BTS’ V surpasses 300m Spotify streams with ‘Winter Ahead’

V of BTS logged 300 million streams on Spotify with his solo winter song “Winter Ahead (feat. Park Hyoshin).” It is his seventh solo effort to achieve the feat. The seasonal tune was unveiled in November and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 99 and the UK Official Singles Top 100 at No. 86. It was chosen among “The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season” listed by Billboard magazine. Last week, he hit the 500-million mark on the platform with “Fri(end)s,” his second solo single to reach the mile

May 19, 2025

Twice to return in July with 4th LP

Twice is readying itself to roll out a fourth studio album in July, label JYP Entertainment announced Monday. A teaser video for the upcoming LP shows the nine bandmates covered in cobalt blue with “four” written across their short skirts and jet black hair draping down to their hips. The group's last endeavor was 14th EP “Strategy” in December last year, which hit the Billboard 200 at No. 4 and became its sixth consecutive album to sit among the top 10 on the main albums chart. The mini album,

May 19, 2025

Illit confirms 3rd EP release

Illit will bring out its third EP “Bomb” on June 16, agency Belift Lab announced Monday. The EP will be released about eight months after the group's second EP “I’ll Like You,” which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 94 and Oricon’s Weekly Album Ranking at No. 2. The main track from the mini album, “Cherish (My Love),” ranked No. 57 and No. 110 on Billboard’s Global excl. US and Global 200, respectively. The upcoming mini album will build on the group’s narrative that started with the self, with

May 19, 2025

BTS’ Jin tops iTunes Chart in 63 regions with 2nd solo EP

Jin of BTS placed his second solo EP “Echo” atop the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 63 regions. The seven-track mini album sold more than 720,000 copies on its day of release. The main single “Don’t Say You Love Me” was No. 1 on its Top Songs Chart in 61. Jin performed the song for the first time on Saturday at a fan showcase in Seoul. He is set to appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Thursday. The soft R&B pop tune debuted on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global at No. 9 and notched th

May 19, 2025

Katseye, NewJeans named among Billboard's 21 Under 21

Katseye and NewJeans have been named two of the music industry's most innovative and influential artists under 21, with NewJeans included on the list for the second year in a row. The two groups were featured on Billboard’s 21 Under 21, an annual list that spotlights young artists making a significant impact across the music industry. The list considers metrics such as album sales, streaming numbers, social media engagement, and radio and TV reach, along with overall influence within the industr

May 18, 2025

Virtual group Plave to launch first Asia tour

Plave, the leading K-pop group in the virtual artist scene, is set to embark on its first Asia tour. According to agency Vlast, Plave will kick off its "Dash: Quantum Leap" Asia tour with a concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul from Aug. 15 to 17. This will be their first performance since the "Hello, Asterum! Encore" held in Seoul in October 2024. The KSPO Dome, which can accommodate over 10,000 people, is widely considered a benchmark of popularity and success for K-pop idol groups. Plave will be

May 18, 2025

Rose's new single 'Messy' debuts on British music chart

"Messy," the latest single by Rose, the K-pop sensation behind the global smash-hit song "APT.," has debuted on the UK Official Singles Chart. "Messy" has debuted at No. 100 on the weekly music chart, while "APT.," featuring Bruno Mars, remained steady at No. 26, marking its 30th straight week on the chart The new song serves as an original soundtrack for the new Hollywood sports action drama film "F1," featuring Brad Pitt. It was released on May 8. (Yonhap)

May 17, 2025

SM Classics to hold K-pop orchestra concert with Vienna Symphony next year

SM Entertainment’s classical and jazz label SM Classics will join forces with the renowned Wiener Symphoniker, or Vienna Symphony Orchestra, to stage a K-pop orchestra concert in Austria’s capital next year, the company announced Friday. Titled “Wiener Symphoniker X K-pop,” the performance will be held on Feb. 16, 2026, at the iconic Konzerthaus Wien concert hall in Vienna — a city long considered the spiritual home of classical music. The concert is part of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s offic

May 16, 2025

BTS’ Jimin, Jungkook recognized at 2025 BMI Pop Awards

Jimin and Jungkook of BTS earned nods from the 2025 BMI Pop Awards that honored musicians of the 50 most performed pop songs of 2024. Broadcast Music, Inc., an American performance rights organization, compiles the list annually. The two artists each had two songs that received honors: “Like Crazy” and “Who” from Jimin and “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” and “Standing Next to You” from Jungkook. “Like Crazy,” from Jimin’s first solo album “Face,” was the first-ever song from a K-pop solo singer to clai

May 16, 2025

Kiss of Life to hold encore in Seoul in July

S2 Entertainment, the agency behind Kiss of Life, announced on Thursday that the group will perform again in Seoul on July 19-20 to conclude its first international tour. The quartet kicked off its “Kiss Road” tour in Seoul in October and traveled to 39 cities worldwide, including 15 in the US and 12 in Europe. Earlier in May, the group dropped the special digital single titled after the tour to reflect on the journey, fronted by the R&B pop tune, “Live, Love, Laugh.” The group is expected to re

May 16, 2025

[Q&A] 'I worked nonstop to show you new songs and performances,' says Jin as he drops second solo EP 'Echo'

Jin of BTS released his second solo EP “Echo” at 1 p.m., Friday, unveiling seven new tracks that explore a range of emotions and life moments under the central theme of “resonance.” If his previous release “Happy” focused on spreading joy, “Echo” turns inward. From love and friendship to moments of everyday decision-making, Jin delivers honest and relatable stories through music, filtered through his own perspective. The title track, “Don’t Say You Love Me,” captures the emotional contradiction

May 16, 2025

Boynextdoor tops Oricon chart with 4th EP

The fourth EP from Boynextdoor landed atop Oricon’s Daily Album Ranking, according to the chart published Thursday. EP “No Genre” is the rookie boy band’s fifth consecutive release totop the chart, following three mini albums released in Korea — “Why…,” “How?” and “19.99” — as well as debut single in Japan “And.” The new EP was rolled out on Tuesday and topped iTunes Top Albums Chart in seven regions. It sold over 700,000 copies on the day of release, surpassing the previous album “19.99,” which

May 16, 2025

Monsta X to hold concerts in Korea, Japan in July

Monsta X announced via agency Starship Entertainment Thursday that it would hold its first full-member concerts in three years in July. Under the title “Connect X,” the band is planning three days of shows in Seoul on July 18-20. The last day’s live performance will be broadcast online as well. On Aug. 27-28, the group will hit the stage in Yokohama, Japan. The six members hinted at the concerts during a livestream on Wednesday to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They reunited after everyone, e

May 16, 2025

Once on stage, now behind scenes: Kim Su-bin blends idol insight with songwriting craft

When Kim Su-bin debuted in 2013 as a member of the K-pop boy band Say Yes, he was 27 — an unusually late age in an industry built on youth. “Most idols debut in their teens or early 20s and I was considered too old,” Kim said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 8. “So I signed a five-year contract instead of the usual seven.” Now 38, Kim has transitioned from idol to full-time songwriter and producer. He has written more than 400 songs across K-pop, J-pop and C-pop — credits that in

May 15, 2025

IU to return to the music world with signature cover album

Singer-actor IU is making a comeback with her third cover album, "Flower Bookmark 3," set for release May 27. IU's agency Edam Entertainment confirmed that the album continues her signature "Flower Bookmark" cover series nearly eight years after its last installment. The "Flower Bookmark" albums, which launched in 2014 and continued with a second release in 2017, are known for IU’s lyrical interpretations of classic Korean songs. With her delicate emotional delivery and refined vocal tone, she r

May 15, 2025