Aespa, Ateez lead MMAs lineup, as BTS, Blackpink earn nominations

The Melon Music Awards will expand to a two-day event for the first time this year, bringing together established K-pop stars and rising acts while introducing a new award based on music streaming activity across South Korea, China and Japan. Melon, South Korea's largest music streaming platform, operated by Kakao Entertainment, will hold the 18th edition of the awards at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 14 and 15. Voting for the Top 10 award, recognizing 10 of the year's most popular artis

2026-10-16 18:09:11:00

A2O Lite tops Melon faster than NewJeans

A2O Lite, the new girl group produced by Lee Soo-man and A2O Entertainment, topped Melon's Top 100 chart just 29 hours after releasing its debut single, setting a record for the fastest debut song to reach No. 1 since the chart was revamped in 2021. The nine-member group's debut single, "Neon," reached No. 1 at 11 p.m. Wednesday. The milestone came considerably faster than NewJeans' debut single "Attention," which took eight days to top the chart in August 2022. "Neon" entered Melon's Top 100 at

2026-10-15 14:06:22:00

Taemin's Seattle concert canceled, K-brand expo postponed

Taemin's concert in Seattle later this month has been canceled due to US visa delays affecting key touring and production personnel, prompting organizers to postpone a Korean cultural and consumer goods exhibition featuring 31 Korean brands. The K-pop singer was scheduled to headline the finale concert of K-Era Fest at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, Oct. 25. The performance was separate from his world tour, which had already seen six US stops postponed last month over similar visa

2026-10-14 18:15:47:00

YG unveils new boy group, girl group plans after delayed debut

YG Entertainment is moving forward with plans to debut a new boy group and girl group, though neither has a confirmed launch date. YG founder and chief producer Yang Hyun-suk outlined the remaining preparations for the five-member boy group and four-member girl group in a statement posted on the company's official blog Wednesday. "Both groups plan to record a number of demo songs we've been working on by the end of this year," Yang said. "Once their title tracks are finalized, we expect to have

2026-10-14 13:47:46:00

BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids face off for top MAMA honors

The 2026 MAMA Awards are shaping up to be a fiercely contested showdown among K-pop's biggest names, including BTS, Blackpink and Stray Kids — all of whom are absent from the 2027 Grammy Awards' inaugural Asian pop category. The MAMA Awards, one of K-pop's most prominent music awards ceremonies, are organized by CJ ENM and take place Nov. 20-21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. The nominations unveiled Monday arguably feature a stronger lineup of established K-pop stars than those in the Grammys'

2026-10-13 14:58:39:00

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.

2026-10-12 21:40:42:00

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

2026-10-12 13:43:52:00

Art Taipei 2026 to explore evolving relationship between humans, technology

Art Taipei, one of Asia's longest-running international art fairs, will return to Taiwan's capital from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, bringing together 127 galleries for an exhibition exploring the evolving relationship between humanity and technology. Organized by the Taiwan Art Gallery Association, the fair will hold its 33rd edition at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 under the theme "Symbiosis," examining how humans and rapidly advancing technology coexist, influence and sustain one another rather than

2026-10-11 16:56:35:00

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

2026-10-11 13:55:02:00

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

2026-10-09 18:19:52:00