Suga cancels national service deferral, likely to enlist in winter

Suga of BTS recently completed the process of canceling his deferral for mandatory military service and is expected to enlist in the winter of 2023. Big Hit Music announced through Weverse, a communication platform for fans, that Suga has begun the procedure for fulfilling his military duty and that further updates regarding his enlistment will be provided later. The agency requested warm support and unchanging love for Suga as he fulfills his military duty and returns in good health. Suga, who

K-popAug. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] ＆Team to host fan concert for 1st anniversary

Multinational boy band ＆Team will greet its fans in Korea and Japan to celebrate its first anniversary, said agency Hybe Labels Japan on Monday. It will host concerts in Saitama, Japan and in Seoul on Sept. 3 and 9, respectively, to mark the occasion. The events will be livestreamed online for its fans as well. The nonet was formed through an audition program in September last year and officially debuted in December under Hybe’s Japanese affiliate. In the meantime, the bandmates flew in f

K-popAug. 7, 2023

U-Know Yunho tries a new way of promoting 3rd solo EP with short film

U-Know Yunho of TVXQ jumped into a metaverse that he named Nexus in his new solo album “Reality Show,” released on Monday. The artist’s third solo mini album “Reality Show” comprises a total of six tracks that revolves around a single story. The story is about the protagonist Noah, who is an introvert who spends most of his time secluded from the real world, but becomes a totally different person when he dives into a virtual world with the help of his AI assistant S

K-popAug. 7, 2023

[Herald Review] Suga ends solo tour, bids farewell before enlistment

BTS' Suga on Sunday concluded his first solo world tour, "Suga | Agust D Tour ‘D-Day,’" following three days of encore concerts in Seoul. Although the tour came to an end, it marked the start of a new path in the musician's solo career. The encore shows, titled "'D-Day' The Final," were held in Seoul's KSPO Dome from Friday to Sunday, rounding out Suga's four-and-a-half-month solo tour, which kicked off in the US in April. They were a

K-popAug. 7, 2023

Will Blackpink survive the 7-year curse?

YG Entertainment girl group Blackpink will mark its seventh debut anniversary on Tuesday. After making its debut in 2016 with singles “Whistle” and “Boombayah,” Blackpink has flourished as a popular world-renowned K-pop girl group enchanting the public with its imposing charm and topping major music charts in the US and in the UK. But as their seven-year exclusive contract with YG Entertainment is close to being expired, all eyes are on whether the members -- Jennie, Lisa

K-popAug. 6, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s ‘Pink Venom’ music video tops 700m views

The music video for Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” surpassed 700 million views on YouTube, YG Entertainment said Friday. The video was unveiled in August last year and set a record as the most viewed music video from a female act in 24 hours, logging 90.4 million views on the platform. It also hit the milestone of 100 million views in the shortest time for a K-pop girl group, at 29 hours and 35 minutes. “Pink Venom” is a prerelease from its second studio album, “Bo

K-popAug. 4, 2023

Rebooted Treasure heads to Tokyo Dome

K-pop boy band Treasure is making a foray into Japan's prestigious concert hall, the Tokyo Dome, YG Entertainment said. On Friday, the agency announced its rookie band is holding a fan meeting under the title "'Hello Again' Tokyo Dome Special" at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 12. The biggest concert venue in Japan, the Tokyo Dome is a coveted concert venue for K-pop singers. The five-city 20-show series will start on Sept. 2-3 at Fukuoka's Kokusai Center and continue over

K-popAug. 4, 2023

Summer stunner Kwon Eun-bi returns with 'The Flash'

Soloist Kwon Eun-bi is out to solidify her image as a sexy summer queen that she gained with her steamy performance at the 2023 Waterbomb music festival with new single "The flash." "I'm back after 10 months with my first solo single, and it's a summer album," she said during a press showcase in Seoul on Wednesday. "I always try to show a new side with my albums, and this time I've brought three songs of different genres, all tuning in with the summer seas

K-popAug. 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin cinches 3 Guinness World Records

Jimin of BTS now has three titles from Guinness World Records on his own, the British reference book announced on Wednesday in the UK. He has two records with his 2018 single “Promise” on streaming service SoundCloud so far. The track became the most streamed song on the platform with 330 million plays as of June. It is the first self-written song from the artist and still remains the most streamed track in its first 24 hours of release at 8.5 million, dethroning Drake’s &ldqu

K-popAug. 3, 2023

NewJeans debuts atop Billboard 200, lands 3 songs on Hot 100

K-pop sensation NewJeans has made it to the top of Billboard. The band's new album "Get Up" notched No. 1 on the US music publication's albums chart, Billboard 200, becoming the second K-pop girl group album to land atop the list. According to Billboard's latest chart release, the album, the second EP from NewJeans, led Billboard 200 with a total of 126,500 in sales tallied between July 21-27. The quintet is the second girl group in the world to top Billboard 200 in the

