BTS’ latest single “On” shattered expectations, debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week. Fans were obviously happy to see the latest single become the highest-charting song for not just BTS, but any Korean group ever. But what should have been a celebratory occasion soon spawned controversy, as curious fans took notice of an alleged gap between Billboard’s streaming figure for the song -- 18.3 million streams -- and what could be found publicly: ar

K-pop March 9, 2020

To much anticipation and buzz around the world, BTS released its fourth studio album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” in late February. One week in, the septet’s latest album has broken multiple records, including the biggest first-week album sales of the year so far. It also helped the group achieve a fourth No. 1 hit in the US, making BTS the fastest band to do so since the Beatles in the late ’60s. While fans celebrate, there is a small group of people for whom this record is

K-pop March 3, 2020

BTS says its new album “Map of the Soul: 7” reflects on the septet’s seven-year journey together. “‘Map of the Soul 7’ contains our stories -- all the emotions we experienced from the seven years we worked as BTS and our feelings toward fans,” bandmate J-Hope said during the global press conference for the album in Seoul on Monday. Following Friday’s release of its fourth studio album and a series of promotions in the US, the septet was back in S

K-pop Feb. 24, 2020

BTS once again thanked their fans for their positivity during their first appearance on the Today Show on Friday. “It’s all because of ARMYs that gave us positive energies,” RM said as he translated Jin's answer when the band was asked about why the group is known for spreading positivity. The septet appeared on stage just outside Rockefeller Plaza in central New York City just hours after releasing a new album for a brief live interview. Explaining the title

K-pop Feb. 21, 2020

BTS released Friday its fourth studio album, “Map of the Soul: 7” spanning 20 tracks. The lead track “On” is an electrifying pop/hip-hop anthem that heavily features marching band drums as the group sings the soaring chorus in harmony, “Bring the pain/oh yea, rain be pourin’/sky keep fallin’/oh na na na.” The bandmates reflected on their celebrity status, singing, “Where is this place I open my eyes to? Maybe Seoul or New York or Paris.&rdq

K-pop Feb. 21, 2020

The nation’s largest web portal, Naver, will not publish comments under its entertainment news until further notice, for the sake of celebrities’ mental health. “We acknowledge that the current technological efforts aren’t enough to relieve the pain felt by celebrities and have decided to close the comment section for entertainment news until a further structural overhaul,” the company said Wednesday. The move takes effect sometime next month. Kakao, which owns th

K-pop Feb. 20, 2020

50. Paradise The R&B track from “Love Yourself: Tear” keeps things simple and brings back the memories of 2000s R&B. 49. Jamais Vu J-Hope, Jin and Jungkook teamed up in a rare occasion for this dramatic song that takes an edgy turn a third way through. 48. Anpanman As the title suggests, the light-hearted and playful tune was inspired by the character from the popular anime series “Anpanman.” Rather than siding with the likes of Batman, it’s endearing

K-pop Feb. 18, 2020

Nearly 3 1/2 years since its debut, Pentagon is releasing its very first full-length album, “Universe: The Black Hall.” The album consists of 11 tracks representing different genres, and leader Hui says it captures the essence of the band’s work so far. “The new album is an aggregation of our previous nine EPs we’ve released so far,” he said during the press showcase in Seoul on Wednesday. While some might think 3 1/2 years is a long delay, Jinho said he wa

K-pop Feb. 12, 2020

  Girls’ Generation, SHINee, Loona and TVXQ -- some of these biggest names in K-pop have one thing in common. They’ve released a song from Swedish songwriting duo Caesar & Loui, or Daniel Caesar and Ludwig Lindell. Since the two began working in music professionally in 2013, they have churned out a great number of hits. Their most memorable track yet? It’s Red Velvet’s 2017 mega-hit single “Red Flavor.” The song was a chart success, topp

K-pop Feb. 10, 2020

Diving straight in with a grandiose operatic intro with dramatic pizzicato strings, Red Velvet’s latest hit bursts into the swooping chorus, “You got me feeling like a psycho, psycho.” For 3 1/2 minutes straight, the five singers showcase their skillful vocals as the story of a hot-and-cold relationship unfolds. Released in December as the lead single from the band’s latest album, “The ReVe Festival: Finale,” “Psycho” continues to please, after

K-pop Feb. 10, 2020

K-pop label behemoth Big Hit Entertainment made a number of major announcements during its latest corporate briefing on Tuesday. CEO and producer Bang Si-hyuk took to the stage to kick off the company’s “Corporate Briefing with the Community” and said, “For those who are watching this video, please stay safe.” Tuesday’s event was meant for both the media and select fans but it ended up taking place in private amid concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak

K-pop Feb. 5, 2020

A series of K-pop events are being canceled amid concerns over the deadly coronavirus outbreak, as organizers opt out to be on the safe side. Big Hit Entertainment, home to BTS, announced last week that it would hold its corporate briefing privately on Tuesday, despite having originally planned to open the event to the media and fans. The agency said the event would go ahead without a live audience, and a video would be uploaded the following day. According to YG Entertainment, Blackpink&rsqu

K-pop Feb. 3, 2020

BTS delivered its very first onstage performance of “Black Swan” on the “Late Late Show” on Wednesday. It is the first single to be released from the upcoming album “Map of The Soul: 7.” The seven band members wore all-black outfits as they sang the orchestral emo hip-hop song against a dimly lit forest background and executed performance art-like choreography without shoes. Wednesday marks the third time the group has appeared on the late-night talk show, a

K-pop Jan. 29, 2020

Tweets about BTS are easy to come by, but now a story about a same-sex ARMY couple who got married this month has gone viral.“From meeting on Twitter because of @BTS_twt to meeting in real life at the BTS concert to getting married yesterday to BTS’ instrumentals, it has been one hell of a journey,” the couple tweeted on Jan 6, which has received over 25,000 likes since.“Thank u BTS for bringing us together,” they wrote.Amber Rodriguez, 25, originally from Charlesto

K-pop Jan. 23, 2020

About 50 kilometers from central Seoul, Incheon Airport is one of the busiest air gateways anywhere in the world. While most people go to travel abroad, some have a different purpose: to see their favorite idols up close.Celebrities in Korea, especially K-pop idols, often arrive fully styled from head to toe, emerging from a van when embarking on a tour or doing promotions in another country. And as soon as they get out, the airport shoot begins as photographers hurriedly take out the cameras.So

K-pop Jan. 22, 2020