TXT premieres VR concert

K-pop boy group TXT has announced its first virtual reality concert. From July 31 to Aug. 27, TXT is presenting its first VR concert, “Hyperfocus: Tomorrow X Together VR Concert,” at Megabox Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This VR concert will feature prefilmed performances of hit songs such as “Sugar Rush Ride” and “Deja Vu,” and run for approximately 60 minutes. For the virtual concert experience, the audience will wear VR headsets, immersing themselves in perfor

PerformanceJuly 31, 2024

Internet drives K-pop stars to overwork

The punishing schedule and little rest that K-pop stars endure are not new. Big-name K-pop agencies have been consistently criticized for operating like factories in producing and managing artists. Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of K-pop powerhouse Hybe, acknowledged this issue in a CNN interview in March 2023. “It’s not a total urban legend. Of course, there was some element of it in the past,” he said. Bang suggested that the issue was a thing of the past and argued that today, K-pop

K-popJuly 30, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin hits Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 14

Jimin of BTS claimed the No. 14 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Who,” according to the chart preview published Tuesday. “Who” is the main track from his second solo EP “Muse” which notched the second-highest rung on the Billboard 200 as did his previous EP “Face.” Suga and V also tied with their solo albums on the main albums chart with “D-Day” and “Layover,” respectively. “Who” would be Jimin’s fif

K-popJuly 30, 2024

Zerobaseone to drop 4th EP ‘Cinema Paradise’ next month

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is returning with its fourth EP “Cinema Paradise” next month. The group's third EP "You Had Me at Hello" was released just three months ago. The group dropped a teaser poster for its upcoming album on its X account on Monday. It also shared a spoiler film for the new album on YouTube which shows the nine-member group watching a film in a theater with a silhouette of someone walking through a door. The subtitle reads "with special appear

K-popJuly 30, 2024

Blackswan is back with 'Roll Up'

Blackswan, the first K-pop girl group consisting of all members who are not from South Korea, is set to make a comeback. The group will return with new album "Roll Up" on July 31 at 6 p.m. This EP is the group's first release since single album "That Karma" released in May last year, and includes a total of four tracks, with title song "Roll Up." The title track boasts an impressive lineup of producers, including: Rob Grimaldi, Alina Smith, Lauren Dyson, A Wrig

K-popJuly 29, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice logs 800m views with ‘What is Love?’ music video

Twice garnered 800 million views on YouTube with the music video for “What is Love?,” label JYP Entertainment said Monday. It is the group’s first to reach the milestone. “What is Love?” is the title track from Twice's fifth EP which came out in 2018. Written by the label’s head producer Park Jin-young, the music video for the upbeat tune turned each member into a movie character. Twice holds the record as the girl group with the most music videos with ov

K-popJuly 29, 2024

Le Sserafim unveils ‘Le Sserafim -- Make It Look Easy’ doc series

K-pop girl group Le Sserafim is to release its documentary series, "Le Sserafim -- Make It Look Easy,” starting from 8 p.m. on Monday. The new release follows “The World Is My Oyster,” the group's first documentary series released in September 2022. The quintet dropped a trailer for the upcoming documentary series on Monday in which the bandmates shared their thoughts about their performances and music. The group also dropped five teasers, each focusing on an individu

K-popJuly 29, 2024

K-pop stars take top spots at Billboard 200

K-pop acts took over Billboard’s main album chart with Stray Kids nabbing its fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and BTS’ Jimin landing at No. 2. This marks the first time that K-pop albums have claimed the No.1 and No. 2 spots on Billboard 200. Stray Kids topped the Billboard 200 dated Aug. 3 with its ninth EP “Ate” earning 232,000 equivalent album units in the US, according to Billboard. The Billboard 200 chart, compiled by Luminate, ranks the best-performing albums in th

K-popJuly 29, 2024

Hybe's efforts to win fans’ hearts appear unproductive

Hybe continues to attempt to take control of the narrative in its ongoing dispute with Ador CEO Min Hee-jin as subsidiary Source Music, already entangled in a defamation lawsuit filed against Min on July 15, plans to release a documentary series depicting Le Sserafim's hardships over the past year. This move seems aimed at disproving Min's April press conference claims of Hybe's preferential treatment toward Le Sserafim by highlighting their success through hard work. Yet, it unde

K-popJuly 28, 2024

[Herald Review] Noel Gallagher rocks Korean music fans across generations

British rock legend Noel Gallagher, a key member of the rock band Oasis, thrilled fans in Korea last week with his second gig in the country in eight months. On Friday evening, around 18,000 fans gathered at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds concert. The audience included long-time fans who enjoyed Oasis's music during their youth in the 90s, as well as younger fans in their teens and twenties. South Korean band Silica Gel opened the concert a

