[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin cinches 3 Guinness World Records

Jimin of BTS now has three titles from Guinness World Records on his own, the British reference book announced on Wednesday in the UK. He has two records with his 2018 single “Promise” on streaming service SoundCloud so far. The track became the most streamed song on the platform with 330 million plays as of June. It is the first self-written song from the artist and still remains the most streamed track in its first 24 hours of release at 8.5 million, dethroning Drake’s &ldqu

K-popAug. 3, 2023

NewJeans debuts atop Billboard 200, lands 3 songs on Hot 200

K-pop sensation NewJeans has made it to the top of Billboard. The band's new album "Get Up" notched No. 1 on the US music publication's albums chart, Billboard 200, becoming the second K-pop girl group album to land atop the list. According to Billboard's latest chart release, the album, the second EP from NewJeans, led Billboard 200 with a total of 126,500 in sales tallied between July 21-27. The quintet is the second girl group in the world to top Billboard 200 in the

K-popAug. 3, 2023

Blackpink's Jisoo, actor Ahn Bo-hyun dating

Blackpink's Jisoo and South Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun are confirmed to be dating. Both the singer and her agency, YG Entertainment, confirmed the news on Thursday. Local news outlet Dispatch's first reported the news in an exclusive on Thursday. The report stated that Jisoo and Ahn have started dating recently, with the couple mostly spending time at Jisoo's house located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Separate pictures of Jisoo and Ahn assumed to have been taken in Jisoo's apartment c

K-popAug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Mamamoo Plus hopes to pave new path for girl group longevity

A decade together has passed already for Solar and Moonbyul of Mamamoo, yet the two singers still feel like fresh rookies, they said in a recent interview. The interview, conducted with local press on Tuesday in Seoul, came a few days before the duo's subunit return as Mamamoo Plus, with their first EP "Two Rabbits." Imagining this moment around a decade ago when they first set off as Mamamoo in 2014, Moonbyul said she did not imagine a rosy future just then. "I thought that

K-popAug. 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook sets another streaming record with ‘Seven’

Jungkook of BTS generated 200 million streams on Spotify with solo single “Seven (feat. Latto)” in the shortest time for a male artist, according to label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The single reached the milestone in 14 days, setting a record for a male musician as well as for a collaboration song. It is the second-fastest song to hit the mark overall. “Seven” has been breaking records on the platform since its release, hitting the 50 million milestone in three days an

K-popAug. 2, 2023

BTS' V to team up with Ador CEO Min Hee-jin for solo album

V of BTS is coming out solo with NewJeans' producer Min Hee-jin at the lead of production. The group's agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced that V will collaborate with Min, who is the CEO and executive producer of NewJeans' label Ador. Big Hit Music and Ador are two independent labels housed under the multilabel entertainment company Hybe. According to Big Hit Music, the collaboration started from V's idea, and Min will take the helm of the singer's solo projec

K-popAug. 2, 2023

Boy band Pow to debut in September

Novice label Grid is set to launch its first boy band next month. The multinational quintet will include reality audition program "Loud" contestant Youn Dong-yeon and Thai singer-actor Yorch, the agency said in a press release on Wednesday. "Our first five-piece boy band has confirmed its name as Pow and will officially debut in September," Grid announced. Along with Yorsch and Youn, Korean members Jungbin, Hyunbin and Hong will comprise Pow. Yorch, whose real name is Yongsin

K-popAug. 2, 2023

[Herald Interview] Rookie Xikers gears up for real game with second album

In less than five months after its debut, boy band Xikers returns revamped, ready to invite listeners deeper into its universe. Opening the second chapter of their fledgling journey is the band's second EP, "House of Tricky: How to Play," which is set for release on Wednesday evening. In March 30, the 10-member boy group -- consisting of members Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Se-eun, Yujun, Yechan and, the band's only foreign member, Hunter -- debuted as th

K-popAug. 2, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook ranks No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with solo single

Jungkook of BTS maintained a spot among the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 as his solo single “Seven” ranked No. 9 on the main singles chart dated Aug. 5. The single debuted atop the chart last week as well as its Global excl. the US and Global 200 charts, making him the first solo musician from Asia to top all three at once. It kept its spot at the top of both global charts this week. “Seven” hit the iTunes top songs chart at No. 1 in 114 regions so far and is stay

K-popAug. 1, 2023

'13egin': Infinite's new beginning at 13th year

Infinite has returned with its first new album in five years, "13egin," marking a new start 13 years since they debuted. The album, the band's seventh EP, came out Monday evening. The desperation to make their comeback work was even fiercer than when the group first debuted in 2010, Jang Dongwoo, the six-piece's main vocalist and rapper said Monday during a press conference held in Seoul. "Establishing Infinite Company, we did everything ourselves this time, from the alb

K-popAug. 1, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink hits record 2.1b views with ‘Ddu-du Ddu-du’ video

