Itzy releases new album, to embark on 2nd world tour

K-pop girl group Itzy proved its members were born to be superstars, showing off their confident and powerful identity in a new mini album, “Born to Be,” released Monday. The group, known for its music that revolves around the message of “respecting and loving oneself,” returned with an album filled with powerful performances that shows Itzy is more confident than ever. “We tried to overcome our limits. That includes trying out diverse music genres and challenging o

K-popJan. 8, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] (G)I-dle to bring out 2nd LP

(G)I-dle will return with a second studio album on Jan. 29, the group's agency Cube Entertainment said Monday. A logo motion clip for the LP, “2,” was uploaded showing the letter “i” transformed into the No. 2. The album comes about eight months since the group's sixth EP, “I Feel,” and almost two years after the first full album, “I Never Die.” The sixth EP entered the Billboard 200 at No. 41 and sold over 1.16 million copies in its first week, a

K-popJan. 8, 2024

Multinational groups look to expand global scope of K-pop

In a bid to more actively target the global market, South Korea's major entertainment agencies are gearing up to debut increasingly diverse groups with multinational members. Katseye, a new girl group under Hybe, will debut in the US this year. The six-member group was created through “The Debut: Dream Academy,” a global audition show jointly conducted by Hybe and Geffen Records. Katseye's members hail from a range of different countries, including Switzerland, the Philippi

K-popJan. 8, 2024

Hybe’s new girl group I’ll-It to debut as 5-piece without Youngseo

I’ll-It, the soon-to-launch girl group from the K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s subsidiary Belift Lab, will debut as a five-piece instead of a sextet as announced earlier. Such change comes as one of the members, Youngseo, has left the agency. “Following in-depth discussions about future activities, Belift Lab and Youngseo have come to a mutual agreement to terminate the exclusive contract,” announced Belift Lab on the fan communication platform Weverse on Friday. “I’

K-popJan. 7, 2024

Seventeen, NewJeans win top honors at 38th Golden Disc Awards

K-pop boy band Seventeen notched Album of the Year at the 38th Golden Disc Awards Saturday with its 10th EP, “FML.” The Golden Disc Awards, one of the most prestigious annual K-pop awards, took place at Jakarta International Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday. “We are grateful to have members that work hard. We think we have continuously shown growth each year at the Golden Disc Awards. We are so proud to receive this top honor today," said Mingyu of Seventeen duri

K-popJan. 7, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans tops 400m Spotify streams with ‘Super Shy’

NewJeans garnered 400 plays on Spotify with “Super Shy,” according to agency Ador on Friday. It is the group’s fourth song to achieve the feat after “OMG,” “Ditto” and “Hype Boy.” “Super Shy” is one of the three title tracks from its second EP “Get Up” that came out in July last year. It enjoyed eight weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 and nine weeks in the top 10 among Spotify’s global top songs chart. The rook

K-popJan. 5, 2024

Riize, VCHA listed as noteworthy artists in 2024 by Grammy.com

SM Entertainment's Riize and JYP Entertainment's VCHA were named "25 Artists To Watch In 2024," according to Grammy.com on Thursday. Among those listed, the two K-pop groups were the only Korean artists. "(The group) has solidified themselves as one of K-pop’s fifth-generation leaders. Their mini-album, “Get A Guitar,” sold over one million copies in less than a week and quickly landed them at the top of Korea’s music charts," Grammy editors

K-popJan. 5, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo’s Wheein to hold 1st solo concert

Wheein of Mamamoo will host her first concert as a solo act, The Live announced Thursday. The singer will take to the stage in Seoul on Feb. 24 and 25 for the first time on her own in her 10-year music career. The concert is likely to expand into a tour, as the title “1st World Tour: Whee In The Mood [Beyond]” suggests. The name of the concert also comes from her first solo studio album, “In the Mood,” that was released in October last year. Wheein debuted as part of Mam

K-popJan. 4, 2024

Jisoo, Jennie of Blackpink ready for new solo chapters

Jisoo of Blackpink is following her bandmate Jennie’s lead in establishing her own agency for her solo career. According to industry sources, Jisoo is setting up a K-pop agency with her brother to be called Blissoo. The new agency recently began recruiting employees, including video editors, producers, designers and security guards. “We offer a unique experience of working with an artist in a startup company,” the Blissoo job announcement said. With the support of her new agenc

K-popJan. 4, 2024

DJ DOC to release new album for 30th anniversary

A legendary first-generation hip-hop group from the 1990s, DJ DOC, marks the 30th anniversary of its debut this year with a plan to release a new album, the first in 14 years. According to the group's agency Funky Town, DJ DOC unveiled a new song titled "Cheers," at a year-end party concert held in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Dec. 30. The new song, which is a hip-hop song based on "newtro" funk and trot, will be included on the 30th anniversary album. The group released its

