[Today’s K-pop] Hybe signals launch of 1st girl group

  The first girl group to debut under hit entertainment company Hybe kicked off a countdown to its launch on Friday. 　 Source Music, an agency under the mega label, opened a web page that only said “IM FEARLESS” alongside a clock. A project begin on March 28 and run until the group makes its official debut in May. 　 The company announced earlier this month that it has signed Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chaewon, formerly of IZ*ONE, as many speculated. Bang Sihyuk, chairman of Hybe,

K-popMarch 25, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] NCT127 to tour Japan in May, June

NCT127 will head to Japan for a tour in May and June, its label SM Entertainment announced Thursday. 　 The band will perform five times in Japan, starting in Nagoya on May 22 and will travel to Tokyo before visiting Osaka in June. It will be the first time in more than three years the nine-member act will perform in Japan. It also marks the group’s first dome tour, with stops at some of the biggest venues in the country. 　 NCT127 topped Oricon’s daily, weekly and monthly charts with

K-popMarch 24, 2022

Title of BIGBANG's upcoming release is 'Still Life,' says agency

K-pop juggernaut BIGBANG will drop "Still Life," its first single in four years, next month, the group's management agency said Thursday. YG Entertainment also unveiled a teaser poster featuring white, pink, yellow and red daisies in full bloom for the highly anticipated song set to be out on April 5 at midnight. The four-piece group has announced that it will come back to the K-pop scene that day without giving further details. "'Still Life' is a song that represents the members'

K-popMarch 24, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Brave Girls thank fans with 6th EP

  Brave Girls held a media showcase Wednesday to present their sixth EP, “Thank You.” The EP came out on March 14, but the showcase was pushed back as three of the bandmates tested positive for COVID-19.   　 The titular main track is intended to express their gratitude for the love they received last year, they said, as they felt they had not had the chance to do so properly.   　 “Fans thanked us for hanging in there, but we wanted to tell them that we could b

K-popMarch 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Synergy of film and music drives DeVita’s musical soundtrack

DeVita makes a strong first impression as she enters AOMG’s modest studio in Gangnam, southern Seoul, in a pair of sneakers and a green dress. With smoky eye makeup and her hair dyed bright red, her look for the day matched the rich, poignant songs she’s known for. But in person DeVita was down-to-earth and perky, speaking as if she was meeting a high school friend for the first time in a while. She’s confident about her new album, “American Gothic” -- “It

K-popMarch 23, 2022

BTS wins two prizes at iHeartRadio Music Awards

South Korean boy group BTS has taken home two prizes from the iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the American music industry's award shows. The septet won best music video for its 2021 megahit single "Butter" and best fan army for its international fandom ARMY during the awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Tuesday (US time). It marks the third consecutive year for the group to win in the best music video category, following 2020 for "Boy With Luv" and 2021 for "Dynamite

K-popMarch 23, 2022

Fueled by ‘Adrenaline,’ Cravity hopes for new career-high with comeback

Boy band Cravity dropped its latest album “Liberty: In Our Cosmos” on Tuesday, making a return to the music scene after a seven-month hiatus. Originally scheduled to be released on Feb. 22, the album was delayed after the whole group tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days prior. Ahead of the album’s release at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the nine-member act conducted an online press conference livestreamed via YouTube. “Everyone is back in good condition, and we all suff

K-popMarch 22, 2022

‘KCON 2022 Premiere’ to star 13 acts, including ‘Queendom 2’ teams

KCON is back and live for the first time in two years, and the global K-pop festival will be featuring some of the biggest acts to celebrate the return of in-person concerts, including the six teams that will compete on the upcoming survival program “Queendom 2.” CJ ENM, the event’s organizer, on Tuesday announced the full line-up of performers set to hit the stage during the two-day “KCON 2022 Premiere” in Seoul this May. A total of 13 acts will be performing

K-popMarch 22, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee’s Onew to drop solo music: report

　 Onew of SHINee is preparing for a second solo album that will be released in April, according to local news reports on Tuesday. 　 Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news following the reports. 　 The veteran idol put out his first solo album “Voice” in 2018. It landed atop the iTunes top albums chart in 23 regions. In January, he hinted during a variety show appearance that he would return as a solo musician. 　 He has been participating in a series of original soundtracks, most r

K-popMarch 22, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids tops iTunes chart in 53 regions

Stray Kids landed atop the iTunes top albums chart in 53 regions with its latest EP “Oddinary.” 　 The EP was released on Friday and stayed on top of multiple worldwide iTunes albums chart for three days. It swept across music charts at home as well. The main track “Maniac” was No. 1 on iTunes top songs chart in 35 regions and also on the worldwide iTunes songs chart. 　 The song hit Spotify’s global top 200 chart at No. 25, surpassing the group’s previous hig

