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K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man bets on 4D future
K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man returned to the Korean music industry Monday with the simultaneous debut of a boy group and a girl group under his new company, A2O Entertainment, unveiling a vision that combines music with technology designed to change how fans experience performances. At a launch event in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Lee introduced 15-member boy group A2O Soul and nine-member girl group A2O Lite, which will release their respective debut digital singles, "Superstar" and "Neon," Tuesday.
Oct. 12, 2026 -
Surprise duet between Charlie Puth and Twice's Nayeon sparks buzz
Twice member Nayeon made a surprise appearance at Charlie Puth’s concert in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, joining the US singer-songwriter for a duet performance that has fueled speculation over a possible collaboration between the two artists. Puth kicked off the Asian leg of his “Whatever’s Clever!” world tour at Goyang Stadium on Sunday, marking his first solo concert in Korea in two years as well as his first stadium show in his 10-year career. During the show, Nayeon unexpectedly appeared onst
Oct. 12, 2026 -
BTS draws 150,000 in Peru, concerts projected to generate $58.4m
BTS drew more than 150,000 fans across three sold-out concerts in Lima, marking the group’s first visit to Peru as its “Arirang” world tour continues through South America. The group performed at Estadio San Marcos on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, attracting a combined audience of around 151,500, according to its agency. The Lima stop was initially scheduled for two shows, but Big Hit Music added a date in response to demand. All three concerts sold out. Fans filled the stadium with sing-along
Oct. 12, 2026 -
Ateez to kick off new world tour in January
Ateez will launch a new world tour in January, two months after releasing its 15th EP in November. According to the group's agency, KQ Entertainment, the "2027 Ateez World Tour 'Zero to All'" will begin with three concerts in Incheon, South Korea, from Jan. 22-24. The eight-member group will then perform in Japan, with concerts scheduled for Tokyo on Feb. 2-3 and Kobe on Feb. 13-14, before heading to Europe in April, North America in July and August, and South America in September. Additional ci
Oct. 12, 2026 -
Le Sserafim racks up 200m plays on Spotify with ‘Hot’
Le Sserafim scored 200 million plays on Spotify with “Hot” as of Saturday, agency Source Music said Monday. The quintet has had 12 songs reach the milestone. The pop hit is the focus track from the group's fifth EP, which rolled out in March 2025. The single made Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at No. 19 and logged six weeks on both its Global 200 and Global 200 excl US charts, peaking at No. 45 and No. 21, respectively. At home, it has earned the quintet four trophies from television m
Oct. 12, 2026 -
Babymonster’s ‘Choom’ music video hits 200m views
Babymonster garnered 200 million views on YouTube with the music video for “Choom,” according to label YG Entertainment on Monday. This is the group’s 10th music video to achieve the feat in about five months. "Choom" went straight to the top of YouTube’s trending videos worldwide chart, was the most-viewed video in 24 hours on the platform and topped the daily global trending music videos ranking. “Choom” is the title track from the group's third EP, which sold over 600,000 copies in the first
Oct. 12, 2026 -
NCT Wish drops 4th EP, announces tour
NCT Wish is releasing the group's fourth EP, “I Spy,” on Monday, according to SM Entertainment. It unveiled the title track in advance at a showcase held in Seoul over the weekend that drew more than 10,000 fans, giving them the first listen of a highlight medley of the album's side tracks as well. Before wrapping up the event, the six bandmates set fans abuzz with news of their second concert tour, “Into the Wish: Face Our Wish.” They will kick it off with two nights in Seoul in mid-January at
Oct. 12, 2026 -
Le Sserafim tops Oricon chart again with 2nd single
Le Sserafim topped Japan's Oricon Daily Single Ranking with its second single album, “Made My Night,” upon its release in the country, according to agency Source Music on Sunday. The latest endeavor follows in the footsteps of its previous single, “Spaghetti,” which also debuted atop the chart in October 2025. “Made My Night” consists of two tracks, the lead single of the same title and a B-side track, “Aeiou.” The former landed on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 at No. 14 after it was releas
Oct. 12, 2026 -
After 20 years, T.O.P's longest-running fan site shuts down
A fan site dedicated to former Big Bang member T.O.P has shut down after 20 years, with members accusing the rapper and his agency of neglecting fans and taking their support for granted. The site, Choidot, which began operating on Aug. 24, 2006, announced its closure Saturday. Its operators said years of frustration with T.O.P and his agency, Topspot Pictures, drove the decision, rather than his recently confirmed relationship with singer and actress Nana. "We decided that we could no longer ov
Oct. 11, 2026 -
K-pop architect Lee Soo-man returns with double debut
Lee Soo-man, founder of SM Entertainment and widely regarded as the architect of modern K-pop, is returning to the Korean music industry with the simultaneous debut of a boy group and a girl group under his new label, A2O Entertainment. The launch marks his first domestic music project since his three-year noncompete agreement with Hybe expired in February. A2O Entertainment said Thursday that boy group A2O Soul and girl group A2O Lite will hold a global debut showcase, "Welcome to Soulite From
Oct. 9, 2026 -
RM urges fans to stop gathering outside hotels during world tour
RM of BTS has urged fans to stop gathering outside the boy group's hotels during its ongoing world tour, saying the crowds are disrupting members' sleep, making life difficult for staff and disturbing other guests. The rapper made the appeal Thursday on fan community platform Weverse while the group was staying in Lima, Peru. "Members and staff are having a really hard time because of people staying outside our hotel all day," RM wrote. "It's so noisy that we can hear it inside our rooms, and ev
Oct. 9, 2026 -
Stray Kids to livestream Tokyo Dome gig worldwide
Stray Kids will livestream their Tokyo Dome show next month, their label JYP Entertainment announced Thursday. The octet is set to hold three concerts at the venue from Nov. 6-8. The second day’s live performance will be played in theaters, and in Japan the third day’s show will be available for live viewings as well. The Tokyo gig is part of the group’s world tour “Run It,” which began in July in Seoul with a sold-out five-show run. It will mark Stray Kids' return to the Japanese capital, where
Oct. 8, 2026 -
Hybe’s K-pop fest to hit India
Weversecon Festival, a K-pop festival organized by Hybe, will be held in New Delhi in late March, the company announced Friday. It will debut in the country, marking the first time in four years the event will be held overseas, and will include local music and fan culture. On March 27-28, globally recognized K-pop artists will share the stage with Indian singers while fans can participate in hands-on experiences and discover different music cultures. Hybe established a branch in India last year
Oct. 8, 2026 -
Cortis to perform at F1 Singapore
Cortis is set to go live on the outdoor stage at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2026 on Friday, its label Big Hit Music said Thursday. The group will join Janet Jackson, Lana Del Rey and Zara Larsson as well as Singaporean singer JJ Lin, as the only K-pop group on the lineup this year. “This is the first time we are visiting Singapore, and we are very excited to showcase our music and performance at the major festival which draws audiences from all over the world,” said the team through the
Oct. 8, 2026 -
Loving the idols, honoring the choreographers: Making of a K-pop cover
Nine K-pop cover dance teams from across the United States gathered in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Oct. 3, competing for prize money and a chance to perform alongside the K-pop artists they had spent years watching from afar. The competition was part of the Gangnam Festival's Global K-Pop Cover Dance Championship. The dancers came from varied backgrounds. Some had years of dance experience before finding K-pop; for others, K-pop was how they got introduced to dance. Several had been performing c
Oct. 8, 2026