JYP Entertainment accused of plagiarizing Ateez for new girl group’s music video

K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment finds itself embroiled in controversy for alleged plagiarism of an Ateez music video and the boy band’s concept for its own rookie girl group’s debut. On Tuesday, the company's new girl group NMIXX entered the K-pop fray with the single “Ad Mare.” But just a day since the debut, the septet is making headlines for accusations of plagiarism: The band’s titular “O.O” has come under fire for copying boy band Ateez's music

K-popFeb. 23, 2022

BTS to hold four in-person concerts in Las Vegas in April

K-pop giant BTS will hold four live concerts at a stadium in Las Vegas in April, the group's management agency said Wednesday. The shows, titled "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage - Las Vegas," will take place at Allegiant Stadium on April 8-9 and 15-16, Big Hit Music said. They will be the first BTS concerts in the United States in about four months with the latest having been its four concerts in Los Angeles before more than 210,000 fans between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1. For those who fail

K-popFeb. 23, 2022

Hybe tops W1tr in annual sales, first in K-pop industry

Hybe has become the first K-pop management agency to surpass 1 trillion won ($838 million) in annual sales, boosted by successes of its artists led by global superstars BTS. The company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday its sales for 2021 were tentatively tallied at 1.25 trillion won, up 58 percent from the previous year. Its operating profit rose 30.8 percent on-year to 190.3 billion won with a net profit estimated at 141 billion won, up 62 percent. It marks the first time Hybe has exceeded

K-popFeb. 22, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to release 2nd Japanese single in May

Enhypen will drop its second Japanese single on May 3, the group’s agency Belift Lab announced on Tuesday. 　 The single, titled “Dimension: Senkou,” will include Japanese versions of “Drunk-Dazed,” the lead track from its second EP “Border: Carnival,” and “Tamed-Dashed,” the lead track from its first LP “Dimension: Dilemma.” It will also contain “Always,” the band’s second original song in Japanese that was chos

K-popFeb. 22, 2022

BTS' V fully recovers from COVID-19

V, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has fully recovered from COVID-19 and been released from isolation, his agency said Tuesday. The 26-year-old singer, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, tested positive a week ago after experiencing a mild sore throat. "V was released from isolation today as he was confirmed to have fully recovered from COVID-19," Big Hit Music said on the group's online fan community platform Weverse. He completed vaccination and showed no extraordinary symptoms whil

K-popFeb. 22, 2022

In their 10th year, BTOB is ready to ‘be together’ with fans by making memories to cherish

After a four-year hiatus, boy band BTOB is ready to greet fans as the spring season nears and the flowers bloom. Now that all six bandmates have finished their mandatory military service, they‘ve returned with their 3rd full-length album, “Be Together,” released Monday evening. In an online press conference on Monday, Eun-kwang described the album as an album that spells out what it means to be “together” and defines “togetherness.” “BTOB is a

K-popFeb. 21, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to host concert next month

Red Velvet will hold two concerts in Seoul next month, label SM Entertainment announced Monday. 　 The quintet will perform live at “2022 The ReVe Festival: Prologue” on March 19-20. The second day’s performance will be broadcast live for fans from around the world. 　 It has been two years and three months since its previous standalone concert.  Last week the band confirmed that it will put out an album in March, as it hinted at the label’s all-star concert last mo

K-popFeb. 21, 2022

Korean soundtrack album sales surge, merchandise profits plunge

In line with the K-pop boom in and out of South Korea, sales of original soundtrack albums of Korean dramas and movies have surged. K-pop merchandise sales, on the other hand, have been sluggish in the wake of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Sunday. Last year, 28,939 copies of soundtrack albums of hit dramas and movies were sold at Ktown4u, an online shopping mall that sells albums of K-pop groups and related goods. This marked huge jump from 8,784 copies in 2020 and 2,624 in 2019,

K-popFeb. 20, 2022

2 members of K-pop girl group Momoland test positive for COVID-19

Two members of South Korean girl group Momoland have tested positive for the coronavirus during their trip in Mexico, their management agency said Sunday. "Hyebin and Nancy tested positive for coronavirus in Mexico," MLD Entertainment said in a statement. The six-member group was visiting Mexico to promote its new digital single, seeking to advance into the Central and South American market. Another member, Jooe, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and has fully recovered.

