BTS V hits high mark with ‘Fri(end)s’

V of BTS continues to break records with “Fri(end)s,” even as he serves in the military. “Fri(end)s,” released in March 2024, ranked No. 13 on the Top 100 Official Singles Chart as of March 22. The UK's biggest song data platform runs the chart, Official Charts Company, based on audio and video streams, downloads and sales volume for CDs and vinyl. V bested his own top placement for “Slow Dancing,” the lead track of his first album, “Layover.”

K-popMarch 24, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice receives 500m views on ‘Feel Special’ video

Twice has amassed 500 million views on YouTube for the music video for “Feel Special,” JYP Entertainment announced Friday. It is the seventh video from the girl group to reach the milestone, following those of “TT,” “Likey,” “What is Love?,” “Fancy,” “Cheer Up” and “I Can’t Stop Me.” “Feel Special” is the title track from the group’s eighth EP that was released in September 2019 and renewe

K-popMarch 22, 2024

Zerobaseone tops Oricon chart with 1st Japanese single album

K-pop boy band Zerobaseone has topped Oricon’s daily singles chart for two consecutive days with its debut Japanese single album, “Yurayura-unmeinohana.” Selling 187,694 copies of the Japanese single album on the day of its release, the group landed at No. 1 on the daily singles chart, which is based on physical album sales. Zerobaseone made its official debut in Japan with the release on March 20 under a contract with Sony Music Label. The single album is led by the titular &l

K-popMarch 22, 2024

Hybe artists ready to return in April

K-pop powerhouse Hybe has a roster of artists waiting to make spring that much sweeter, beginning with J-Hope of BTS releasing a special album on March 29, followed by TXT on April 1 and Boynextdoor on April 15. J-Hope is also set to release a documentary series, “Hope on the Street,” on March 28, a day before the release of “Hope on the Street Vol. 1.” The documentary series comes in six episodes that show J-Hope visiting Osaka in Japan, Paris, New York and his hometown

K-popMarch 22, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink tops 600m views with ‘Shut Down’ music video

Blackpink amassed 600 million views on YouTube with the music video for “Shut Down,” said label YG Entertainment on Thursday. It is the group’s 15th video to reach the milestone and achieved the feat in about 1 1/2 years. “Shut Down” fronted its second studio album, “Born Pink,” and the hip-hop tune sampling Paganini’s “La Campanella” hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 25. It also landed atop Spotify’s global songs chart. The

K-popMarch 21, 2024

UK Deputy PM Oliver Dowden visits SM Entertainment

British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden visited K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment during his visit to South Korea for the 3rd Summit for Democracy, according to SM Entertainment. Dowden met with chief officials of the agency including the Chief Executive Officer Jang Cheol-hyuk and the Chief Global Officer Choi Mi-na, at the headquarters of SM Entertainment in Seoul on Tuesday. British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks and Edward de Minckwitz, a special adviser to Dowden, were also pres

K-popMarch 21, 2024

Hybe named among Fast Company’s top 50 innovative companies in the world

K-pop powerhouse Hybe made it on Fast Company’s list of the world’s 50 most innovative companies for the current year. Fast Company, an American business magazine, tracks 58 industries and sectors from advertising to video to compile the annual list. Hybe landed at No. 23 on the list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024, according to Fast Company. This is the third time Hybe has been named on the list, following 2020 and 2022. Fast Company directs the success of

K-popMarch 21, 2024

The New Six returns as full unit with Junhyeok back from 14-month break

K-pop boy group released its first digital single, “Fuego,” its first new project in nine months. This is also the group’s full unit comeback as a group of six for the first time in 14 months with Junhyeok back with the group to promote the new digital single. Junhyeok had been taking a break from group activities since January last year due to health issues. “I want to thank the members for waiting for me and also for telling me that they need me in the team. Their suppo

K-popMarch 20, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT announces US tour

Tomorrow X Together will hit eight cities in the US for its third international tour, “Act : Promise," said label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The American leg will run from May 14 to June 8 and bring the five members to Tacoma Washington; Oakland; Los Angeles; Houston; Atlanta; New York; Rosemont, Illinois; and Washington, DC. The tour will kick off in Seoul with a three-day concert slated to be held May 3-5, following the release of its sixth EP, “minisode 3: Tomorrow.”

