[Herald Interview] How WEi’s musical talent shapes teamwork

When it comes to K-pop career, WEi is no stranger to spotlight, even though it debuted as a group just last month. Consisting of Jang Dae-hyeon, Kim Dong-han, Kim Yo-han, Yoo Yong-ha, Kim Jun-seo and Kang Seok-hwa, the six-piece group debuted under Oui Entertainment on Oct. 5 with its debut EP “Identity: First Sight,” featuring lead single “Twilight.” The group just made its first step, but the footprints of the bandmates are everywhere in the K-pop industry. Both Daehy

K-popNov. 11, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'Kill This Love' hits 1.1b views on YouTube

South Korean all-female band BLACKPINK's music video "Kill This Love" has topped 1.1 billion views on YouTube, its agency said Tuesday. The four-member act's music video of the iconic hit song reached the milestone at around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to YG Entertainment. "Kill This Love," released in April 2019, is one of the band's most popular songs, having ranked No. 41 on the US music chart Billboard's main singles chart in its first week of release. An extended play

K-popNov. 10, 2020

GFriend bandmates transformed into modern witches in ‘Mago’

GFriend released its new full-length album, “Walpurgis Night,” Monday. “Right after releasing our previous ‘Song of the Sirens’ album, we’ve been constantly working on the new album right until the comeback. We really did our best to make it happen as soon as possible,” said band leader Sowon during an online press showcase for the new album in Seoul on Monday. The fully packed collection is fronted by upbeat disco track “Mago,” which abou

K-popNov. 9, 2020

BTS wins four prizes at MTV Europe Music Awards

K-pop megastar BTS has clinched four trophies at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA), including the coveted Best Song prize. The seven-member act took home four prizes in total, winning the Best Song category with its latest hit "Dynamite" and Best Virtual Live for its concert that was held online amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony was streamed live earlier Monday. Other nominees who competed for Best Song included DaBaby with "Rockstar," featuring Roddy

K-popNov. 9, 2020

BTS' Suga to take break following shoulder surgery: agency

Suga, a member of K-pop megastar BTS, will take a break from official activities, including promotion for an upcoming album, to fully recover from a recent shoulder surgery, the band's agency said Friday. "Suga underwent surgery to repair his torn shoulder labrum on November 3," Big Hit Entertainment said in an announcement posted on fan community Weverse, adding that the BTS member is resting well following the successful surgery. The agency said Suga has suffered from shoulder-rela

K-popNov. 6, 2020

[Herald Interview] Treasure talks new album, making three comebacks in less than 100 days

After making its long-awaited debut in August, Treasure has dropped three albums in less than 100 days as if to prove its presence as a rising rookie of the year. YG Entertainment‘s 12-piece boy band released its third EP “The First Step”: CHAPTER THREE” on Friday evening, shortly after rolling out its second installment of the “The First Step” series in September. The new album is fronted by the lead single “MMM,” a groovy and aggressive hyb

K-popNov. 6, 2020

BTS’ pop-up showcase quenches fans’ thirst amid pandemic

A BTS pop-up showcase in Seoul quenched local fans’ thirst during the pandemic era, offering them a unique experience related to the global pop music juggernaut. Taking over a three-story building at trendy Garosugil in Gangnam, southern Seoul, the offline showcase dubbed “BTS pop-up: Map of the Soul” opened its door to fans on Oct. 23. It follows BTS’ first pop-up store that opened last year in Seoul. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak, some major alterations were

K-popNov. 5, 2020

K-pop artist BoA to drop album marking 20th anniversary

K-pop soloist BoA is set to drop an album celebrating her 20th anniversary in the music industry next month, her agency said Thursday. BoA will release her 10th full-length album titled "Better" on Dec. 1, SM Entertainment said in a press release, without elaborating on the album's 11 tracks. The 34-year-old, who debuted in 2000, is one of the first K-pop artists who rose to overseas fame and is often credited for helping "hallyu," or the global popularity of Korean pop mus

K-popNov. 5, 2020

T1 meets BTS on ‘Run BTS’

League of Legends players from T1 Entertainment & Sports made a guest appearance on global superstar band BTS’ variety program “Run BTS!” on Tuesday, becoming the program’s first-ever guests in time for its 114th episode.　 T1 superstars Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, Park “Teddy” Jin-sung, Lee “Effort” Sang-ho, Mun “Cuzz” Uchan and Kim “Canna” Chang-dong met with BTS’ RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung

K-popNov. 4, 2020

BTS' 'Dynamite' ranks No. 12 on Billboard singles chart

K-pop superstar BTS ranked No. 12 on the Billboard's main singles chart this week with its mega-hit single "Dynamite" while also keeping three of its albums on the main albums chart. "Dynamite" dropped five notches to come in 12th on the Hot 100 chart for the week ending this Saturday, snapping its nine-week streak in the chart's top 10, according to the lately refreshed Billboard chart. The Hot 100 blends all-genre US streaming, radio airplay and sales data. The septet's