K-popFeb. 20, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to return in March: report

   　 Red Velvet will make a comeback in March with a new album, according to local media reports on Friday. 　 Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news saying the band is preparing for a new album due out next month. 　 The quintet’s last album was its sixth EP “Queendom” released in August last year, which marked the group’s return after being away for more than 1 1/2 years. The EP topped iTunes top albums chart in 54 regions as well as all major charts at

K-popFeb. 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Blitzers spends rock ‘n’ roll year after debut

Rookie boy band Blitzers on Thursday successfully closed the curtains to their first US tour, making a foray into the global music scene less than a year since the act’s debut last May. Starting Feb. 5, the act traveled around six cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago. “It’s such a big opportunity for us, so we hope to show everything that we’ve prepared,” member Lutan said during an exclusive interview with The Korea Hera

K-popFeb. 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Han Yo-han makes soundtrack of his life by revisiting boyhood

A keyboard piano, several electric guitars, a widescreen monitor, speakers and mini figurines dot Han Yo-han’s modest studio room. Unlike the powerful, flashy beats the musician is known for, Han appears down-to-earth and straightforward. In a pair of sneakers and donned in black head to toe, the rapper entered his private space, which was covered in a snug ambiance. “You’re lucky to catch the natural side of me,” he said, laughing, as he showed his atelier where he

K-popFeb. 18, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to host fan meeting in March

Seventeen will meet its fans in person at its sixth fan meet event in Seoul, the group’s agency Pledis Entertainment announced on Thursday. 　 The event, titled “Seventeen in Carat Land,” will be held in person on March 25-27. The final day will be livestreamed online. 　 On Monday, the 13-member act reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s daily single chart with its special single in Japanese “Ainochikara.” It topped the chart for six consecutive days upon releas

K-popFeb. 17, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Treasure tops iTunes chart in 30 regions

Returning after a year, Treasure headed straight to the top of the iTunes chart in 30 regions with its first EP “The Second Step: Chapter One.” 　 Main track “Jikjin” claimed the No. 1 spot on a string of music charts at home as well as Line Music’s top 100 chart in Japan. 　 The accompanying music video that reportedly cost 500 million won ($417,711) to produce garnered 10 million views on YouTube in about 21 hours since release, according to label YG Entertainmen

K-popFeb. 16, 2022

BTS to hold first live concerts in Seoul in over 2 years next month

K-pop supergroup BTS will hold its first live concerts in Seoul in about two and a half years next month, the group's management agency said Wednesday. Three concerts, titled "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage - Seoul," will be held on March 10 and March 12-13 at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul, Big Hit Music said in a statement on Weverse. This will be the septet's first in-person concerts in Seoul since its world tour performance in October 2019. The first and the last sh

K-popFeb. 16, 2022

BTS' V tests positive for COVID-19

K-pop supergroup BTS' V has become the fifth member of the group to test positive for COVID-19. The 26-year-old singer, whose original Korean name is Kim Tae-hyung, visited a hospital Tuesday to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test after experiencing a mild sore throat and received a positive result, the group's management agency Big Hit Music said in a statement posted to Weverse. He completed two rounds of vaccinations and was not presenting any extraordinary symptoms other than a mild f

K-popFeb. 16, 2022

Treasure takes second step with ‘Jikjin,’ aims for music show No. 1

Boy band Treasure hopes to nab their first music show win with their new song “Jikjin.” Ahead of making a return with their latest EP “The Second Step: Chapter One” on Tuesday, the twelve-member group conducted a press conference and discussed the release and its lead single “Jikjin.” Over the past year, the boys spent their time gearing up to open up the second journey in their career. In January 2021, the band dropped their first studio album “The Fi

K-popFeb. 15, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo’s Moonbyul to hold solo concert

Moonbyul of Mamamoo will perform two solo concerts in Seoul from March 5, according to agency RBW Entertainment Tuesday. 　 Under the title “Director’s Cut: 6quence,” she will perform a series of songs including the tracks from her recent solo third EP “6quence.” The EP was her first solo album in two years and topped the iTunes albums charts in 20 regions. It sold over 70,000 copies in the first week. 　 The concert will be similar to a movie that catches different

K-popFeb. 15, 2022

Taeyeon says third solo LP ‘INVU’ shows her ‘now’

Taeyeon hopes to prove that she is an irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind character with her third full-length album “INVU.” The soloist and member of K-pop group Girls’ Generation conducted a media showcase event on Monday afternoon ahead of dropping her new LP later that day to discuss the album and its production. The singer’s latest, “INVU,” read as “I envy you” is an attempt to show who she is “now.” “It’s a return after

K-popFeb. 14, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to return with EP next month

Stray Kids will make a comeback with an EP on March 18, announced label JYP Entertainment Monday. 　 It follows the teaser video that surprised fans at a fan meet event the band held in southern Seoul on Sunday. 　 In the trailer, Felix walked into a mysterious spot and looked around terrified. Then the rest of the bandmates appeared, further raising the tension until a word sign changed into “oddinary,” title of the EP, from “ordinary.” 　 “You are the special being

K-popFeb. 14, 2022