CN Blue returns to pure band sound with “X”

Although it has been 14 years since its debut, this year marks “another beginning” for CN Blue with the trio's contemplative 10th mini-album, "X." Although it is the band's 10th album, band leader and vocalist Yong-hwa feels as nervous and excited as when the band debuted each time a new album is released. “At the same time, I still feel the fire alive inside me,” he said in an interview with a group of reporters on Oct. 7 in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. The

K-popOct. 14, 2024

K-pop song once recommended by Nobel laureate Han Kang returns to music charts

Han Kang, who made history by winning the Nobel Prize in literature, is now also influencing the music scene. According to major local music platform Melon, K-pop sibling duo AKMU’s “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love,” which Han Kang had previously recommended, has made a resurgence on Melon’s Top 100 and Daily charts. As of Sunday, the song climbed to No. 43 on Melon’s Top 100 and No. 27 on the Daily chart. "How Can I Love the Heartbre

K-popOct. 13, 2024

Riize speaks out on Seunghan’s return

Riize’s Wonbin asked for fans' support and understanding regarding suspended member Seunghan's return to the team. “I’ve decided to share my thoughts on Seunghan’s return to prevent more confusion to Briize (fandom name),” Wonbin took to the fan community platform Weverse on Sunday to share. “We’ve had many discussions with Seunghan and the company (SM Entertainment) over a long period. Please understand that the members have been deeply contem

K-popOct. 13, 2024

Jennie tops iTunes charts in 47 countries with 'Mantra'

K-pop star Jennie has topped iTunes charts in 47 countries, including the United States, with her latest release, "Mantra," her agency said Saturday. The Blackpink member's new digital single, released Friday, claimed the No. 1 spot on iTunes' Top Songs charts across various nations, such as Brazil, Singapore, the Philippines and Mexico, as of 9 a.m. the following day. With this, she became the first K-pop female soloist to top the chart in the US this year, according to OA E

K-popOct. 12, 2024

Former Ador CEO gains ground in legal battle with Hybe, as whistleblower reveals plagiarism evidence

The ongoing legal conflict between Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador, and Hybe has taken another turn, as an internal whistleblower provided new evidence for the accusation that Illit, a rookie K-pop girl group under Belift Lab, plagiarized the concept of NewJeans. The evidence was revealed in a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Friday. Belift Lab is a sister company of Ador, as both are subsidiaries of Hybe. New evidence has surfaced concerning Illit’s alleged imitation o

K-popOct. 11, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Riize’s Seunghan to rejoin next month

Seunghan of Riize will return and the band will reorganize as a seven-member act from November, said label SM Entertainment Friday. The management company broached the subject with a lengthy statement, telling fans how the band was originally planned as a septet and how deeply repentant he has been. Seunghan suspended activities about a year ago after a series of scandals followed him from debut. After the announcement, he uploaded a handwritten letter apologizing again for letting fans and ba

K-popOct. 11, 2024

BTS’s V and RM celebrate Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in literature win

BTS members RM and V have expressed excitement and congratulations in response to South Korean novelist Han Kang's Nobel Prize in literature win on Thursday. RM took to his social media to celebrate the news with a heart and crying emoji, showing his joy for Han Kang’s achievement. V followed suit, writing, "I read ‘Human Acts’ while in the military. Congratulations!" showing his admiration for the author. RM has previously recommended Han's works on multipl

K-popOct. 11, 2024

NewJeans’ Hanni to attend National Assembly audit as witness

Hanni, a member of the K-pop group NewJeans, said she will attend the upcoming National Assembly audit regarding workplace bullying and ostracism as a reference witness. The audit will take place Oct. 15. Hanni, on Wednesday, shared her decision on the fan communication app "Phoning," saying, "I will attend the audit alone. I’m doing this for myself, the NewJeans members and our fans." "Neither my manager nor the company (Ador) knows yet, but after much thought, I

K-popOct. 10, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez adds dates to Europe tour

