[Today’s K-pop] Ive to return with 1st EP in October

Ive will make a comeback with first EP “I’ve Mine” on Oct. 13, announced agency Starship Entertainment on Monday. The album will feature three focus tracks – “Either Way,” “Off The Record” and “Baddie.” The three songs will be rolled out one by one, starting with “Either Way” on Sept. 25, “Off The Record” on Oct. 6 and the last along with the full album. The EP comes about six months after its first full album &

K-popSept. 4, 2023

[Herald Review] Young K returns to stage with 'Letters with notes' after 2-year hiatus

Young K welcomed fall with his fans through his first standalone solo concert held at a university campus in Seoul. The concert venue was humble, but accentuated the romantic and youthful vibe that the artist was aiming to convey. Young K kicked off his solo concert with “waited,” one of the side tracks in his first full-length album “Letters with notes” which dropped on Monday. “The opening to today’s set list is also the first track in my new album. While wo

K-popSept. 4, 2023

Fifty Fifty's agency to launch new girl group next year

Attrakt, the company behind the beleaguered girl group Fifty Fifty, is gearing up to debut a new female team next year through an audition show. "Attrakt is kicking into a new project to nurture a new girl group. All the members of the group will be selected through an audition show, and the whole process will be made public," the company said in a statement, adding it aims to debut the group next year. While not much has been unveiled so far, Attrakt said the main point of its new aud

K-popSept. 4, 2023

Stray Kids ranks second in album sales in US

K-pop boy band Stray Kids has ranked second in the US in terms of album sales so far this year, the band's company, JYP Entertainment said Monday, citing Chart Data, one of the most credible music data sites online. Taylor Swift ranked in the number one position. Stray Kids' latest release, its third full-length album "5-Star," was the most-sold K-pop album this year, JYP Entertainment added. The group's EP, "Maxident," from last year also landed at the tenth s

K-popSept. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Young K of Day6 hopes to be an artist that people look forward to hearing more from

Singer-songwriter Young K hopes people to look forward to what he does next. “I love when people compliment me as a promising artist, or an artist to look forward to, because I wouldn’t be able to continuously present new songs without these people that wait for me,” Young K told The Korea Herald. Young K, who is also a member of K-pop boy band Day6, returned to the music scene with his first full-length solo album “Letters With Notes” on Monday, after a 2-year hiat

K-popSept. 4, 2023

Blackpink nominated in 6 categories, Tomorrow X Together in 4 at MTV VMA

South Korean girl group Blackpink has secured six nominations at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, alongside other K-pop bands that have also received nominations, according to the US TV station. According to a list of nominees announced by MTV on Friday US time, Blackpink was nominated for Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Choreography, Best K-pop, Group of the Year, and Show of the Summer. During last year's awards, the quartet made its debut performance as a K-pop girl band

K-popSept. 2, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin goes platinum in US with solo single in record time

  Jimin of BTS earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America with “Like Crazy,” label Big Hit Music said Friday. “Like Crazy” is the only solo single from a K-pop musician to surpass 1 million unit sales in the US this year and hit the milestone in record time for a K-pop solo act at 155 days. It fronted his first solo album “Face” that notched No. 2 spot on Billboard 200 while the lead single landed atop Billboard&rsquo

K-popSept. 1, 2023

BTS' RM denies Islamophobia, says he won't apologize

BTS' rapper and leader RM addressed the issue of Islamophobia building up around him, denying any intention to insult the religion and stating he has no reasons to apologize. The controversy was sparked in August, when RM shared American singer Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" on his Instagram story. The 2012 song talks about loving without the restraint of religion, but some parts were interpreted by listeners as Islamophobic. Online anger mounted over the next days, with many t

K-popSept. 1, 2023

Exo's D.O. to drop new solo album on Sept. 18

Exo member D.O. is dropping a new solo album, "Anticipation," on Sept. 18. His agency SM Entertainment on Friday made the announcement, heralding D.O.'s comeback as a solo musician after over two years. D.O., whose real name is Do Kyung-soo, debuted solo in July 2021 with his first solo album, "Empathy." With the eight-track EP, D.O. was a smash success, landing atop the iTunes top album chart in 60 countries. According to SM, "Anticipation" will be a seven-tra

K-popSept. 1, 2023

Evergreen Group Holdings to invest $7.5m in Fifty Fifty’s agency Attrakt

Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings announced Thursday that it will invest around 10 billion won ($7.5 million) in the K-pop entertainment agency Attrakt to help foster the agency’s vision in the K-pop industry. Evergreen Group Holdings is an enterprise which develops a multi-diversified range of businesses from timber to finance, run by CEO David Yong. David Yong is also a K-pop singer in Korea, having debuted with the single “In My Pocket” last year. “We are happy

K-popAug. 31, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen joins force with New Kids on the Block

