Cortis logs 100m Spotify plays with debut single

Cortis amassed 100 million streams on Spotify with “What You Want” as of Monday, said label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The lead single from its first EP was released in August last year, ahead of the EP “Color Outside the Lines.” The track reached the streaming milestone in about a year, and is the group's fourth song to do so, following “GO!,” “Fashion” and “Redred.” “Color Outside the Lines” sold close to 440,000 copies in its first week and went on to log over 1.7 million in sales by the end

Aug. 26, 2026

Alpha Drive One turns struggles into strength with ‘Unbreakable: Beast’

Alpha Drive One says the challenges it has faced since its debut have only strengthened the team, with the bandmates hoping their latest release will deliver the same kind of encouragement to listeners navigating their own uncertainties. “As Alpha Drive One, we’ve been running forward at full speed, but we’ve also faced so many worries along the way,” leader Leo said at a showcase in central Seoul on Monday, ahead of the release of the group’s second EP, “Unbreakable: Beast.” “I think we’ve beco

Aug. 25, 2026

Can Tuide carve out its own identity?

Hybe's newest girl group Tuide already found a way to attract attention before releasing a single song. The group's Seoyeon was revealed to be the younger sister of Jihyo, leader of JYP Entertainment's Twice. The connection quickly drew attention to Tuide, the first act launched by ABD, Hybe's new subsidiary dedicated to producing girl groups. But being Hybe's newest girl group inevitably invites another comparison: NewJeans. Four years after NewJeans' arrival reshaped the K-pop girl group lands

Aug. 25, 2026

Wordplay or mockery? Cortis’ new song draws mixed reactions over Hanroro reference

Cortis’ new track “MoneyMoneyMoney,” released Monday, has sparked online debate over a lyric referencing singer-songwriter Hanroro and her song “0+0.” The controversy centers on the lyric, “I want to become someone who earns money while playing, like Pororo / Add another zero to my bank account, just like Hanroro.” Some listeners criticized the reference, arguing that it reduced Hanroro’s song “0+0” — a track about two people choosing not to abandon one another and dreaming of eternity together

Aug. 25, 2026

NCT 127 turns 10, enters next chapter with ‘Blingy’

NCT 127 has reached the 10-year mark, but not in the way its members once imagined. For fans who have watched the group grow since its 2016 debut, the milestone arrives with a different lineup, as two members are serving in the military, and a new album that reflects how much has changed — and what remains. “Blingy,” NCT 127’s seventh full-length album, released Monday, marks the group’s first major release in nearly two years since “Walk” in July 2024. The album is more than a 10th anniversary

Aug. 25, 2026

Donations top W100m after BTS Jimin kisses young cancer patient

A touching moment between Jimin of BTS and a young cancer patient at a recent concert on the group’s world tour has inspired more than 100 million won ($72,000) in donations to support children with cancer, according to news reports Tuesday. During BTS’ performance of "Go Go" at its Aug. 15 "Arirang" world tour show in Arlington, Texas, Jimin stepped down from the stage to greet Olivya, a young cancer patient supported by Heroes for Children, a nonprofit that provides financial and social assist

Aug. 25, 2026

And2ble to run character pop-up store

And2ble will open a pop-up store featuring the official characters of the five members, agency YH Entertainment announced Monday. The promotional poster for “N:Dverse Gardening” hints at the event's theme, showing the characters holding gardening tools and playing among giant flowers. The pop-up will run from Sept. 3-13 in Seoul, offering all visitors stamp cards for a rally. Visitors can take photos in a photo booth and purchase a wide range of merchandise featuring the characters, such as key

Aug. 25, 2026

2NE1’s Minzy to return as solo act

Minzy of 2NE1 is set to make a comeback as a solo musician on Sept. 28, her agency MZ Entertainment announced Tuesday. She will release a soulful R&B single, adding her touch to all aspects of creation. “I was heavily involved in everything, from producing to writing lyrics and melodies,” she said, underscoring how personal the work is. Fans will be able to experience fresh and unique energy from the upcoming single, which reflects how she has evolved as a musician, she noted, adding that it wil

