'Private chats' with your idols

K-pop enthusiast Lee’s phone lights up dozens of times a day with notifications — not from friends or family, but from messages sent by her favorite singer, SHINee's Minho. “It really feels like talking to a friend. It’s not like admiring a celebrity from afar; it feels like having a close, personal connection,” Lee said. Private messaging services exemplify how K-pop has evolved into an industry that sells not only music but also fantasy, emotions and excitement. While idols have long used soci

Jan. 8, 2025

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose hits record No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100

Rose of Blackpink jumped to No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with her Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.,” according to the chart published Tuesday. She is the first female K-pop soloist to sit among the top five on the main songs chart and renewed the record she set when the song debuted at No. 8. The earworm is spending its 11th week on the chart and ranked No. 2 on the UK’s Official Singles Top 100, up 26 rungs from the previous week to tie the highest spot it claimed in its second week. “2024 was th

Jan. 7, 2025

NewJeans' activities under Ador concluded: What’s next?

Hanni‘s E-6 visa will be terminated if members end contracts with Ador With NewJeans having wrapped up most of their schedules fixed by Ador as of Monday, all eyes are on their next steps. Following the group’s notification to terminate their exclusive contracts with the agency last November, no newly negotiated activities have been planned. NewJeans concluded their major commitments under Ador with an appearance at an awards ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan, on Sunday. While a few advertisement oblig

Jan. 7, 2025

Controversy continues over political speech censorship as singer Lee Seung-hwan files lawsuit against Gumi City

National Assembly passes revised law aiming to protect entertainers' freedom The legal dispute and broader controversy over censorship of entertainers' political expression continued after Gumi City canceled singer Lee Seung-hwan's concert, citing public safety. Amid the ongoing controversy, a bill that bans government and local authorities from interfering with the content of artistic activities passed in the National Assembly. Rep. Cho Gye-won of the Democratic Party, who proposed the bill, re

Jan. 7, 2025

Taeyeon, Red Velvet’s Wendy frustrated over SM’s 30th anniversary concert

SM declined to comment on possible conflict with Taeyeon and Wendy Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Red Velvet’s Wendy have voiced their disappointment over SM Entertainment’s lack of communication and support, which led to their absence from the agency’s 30th-anniversary concert “SMTown Live 2025 in Seoul,” scheduled for this weekend. Last month, SM Entertainment announced Taeyeon’s withdrawal from the concert, citing “personal reasons.” While her name had been included in the lineup and promoti

Jan. 7, 2025

Stray Kids unveil ambitious New Year's plan

Leading boy band to mark 2025 with 2 albums, tour concerts After a remarkable year, Stray Kids have announced an ambitious plan for 2025, promising diverse music releases, global performances and meaningful connections with fans. In a video titled "Stray Kids Step Out 2025" released on the boy band's official channels, JYP Entertainment outlined an exciting road map for the year ahead. Stray Kids plan to release two albums this year. Following the release of Korean, English and Japanese digital

Jan. 7, 2025

‘K-pop is cultural identity, not national’

K-pop’s evolution into global cultural identity highlights its power to transcend borders and connect diverse audiences K-pop today is more than just music: It has become a cultural phenomenon that transcends national boundaries, reshaping global perceptions of Korea and Asia at large. According to Kim Sung-min, a professor of media and communication at Hokkaido University in Japan, K-pop is not just a representation of Korea's national identity, but a cultural identity forged through global inf

Jan. 6, 2025

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink tops 200m views with ‘Shut Down’ dance video

The performance video for Blackpink’s “Shut Down” surpassed 200 million views on YouTube Sunday, label YG Entertainment said Monday. It is the group’s 13th dance video to hit the milestone, and it did so in about two years and four months. Upon release in 2022, it headed straight to the top of most trending videos in 24 hours on the platform, generating 10 million hits in half a day. The music video for the hip-hop tune has close to 700 million views. The single fronted the album “Born Pink” and

Jan. 6, 2025

JYP Entertainment launches new boy group Kickflip

7-member Kickflip to make official debut Jan. 20 K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment has unveiled the members of its first boy group in nearly seven years, Kickflip, confirming Jan. 20 as the group's official debut date. On Monday, the agency announced the debut through Kickflip's official social media channels, releasing profile images of the seven members — Kyehoon, Amaru, Donghwa, Juwang, Minje, Keiju and Donghyun — along with a promotion schedule. The group's debut mini album "Flip it, Kick i

Jan. 6, 2025

aespa rings in new year with grand prize at 39th Golden Disc Awards

Amid legal dispute with Ador, NewJeans bags two awards at the ceremony K-pop juggernaut aespa rang in the new year by taking home the grand prize at the 39th Golden Disc Awards, riding high on the success of its mega-hit "Supernova." The K-pop girl group won in the Digital Song Division category at the two-day event that started Saturday at the Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. The Sunday ceremony awarded artists in the Album Division category. A live broadcast was canceled following acting

Jan. 5, 2025

Blackpink's Rose rebounds to No. 2 on British Official chart with 'APT.'

"APT.," the latest single from BLACKPINK member Rose, has climbed back to No. 2 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100, matching its previous peak. According to the chart unveiled Friday (British time), "APT." jumped 26 places to second position in its 11th week on the chart. American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams' "That's So True" topped the chart. After debuting at No. 4 in late October, "APT." rose to No. 2 the following week. It then held the No. 3 spot for five consecutive weeks be

Jan. 4, 2025

[Today’s K-pop] BTOB’s Im Hyunsik enters Billboard world chart

Im Hyunsik of BTOB ranked No. 10 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart with “See The Light,” said agency BTOB Company Friday citing the latest chart. “See The Light” is part of the original soundtrack for the “When The Phone Rings” TV series, which began airing in November last year. Riding on the success of the thriller drama series, the single has climbed up the digital sales chart and made top 10. Meanwhile, four members of BTOB – Seo Eunkwang, Lee Minhyuk, Im Hyunsik and Peniel -- he

Jan. 3, 2025

Jungkook’s 'Golden' dominates K-pop solo album sales in US for 2 years

BTS' Jungkook continues to break records even while in the military, with his solo album "Golden" becoming the bestselling K-pop solo artist album in the US for two consecutive years. Chartdata, an account on social platform X that posts music and chart updates in real time, posted, "JungKook’s ‘GOLDEN’ ends 2024 as the #1 bestselling album by a K-Pop soloist of the year in the US by total units." The About Music, Pop Flop, and Pop Core accounts also celebrated Jungkook's achievement with simila

Jan. 3, 2025

J-Hope of BTS donates 100M won for plane crash victims

BTS’s J-Hope has donated 100 million won ($68,000) to support the victims of the Jeju Air flight crash at Muan International Airport. The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association announced that J-Hope contributed 100 million won to aid those affected by the tragic accident at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province. J-Hope reportedly stated, “Upon hearing about the accident, I decided to make this donation to offer even a small measure of support to the bereaved families. I exte

Jan. 3, 2025

[Today’s K-pop] Rose stays strong on Billboard’s Hot 100 with ‘APT.’

Rose of Blackpink is spending a 10th week on Billboard’s Hot 100 with her collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.” ranked No. 34, according to the chart published Tuesday in the US. The tune slid 12 rungs from the previous week, while her first solo studio album “Rosie” extended its stay on Billboard 200 to third straight week, at No. 32. “APT.” was released ahead of the LP, and debuted on the main songs chart at No. 8. The single is also staying among top 30 for a 10th consecutive week on UK’s Off

Jan. 2, 2025