K-pop boy group Stray Kids nabbed the grand prize at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024, held at the K-Arena Yokohama in Japan on Wednesday. The Asia Star Entertainer Awards is a new awards ceremony launched by Newsen and @star1 magazine. “We enjoy singing and performing on stage these days. We are thankful for being able to positively influence our fans. We will never forget this feeling and continue to march forward," said member Lee Know after receiving the award onstage. Lee al

K-pop April 11, 2024

Lisa of Blackpink signed a partnership with RCA Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, according to Sony Music Entertainment Korea on Thursday. Together with RCA Records, Lisa is set to prepare a solo album to be promoted globally. “I’m super excited to be joining the RCA family and I am confident they are the best team to create a bigger movement in my solo career. Looking forward to showing the world everything we have been preparing,” said Lisa

K-pop April 11, 2024

K-pop is leading a new generation of music consumers for whom social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, have become the leading outlets for experiencing music, says Choi Jae-yoon, the founder and CEO of Hello82, a Los Angeles-based K-pop record label and distributor established in 2018. “K-pop artists are like social influencers with a fan community. That fan community consumes content related to the artist available online and shares such content. They are the main target consum

K-pop April 10, 2024

K-pop boy group Epex released its first studio album, “Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days,” on Tuesday. The group rolled out the first installment of its “youth” trilogy with this album containing songs about the concerns of youth, their dreams and stories related to love. “The keyword of this album is ‘secret.’ We wanted to describe how even though youths seem full of brightness and joy, each individual could be hiding a scar. The two upcoming albums of the tr

K-pop April 10, 2024

With Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, coming to an end, many are set for a new start in 2024. Even the weather is starting to warm up, confirming that spring is coming. Here are three songs that will prep you for a fresh start. TWS - “Plot Twist” Anyoneoff to a new start can relate to this song, which sings about the difficulty of encountering people you have never met before in a new environment. This single, by K-pop rookie TWS also conveys the message that not everything goes

K-pop April 10, 2024

K-pop boy group TXT is embarking on its first-ever dome tour in Japan, according to Big Hit Music. TXT announced the tour, “Act: Promise in Japan,” by posting a video clip on its official X account on Monday. The dome tour will kick off with a concert at the Tokyo Dome on July 10-11 followed by concerts at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 27-28, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Aug. 4-5 and the Fukuoka PayPay Dome on Sep. 14-15, for a total of eight shows. Previously, TXT had performed at t

K-pop April 9, 2024

J-Hope of BTS made history on the Billboard chart with his special album, “Hope on the Street Vol.1,” released last month. According to Billboard, J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street Vol.1” landed at No. 5 on Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, dated April 13. This is the second time J-Hope has made it to the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 following the success of his first solo LP, “Jack In The Box,” which landed at No. 6 on the same cha

K-pop April 8, 2024

Solar of the K-pop girl group Mamamoo is returning with a new solo album on April 30, according to her agency RBW. Solar announced her comeback by dropping a teaser clip in which she revealed the title of her upcoming second EP, “Colours.” This solo release is the first since her debut solo EP, “Face,” was released in March 2022. The upcoming album will cover diverse genres, showcasing Solar’s multifaceted musical talents, the agency said. Since making her solo debu

K-pop April 8, 2024

Chaeyoung of Twice and singer-songwriter Zion.T confirmed that they are in a relationship. JYP Entertainment, which houses Twice, and The Black Label, which represents Zion.T, announced on Friday that “the two are in a relationship after growing to like each other” and that “they are supporting each other.” Earlier on Friday, a local media outlet reported that Chaeyoung and Zion.T have been dating for six months after they were first introduced to each other by acquaintan

K-pop April 5, 2024

The co-CEOs of Kakao Entertainment, Kweon Ki-su and Joseph Chang, are planning organizational reform to create positive synergy between the company's music, media content and other intellectual property. This business plan was revealed during the first town hall meeting held after they took office on Thursday. Joseph Chang will establish and lead a team in charge of music IP and data-based music development, to help foster the team's role of producing and expanding music and artist IP.

K-pop April 5, 2024

It would be a lie for the bandmates of SM Entertainment rookie K-pop boy band NCT Wish to say they did not feel the pressure of their debut as a subunit of NCT. Yet, NCT Wish hopes to continue to do its best to live up to the group’s name. “Our seniors from the group NCT are outstanding live performers, so we try our best to live up to their name by practicing hard for our performance and monitoring our rehearsals meticulously for improvement. We still have a long way to go,” S

K-pop April 4, 2024

K-pop boy group Nowadays debuted Tuesday with its first single album, “Nowadays.” Consisting of five members -- Hyeon-bin, Yoon, Yeon-woo, Jin-hyuk and Si-yun -- Nowadays is Cube Entertainment's first new boy group in eight years. “We combined the words ‘Now’ and ‘Days’ for our name as we hope to make special memories with our fans now, at this present moment, and also in the days to come,” said Hyeon-bin during a press conference in Seoul on

K-pop April 3, 2024

Under heavy pressure from fans, Karina of aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook have parted ways, just five weeks after their relationship became public. “Actor Lee Jae-wook decided to break up with Karina to concentrate on work. The two of them will continue to support each other as colleagues working in the same industry," said Lee Jae-wook’s agency, CJes Studios, in a press release Tuesday. The breakup was confirmed by Karina's agency. “Karina and Lee Jae-wook have decided

K-pop April 2, 2024

K-pop boy group Super Junior’s duo, Donghae and Eunhyuk, also known as Super Junior-D&E, is set to tour Japan, according to Ode Entertainment. The duo's “Departure” tour kicks off with a concert in Osaka on April 12 followed by concerts in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Aichi, Saitama, Kanagawa, Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Hyogo for a total of 17 shows. The initial plan was to perform 13 shows but four more concerts were added as tickets sold out quickly. The duo is set to perform a setl

K-pop April 2, 2024

Dropping the group's first EP, “Babymos7er,” Monday, YG Entertainment’s latest girl group, Babymonster, made its official debut. “We are announcing our new beginning as a group of seven with Ahyeon joining us for the promotion of this album,” said Rora of Babymonster during a group interview with local reporters on Monday. Babymonster previously debuted with a digital single, “Batter Up,” on Nov. 27, 2023 as a group of six -- Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ram

K-pop April 1, 2024