M and MBC every1’s music ranking program “Show Champion” with “Like Fire,” the title track from their second single album HEAT.
Visibly moved by their win, 82MAJOR struggled to find words initially. Leader Jo Seong-il eventually expressed his gratitude: It wants to thank its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Great M, who has always nurtured us like a mother, the agency family, everyone who has supported them, and the fans who have believed in and waited for them. It promises to continue delivering the best performances.
Nam Seong-mo, who previously served as an master of ceremony (MC) for “Show Champion,” shared taht he used to be the one handing out trophies, so receiving one feels surreal. This is all thanks to the fans, the Attitude.” His heartfelt words resonated deeply with the audience.
82MAJOR, a six-member boy group, made their debut in October 2023. Their name combines South Korea’s country code 82 with MAJOR, embodying their aspiration to evolve from a leading Korean group into global artists. Notably, all members contribute to songwriting and composing, cultivating their distinctive musical style and performance identity.
In a significant industry move last year, SM Entertainment acquired a stake in Great M Entertainment, 82MAJOR’s agency, becoming its second-largest shareholder. This marked SM’s first external investment in its SM 3.0 strategy, specifically its multi-label approach. Consequently, 82MAJOR’s comeback garnered additional attention as an SM Pick.
Since then, 82MAJOR has consistently broken their own records, showcasing steady growth. Their latest release, HEAT, dropped on September 1, has set a new career high. First-week album sales exceeded 150,000 copies, their highest to date. They also achieved their first No. 1 on the Bugs real-time chart since debut. Furthermore, the group made significant strides on global iTunes and China’s Wangyi Music chart, demonstrating impressive performance in both physical and digital sales.
During a live broadcast, the members expressed their heartfelt gratitude: its fans showers them with unconditional love, celebrate the successes as their own, and even shed tears for them. It still feels surreal, but seeing the fans’ reactions makes them even more grateful. They also acknowledged their agency staff and notably mentioned that they’re incredibly thankful to SM Entertainment as well, which caught viewers’ attention.
82MAJOR’s first music show win, coming just before their third anniversary, adds profound significance to this achievement. The industry is now keenly watching how they’ll build on the success of “Like Fire” in their future endeavors.
