Last winter, my friend and I traveled up to Seoul for a live show of a band I had never heard of, Wave to Earth. Tickets remained unsold until the day of the concert due to their low profile. We easily acquired seats near the stage without much competition, and after coming back from the show, I co-wrote a review with my friend, which you can read here. 

I followed up with the band even after publishing the article, and to my surprise, one year later, the unpublicized trio got out of the shadows with the release of their first studio album on April 20, 2023, 0.1 flaws and all, making their way to North America this September. 

Prior to this year, Wave to Earth’s discography encompassed exclusively singles and extended plays. The members must’ve worked on this album for months, as I recall their first-ever performance of “pink,” a track on the new album, at the concert I attended last November. You can view the production below.

Shortly after the drop, their songs gained immense online recognition, primarily from creators on TikTok or Instagram Reels who crafted “sped-up versions” to go with their videos. 

Out of all their tracks, track number 1, “Bad,” repeatedly gained attention and adoration. The soulful tune caught my attention during my first session with the collection. The instantaneous entrance of the chorus accompanied by the endearing lyrics, “How could my day be bad when I’m with you? … It’s a day for you,” gave me the chills. This singular track obviously contributes the most to the sudden burst in fame.

According to Songstats, a professional real-time data analytics site for musical artists on online streaming platforms, Wave to Earth’s monthly listeners on Spotify around September 2022 was less than 400,000. 

While the statistics seemed to increase steadily by dozens of thousands each month, the monthly listeners shot up exponentially immediately after the release of their newest album. June noted their most significant increase in followers: quantity nearly doubled from 1.8 million listeners to 3.1 million at the end of the four-week period. 

They register 7.3 million monthly listeners on their profile as of September 2023. The graph below visualizes these statistics. Additionally, their popularity ranks not far off from artists such as The 1975, Mac Demarco, and others with accumulated followers and playlist numbers that overwhelm Wave to Earth figure-wise.

Subsequently, their acquisition of playlist reach (the total number of followers of all playlists that feature a song from a particular artist) skyrocketed by over 5000% in the past year, with no signs of slowing down.

A humble trio that only ever performed in domestic festivals or local shows became an overnight sensation worldwide within the indie-rock community, and it seems harder these days to try and find a young adult completely unaware of the band’s existence. 

Subsequent to their surge in popularity, they announced, in May 2023, a tour in North America, a region previously untouched by the crew. Unsurprisingly to fans, every show sold out, charting their tour as a huge success.

So what makes Wave to Earth different from other bands? One could argue that it’s their mellow yet zealous instrumentals, while others appreciate the close-knit bond between band members and their fans. 

“…Other concerts that I’ve been to, it’s mainly just, [the fans] are there for the music and everything else, but all these people really liked the band members themselves…” said Galicia, an attendee of the Sep. 9 New York concert at Irving Plaza. 

Each venue they performed at the North American tour was modest and intimate, with an average maximum capacity of around 1000 guests. When asked about her thoughts on Wave to Earth, Galicia admitted that their live music was “arguably better than their recorded music” which led her to recognize their true talents onstage. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, stories like that of Wave to Earth serve as a testament to the power of talent, dedication, and the connection between artists and their audiences. As I’ve journeyed through their meteoric rise from the release of their first album to their sold-out North American tour, it becomes evident that the band’s authenticity and unique sound struck a chord with music enthusiasts far and wide. It’s a wave we’re all eager to ride, as we anticipate what this talented band will bring to the stage next.