K-popNov. 4, 2020

[Herald Interview] Weki Meki talks growth, shares lessons learned

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, this year turned out to be quite prolific for Weki Meki.  Having released three EPs from February to October, most recently highlighted by its power-driven single “Cool,” the eight girls of the rising K-pop girl group took time to look back on their four-year career, talk growth as musicians and share each of their life lessons for this year. “It was definitely a busy year, but we were glad to have shown new sides of us in terms of perf

K-popNov. 3, 2020

BTS' 'Dynamite' hits top 10 of Billboard's Pop Songs radio chart

K-pop superstar BTS has hit the top 10 on a Billboard radio airplay chart for the first time with its mega-hit single "Dynamite." The septet's first English song rose two notches to place ninth for this week on the Pop Songs radio chart to be updated on Tuesday, according to Billboard on Monday (US local time). The chart is one of the radio airplay charts of Billboard, measuring total weekly plays of the top 40 songs on some 160 mainstream radio stations. It is the highest ranking o

K-popNov. 3, 2020

SM Entertainment's new girl group to debut on Nov. 17

SM Entertainment said Monday that aespa, the agency's first K-pop act in four years, is set to officially debut on Nov. 17. The all-female quartet will release its first single "Black Mamba" at 6 p.m. on Nov. 17, the agency said. SM Entertainment recently released the profiles of the members -- Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning -- ahead of the group's debut this month. The band's name, aespa, comes from the English words "avatar, experience and aspect," with the name me

K-popNov. 2, 2020

BTS to debut new lead single 'Life Goes On' at American Music Awards

K-pop megastar BTS will debut its highly anticipated new single, called "Life Goes On," at a US music award show next month, the band's agency said Saturday. The seven-member boy band will hold a live performance at this year's American Music Awards scheduled for Nov. 22 (local time), according to Big Hit Entertainment. The upcoming new album, "BE (Deluxe Edition)," will be released next month, following February's "Map Of The Soul: 7." Other details of the lea

K-popOct. 31, 2020

[Herald Interview] Verivery goes beyond the barrier, makes inroads on Billboard

Verivery thanked fans for celebrating the band’s milestone Billboard debut during an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday. With “G.B.T.B,” the lead track on its new album “Face Us,” the seven-piece act landed atop Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart earlier that day, making inroads on the American music chart for the first time since its debut last year. “We really did not expect this. We feel numbed,” band leader Dongheon said. &

K-popOct. 30, 2020

WINNER's Mino returns with artistic, confessional 2nd solo album

Mino, the witty rapper and lyricist of K-pop boy band WINNER, said Friday his upcoming second solo album is all about showing what kind of musician he is. Mino, whose real name is Song Min-ho, is set to drop the album "Take," in the evening, two years after he released his debut solo album "XX" that featured the chart-topping main track "Fiance" in 2018. "Although I've been active in many areas, singing is my main job. Since I'm really serious about music, I

K-popOct. 30, 2020

SM chief Lee Soo-man talks about online concerts, robots, avatars in future for K-pop

Lee Soo-man, the chief producer and founder of one of South Korea's biggest music agencies SM Entertainment, mentioned the potential of online concerts, robots and avatars in the future for the K-pop industry during a forum here Wednesday. The company, which manages K-pop megastars EXO, SHINee and NCT, was one of the first in the music industry to hold an online concert this year as the new coronavirus pandemic prompted governments to mandate social distancing and effectively blocked traditiona

K-popOct. 28, 2020

New car launching event, online concert mixed into virtual showcase

South Korea's largest entertainment and auto companies plan to introduce an unprecedented virtual showcase combining an online concert and a new car launching event next month, according to an announcement Wednesday. SM Entertainment and Hyundai Motor Co. said they will jointly unveil a new concept virtual showcase, titled "Beyond DRIVE," on the automaker's YouTube channel HyundaiWorldwide at 10 p.m. on Sunday (Korean time). Hyundai will announce the launching of its new compact SUV,

K-popOct. 28, 2020

Refund Sisters: latest K-pop sensation that S. Korea is raving about

It depends on what you define K-pop as, but the Refund Sisters are probably not your typical K-pop stars. Brimming with confidence and bad girl vibes, nothing seems to daunt the group's four divas -- soloists Uhm Jung-hwa and Lee Hyori, rapper Jessi and Hwasa of girl group MAMAMOO -- who seem to get along pretty well despite their age gap and different backgrounds. In fact, the moniker Refund Sisters, otherwise known as Refund Expedition in Korean, comes from their strong girl demeanor that no

K-popOct. 27, 2020

‘Minisode 1: Blue Hour,’ TXT’s short tale told in the era of COVID-19

Tomorrow X Together returned with their third mini album “Minisode 1: Blue Hour” Monday, sharing a hopeful message to young people isolated and lost in emotions amid the unprecedented pandemic. “The album tells the story of a boy who faces a completely changed world after experiencing a sudden shift in his relationship with his friend,” the quintet’s leader Soobin said during an online press conference in Seoul. Fronting the album is “Blue Hour,” a di

K-popOct. 27, 2020