K-popJuly 28, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Treasure to publish magazine for debut anniversary

Treasure has put together a magazine to mark the fourth anniversary of its debut, according to label YG Entertainment Friday. The magazine will be available from Aug. 7 and include a 188-page photobook and sticker book as well as a set of photocards and a poster. A postcard bearing the message from the bandmates along with pictures drawn by them will also be part of the publication. Separately, the ten members are set to host a concert in Seoul on Aug. 15. It will be the final gig for their seco

K-popJuly 26, 2024

BTS Jimin tops Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart for 2 days

Jimin of BTS’ “Who,” the lead track from his second solo album, “Muse,” ranked at the top of Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart for two consecutive days, July 23-24. Only two K-pop solo artists have topped the chart so far and both are BTS members: Jimin and Jungkook. “Who” debuted on Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart at No. 3 on July 19, recording the most daily streams among K-pop songs released this year. "Who" is a hip-ho

K-popJuly 26, 2024

Blackpink reunites in time for 8th anniversary

All four members of the K-pop girl group Blackpink will attend the “Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] in Cinemas” red carpet event scheduled for Aug. 9 at Times Square in Seoul, according to YG Entertainment. The members will get together for the first time in 11 months on the “pink carpet” to have a photo session and share greetings with fans and reporters. Blackpink’s concert film will be released on July 31. The pink carpet event will take place a day after Blackp

K-popJuly 26, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to tour from October

Seventeen surprised fans with the news that it will launch an international tour in October. The band unveiled a trailer for the event after its fan meeting in Seoul on Wednesday which gave the audience a sketch of tour “Seventeen Right Here,” which will take it across Asia and the US. The tour is named after its best-of album, “17 Is Right Here,” that was rolled out in April and sold over 2.96 million copies in the first week. The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 5

K-popJuly 25, 2024

2NE1 to reunite in concert in October

Legendary K-pop girl group 2NE1 is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a much-anticipated concert in October. 2NE1's “Welcome Back” concert will take place Oct. 5-6 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, according to YG Entertainment. The concert comes more than a decade after the group's “All or Nothing in Seoul” concert in March 2014. 2NE1, composed of CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom and Minzy, debuted in 2009. The members were known for their bold performan

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Illit’s ‘Magnetic’ is Spotify's most streamed K-pop track outside Korea in H1

K-pop girl group Illit’s song “Magnetic,” the featured track of its debut album “Super Real Me,” was Spotify's most streamed K-pop track outside of Korea in the first half of this year. Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming platform, unveiled its Global Impact List in South Korea consisting of 30 K-pop tracks that were streamed the most overseas in the first half of 2024. Illit’s “Magnetic” released on March 25 recorded 300 m

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Seventeen announces world tour at fan meeting

K-pop sensation Seventeen of Pledis Entertainment concluded its eighth fan meeting with a surprise announcement of a world tour later this year. Seventeen held two editions of "2024 SVT 8th Fan Meeting (Seventeen in Carat Land)" at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday. The event left unforgettable memories for both the fans in attendance and those from 118 countries and regions watching live. By the end on Wednesday, Seventeen released a teaser video announcing its world

K-popJuly 25, 2024

What is happening at Hybe?

Hybe CEO Park Ji-won has been replaced by Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Lee Jae-sang, just three months after becoming embroiled in a dispute between Hybe and Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. The controversy began when Hybe launched an internal audit on Min over an alleged attempt at a hostile takeover of Ador on April 22 and Min held a press conference three days later to push back. Park, along with Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, were the main targets of Min, who blamed Park and Bang for failing to manage the

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Dignity makes ambitious debut to ‘Cool Down’ summer

Five-member group Dignity is making an ambitious debut with “Digmotion,” its first mini album after a long hiatus following the release of its predebut song. The boy band released the predebut track “Rambo” in September 2022, but only officially debuted on Wednesday with “Digmotion.” At a press conference in Gangnam, Seoul, on Wednesday, Minseok expressed his confidence, saying, "We have prepared for a long time due to the extended break after our predebu

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Ador's Min files suit against 5 Hybe officials

The feud between Hybe and Ador CEO Min Hee-jin shows no signs of abating as Min filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Hybe’s CEO Park Ji-won, Outside Director Lim Soo-hyon, Chief Legal Officer Jung Jin-soo, Chief Financial Officer Lee Kyung-jun and Chief Communications Officer Park Tae-hee for obstruction of business, detection of content such as electronic records and defamation. Min claims the five Hybe officers have repeatedly illegally acquired messenger conversations between individual

K-popJuly 24, 2024