K-popMarch 20, 2024

Stray Kids to headline Lollapalooza Chicago

K-pop boy group Stray Kids will headline Lollapalooza Chicago, scheduled to take place at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois on Aug. 1-4, according to JYP Entertainment. Lollapalooza, which began as a touring show in 1991, has since made Chicago's Grant Park its annual venue and become one of the leading music events in the US. Stray Kids previously performed as a headliner at Lollapalooza Paris held last July, a first for a K-pop artist. Other headliners of the Chicago festival this year incl

K-popMarch 20, 2024

XG to kick off first world tour

Japanese K-pop band XG is to hold its first world tour since its debut in March 2022. XG released the schedule poster of its first world tour "The First Howl" on its official social media channel. The silhouette of a wolf, which brings up the image of the group's official fan club Alphaz and the world tour title Howling, is drawn on the background of the schedule poster. The world tour will begin in Japan on May 18 and 19 in Osaka, and Yokohama on May 25 and 26, followed by concer

K-popMarch 20, 2024

Spire Entertainment discloses video allegedly showing Omega X member sexually harassing its former CEO

Spire Entertainment held a press conference Tuesday, claiming that the former CEO of the agency, Kang Seong-hee, was sexually harassed by one of the 11 Omega X members. Hwang Seong-woo, CEO of Spire Entertainment, disclosed a clip from a surveillance camera that allegedly showed Lee Hwi-chan, a member of Omega X, pulling up Kang’s shirt and touching her inappropriately. Kang is shown pulling down her shirt and attempting to stop Lee from continuing with his action. Hwang also showed anothe

K-popMarch 19, 2024

Apink's Kim Nam-joo returns solo with total transformation

Kim Nam-joo of Apink returned to the music scene as a solo artist with the release of her second solo single album, “Bad,” on Monday. The album is the singer's first solo release in four years. “I came back with an extreme makeover for this album. It’s been four years since I last performed on stage in front of reporters and fans. I’m considering this as the debut of the solo artist Kim Nam-joo,” said the artist during a press conference held in Seoul on

K-popMarch 19, 2024

BoA to return with new single

K-pop legend BoA is returning to the scene with a new single. According to her agency SM Entertainment, BoA's new track "Emptiness" will be released on March 26. It has been 16 months since her last comeback in November 2022 with her third mini album, "Forgive Me." For "Emptiness," BoA participated in writing the lyrics, composing and arranging the Afrobeat-based pop track, according to the agency. The teaser image for the new song, released on BoA's offi

K-popMarch 19, 2024

Remake songs abundant as K-pop goes 'newtro'

Listeners of Korean pop music from around two decades ago will find many of the songs on today's popular music charts familiar, as remake songs continue to gain popularity. On Melon, the largest Korean music streaming platform, Lim Jae-hyun's "Rhapsody of Sadness" and boy band Riize's "Love 119" have secured spots on the Top 10 popular music chart as of Tuesday. The two tracks are remakes of the originals: "Rhapsody of Sadness" by singer Choi Jae-ho

K-popMarch 19, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT’s Taeyong to enlist next month

Taeyong of NCT will start his mandatory military duty from April 15, label SM Entertainment said Monday. The musician shared the news with a hand-written letter uploaded on a fan platform on the day thanking his fans and bandmates for letting him grow and mature. “Every single moment has been really meaningful and blissful,” said the idol promising that he will do his best and learn a lot during the service and return as a better self. He will be the first member of NCT to enlist a

K-popMarch 18, 2024

YG founder Yang Hyun-suk unveils track list of Babymonster’s upcoming EP

YG Entertainment’s K-pop rookie group Babymonster is ready to promote its upcoming first EP, “Babymons7er,” which drops on April 1, with its lead track, “Sheesh.” YG founder and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk unveiled the track list of the EP via the agency’s official YouTube account on Monday. “The lead track ‘Sheesh’ is a hip-hop number. Different from the concept of the group’s previous single ‘Batter Up,’ which was bri

K-popMarch 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] Day6 vows to continue with ‘Fourever’

Four-member group Day6 has returned with its 8th mini album, “Fourever," following a three-year break. The members' excitement and anticipation about the second chapter of Day6 were palpable during a group interview held in Seoul on Wednesday. “The new album’s title holds several meanings. Our official fandom, My Day, has been recruited for the 4th time this year. The title also signifies our hope that the music the four of us sing will last forever,” said Young

K-popMarch 18, 2024

V of BTS takes music charts by storm with new digital single, ‘Fri(end)s’

BTS is not planning on leaving a void while they are away serving their mandatory military duty. On Friday, V of BTS released a new English digital single, “Fri(end)s.” The single was played on Spotify more than 4.72 million times on the day of its release, quickly landing at No. 7 on Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global playlist. The new single broke V's record on the chart as his previous release, “Love Me Again,” a B-side track of his first solo album “Layo

K-popMarch 17, 2024

Jungkook of BTS updates life in Army

Jungkook of BTS who has been serving his national defense duty since December last year, gave fans an update on his life in the Army on Saturday. “ARMYs (fandom name), are you guys doing well? I’m doing well,” said Jungkook on the global fan communication platform Weverse. “I’ve been working out. I’ve also been cleaning even the ceilings. I’m also cooking. It’s mid-March already. I will update you again soon. I miss you guys a lot. Salute,” h

K-popMarch 17, 2024