K-popMarch 21, 2022

With BTS backing it up, Hybe set to dominate Las Vegas in April

Las Vegas is in for some big K-pop waves next month, as BTS is set to bring along its multilabel agency, Hybe, for a company-wide global audition in search of new talent. Hybe on Monday announced it will launch a joint audition for seven of its affiliate labels next month in Las Vegas, with the audition set to take place in person over four days on April 8-9 and 15-16. Along with the five labels based in South Korea -- Belift Lab, Big Hit Music, KOZ Entertainment, Pledis Entertainment and Sou

K-popMarch 21, 2022

Red Velvet welcomes spring with ‘Air on the G String’ in ‘Feel My Rhythm’

As the warming weather nears and the flames of love have arrived, K-pop sensation Red Velvet welcomed the spring season and scents of cherry blossoms by dropping the new mini album, “The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm,” Monday evening. The group marks a return nearly seven months after the previous work. The band’s “The ReVe Festival 2022” is the latest addition of “The ReVe Festival” series. In 2019, the quintet dropped three parts of its “

K-popMarch 21, 2022

K-pop idols bond with Gen Z and Alpha fans on metaverse platforms

An increasing number of K-pop acts have jumped into the metaverse, a shared virtual world where people can interact with others via avatars, creating virtual spaces to build stronger and closer connections with their fans. Girl group Billlie met their fans on local telecommunication carrier SK Telecom’s metaverse platform ifland last week. The latest event is part of the girl group’s effort to expand its presence in a three-dimensional virtual space. The seven-member group invites

K-popMarch 20, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BoA marks 20th debut anniversary in Japan with 10-week project

   　 BoA will celebrate the 20th anniversary of debut in Japan with a 10-week cover project. 　 She selected 10 of her songs with her fans and rearranged them. One song will be uploaded every week from March 21, as part of the “Self Cover Project.” 　 The first song will be “Aggressive,” a track from her sixth studio album in Japan “The Face” that came out in 2018. 　 The artist will also put out an album titled “The Greatest” on May

K-popMarch 18, 2022

Stray Kids says odd is ordinary through new EP ‘Oddinary’

Being odd is ordinary, and everyone is special in their own ways, shouts Stray Kids through their new album “Oddinary.” The eight-member band conducted an online press conference on Friday, ahead of dropping the album at 1 p.m. later that day. “The album name puts together odd and ordinary. We all have an odd side to us even amid the ordinary, and we wanted to say that being odd is actually the ordinary,” Seungmin said. “If Stray Kids music had been focused on s

K-popMarch 18, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to return with 4th LP in May

    Seventeen will come out with its fourth studio album in May, local news reports said Thursday. 　 Agency Pledis Entertainment confirmed the news following the reports. 　 The 13-piece act debuted in 2015 and has been releasing a score of hits ever since. Its previous LP “An Ode” came out in September 2019 and sold over 700,000 copies in the first week, the best sales in the second half of the year. Its ninth EP “Attacca” ranked No. 13 on Billboard 200 las

K-popMarch 17, 2022

EXO to mark 10th anniversary with fan meet

K-pop boy group EXO will celebrate the 10th anniversary since its debut with an in-person fan meet in Seoul next month, the group's agency said Thursday. The "2022 Debut Anniversary Fan Event: EXO" will take place at Jamsil Gymnasium in southern Seoul at 7 p.m. on April 9, SM Entertainment said in a release. The event will also be streamed live on Beyond Live for the group's fans outside the country. Members Suho, Xiumin, D.O, Kai and Sehun will take part in the fan event, performing t

K-popMarch 17, 2022

BLACKPINK Jennie's 'Solo' music video tops record 800m YouTube views

The music video for "Solo," an individual single from Jennie, a member of popular girl group BLACKPINK, has topped 800 million views on YouTube, a first for any female K-pop solo artist. The video hit the milestone Thursday at 3:24 a.m., three years and four months after it was uploaded, the group's agency YG Entertainment said. "Solo" became the first music video by any female solo artist from Korea to reach 800 million YouTube views. The individual debut single by Jennie is

K-popMarch 17, 2022

[Herald Interview] Solar expresses individual beauty through ‘Face’

After nearly two years away as a solo artist, Solar of Mamamoo returned with her first-ever EP, “Face,” on Wednesday evening. The singer-turned-soloist said it took her a while to drop a new album because she was initially “musically lost.” She felt she had done everything in terms of being experimental while sprinkling in whatever she liked for her solo debut “Spit it out.” But messages and support from her fans helped the musician overcome her fears ab

K-popMarch 16, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Big Bang gearing up for return: reports

Big Bang wrapped up shooting for a music video last week and is readying itself to make a much-awaited comeback, local media reported Wednesday. 　 Label YG Entertainment confirmed the news and said it will announce more details including the release date soon. 　 Last month, the company officially announced that the band is releasing new music this spring. Its last work was the single “Flower Road” from March 2018. Over the past four years, Seungri left the team in 2019 after becom

K-popMarch 16, 2022