BTS member V roots for S. Korean table tennis teen phenom

BTS member V's message supporting self-proclaimed BTS fan and teenage ping pong sensation Shin Yu-bin has gone viral. Shin Yu-bin, the youngest member of the South Korean women's table tennis team at 17, is a fan of the South Korean supergroup. Shin, who beat Luxembourg's Xia Lian Ni, a 58-year-old veteran athlete, at the Tokyo Olympics Women's Singles Round 2 on Sunday, has often mentioned how she is a huge fan of the septet. Previous interviews showed her carrying photos of BTS members in he

K-popJuly 26, 2021

[Herald Interview] Jimmy Brown, the Korean who sings of love in English

Listening to the first few lines of indie R&B artist Jimmy Brown’s recent release “Yours,” you might not figure that he is Korean, let alone a Korean with only a year’s experience of living abroad. Brown, whose real name is Lee Ji-won, will be an unfamiliar name to most Korean listeners, as he has rarely promoted himself or his songs outside his social media and streaming platforms. He has occasionally caught the eye of the general public -- when BTS’ Jimin

K-popJuly 25, 2021

BTS: 'We want to help future generation with public role'

South Korean superband BTS said it hopes to play an active role in helping youths around the world amid global challenges like economic hardships, inequality and the ongoing pandemic. The seven-piece group, which has rewritten history by ruling Billboard charts and becoming the first Korean pop group to receive a Grammy nomination, was recently named for the public diplomacy role. With the appointment, the group is set to attend major international meetings, including the 76th session of the U

K-popJuly 25, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Girl group aespa signs with top US agency

SM Entertainment girl group aespa has signed with the largest agency in the US, Creative Artists Agency, as the team gears up for the global stage. 　 The group will be represented overseas by the talent agency, according to their label on Friday. SM Entertainment boy bands NCT 127 and SuperM are signed to the agency as well. 　 The quartet debuted in November and has set multiple records since. The music video for its debut single “Black Mamba” reached 100 million views in about 51

K-popJuly 23, 2021

BTS drops R&B remix of 'Permission to Dance'

South Korean superband BTS on Friday unveiled an R&B version of its latest Billboard-topping hit "Permission to Dance." The remix, which the group's agency Big Hit Music described as having a 1990s vibe, was released at 1 p.m., two weeks after the septet dropped the summer song. The new version is a gesture of gratitude for fans around the world who supported BTS in hitting No. 1 on the Billboard main singles chart with five songs, the agency added. BTS recently topped the Billb

K-popJuly 23, 2021

Korean credit card companies target K-pop fans with fan-friendly products

South Korean credit card companies are pushing to collaborate with K-pop agencies to launch customized products for fans who are becoming increasingly important customers across most industries. Earlier this week, credit card giant BC Card released a new product with K-pop giant YG Entertainment. Dubbed the "BLACKPINK Card," the new credit card offers fan-friendly features like discounts on ticket purchases and streaming, according to the two companies. BLACKPINK's four members -- Ji

K-popJuly 23, 2021

BTS to perform on BBC radio show 'Live Lounge' next week

K-pop juggernaut BTS will appear on the popular BBC radio show "Live Lounge" next week, the group's agency said Friday. The group will perform its first Billboard Hot 100 chart topper "Dynamite," its latest hit song "Permission to Dance" and a special cover of "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans on the British radio show next Tuesday (local time), Big Hit Music said. "Live Lounge" on BBC Radio 1 is known for its segment featurin

K-popJuly 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ “Butter” has no copyright infringement: label

BTS’ label Big Hit Music said in a statement on Thursday that “Butter” does not breach any copyrights.   　 “It remains unchanged that the right to the music belongs to ‘Butter,’” said the company, acknowledging that it is aware of the claims that the intro of the song may be plagiarized.   　 “The song has been finalized and released after a process of confirming with all copyright holders that there is no issue surrounding the song,&rd

K-popJuly 22, 2021

Commercials that became talk of town with BTS

Celebrity endorsement is not a new concept in the advertising business -- it sells products. BTS’ meteoric rise to prominence over the years has brimmed companies with excitement -- the group has caused a ripple effect on companies that use them to promote their brands. The seven-piece, in particular, has ticked off many factors on the success list that companies yearn for when it comes to advertising. Today, more companies seek a promotional boost by interweaving their well-crafted mar

K-popJuly 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Dio wrote two songs for solo debut album

D.O. of EXO participated in writing lyrics for two songs from his upcoming solo debut album, label SM Entertainment said on Wednesday. 　 The musician is putting out his first solo album “Empathy” on July 26 and co-authored words for two out of eight tracks. Six of the songs are new and two are bonus tracks including an English version of title track “Rose.” 　 “Rose” is an acoustic folk number and he sings of how one’s heart goes aflutter having fallen

