Dream Concert goes live again after pandemic pause

Dream Concert, one of the world’s biggest K-pop events, was held in person for the first time in three years on Saturday, becoming the longest-running K-pop event in the country. According to data compiled by the Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association on Tuesday, the accumulated number of people who attended the festival rose to 1.67 million since its first show in 1995. It has featured a total of 616 K-pop acts so far, the data showed.  The 28th Dream Concert took pla

K-popJune 21, 2022

BTS tops global music charts with anthology album ‘Proof’ and new song ‘Yet To Come’

K-pop sensation BTS’ winning streak on global music charts continues with its latest anthology album “Proof” and new song “Yet To Come.” The band’s new single “Yet To Come” scored No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Excl. US chart, which ranks songs based on streaming and sales activities in 200 regions worldwide, excluding the US. According to the chart operator, BTS racked up 96.5 million streams and sold 42,000 copies in the June 10-16 tracki

K-popJune 21, 2022

Loona aims to become K-pop summer queen with ‘Flip That’

As the summer season approaches and music charts are ready to revel in new anthems, K-pop girl group Loona has eyes set on becoming the new summer queens of the K-pop scene, with a new mini album just in time for summer. The 12-member act’s new release, “Flip That” marks a return for the full group a year since the release of fourth EP “&” dropped in June last year. It is also the band’s first-ever summer album since the group’s debut in August 201

K-popJune 20, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ “Black Swan” music video tops 400m views

The music video of BTS’ “Black Swan” reached 400 million views on YouTube, said label Big Hit Music on Monday. 　 It became the band’s 18th music video to achieve the feat. “Black Swan” is an emo hip-hop number that was dropped in January 2020, in advance of the release of fourth full album “Map of The Soul: 7.” It topped the iTunes songs chart in 93 regions. 　 On the same day, its “Yet To Come” music video surpassed 100 million views

K-popJune 20, 2022

Kep1er invites fans to musical island for a summer rest with second EP ‘Doublast’

As many big-name K-pop artists are set to return this summer, rookie girl group Kep1er opened the sunny season music craze with second EP, “Doublast,” released Monday evening. This marks the nonet‘s return, nearly six months since its debut album, “First Impact,” released in January. In a press conference Monday, leader Yu-jin described it as “an album where Kep1er embarks on a new adventure after its debut.” She continued, saying that the bandmate

K-popJune 20, 2022

How K-pop idols have come to stand the test of time

A wave of change is slowly sinking into the once harshly systematic K-pop industry. Last Tuesday, boy band BTS announced it will halt group activities in order for the seven bandmates to focus on their individual pursuits, which have been pushed back for the past decade. While the members stated several reasons for their group’s hiatus, they openly condemned the systematic pressures of the K-pop idol industry, which innately restricts the personal time they ought to have as individuals.

K-popJune 20, 2022

Flood of big-name K-pop artists set to return this summer

Summer is one of the busiest seasons in the K-pop scene, always loaded with refreshing bops for the sweltering heat. This year again, the competitive industry welcomes numerous big-name artists returning with a new batch of bangers that will find their way into listeners’ summer playlist. On the star-studded roster is Super Junior, one of the longest-running K-pop boy groups. The group is set to make a grand return with its 11th full-length album Vol. 1 “The Road: Keep on Going&rdq

K-popJune 20, 2022

BTS snatches sixth No. 1 debut on Billboard 200 with 'Proof'

BTS' new album, "Proof," has topped the US Billboard's main albums chart for this week, becoming the sixth chart-topper from the South Korean group, the chart's operator said. The anthology album landed atop the Billboard 200 by earning 314,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending June 16, Billboard said Sunday (US time). "The overwhelming majority of that unit figure was driven by CD album sales," it added. Billboard 200 ranks the mos

K-popJune 20, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jennie considering HBO drama: report

    Jennie of Blackpink is considering appearing in an upcoming US television series, according to local media reports on Friday. 　 She was offered a not yet specified role for “The Idol,” an HBO drama set in music industry. The series will evolve around a female pop idol who falls for a mysterious club owner who is also a modern-day cult guru. 　 The cast includes Lily Rose Depp, the female lead, and is co-created by musician The Weekend and Sam Levinson, director of

K-popJune 17, 2022

BTS' new album 'Proof' sold over 2.75m copies in 1st week

K-pop supergroup BTS' new album "Proof" sold over 2.75 million copies in the first week of its release, a record for all K-pop albums released so far this year, its agency said Friday. The anthology album had sold a total of 2,752,496 copies as of Friday, just a week after it became available, Big Hit Music said, citing data from Hanteo Chart, a local album sales tracker. It was the highest first-week sales of any album released this year to date and the second-highest first-week

