Sunmi embraces girl power, praises Hwasa and Chung Ha

Sunmi is tackling city pop in her new single “pporappippam” which is slated for release Monday. While known for her dance-pop sound, the new song -- which translates to purple night in Korean -- sees the singer incorporate elements of city pop into her signature upbeat pop sound -- a subset of pop music originated in Japan in the ’70s. “Imagine a breeze that cools you down on a summer day at sunset after a hot day and you are looking up to the sky at a café terra

K-popJune 29, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'How You Like That' becomes fastest video ever to top 100 million YouTube views

The music video of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's latest song "How You Like That" racked in over 100 million views on YouTube at the fastest pace ever, its management agency said Sunday. The 100 million views were reached at around 2:23 a.m. Sunday, about 32 hours after the music video was released, according to YG Entertainment. The previous record was set by BTS in April 2019 with "Boy With Luv," the main track off its album titled "Map of the Soul: Persona."

K-popJune 28, 2020

Blackpink says they want to spread positive energy with 'How You Like That'

The members of Blackpink say they want to spread positive energy with their new single, “How You Like That.” It is the group’s first single since “Kill This Love,” which came out in April 2019. Ahead of the song’s release Friday, the bandmates discussed the experience of recording their first full-length album and collaborating with Lady Gaga during a livestreamed press conference. “This may sound a little bit grand. We really tried to give people a

K-popJune 26, 2020

Twice’s 30 best tracks, ranked

30. “Firework” (2020) Songs on Twice’s latest album “More & More” have a more mature sound and “Firework” is no exception. With Latin guitar melodies sprinkled all over, the rhythmic tune conjures up images of fireworks on a summer night. 29. “Chillax” (2018) As bright and cheerful beats open the song, the group’s warm vocals sing in harmony, “Chill and chill and relax-lax” as the song talks of wanting to go on a holi

K-popJune 25, 2020

How Trump and K-pop ended up in the same headline

After fans of South Korean pop music enjoyed weeks of media attention as an emerging political force, the conversation is now turning partisan in the US. On Monday’s episode of Fox News’ weekly “Fox & Friends,” one host explained the low turnout at US President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday, then added, “And there were these reports that teenagers on TikTok and fans of the group K-pop took credit because they reserved a bunch of tickets never intending

K-popJune 24, 2020

Seventeen is back and they are fearless

Seventeen released their seventh mini-album “Heng:garae,” with “Left & Right” as its lead track, on Monday. The record, featuring six tracks, comes about nine months after their third full album “An Ode.” While the previous album focused on the concept of fear, the new album carries a much more upbeat and optimistic theme. In fact, the first song is called “Fearless.” Speaking to the press during a livestreamed press showcase, the bandmates

K-popJune 23, 2020

K-pop powerhouses ask for financial support from government

K-pop powerhouses on Friday participated in a roundtable meeting with Culture Minister Park Yang-woo, discussing the financial difficulties they face due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19. The meeting, hosted by the Culture Ministry, in addition to listening to the challenges entertainment companies face, was intended to set the agenda for expanding the Korean Wave in the post-coronavirus era. Eight senior executives of K-pop companies including S.M. Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, Big Hit

K-popJune 21, 2020

SM Entertainment expresses support for US Black Lives Matter movement

SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's oldest and most influential K-pop entertainment companies, on Friday expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. "We stand with our Black collaborators, friends and fans and all who are speaking out to insist that Black Lives Matter," SM said in an English-language statement shared on its @SMTOWNGLOBAL Twitter account. The K-pop powerhouse behind such top-billed acts as EXO, NCT 127, TVXQ, SHINee and Girls' Gene

K-popJune 19, 2020

BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' becomes No. 1 sold album in Japan during H1

K-pop group BTS was the biggest seller of music in album format in Japan during the first half of 2020, according to Japan's main music sales tracker Friday. "Map of the Soul: 7," the septet's studio album released in February, has sold 429,009 copies in Japan to date to become the best-selling album so far in 2020, Oricon reported. BTS was trailed by Japanese acts, King Gnu and Johnny's West, selling 389,449 and 220,508 copies of albums, respectively. According to Big Hit Entertai

K-popJune 19, 2020

Is there a media double standard for K-pop?