Aug. 25, 2026

Zerobaseone reigns on Oricon charts with 2nd EP in Japan

Zerobaseone has nabbed the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s Weekly Album Ranking with "Love," its second EP in Japan. The three-track set dominated the Daily Album Ranking for four days, along with a series of major album charts in the country. The mini album is the first new release in Japan in about 10 months from the five-member act. The group held an impromptu showcase in Tokyo on Aug. 19, the day of album drop, and gathered approximately 4,000 fans in less than two hours. Kim Ji-woong could not join

Aug. 25, 2026

Seventeen’s Dino to perform in Macao in October

Dino of Seventeen will hold a concert in Macao on Oct. 10, his agency Pledis Entertainment announced Monday. It will be his first solo concert abroad and follows three concerts held in Seoul last week. The Macao gig is likely to be his last before he enlists on Oct. 26 and begins his mandatory military service as a member of the Army marching band along with Seungkwan. The idol dropped his first solo EP “Gilboard” early this month as his comic alter ego, “Picheolin.” On Tuesday, he unveiled a mu

Aug. 25, 2026

Hybe's new girl group Tuide debuts with EP 'Tune & Play'

Tuide, a new girl group from Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind global superstars BTS, made its debut Monday with its first EP, "Tune & Play." It is the first girl group presented by ABD, a new label under Hybe, and the first from Hybe in two years following the U.S.-based group Katseye. Tuide consists of seven members -- Seohee, Seoyeon, Elena, Jia, Saki, Seah and Yi Hani. Seoyeon is a younger sister of JIhyo, a member of top-tier girl group TWICE. During a media showcase in Seoul, group leader

Aug. 24, 2026

Galaxy Robot Park: Glimpse of the future or spectacle without substance?

A dozen humanoid robots line up onstage. Rose's "APT." starts playing, and they begin to dance in formation. After that, it's Saja Boys' "Soda Pop" and Yena's "Catch Catch," with the machines shifting positions and keeping pace with one another. At first, it looks awkward. Watch a little longer, though, and it becomes surprisingly compelling. This was the scene Friday at the official opening of Galaxy Robot Park, which Galaxy Corporation bills as the world's first robot-centered cultural complex

Aug. 24, 2026

‘We’ll still perform when we’re 88’: Big Bang vows to keep going

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Big Bang kicked off its 20th anniversary world tour over the weekend with its first full-group concert in nearly nine years, signaling that the group's next chapter has only just begun. “XX: Cosmos,” held from Friday to Sunday at Goyang Stadium, drew more than 100,000 fans over three days. Toward the end of Sunday’s show, the members hinted that more music would be on the way after “Biiig,” the digital single released on the group's anniversary, Aug. 19. Daesung raise

Aug. 24, 2026

A former K-pop idol wanted a union. Nobody came forward

Bang Min-su, better known as C.A.P. from his days in boy band Teen Top, met Democratic Party of Korea youth policy researcher Seo Min-seon last year, when she approached him with an idea to form Korea’s first labor union for K-pop idols. The 33-year-old former idol had already spoken publicly about labor and human rights issues in the K-pop industry. In September 2024, he testified at a National Assembly forum on the labor rights of child and teenage K-pop artists, raising concerns about unpaid

Aug. 24, 2026

Juyeon of The Boyz finds new agency to get serious about acting: report

Juyeon of The Boyz has signed with the agency Ace Factory and will pursue an acting career in earnest, according to a local media report Monday. The management company confirmed him joining its stable of actors, which includes Lee Jong-suk and Choi Dae-hoon, following the report. Juyeon debuted with the boy group in 2017 and tried acting for the first time last year in short film “Youngyoung,” which screened at the Jeonju International Film Festival. The Boyz announced that they will begin a new

Aug. 24, 2026