[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen members positive for COVID-19

Five members of Enhypen tested positive for COVID-19, agency Belift Lab announced Thursday. 　 Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake and Sunghoon were found to be infected with the virus during self-quarantine. The bandmates began self-isolating as a preemptive measure on Aug. 26, when they learned a staff member had been diagnosed with COVID-19. 　 Jake started showing symptoms, including a cough and fever, so he got tested and the results came back positive on Monday. The rest of the band showed simila

K-popSept. 2, 2021

[Feature] Goodies and give outs, how K-pop birthdays are celebrated

Signboards welcoming bypassers for a cup of joe, the scent of a fresh bag of coffee beans, little nooks for a sip and music playing in the background are no different from an ordinary cafe. But cafe buffs would see a minor tweak to the definition once stepping inside the venue. Birthday cafes Kim Na-young’s dream was to run a cafe business with her older sister. Although the two are nine years apart, they share similar tastes and hobbies. And after years of talking about living out

K-popSept. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to be 11-piece act for rest of 2021

Seventeen will be active as an 11-member group for the remainder of the year so that Chinese bandmates Jun and The8 can focus on activities in their homeland, agency Pledis Entertainment announced on Wednesday. 　 The company supports the activities of all Seventeen’s members, as well as the band as a whole, and is actively looking for opportunities for them at home and abroad, the statement continued. 　 Jun and The8 will work on projects in China that they had postponed, Pledis added, a

K-popSept. 1, 2021

[Photo News] BTS Army euphoric on Jungkook’s birthday

K-pop megastar band BTS’ global fandom gathered at a coffee shop in Yang-jae, southern Seoul, to celebrate Jungkook’s 24th birthday on Saturday. Fans of all ages came together to talk, laugh, share memories and mark the special day with Jungkook-themed goodies and songs.  Since the pandemic has made it impossible for stars to perform at live concerts or hold meet and greets, the BTS Army took to cafes around the country to pay tribute to their favorite singer. 

K-popSept. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Shinee’s Key to hold online solo concert

Key of Shinee will be hosting an online concert on his own on Sept. 26 that will be livestreamed around the world via Naver’s V Live. 　 The concert, titled “Key: Groks in the Keyland,” will be his first standalone concert in about 2 1/2 years. Tickets to the show will be available for purchase from Sept. 1. 　 In the meantime, his prerelease single “Hate That ...” that came out on Monday hit No. 1 on iTunes’ top songs chart in 10 regions as well as several mu

K-popAug. 31, 2021

[Herald Interview] Band Lucy: Creating music to be heard, seen and felt

Reaching the final stage of 2019 JTBC music competition “Superband,” the show’s runner-up group Lucy brought light upon a genre still unfamiliar and unexplored in the Korean music scene -- ambient pop. With an unconventional harmony of a violin, acoustic guitar, bass guitar and drums, and two on vocals, sprinkled with real-life sounds -- self-handedly recorded by the group’s producer and bassist Cho Won-sang -- Lucy’s music was able to help listeners visualize the

K-popAug. 31, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTOB keeps branching out

BTOB held an online media conference Monday and discussed the band’s new album. 　 Seo Eunkwang, Lee Minhyuk, Lee Changsub and Peniel came out with a special album titled “4U: Outside,” nine months after the band’s previous work. The four performers are functioning as a subunit because Yook Sungjae and Im Hyunsik are currently serving their military duty. 　 “My heart is all aflutter,” confided Seo, especially since it was the first new music the band had put

K-popAug. 30, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo preparing a greatest hits album: report

Mamamoo is putting together a compilation album slated to be released in September, according to local media reports on Friday. 　 The album will chronicle the band’s seven-year career, with each track selected by the four bandmates, in addition to two songs that have not been released. 　 This is the quartet’s first album since its three members -- Solar, Moonbyeol and Hwasa -- renewed their contracts with management firm RBW Entertainment in June. Wheein decided not to sign with th

K-popAug. 27, 2021

BTS refutes chart manipulation claims, saying being K-pop band with loyal fans makes it 'easy target'

K-pop superband BTS has refuted the recent online allegations of Billboard chart manipulation, pointing out that they are easily subject to such accusations just because they are a peripheral band from Korea. The septet's English-language songs "Butter" and "Permission to Dance" have stayed atop the Hot 100 main singles chart for a combined 10 weeks this summer thanks to overwhelming physical album sales and digital downloads. Typically, on the other hand, most of the Hot

K-popAug. 27, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS sets new record with “Butter”

BTS bounced back up to No. 1 on Billboard’s Artist 100, returning to the top after dropping to No. 2 last week, the publication revealed on Thursday in the US. 　 This is the 20th time the septet hit No. 1 on the chart that was launched in 2014. BTS is the first group to top the list for 20 weeks. Only three artists have stayed longer than the band, and all are solo musicians: Taylor Swift (48 weeks), Drake (32) and The Weeknd (22).  　 The Artist 100 combines a performer’s per