K-popJune 17, 2022

BTS' Jungkook to release collaborative single with US singer-songwriter

Jungkook, a vocalist of K-pop giant BTS, will drop a collaborative single with US singer-songwriter Charlie Puth next Friday. Puth unveiled a video of Jungkook and him humorously discussing their plans to release "Left and Right" on TikTok on Friday. The BTS member sang a verse of the song from the left and right sides of the microphone in turn just like the song's title at the request of the American artist. In the video, Puth did not hide his big expectations for the collaborati

K-popJune 17, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Aespa’s “Savage” music video tops 200m views

The music video of aespa’s “Savage” surpassed 200 million views on YouTube as of Wednesday, according to label SM Entertainment. 　 The group now has three videos that reached the milestone, becoming the fifth K-pop girl group to achieve the feat after Blackpink, Twice, Red Velvet and Itzy. 　 “Savage” was released in October 2021 and the group’s first EP of the same title entered Billboard 200 at No. 20, only 11 months since aespa debuted. It also is a record

K-popJune 16, 2022

Yim Jae-beom finds his voice after 7 years of isolation

Veteran Korean singer Yim Jae-beom has returned to the music scene in seven years with the new song “Consolation,” through which he hopes to not only heal others but himself as well. Ahead of dropping the new song, Yim conducted a press conference on Friday afternoon to talk about the new song which marks the prologue to his newest “Seven,” album. Yim’s last musical release was his 30th anniversary album “After The Sunset: White Night“ in November 201

K-popJune 16, 2022

BTS dismisses rumors about team disbandment

K-pop supergroup BTS flatly rejected rumors Thursday that the band is taking steps to disband itself following its recent announcement of a pause in group activities. "We'll try to show good performances either as a team or individuals," RM, the band leader, said in a post to Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform. He said he has received the most phone calls in his nine-year career since the band unveiled its plan to take a break from group activities in order to focus more on s

K-popJune 16, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen announces Asia tour plan

    Seventeen on Wednesday announced plans for the Asian leg of its upcoming world tour. 　 The band will perform seven times in September and October, in Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Singapore, said agency Pledis Entertainment. This will be an extension of the 13-member act’s North American tour that will bring it to 12 cities from Aug. 10. 　 On June 25-26, the band will perform in Seoul at Gocheok Sky Dome, launching its first overseas tour in almost 2 1/2 years. 　 Its f

K-popJune 15, 2022

Drippin aims to carry on universe through 2nd single album ‘Villain: Zero’

Boy band Drippin has returned to the stage with its second single album “Villain: Zero” Wednesday, hoping to introduce a broader view of its unique universe “Villain.” It marks the seven-member act’s comeback after a five-month hiatus since its third mini-album “Villain” dropped in January. The latest album is the prequel to the band’s previous release. In a press showcase event held in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, ahead of the album&

K-popJune 15, 2022

BTS shares reason behind hiatus, future plans and promises to remain as group

On Friday, K-pop icons BTS released an anthology album, “Proof,” through which the act reminisces on its nine-year journey so far. Four days later, the septet announced it will be taking a break as a group to focus on solo projects and their personal lives, which had been put on hold until now. In the hourlong YouTube video announcing the news, the seven members celebrated their anniversary over dinner and said, after running tirelessly for nine years, it was about time they took c

K-popJune 15, 2022

Grizzly drops single for Disney+‘ Kiss Sixth Sense’ soundtrack

Singer-songwriter Grizzly dropped a single titled “Stay With Me” for “Kiss Sixth Sense,” Disney+‘s latest original drama series. “Kiss Sixth Sense” is a romantic comedy-drama based on a web novel of the same title. The show revolves around Ye-sool, played by Seo Ji-hye, a woman who can see into the future when she kisses someone, and Min-hoo, played by Yoon Kye-sang, whose five senses are very sensitive. Grizzly is the sixth singer to contribute music

K-popJune 15, 2022

Breaking the K-pop taboo: How BTS brings together a global community

Music is a tool for singers to spread social messages, with Western singers often using their platforms to speak up on social issues. But K-pop singers often shy away from subjects that might be controversial, choosing to stay silent on social problems rather than touching on matters that might spark media conversations. But throughout the years, BTS, as one of the world‘s most influential figures, has a long history of advocating for social change. Last month, the septet visited the W

K-popJune 15, 2022

Chronology of BTS' nine-year career from hip-hop group to global sensation

BTS, which debuted as a hip-hop group in 2013, is a K-pop boy band that has expanded the horizons of Korean pop music to the world stage. Thanks to its eye-catching dance performances and friendly communication strategy through social media, the seven-member act gradually gained popularity among fans outside Korea and made its presence felt in the global music industry. With several mega-hit songs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, BTS cemented its status as a leading global superstar in the United Sta

K-popJune 15, 2022