      Seventeen will be featured in upcoming music from 1990s sensation New Kids On The Block, according to agency Pledis Entertainment on Thursday. The American quintet has been dropping hints on its social media channel since last week, and tweeted “NKOTB Seventeen” on the day along with the date: Sept. 1. Seventeen reposted the iconic boy band’s “17” post, setting fans abuzz with expectations. Meanwhile, the 13-member act will tour Japan star

K-popAug. 31, 2023

SM's rookie singer apologizes for past dating pictures

SM Entertainment's upcoming rookie boy band Riize's member Seunghan released an apology after photos of him with a presumed former dating partner went viral online. The apology comes a few days after the release online of several pictures showing Seunghan kissing a woman -- including one where they are on a bed. The pictures spread fast, shocking fans, especially as Riize is about to make its long awaited debut on Sept. 4. Riize is the first boy band to debut with SM Entertainment in s

K-popAug. 31, 2023

H1-KEY continues to dream in Seoul, city of opportunities

H1-KEY is back and ready to move people’s hearts with its second mini album “Seoul Dreaming,” filled with songs that sing of hope. “Our second EP is for people who have a dream. We hope to spread hope and comfort through this album,” said Seoi of H1-KEY during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. The new album is led by two title tracks: “Seoul (Such a Beautiful City)” and “Time to Shine.” H1-KEY once again paired up with the renowned mu

K-popAug. 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Baekho starts digital single project with 'Elevator' remake

Baekho on Thursday unveiled a new single, "Elevator," marking the start to a new musical journey. “Elevator” is a remake of the eponymous 1995 hit by singer-producer J.Y. Park. With its risque lyrics singing about making love in the elevator and spicy performances with female dancers onstage, the song became an instant sensation back in its day. In opening up a new chapter of his career, Baekho picked this song same in age with him. "The feeling I had when I first hear

K-popAug. 31, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids’ Hyunjin teams up with Troye Sivan

Hyunjin of Stray Kids collaborated with Troye Sivan for a remix of the Australian singer’s recent single. Sivan made a comeback with “Rush” last month and posted a snippet on TikTok, hinting that an upcoming rework of the song will feature the idol as well as English singer-songwriter and producer PinkPantheress. Hyunjin and Sivan met at a fashion show hosted by Versace in Cannes, France in May. Sivan has professed his affection for the performer since then, writing and postin

K-popAug. 30, 2023

Indonesian girl group StarBe hopes to win global recognition with the help of K-pop training

Popular Indonesian girl group StarBe will release a Korean-language single in the coming week, following a month of K-pop idol training in South Korea. The quartet — Abelle, Shella, Kezia and Chelsea -- landed in Seoul about a month ago. They were chosen among many other Indonesian pop groups by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) to take part in the cultural exchange project “Grow TwoGether.” The project, launched in 2021 with the Vietnamese boy

K-popAug. 30, 2023

TXT to drop 3rd LP 'The Name Chapter: Freefall' on Oct. 13

Boy band Tomorrow X Together, also known as TXT, is returning with a new studio album in October. The band's agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced that the quintet will drop its third full-length album "The Name Chapter: Freefall" on Oct. 13. This will mark the team's return to the music scene in nine months since it released its fifth EP "The Name Chapter: Temptation" in January. TXT, which has been telling a dynamic growth story from boyhood to maturity thro

K-popAug. 30, 2023

More than just stans: what sets Korean fandom culture apart

As K-pop’s global reach continues to expand, so has attention on K-pop fan culture. It's common for fans around the world to devote their time and resources to their favorite celebrities, but Korean fans’ expression of their love stands out for the way in which it is more organized and systematic, and often based around communities. “On the way home” One fan phenomenon is named after the Korean expression that literally means “the way home after work,” a

K-popAug. 30, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Twice’ Jihyo hits Billboard 200 at No. 14 with solo EP

Jihyo of Twice entered Billboard 200 at No. 14 with her first solo EP “Zone,” the publication tweeted Monday. It is the second highest spot for a solo female K-pop musician, after only bandmate Nayeon who notched No. 7 spot last year. Separately, Twice will go live at four more stadiums across the world, expand its ongoing international tour to 42 concerts in 25 cities in total, according to label JYP Entertainment on Tuesday. The management firm announced the additional destination

K-popAug. 29, 2023

Hybe x Geffen begins girl group project 'Dream Academy,' unveils 20 finalists

Hybe, the company behind the global K-pop phenomenon BTS, has embarked on its blockbuster girl group project, "The Debut: Dream Academy." Marking the start of the new project, Hybe and its partner on the journey, Geffen Records, held a press conference on Monday at IGA Studios in Santa Monica, California. Hybe founder and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO and Chairman John Janick spoke at the event and addressed the initiative and plans for the project. Al

K-popAug. 29, 2023