Blackpink amassed 2.1 billion views on YouTube with the music video for “Ddu-du Ddu-du” on Sunday, according to label YG Entertainment on Monday. It is the first music video in K-pop history to reach the milestone. “Ddu-du Ddu-du” is the main track from its first EP, “Square Up,” that was released in June 2018 and swept all music charts here. The single ranked No. 55 on Billboard’s Hot 100 while the album was No. 40 on the Billboard 200, both records fo

K-popJuly 31, 2023

[Exclusive] Nearly 30% of Hybe K-pop trainees are non-Koreans

Close to a third of K-pop idols-in-training at Hybe, the company behind boy group BTS, are non-Korean nationals, The Korea Herald has learned. Roughly 28 percent of trainees under Hybe’s domestic labels are of foreign nationality, the firm said in response to a media inquiry from the Herald. “Although we don’t have a particular strategy aimed at increasing the proportion of foreign trainees, Hybe supports the selection and development of trainees irrespective of country or regi

K-popJuly 31, 2023

SM to debut new boy band Riize in September

SM Entertainment is debuting a new boy band, Riize, in September. The K-pop powerhouse on Monday announced the new group will be a seven-piece act that will carve out a new niche in emo-pop, an unconventional sound yet to be explored inside the K-pop scene. According to SM, the group's name compounds "rise" and "realize" to convey the group's ambition to rise up and realize its dreams. Consisting of seven multinational individuals with different strengths and charac

K-popJuly 31, 2023

[Herald Review] Enhypen thrives with 'Fate' world tour

Marking the start of Enhypen's second world tour "Fate" in Seoul on Sunday, the electronic screens of the KSPO Dome glided open sideways to show the seven members in shimmering white suits adorned with gold, each holding a rose. The electrifying "Drunk-Dazed" opened the night. Joined by dancers, the boys kicked into a wordless dance break, bringing the whole focus onto their fierce movements and captivating expressions. It seemed like the septet was ready to show how muc

K-popJuly 31, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to roll out 1st Japan EP in September

Stray Kids will release its first EP in Japan on Sept. 6, announced label JYP Entertainment on Thursday. The mini album will be fronted by two main tracks -- “Social Path” featuring Japanese singer and songwriter LiSA, who sang “Homura” for animated film “Demon Slayer,” as well as the Japanese-language version of “Super Bowl,” a B-side track from its third LP “5-Star.” Both songs are written by 3Racha, the songwriting trio within the b

K-popJuly 28, 2023

Treasure hits reboot with 2nd studio album

It took around 10 months for YG Entertainment’s youngest boy group Treasure to return with a new album, but the group hopes it will be a new start. Treasure hopes that its second studio album, “Reboot,” released on Friday will help them start off fresh and break free from its previous teenlike music and image. “Just like the title of our album, we hope to reboot the group with this album. Three years have passed by since our debut during which we matured and enhanced our

K-popJuly 28, 2023

Saturday returns as quartet under new agency

K-pop girl group Saturday returned with a new single album after a 2 1/2-year hiatus. “We’ve longed for a comeback so much that it feels surreal to be performing on stage again. We put in everything we can in this album because we took a long time getting back on stage. We hope our new album can be loved by many around the world,” said Yuki of Saturday. Saturday entered the music scene in July 2018 with its first single album “Mmook Jji Bba” as a septet under the ag

K-popJuly 27, 2023

2PM to hold 15th-anniversary concerts in Seoul, Tokyo

K-pop boy group 2PM is marking its 15th anniversary with concerts in Seoul and in Tokyo. The concerts will be held in Seoul at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium on Sept. 9-10, and also in Tokyo at the Ariake Arena on Oct. 7-8, JYP Entertainment announced Thursday on social media with a poster. The last day of the concert in Seoul will be livestreamed via platform Beyond LIVE. The “It’s 2PM” concerts would be the first full-unit performances in six years in Korea and in seven years in J

K-popJuly 27, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ive to return in October: report

Ive is preparing to make a comeback in October, according to a local media report on Thursday. Agency Starship Entertainment confirmed the news following the report. It will come about six months since the six-member act put out its first studio album “I’ve Ive” which has stayed on Billboard’s Global 200 and Global excl. the US for 14 weeks in a row. The LP sold more than 1.1 million units in the first week and is the group’s second million-seller along with third

K-popJuly 27, 2023

'Aloha' says returning summer queen Soyou

Singer Soyou returned to the music scene Wednesday with her second mini album "Summer Recipe." The soloist, formerly a member of girl group Sistar, is coming back a year and three months after she last released her first EP "Day & Night." "Summer Recipe" unveils Soyou's tricks for enduring the sizzling summer, the singer's agency BPM Entertainment said. The album's five tracks of various genres and sentiments delves deeper into the charms of the

K-popJuly 26, 2023