PerformanceJan. 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeong Sewoon finds joy in bringing diverse colors to music

K-pop singer-songwriter Jeong Sewoon finds joy in making music that comforts his listeners and that joy is amplified when there is personal development at the end of a project. In his sixth EP, “Quiz,” released on Thursday, the artist collaborated with a foreign musician for the first time for “Sharpie,” an experience which helped him expand his musical spectrum. “I worked with American pop band Nightly for the single, ‘Sharpie.’ This was my first time w

K-popJan. 4, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice to return in February

    Twice will release the group's 13th EP on Feb. 23, JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday. The nine-member act floated a teaser trailer for the EP, titled “With YOU-th,” adding that it will unveil side track “I Got You” on Feb. 2, in advance to the full release. The mini album comes about a year after the 12th EP, “Ready To Be,” which hit the Billboard 200 at No. 2 and stayed on the main albums chart for nine weeks in a row, a record streak f

K-popJan. 3, 2024

Virtual idols open up new possibilities for K-pop

As K-pop continues to reach new heights, with groups and soloists alike enjoying ever-expanding global success, recent trends have shown that K-pop stars don't necessarily have to be human to attract a following. A new boy band recently topped the pre-voting list for the Rookie of the Year award at the recent Seoul Music Awards, and in a single week, sold more than 200,000 copies of its new album. While this may seem like the story of yet another rookie idol group making a successful start

K-popJan. 3, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jisoo teams up with sibling: report

Jisoo of Blackpink will let her own brother oversee her individual activities, according to a local media report on Tuesday. Her older brother runs Biomom, a small company that sells supplements for kids, and the firm recently posted recruitments for staff for Blissoo, a new affiliate for entertainment business. Blackpink will let label YG Entertainment continue to handle its group activities but all four members decided not to renew their contracts, which came to terms last month, for individu

K-popJan. 2, 2024

IU, G-Dragon to come back to K-pop in 2024

Legendary soloists are returning with new albums for the new year. Singer-songwriter IU is set to drop her first new album in two years. She has been focusing on her acting career since releasing special mini album "Pieces" in December 2021, but confirmed her return as a singer this year. Appearing on BTS bandmate Suga's YouTube talk show "Suchwita" on Dec. 26 last year, IU said she will hold her first overseas concert tour in four years, since the "Love, Poem"

K-popJan. 2, 2024

Fans upset with decision to push ahead with K-pop concert in Japan

Organizers of the K-pop concert “K-pop MasterzXKross vol.3” faced backlash from K-pop fans for proceeding with the event in Japan as scheduled on Tuesday despite a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the country only a day earlier. The concert, hosted by Japanese digital design firm Birdman and label Entertainment Next, was held at the Vantelin Dome Nagoya in Nagoya, Japan, which is around 250 kilometers away from Ishikawa prefecture where the earthquake occurred Monday. Ahead of the

K-popJan. 2, 2024

NewJeans welcomes 2024 on ABC’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

NewJeans kicked off the New Year with a dazzling performance on the US broadcaster ABC’s New Year's special show. The K-pop girl group performed its singles “Super Shy” and “ETA” on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024,” better known as “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on Monday. NewJeans is the first K-pop girl group to appear on America’s most-watched New Year’s Eve special prog

K-popJan. 2, 2024

[Herald Review] TVXQ takes fans back 20 years during ‘20&2’ concert

Cries of joy rippled through the arena as the K-pop legend TVXQ appeared on stage to begin the last show of its two-day concert, “20&2,” at the Inspire Arena in Yongjeong-do, Incheon, on Sunday. The venue glowed red from the fan lights held by TVXQ’s fandom, Cassiopeia, who had waited five years to see their favorites on stage. Changmin and Yunho of TVXQ appeared on a lift to kick off their last show of the year with “Rising Sun,” the lead track of the duo'

K-popJan. 2, 2024

[2023 K-pop in a Nutshell] From Moonbin’s death to Fifty Fifty’s legal dispute: Twists and turns in the K-pop scene

A string of unexpected twists and turns made this year a tumultuous one for both the K-pop industry and K-pop fans. Early this year, SM Entertainment removed its founder Lee Soo-man, considered the "godfather of K-pop," from the company’s head producer position to open a new chapter under a strategy plan called “SM 3.0.” SM 3.0 involves establishing five different production centers and independent music labels to diversify production, a significant departure from the

K-popDec. 31, 2023

K-pop idols set to return as solo artists in January

January is set to be filled with K-pop idol group members making a comeback as solo artists. Kim Sung-kyu, leader of boy group Infinite and a solo vocalist with a unique voice, will release a new song on the first day of 2024. According to his agency, DoubleH TNE, Kim will release the new song, "Feeling," at 6 p.m on Jan. 1, as part of the project called "Re:Born project" -- a collaborative project that presents a combination of music beyond genres and generations. Kicked off

K-popDec. 30, 2023