Lee Soo-man, the chief producer and founder of one of South Korea's biggest music agencies SM Entertainment, mentioned the potential of online concerts, robots and avatars in the future for the K-pop industry during a forum here Wednesday. The company, which manages K-pop megastars EXO, SHINee and NCT, was one of the first in the music industry to hold an online concert this year as the new coronavirus pandemic prompted governments to mandate social distancing and effectively blocked traditiona

South Korea's largest entertainment and auto companies plan to introduce an unprecedented virtual showcase combining an online concert and a new car launching event next month, according to an announcement Wednesday. SM Entertainment and Hyundai Motor Co. said they will jointly unveil a new concept virtual showcase, titled "Beyond DRIVE," on the automaker's YouTube channel HyundaiWorldwide at 10 p.m. on Sunday (Korean time). Hyundai will announce the launching of its new compact SUV,

It depends on what you define K-pop as, but the Refund Sisters are probably not your typical K-pop stars. Brimming with confidence and bad girl vibes, nothing seems to daunt the group's four divas -- soloists Uhm Jung-hwa and Lee Hyori, rapper Jessi and Hwasa of girl group MAMAMOO -- who seem to get along pretty well despite their age gap and different backgrounds. In fact, the moniker Refund Sisters, otherwise known as Refund Expedition in Korean, comes from their strong girl demeanor that no

Tomorrow X Together returned with their third mini album “Minisode 1: Blue Hour” Monday, sharing a hopeful message to young people isolated and lost in emotions amid the unprecedented pandemic. “The album tells the story of a boy who faces a completely changed world after experiencing a sudden shift in his relationship with his friend,” the quintet’s leader Soobin said during an online press conference in Seoul. Fronting the album is “Blue Hour,” a di

A 2014 EP album by K-pop megastar BTS has made a surprise debut on the Billboard main chart. "BTS' 'Skool Luv Affair' debuts at No. 12 on this week's Billboard 200. It's the group's 12th career entry on the chart," the US music publisher said in a Twitter post updated Monday (US time). "Skool Luv Affair," the septet's second EP released in February 2014, was recently republished and released after it won a fan vote on albums and DVDs that should be released again. The feat

K-pop megastar BTS has been nominated for this year's American Music Awards (AMAs) for a third consecutive year, the band's agency said Tuesday. The seven-member band was nominated in two categories -- "Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock" and "Favorite Social Artist" -- in the ceremony scheduled for Nov. 22 (US time). Other nominees in the "Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock" category were the Jonas Brothers and Maroon 5. Four other musicians were nominated for the &q

Twice is facing the duality of good and evil in its brand new single “I Can’t Stop Me.” The nine-piece band dropped its second full-length Korean album “Eyes Wide Open” on Monday evening, which features the disco-tinged pop lead track “I Can’t Stop Me.” Ahead of the release, the bandmates shared details of the new song and excitement over releasing their first full-length album in three years. “Comparing ourselves to three years ago, we re

K-pop act Tomorrow X Together said Monday their upcoming album captures the stories and sentiments of teens who are living in an unprecedented world amid the new coronavirus pandemic. "Like everyone else, we were taken aback and confused by the situation that we're experiencing for the first time. Above all, it was sad not to be able to listen to MOA's cheering sounds when we perform on stage," Taehyun said during a media conference, referring to the group's dedicated fan base called

The annual K-Music festival in London will kick off this week for a 17-day run as a hybrid event combining live performances and YouTube livestreaming amid the global coronavirus pandemic, its organizer said Monday. This year's K-Music 2020 celebrates the 7th year of its presence in the British capital, showcasing traditional Korean music, called "gukak," as well as rock and jazz to British audiences. K-Music 2020 will kick off on Saturday (London time) to run till Nov. 16, co-hoste

After becoming the first K-pop girl group to rank No. 2 on the Billboard main album chart, BLACKPINK has set another record by becoming the first all-female act to sell more than 1 million albums, its agency said Monday. "The Album," the group's first studio album released earlier this month, has sold 1.2 million units worldwide, including 871,335 copies here and 319,300 in Europe and the United States, according to YG Entertainment. The previous record is known to be 760,000 album s

Popular K-pop girl group TWICE said Monday that its upcoming full-length album "Eyes Wide Open" will likely surprise fans with the band's darker and bolder side. "It portrays the danger and anxiety that come from standing on the boundary between the good and bad," rapper Dahyun said in a series of questions and answers sent to the press before the album drops at 6 p.m. "It also captures a provocative ambience that boldly crosses the line, which I feel that a lot of peo

SM Entertainment, the K-pop powerhouse that represents popular girl groups Girls' Generation and Red Velvet, on Monday announced the debut of a new girl group next month. Little is known about the new act, named "aespa," except for a logo and a teaser video uploaded on the group's social media accounts early Monday. SM Entertainment said the band's name comes from the English words "avatar, experience and aspect" -- with the name meaning "to be able to meet another se

Popular K-pop acts NCT and BLACKPINK both ranked in the top 10 on the Billboard's main albums chart with their latest albums. The 23-member boy band NCT debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with its new album "NCT - The 2nd Album RESONANCE Pt. 1," the Billboard reported Sunday (US time). The Billboard 200 is one of the US music publisher's main charts, ranking the most popular albums of the week in the United States based on data, including album sales and streaming. NCT's album ea

Irene, a member of popular K-pop act Red Velvet, admitted to allegations that she verbally attacked a stylist during a recent shoot and apologized over the incident. "I sincerely apologize for hurting the stylist with my foolish attitude and careless words and action," Irene said in an Instagram post uploaded Thursday evening, with an image of a plain black square. "There were a lot of people who helped me to get where I am now, and I regret hurting them with immature behavior,&

ENHYPEN, the seven-member band consisting of reality audition program "I-Land" winners, unveiled its first trailer on Thursday ahead of its debut next month. ENHYPEN's seven members were selected through a televised survival program co-organized by entertainment giant CJ ENM and BTS' agency Big Hit Entertainment. Big Hit's chief Bang Si-hyuk himself took part in selecting the final seven winners from a pool of 23 candidates. The trailer "Choose-Chosen," posted on the band'