Kwon Eun-bi looks beyond 'Waterbomb goddess' with 'Dejavu'

Kwon Eun-bi is a familiar name to K-pop fans in Korea, first as a member of project group Iz*One and later as a solo artist whose performances at the Waterbomb music festival last year cemented her image as one of the country's leading summer performers. Outside Asia, however, she remains a relatively unfamiliar name. She has yet to establish a significant presence in Western markets. Now, after moving to a new agency, Kwon wants to change that — while also showing there is more to her than the

Sept. 3, 2026

Jennie’s ‘Fallen Angel’ music video draws mixed reactions

Jennie’s music video for her latest single has sparked debate online, with some viewers criticizing the imagery used while others argue that the scenes are symbolic of the song’s themes. The Blackpink member released “Fallen Angel” and its music video on Aug. 28. The minimalist track is built around a lyrical guitar melody and restrained vocals. Much of the discussion has centered on scenes toward the end of the video. Children dressed in white robes and red veils appear holding candles, followe

Sept. 2, 2026

&Team to return with 2nd EP backed by A-list creators

Boy group &Team shared the tracklist for its second EP in Korea on Tuesday via agency YX Labels. The new mini album is set for release on Sept. 8. “Mark on Me” will contain six tracks, including the title track co-written by Bensoon Boone. Producer and Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk contributed to the B-side track “Good Boy.” The EP follows about ten months after the group's previous EP in Korea, “Back to Life,” which sold over a million copies and won first place on television music chart shows thr

Sept. 2, 2026

Enhypen lands 1st entry on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100

Enhypen made Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart for the first time with its latest single “Bloody Paradise,” its agency Belift Lab said on Wednesday citing the chart dated Sept. 5. The single ranked at No. 23 on the chart of 25 songs that are close to making Billboard’s Hot 100. The Brazilian funk dance number ranked No. 12 and No. 32 on Billboard’s Global excl. US and Global 200 charts, both the team’s highest spots yet. In the UK, the song hit the Official Singles Top 100 at No.

Sept. 2, 2026

[Exclusive] Ateez to return in November

Ateez is preparing to return with new music in November, about four and a half months after the release of its hit "Bad," an industry source told The Korea Herald on Wednesday. "Ateez's comeback is currently scheduled for the second week of November," the source said on condition of anonymity. "Nov. 9 is currently being used as the comeback date for broadcast scheduling, rather than as the official release date, and the schedule could still change." Based on the group's recent release pattern, N

Sept. 2, 2026

Cortis’ ‘Redred’ best K-pop song this summer: TikTok

Cortis’ breakout hit “Redred” topped TikTok's Songs of the Summer 2026 list for Korea, according to the platform on Wednesday. The ranking is based on music and videos that trended on the platform throughout the season. Cortis was also named Boyband of the Summer on the TikTok Summer Honours 2026 list. The five members thanked fans and listeners for choosing their song for special moments this summer, via label Big Hit Music. “Redred” is the lead single from Cortis' second EP “Greengreen,” which

Sept. 2, 2026

BTS extends Billboard 200 stay to 23rd week

BTS has extended its monthslong stay on the Billboard 200 for a 23rd week, with its fifth studio album “Arirang” ranking No. 31 on the chart dated Sept. 5. It slid down seven notches from the previous week on the main albums chart, where it made its chart-topping debut in April. The album's main track, “Swim,” is staying strong on Billboard's global singles chart, inching back up a rung from the previous week to No. 4 on Billboard's Global excl. US chart, and ranked at No. 17 on the Billboard Gl

Sept. 2, 2026

Tunexx is just getting started

Tunexx is learning to think as one. Asked what kind of group they wanted to be remembered as, the seven members jokingly answered, “Ultra Legend Super Tunexx,” sending the room into laughter. The exchange offered a glimpse of a group still young in its career but increasingly comfortable as a team, with members quick to build on one another’s thoughts. That evolution is at the heart of Tunexx’s second EP, “Blue Mode,” the group’s first release since debuting in March and the first in which the m

Sept. 2, 2026

Big Bang streams triple as fans revisit old favorites

Big Bang has picked up steam on streaming platforms on the back of its 20th anniversary concerts, according to Melon’s Data Lab on Tuesday. The largest streamer in Korea said that total streams of the group’s songs skyrocketed 333 percent in August from the previous month. “Haru Haru” recorded the biggest surge, jumping back into Melon’s Top 100 at No. 91 and climbing up to No. 67, racking up almost three times the average streams it garnered before the trio’s much-anticipated reunion concerts.

Sept. 1, 2026

Los Angeles declares ‘BTS Week’ as world tour lands

Los Angeles has officially designated Sept. 1-8 as “BTS Week” as the group returns to the city for four sold-out concerts as part of its “Arirang” world tour. The boy group is set to perform at SoFi Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday and again on Saturday and Sunday, marking the group’s first concerts at the venue in nearly five years. To welcome the group and fans traveling to the city for the shows, Los Angeles will also illuminate its city hall in red on Tuesday, reflecting the key color associ

Sept. 1, 2026

Meet Woni, the underdog with an edge on K-pop's biggest names

Who was the most talked-about individual K-pop idol in August? Not BTS' Jimin or Ive's Jang Wonyoung. According to the monthly individual idol brand reputation rankings published by brand analytics firm Brikorea, it was Woni of Rescene for the second consecutive month. The leader of the five-member girl group topped the August ranking with a brand reputation index of 6,951,891, ahead of Jimin at No. 2 and Jang Wonyoung at No. 3. The index combines data on consumer engagement, media exposure, onl

Sept. 1, 2026

Stray Kids' Tokyo concert draws 140,000 fans

Stray Kids took over the National Stadium in Japan on Aug. 29 and 30, selling 140,000 tickets for the weekend, JYP Entertainment said Tuesday. The group is the first international male act to hold concerts at the venue. The two performances also marked the beginning of Stay Kids' world tour, “Run It.” The Japan leg of the trip has four stops, including Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, and seven shows, all of which sold out. The members thanked the audience for coming and promised to keep on delivering

Sept. 1, 2026

Enhypen tops Oricon chart for 11th time with 8th EP

Enhypen hit the top of Oricon’s Weekly Album Ranking with its eighth EP, “The Sin: Bliss,” according to the chart published Tuesday. This is the 11th album from the group to bank a No. 1 spot in the weekly ranking. The mini album had made a chart-topping debut on the Billboard 200, a first for Enhypen. It sold over 2 million copies in the first week of sales, becoming the group’s fifth album to do so. Lead single “Bloody Paradise” debuted on Spotify’s daily and weekly global songs charts at No.

Sept. 1, 2026

BTS’ Jimin notches 1st solo platinum certification in Japan with ‘Who’

Jimin of BTS has received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan for his song, “Who,” the organization announced Monday. This is the first time he has achieved the feat on his own with a single, and the second time overall with his solo work. His first solo EP, “Face,” went platinum in Japan in 2023, logging 250,000 shipments in the country. “Who” fronted his second solo album, “Muse,” which had generated 100 million streams as of July to receive a gold certifi

Sept. 1, 2026

[Exclusive] G-Dragon documentary underway at Disney+ for 2027 release

G-Dragon is set to get the documentary treatment from Disney+, with production started and a release expected sometime next year, an industry source told The Korea Herald on Monday. The project is expected to trace G-Dragon's influence on K-pop while exploring his career as a solo artist and his role in Big Bang. "Production of a G-Dragon documentary for Disney+ is currently underway," the source said on condition of anonymity. “Members of the documentary's production team had already begun reac

Sept. 1, 2026