Ateez will expand the European leg of its tour to 14 concerts, with two more performances in London and Berlin, according to agency KQ Entertainment Thursday. The band of eight originally planned to visit nine countries in the continent for 12 shows, for the Towards the Light: Will to Power tour. The tour took them to 10 cities in the US and Canada this summer and will resume January next year in France. Ateez also dropped its fourth Japanese single album “Birthday” on Oct. 2, claimi

K-popOct. 10, 2024

Infinite announces 15th anniversary concert tour

Infinite, one of the best-known second-generation K-pop groups, are set to hold a concert tour from December to March, in celebration of the boy band's 15th anniversary. Via Infinite Company’s social media, the group announced the upcoming tour by revealing a teaser image containing the list of countries where concerts will be held. The six-piece group will kick off the tour with three days of performances from Dec. 6-8 at KSPO Dome in Seoul. They will continue the tour in Taipei, Tai

K-popOct. 10, 2024

Jay Park returns with quintessential R&B album after 8 years

K-pop singer-rapper Jay Park returned Tuesday with a studio album his fans will want to own. Park's sixth full-length album, "The One You Wanted," features 20 tracks, including nine new songs alongside 11 previously released singles. It marks his first R&B album in eight years. The number of tracks is unusually large, given that most K-pop studio albums feature no more than 10 songs. "Since 'Everything You Wanted,' I had planned to release more R&B albums. B

K-popOct. 8, 2024

K-pop merchandisers punished too lightly for unfair consumer practices: lawmaker

Punishments for unfair consumer practices by K-pop merchandise producers are too light compared to their profits, a lawmaker argued in the National Assembly audit. Rep. Kang Yu-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party said Monday that entertainment giant Hybe was fined only 3 million won ($2,200) for violating the rights of K-pop product consumers while earning over 1 trillion won over a period of three years from selling such products, raising questions over the punishments’ effective

K-popOct. 8, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream to host encore concert

NCT Dream will return to Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul for a three-date concert that will close its world tour, label SM Entertainment announced Tuesday. The seven-member NCT subunit will host the encore concert "Finale in Seoul" from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The group will be hitting the same stage where it launched its tour “The Dream Show 3: Dreamscape” in May. The band has visited eight cities in Asia, 11 in North and Latin America, and it will begin touring five across Europe fr

K-popOct. 8, 2024

Baby Monster to release first full-length album in November

Rookie girl group Baby Monster will release its first full-length album, “Drip,” on Nov. 1, seven months after its April debut, YG Entertainment said Monday. The title track, "Drip," composed with the help of Big Bang’s G-Dragon, is expected to be a dance anthem for all ages. The other eight tracks include "Clik Clak," a hip-hop track described by YG Entertainment Chief Executive Producer Yang Hyun-suk as “unlike anything YG has ever presented before,&

K-popOct. 8, 2024

K-pop CEOs sidestep key issues at National Assembly audit

K-pop agencies on Monday denied or sidestepped responsibility for major issues in the industry during a National Assembly audit in Yeouido, Seoul. YG Entertainment CEO Yang Min-suk, SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk and JYP Entertainment CEO Jimmy Jeong appeared to answer lawmakers’ questions about chart manipulation, album bundling with photo cards, fair trade law violations and choreography copyright issues. Hybe was represented by Joon Choi, CEO of its subsidiary Weverse Co. Rep. Lim

K-popOct. 7, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to return with 7th EP next month

Tomorrow X Together will make a comeback on Nov. 4 with seventh EP, Big Hit Music announced Monday. EP “The Star Chapter: Sanctuary” will be the first of its fourth series, which follows “chapters” of dream, chaos and name. The mini album comes about seven months since the band put out previous EP “minisode 3: Tomorrow,” which sold over a million copies on the day of release and swept music charts at home. The sixth EP debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 3 and

K-popOct. 7, 2024

[Herald Review] 2NE1 returns better than ever

“Come Back Home” echoed through the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, on Sunday evening, sparking ecstatic cheers from fans as all four members of the iconic K-pop girl group 2NE1 took to the stage for their first concert in over a decade. The group, comprising Sandara Park, CL, Park Bom and Minzy, dazzled in their signature eclectic outfits that have long defined their unique style. CL sported a striking red jacket with a large red ribbon, while Sandara Park showcased a bold bole

K-popOct. 7, 2024