When the sudden death of singer Yohan from boyband TST came to light this week, the group’s agency KJ Music Entertainment put out a statement pleading with the media to refrain from speculation over the cause of his death at his family’s request, which has yet to be revealed. As the local media at large reported on the sad news as a standalone incident, the news soon reached the other side of the world. The Daily Mail covered the story with a list titled “A year of tragedy a

K-popJune 18, 2020

[Herald Interview] Onewe still adapting to idol system, but have never been happier to do music

Many popular bands tell a story of how childhood friends from a same block or classmates who shared musical passion started out as an underground band. Onewe, a five-piece band under RBW Entertainment, also evolved from years of friendship, playing music together since middle school. After busking in streets and playing gigs on small stages countless times, the bandmates found a new musical nest at their current agency, which is also home to acts like Mamamoo and Oneus. “We always talk

K-popJune 18, 2020

Stray Kids cook up ‘God’s Menu’

Continuing to forge their own path, Stray Kids returned with “God’s Menu,” taking the group’s creative ethos to the next level. The new single was released Wednesday evening as the lead track of the band’s first full-length album “Go Live.” Produced by the band’s internal producing trio of Bang Chan, Han and Changbin, otherwise known as “3racha,” “God’s Menu” takes on a unique theme of cooking, likening the song to a

K-popJune 18, 2020

BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk makes Billboard's '2020 Indie Power Players' list

Bang Si-hyuk, head of BTS' management agency Big Hit Entertainment, was chosen by American music publication Billboard as one of the top leaders in the global independent record industry in 2020. Bang, 47, was included on Billboard's "2020 Indie Power Players" list published on Monday (local time), compiled by staff at the US music trade publication. "Multi-platinum albums, a global stadium tour, an army of fans -- BTS has achieved it all with Bang's independent Big Hit Enterta

K-popJune 16, 2020

[Herald Review] BTS’ Bang Bang Con The Live: Nothing short of real-life intimacy

Even for BTS, long accustomed to sold-out stadium tours, an online streaming concert using its own platform was a whole new level of experience. “Today, it’s even harder to perform than usual maybe because there’s no eye-to-eye contact, energy and screaming from you guys,” addressed band leader RM during Sunday’s “Bang Bang Con: The Live” concert livestreamed from a luxury hotel in Incheon. The absence of ear-splitting screams from fervent concertgoe

K-popJune 15, 2020

[Herald Interview] Meet the couple behind BTS and TXT’s latest hits

LA-based songwriter Melanie Fontana and producer Michel “Lindgren” Schulz have long produced hit tracks for leading groups such as Girls’ Generation and f(x). With their recent work with Big Hit Entertainment’s beloved bands BTS and TXT, the couple is further cementing their presence in K-pop and becoming a formidable duo. Their history with the label started when Fontana wrote “Euphoria” with her friends DJ Swivel and Candace Sosa, without knowing it woul

K-popJune 15, 2020

BTS' 'Bang Bang Con' becomes world's biggest paid online concert: company

A concert streamed by K-pop giant BTS on Sunday became the world's biggest paid online music event in terms of number of viewers, the band's management company said Monday. Big Hit Entertainment announced that "Bang Bang Con: The Live," which was streamed over around 100 minutes remotely from a studio in Seoul on Sunday, drew some 756,000 viewers from across the world. Fans from 107 countries or regions, including South Korea, United States, China, Britain and Japan, logged in to vi

K-popJune 15, 2020

K-pop fans: A diverse, underestimated and powerful force

Who are K-pop fans? It’s a question that not a lot of people bothered to ask until lately. But that seems to be changing in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests across the world: K pop fans flooded the Dallas Police Department’s iWatch Dallas app with fancams and took over the hashtag #WhiteLivesMatter on Twitter with anti-racist messages. BTS fans raised $1 million in just over a day for organizations that help black people. American actor and writer Jordan Peele said he &ldqu

K-popJune 12, 2020

[Video] A walk through K-pop paradise: SMTown and K-Star Road

The iconic picture of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr crossing Abbey Road turned 50 last year. The zebra crossing featured on the group’s 11th album is now the world’s most famous crosswalk. Similarly, the 1-kilometer-long K-Star Road features the Gangnamdol -- the name is a mixture of Gangnam, idol and doll -- which represent renowned K-pop groups. Hallyu Street, situated in this affluent district of Seoul, is modeled after the Walk of Fame in Hollywo

K-popJune 12, 2020

Video unveiled for BTS' autobiographical song 'We are Bulletproof: the Eternal'

K-pop giant BTS on Friday released a music video for "We are Bulletproof: the Eternal," off of its most recent album "Map of the Soul: 7," as part of the group's annual fan celebration event. The animated music video shared on YouTube features adorable versions of individual BTS members walking and running through a variety of locations. The seven later join one another to be launched above the clouds riding a whale. Included in "Map of the Soul: 7," released i

K-popJune 12, 2020

BTS to release 'Stay Gold' from upcoming Japanese album next week

K-pop superstar BTS will release "Stay Gold," the title track of its upcoming new Japanese full-length album, next week. The original Japanese song will be revealed to the public at 6 p.m. on June 19, according to an announcement posted on the website of the band's official Japanese fan club Thursday. "Stay Gold" is also a soundtrack of a Japanese TV series, "The Spiral Labyrinth-DNA Science Investigation." The drama was originally set to be aired in April, but i

K-popJune 11, 2020