K-popAug. 3, 2023

Blackpink's Jisoo, actor Ahn Bo-hyun dating

Blackpink's Jisoo and South Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun are confirmed to be dating. Both the singer and her agency, YG Entertainment, confirmed the news on Thursday. Local news outlet Dispatch's first reported the news in an exclusive on Thursday. The report stated that Jisoo and Ahn have started dating recently, with the couple mostly spending time at Jisoo's house located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Separate pictures of Jisoo and Ahn assumed to have been taken in Jisoo's apartment c

K-popAug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Mamamoo Plus hopes to pave new path for girl group longevity

A decade together has passed already for Solar and Moonbyul of Mamamoo, yet the two singers still feel like fresh rookies, they said in a recent interview. The interview, conducted with local press on Tuesday in Seoul, came a few days before the duo's subunit return as Mamamoo Plus, with their first EP "Two Rabbits." Imagining this moment around a decade ago when they first set off as Mamamoo in 2014, Moonbyul said she did not imagine a rosy future just then. "I thought that

K-popAug. 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook sets another streaming record with ‘Seven’

Jungkook of BTS generated 200 million streams on Spotify with solo single “Seven (feat. Latto)” in the shortest time for a male artist, according to label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The single reached the milestone in 14 days, setting a record for a male musician as well as for a collaboration song. It is the second-fastest song to hit the mark overall. “Seven” has been breaking records on the platform since its release, hitting the 50 million milestone in three days an

K-popAug. 2, 2023

BTS' V to team up with Ador CEO Min Hee-jin for solo album

V of BTS is coming out solo with NewJeans' producer Min Hee-jin at the lead of production. The group's agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced that V will collaborate with Min, who is the CEO and executive producer of NewJeans' label Ador. Big Hit Music and Ador are two independent labels housed under the multilabel entertainment company Hybe. According to Big Hit Music, the collaboration started from V's idea, and Min will take the helm of the singer's solo projec

K-popAug. 2, 2023

Boy band Pow to debut in September

Novice label Grid is set to launch its first boy band next month. The multinational quintet will include reality audition program "Loud" contestant Youn Dong-yeon and Thai singer-actor Yorch, the agency said in a press release on Wednesday. "Our first five-piece boy band has confirmed its name as Pow and will officially debut in September," Grid announced. Along with Yorsch and Youn, Korean members Jungbin, Hyunbin and Hong will comprise Pow. Yorch, whose real name is Yongsin

K-popAug. 2, 2023

[Herald Interview] Rookie Xikers gears up for real game with second album

In less than five months after its debut, boy band Xikers returns revamped, ready to invite listeners deeper into its universe. Opening the second chapter of their fledgling journey is the band's second EP, "House of Tricky: How to Play," which is set for release on Wednesday evening. In March 30, the 10-member boy group -- consisting of members Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Se-eun, Yujun, Yechan and, the band's only foreign member, Hunter -- debuted as th

K-popAug. 2, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook ranks No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with solo single

Jungkook of BTS maintained a spot among the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 as his solo single “Seven” ranked No. 9 on the main singles chart dated Aug. 5. The single debuted atop the chart last week as well as its Global excl. the US and Global 200 charts, making him the first solo musician from Asia to top all three at once. It kept its spot at the top of both global charts this week. “Seven” hit the iTunes top songs chart at No. 1 in 114 regions so far and is stay

K-popAug. 1, 2023

'13egin': Infinite's new beginning at 13th year

Infinite has returned with its first new album in five years, "13egin," marking a new start 13 years since they debuted. The album, the band's seventh EP, came out Monday evening. The desperation to make their comeback work was even fiercer than when the group first debuted in 2010, Jang Dongwoo, the six-piece's main vocalist and rapper said Monday during a press conference held in Seoul. "Establishing Infinite Company, we did everything ourselves this time, from the alb

K-popAug. 1, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink hits record 2.1b views with ‘Ddu-du Ddu-du’ video

Blackpink amassed 2.1 billion views on YouTube with the music video for “Ddu-du Ddu-du” on Sunday, according to label YG Entertainment on Monday. It is the first music video in K-pop history to reach the milestone. “Ddu-du Ddu-du” is the main track from its first EP, “Square Up,” that was released in June 2018 and swept all music charts here. The single ranked No. 55 on Billboard’s Hot 100 while the album was No. 40 on the Billboard 200, both records fo

K-popJuly 31, 2023

[Exclusive] Nearly 30% of Hybe K-pop trainees are non-Koreans

Close to a third of K-pop idols-in-training at Hybe, the company behind boy group BTS, are non-Korean nationals, The Korea Herald has learned. Roughly 28 percent of trainees under Hybe’s domestic labels are of foreign nationality, the firm said in response to a media inquiry from the Herald. “Although we don’t have a particular strategy aimed at increasing the proportion of foreign trainees, Hybe supports the selection and development of trainees irrespective of country or regi

K-popJuly 31, 2023