Big Ocean, the world's first idol group composed of hard-of-hearing members, has been selected as Billboard's "K-pop Rookie of the Month," marking a historic achievement.


On September 20 (local time), U.S. music media outlet Billboard published an article titled "Big Ocean Is K-Pop's First Hard-of-Hearing Act Finding Support From the Industry & Chart-Toppers," spotlighting the group—composed of members Chanyeon, Hyunjin, and Jiseok—as the K-pop Rookie of the Month for September 2024. 


Billboard highlighted Big Ocean's emergence, stating, "As K-pop expands beyond its original definition of Korean pop singers to encompass artists representing diverse nations, cultures, and languages, Big Ocean not only exemplifies the image of an international, handsome, and bright star but also inspires listeners through their music and personal stories, which align with one of K-pop’s core messages."


The trio recently released the song "SLOW" (Feat. Young K from DAY6), which they described as carrying the message that "if you move forward slowly and steadily, you can achieve anything." They expressed gratitude to their fandom, Wave, saying, "We are deeply thankful not only to senior artist Young K but also to many others outside the company who have helped us. Without their support, we wouldn’t be where we are now."


In August, Big Ocean released "SLOW (Feat. Young K (DAY6))" as a tribute to cheer on the athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.


Written by Kim Su Jin
Translated by Lee So Yun