Entertainment
AI
Estonian Songwriters Quietly Dominate K-Pop Charts
Through collaborations brokered by publisher Faar Music, Estonian songwriters Emili Jürgens and Merili Käsper have penned hits for South Korean artists Chuu and Exo, with one track featured on an album that topped the iTunes global sales chart.
- —Estonian songwriters Emili Jürgens and Merili Käsper (M Els) have contributed songs to recent album releases by South Korean artists Chuu and Exo, respectively.
- —Jürgens' song "Teeny Tiny Heart" was featured on Chuu's debut album released on January 7, 2026, and has garnered significant streams on platforms like YouTube and Spotify.
- —Käsper, along with LeoW, co-wrote the song "Crazy" for the boy group Exo's new album, which also achieved substantial streaming numbers and topped the iTunes global album sales chart.
- —Music publisher Faar Music facilitates these collaborations by connecting Estonian songwriters with South Korean music companies, organizing creative camps, and pitching music for artists.
- —The success highlights the growing international reach of Estonian songwriting talent, with Faar Music actively working to place music in the competitive K-pop market.
Recap
This isn't just a cultural curiosity; it's a targeted creative export strategy. A small Baltic nation's music industry is successfully penetrating one of the world's most lucrative and insular music markets. The model, using a publisher as a strategic broker, demonstrates how specialized talent can achieve disproportionate global impact, bypassing traditional industry gatekeepers by directly serving the voracious content demand of the K-pop production machine.