K-popJuly 21, 2021

BTS named S. Korea's special presidential envoy for public diplomacy

President Moon Jae-in appointed South Korean boy band BTS as his special envoy for public diplomacy Wednesday. In their capacity of "special presidential envoy for future generations and culture," the members of the group plan to attend major international meetings, including the 75th session of the U.N. General Assembly slated for September, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. They will send a message of consolation and hope for the youth around the world and also join v

K-popJuly 21, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS launches “PTD” dance challenge on YouTube’s new service

BTS invited fans to participate in a dance challenge exclusive to YouTube Shorts.  From July 23 through to Aug. 14, participants can send in 15-second-long videos that cover the choreography from the band’s newest hit “Permission to Dance” on YouTube’s mobile app. It is the first global dance challenge on YouTube’s short-form video feature that was recently introduced. The bandmates will select some of their favorite entries and create a compilation video as

K-popJuly 20, 2021

BTS replaces Billboard No. 1 with new song 'Permission to Dance'

South Korean superband BTS has added another feat to its copious list of accomplishments: replacing one of the group's own songs at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and scoring back-to-back debuts atop the list. The septet's third English number, "Permission to Dance," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard's main singles chart, becoming the group's fifth song to top the chart. 'Permission To Dance' officially debuts at No. 1 on this week's Hot 100. It earns the group its fifth career No. 1

K-popJuly 20, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to put out repack of 2nd LP Aug. 17

Tomorrow X Together will release a repackage of its second studio album on Aug. 17, it announced Monday. 　 The band will drop “The Chaos Chapter: Fight of Escape,” a rearrangement of “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze.” The original LP has remained in Billboard’s top 200 for five consecutive weeks, having entered the chart at No. 5. 　 The LP sold over 630,000 copies within a week of its release, the best record ever for a K-pop band in its third year. In Japan, the album

K-popJuly 19, 2021

All members of Seventeen renew contracts with agency

All 13 members of K-pop boy band Seventeen have agreed to renew contracts with their agency before expiry, the group's agency said Monday. "While the existing contract is yet to expire, all 13 members of Seventeen and the company held in-depth discussions on the group's future plans and reached a consensus to renew the contract in advance," Pledis Entertainment said in a statement. Seventeen was quoted as saying that its 13 members all agreed to "stay together (based on) faith f

K-popJuly 19, 2021

Who are the key players at Hybe in the post-Bang Si-hyuk era?

On July 2, K-pop juggernaut Hybe announced it was reshuffling the company’s topmost personnel in an effort to vitalize its global operations. Most notably, founder Bang Si-hyuk stepped down as CEO to focus on production. Replacing him is Park Ji-won, formerly CEO of Hybe’s headquarters. Hybe also introduced new leadership at its headquarters in South Korea, the US and Japan, ushering in a new era for the entertainment conglomerate. Here’s a brief look into the new leadershi

K-popJuly 19, 2021

Inside Hybe: Seven agencies making a splash on the music scene

Hybe has continued to grow through acquisitions and restructuring, adding multiple subsidiaries. The company announced plans in March to augment its business portfolio to bring people together through music. The music industry heavyweight also aims to enter the international market with its lineup of labels. The firm boasts some of the biggest names in the Korean and global music scene, including megastars like BTS and Seventeen. Here’s a list of seven subsidiaries under Hybe’s

K-popJuly 19, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen cancels offline fan meet

Seventeen will not meet fans in person during its fifth fan meet “Seventeen in Carat Land,” agency Pledis Entertainment said Friday. 　 Through its official fandom channel Weverse, the company announced that it would cancel the in-person meet for the event after the social distancing guideline was strengthened as the country seeks to overcome another COVID-19 wave. 　 The 13-member group was originally planning to host the fan meet events in southern Seoul from Aug. 6-8, both off- a

K-popJuly 16, 2021

Unlikely K-pop act rules Korean music charts

MSG Wannabe, an all-male act that formed on the popular Korean TV show "Hangout With Yoo," is going strong on South Korean music charts. The eight-piece act is far from a typical K-pop band. The group consists of a comedian, singers and actors -- including two in their 50s and three in their 30s -- and their name MSG Wannabe comes from monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is often derided here for being a junk food ingredient but making food flavorful. Nonetheless, the project group t

K-popJuly 16, 2021

Kakao Entertainment to merge with music streaming platform Melon

Kakao Entertainment announced Thursday that it has decided to merge with South Korea’s leading online music streaming platform, Melon. The decision comes as Kakao aims to secure competitiveness and leadership in the showbiz industry. The two companies jointly agreed at a board meeting held Thursday and attended by both sides. The deal is expected to be finalized through a shareholders meeting on Sept. 1. Under the merger, one share of Kakao will be exchanged with around 7.8 shares of

K-popJuly 15, 2021