K-popAug. 26, 2021

BLACKPINK's Lisa to debut as solo artist next month

Lisa, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, will debut as a solo artist next month, her management agency said Thursday. The rapper-dancer will release her first individual single album titled "Lalisa" at 12 a.m. on Sept. 10 (US eastern time), YG Entertainment said. "The upcoming album will feature Lisa's natural and authentic side as implied by its title," the agency said, though it did not elaborate on the tracklist of the album. She dropped a teaser poster for her for

K-popAug. 26, 2021

[Herald Interview] Colde: Spreading love through music with spirit of resistance

The high ceiling and spaced out arrangement of achromatic furniture inside Colde's office in Seongu-dong, Seoul, gave off a cool energy. But exceptions here and there nodded to his more dynamic tastes: the bright yellow cabinet, the brilliant red, heart-shaped chair, and the colorful array of books half-neatly stacked behind his desk. Colde entered the room still on his phone. After dropping his recent single “When Dawn Comes Again” last month, the singer-songwrit

K-popAug. 26, 2021

BTS, Megan Thee Stallion to release 'Butter' remix Friday

South Korean superband BTS and American rapper Megan Thee Stallion are set to release a remix of the group's single "Butter" Friday, the septet's agency announced. The collaboration will drop at 1 p.m. Friday (Korean time) amid the original single's continued success on music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100. "(The remix) will have a new charm as BTS' unique style contained in the original version of 'Butter' combines with Megan Thee Stallion's rap," Big Hit Music, t

K-popAug. 26, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to return next month: report

Enhypen is coming out with a new album at the end of September, according to local media reports Wednesday.   　 The boy band will come back five months after its second EP, “Border: Carnival,” which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 18. In May, the band was named by Grammy.com as one of five K-pop artists -- along with StayC, Itzy, Ateez and Tomorrow X Together -- that “have the potential to dominate the global pop space.”   　 Its debut single in Japan, &ldquo

K-popAug. 25, 2021

Kwon Eun-bi opens new chapter of musical career with ‘Door’

Kwon Eun-bi landed well with fans Tuesday, being the first to kick off as a solo artist from the now-disbanded project girl group IZ*ONE. The idol-turned-soloist opened the door to a new chapter of her musical career with her first EP, “Open,” released Tuesday evening. The six-song print is a package brimming with six different flavors, including a ballad track and several eye-catching performances, the singer said during an online press conference Tuesday. “As the name su

K-popAug. 24, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Kwon Eunbi takes 1st step as solo musician

Kwon Eunbi, of the now-disbanded IZ*ONE, made her debut as a solo artist on Tuesday at an online showcase for media. 　 “My role model is BoA. I want to be a cool solo singer that spans across a range of genres and concepts,” she said. 　 She is the first of the girl group to strike out on her own and she confidently introduced herself as a musician who can dance, sing and write songs. 　 Kwon co-wrote the lyrics for the swing-influenced “Door,” the lead track off of her

K-popAug. 24, 2021

SHINee's Key set to release new song, album

Key of South Korean boy band SHINee is set to drop a new song next week ahead of the release of his first solo album in 2 1/2 years, his management agency said Tuesday. The song "Hate that..." will hit domestic online music services at 6 p.m. on Monday, before the release of the new album containing the track in September, according to SM Entertainment. The 29-year-old's previous solo album was released in March 2019 on the day he enlisted in the military to begin his mandatory servi

K-popAug. 24, 2021

BTS' 'Butter' ranks No. 8 on Billboard Hot 100

K-pop sensation BTS' mega-hit "Butter" placed eighth on this week's Billboard main singles chart, staying in the top 10 for 13 consecutive weeks. The summery song dropped one notch to No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart after earlier spending nine weeks at No. 1, Billboard said on its website Monday (US time). In the Digital Song Sales category, "Butter" led for a 12th week, with 55,000 downloads, it said. "Butter" had sat atop the main singles chart for nine nonconsecuti

K-popAug. 24, 2021

Verivery attempts horror with new album ‘Series ‘O’ [Round 2: Hole]’

Boy band Verivery is back with their sixth EP “Series ‘O’ [Round 2: Hole],” an exploration of darker themes and the group‘s first-ever horror concept. Ahead of the album’s release on Monday, the group staged its first performance of the single “Trigger” and shared insights in to the new album at a media showcase event. Led by “Trigger,” the new album opens the second chapter of the group’s “O” series, which kicked

K-popAug. 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink's Lisa floats solo teaser

Lisa of Blackpink signaled her solo debut with a teaser poster on Monday. 　 On the black poster that reads “Coming Soon,” the idol, albeit blurry, is seen sitting down in a red suit paired with high-heeled boots striking a confident pose, with hair dyed dark blonde. 　 She will be the third member of the quintet to put out a solo album, following Jennie and Rose, both of whom set multiple records both at home and abroad with their releases. 　 Lisa boasts the most followers among K

K-popAug. 23, 2021