[Today’s K-pop] Ateez featured on Pentatonix’s new song

San, Yoonho and Jongho of Ateez participated in Pentatonix’s newest song, which was unveiled Friday.   　 The three bandmates were the featured artists on the American a cappella group’s retake of “A Little Space.” The triple Grammy-winning quintet reached out to the boy band and the trio gladly accepted the idea to work together on a remix of the song that was originally released in February.   　 The collaborative work also will be included on Pentatonix&rsqu

K-popAug. 20, 2021

BTS cancels postponed world tour due to yearlong pandemic

K-pop sensation BTS' planned world tour, which has been put off for more than a year due to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, has been officially canceled, its agency here said Friday. "Our company has worked hard to resume preparations for the BTS Map of the Soul Tour, knowing that all fans have been waiting eagerly and long for the tour," Big Hit Music said in a statement released via its fan community Weverse. "Due to changing circumstances beyond our control, it has become d

K-popAug. 20, 2021

Bold and fearless, Cravity returns with ‘Gas Pedal’

Hoping to hit the August music charts, Cravity returned in nearly seven months with their first full-length album, “The Awakening: Written In The Stars,” released Thursday evening. The eight-song package is an album that talks about how the group plans to walk toward their destiny, the band said during an online press conference held Thursday. The album’s lead track “Gas Pedal” is a song that shows how the up-and-coming rookie act aims to solidify their presenc

K-popAug. 19, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Cravity pushes pedal harder for next phase

Cravity put out its first studio album Thursday and held an online showcase. 　 “It was on my bucket list as a singer to release a full album,” said Wonjin, “It is like doing up the first button and we’ve been so fastidious.” 　 The group rolled out “The Awakening: Written in the Stars,” about 16 months after its debut. Three EPs have come out in the intervening time. 　 “All albums under the name of Cravity are precious but a studio album certainly

K-popAug. 19, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Winner renews contract on 7th anniversary

The bandmates of Winner all agreed to renew their contracts with label YG Entertainment, the company announced Wednesday.   　 They signed the contracts together for another five years, before the initial seven-year contract’s expiration and just in time for the seventh anniversary of their debut on Tuesday.   　 “We really want to tell Inner Circle, who has always been on our side and been there for us, that we respect them,” said the band through the management fir

K-popAug. 18, 2021

Naver Webtoon to create BTS-themed content

The webcomic arm of South Korea's top portal operator, Naver Corp., said Wednesday it will expand cooperation with the agency of K-pop sensation BTS and other companies to create new original content. Webtoon Entertainment said it will create various locally made webcomics and other kinds of intellectual property (IP) content based on BTS and other K-pop artists under their management company, Hybe Co. "We aim to expand and grow our storytelling content into the core of the entertainment

K-popAug. 18, 2021

BTS' Japanese compilation album ranks No. 19 on Billboard 200

South Korean superband BTS has landed at No. 19 on this week's Billboard 200 chart with its latest Japanese compilation album. "BTS, the Best" came in at 19th place on Billboard's main albums chart refreshed Tuesday (US time), renewing the group's best first week ranking on Billboard for any of its Japanese-language album. The previous high was No. 43 made by the band's 2018 Japanese studio album "Face Yourself." Last year, the seven-piece band ranked 115th with its fourth

K-popAug. 18, 2021

TXT speaks for youngsters through ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’

Tomorrow x Together opened the door to their “The Chaos Chapter” in returning after nearly three months. The five-piece act is back with a repackage of its second studio album, “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape,” a rearrangement of “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze,” released Tuesday evening. The 11-song repackaged album is about a boy who is ready to confront the brutal and frustrating reality of the world and talks about how the youngster muddles through times

K-popAug. 17, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] TXT willing to prove themselves over time

Tomorrow X Together held an online media showcase and rolled out “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape,” a repackaged album of its second full-length album, on Tuesday. 　 The repack completes the “chaos” series and the title track “LO$ER=LO♡ER” is an emo-pop punk tune that carries on as another love song, following “0X1=LOVESONG.” 　 “It conveys the romantic feelings of a boy who says that he will fight against the world to save you, and even

K-popAug. 17, 2021

BTS 'Butter' ranks No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100

South Korean superband BTS' mega-hit "Butter" has placed seventh on this week's Billboard main singles chart, remaining in the top 10 for 12 straight weeks. Billboard said on its website Monday (US time) that BTS' "Butter" dropped three notches to No. 7 on the recently updated Hot 100 chart. It led the Digital Song Sales chart for the 11th consecutive week, with 629,000 downloads. The summery song has finished in the top 10 for 12 weeks in a row, including a yearly high o

K-popAug. 17, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream to host online fan meet to mark anniversary

NCT Dream will celebrate its fifth anniversary with an online fan meet, label SM Entertainment announced Friday. 　 It will host a livestream, titled “Hot! Summer Dream,” that will be broadcast on Naver’s V Live on Aug. 25. The bandmates will talk, play games and perform their hit songs for fans from around the world. Tickets for the online event went on sale Friday. 　 The septet’s most recent album was its first full album “Hot Sauce” that came out in May. Th

K-popAug. 13, 2021

CL to begin rollout of long-awaited solo project in August

CL, the fierce and talented K-pop singer-rapper, will release her solo debut studio album in October following a series of single releases starting this month, her label said Friday. In the run-up to the full album release, CL is first set to drop a single for the solo project "Alpha" on Aug. 24 with another single scheduled to follow in September, according to Very Cherry. The album will be released in its entirety in October. Her agency did not elaborate on the details for the full

K-popAug. 13, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Park Jihoon returns to stage with 4th EP

Park Jihoon held an online showcase on Thursday to introduce his fourth EP, “My Collection.” 　 It has been nine months since his last album. Since that time he starred in the television drama “At a Distance, Spring Is Green.” 　 “I wanted to show another me by transforming myself externally,” he said. “Acting, I believe, helps me a lot as it makes me more comfortable and freer in expressing myself onstage.” He also admitted that he always wishes he

K-popAug. 12, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] TXT gives taste of upcoming repack

Tomorrow X Together shared a preview of its repackaged second studio album on Wednesday. 　 The video snippet included samples of three songs from the repackaged album titled “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape” -- title track “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” “Exchange Diary” and “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori (Emocore Mix).” 　 The focus track is about a boy who may look like a loser but hopes to love someone who means the world to him. “Excha

K-popAug. 11, 2021

BTS' 'Permission to Dance' ranks No. 27 on Billboard Hot 100

"Permission to Dance," K-pop sensation BTS' latest release, has ranked No. 27 on this week's Billboard main singles chart, spending its fourth consecutive week on the popular American music chart. The septet's third English number dropped 18 notches to No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart, refreshed Tuesday (US time), a month after its release. The song had topped the Billboard chart in the fourth week of July, replacing BTS' previous release "Butter," allowing the group to score ba

K-popAug. 11, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz tops iTunes chart in 16 regions

The Boyz landed atop iTunes songs charts in 16 regions with “Thrill Ride” from its sixth EP, “Thrill-ing,” said agency Cre.ker Entertainment on Tuesday. 　 The song ranked high on major music charts, and the other five tracks from the EP all entered charts as well. 　 Sunwoo and Eric participated in writing the lyrics for the hip-hop number. “There already was a definitive theme and I participated only by coming up with a better idea within the frame,” said S

K-popAug. 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz thrill fans with 6th EP

The Boyz broadcast a live media showcase Monday as they rolled out their sixth EP, “Thrill-ing.” 　 The bandmates acknowledged that they couldn’t believe it had been almost a year since their previous EP, saying they were even happier and more excited after all this time. It is also the first album from the band since it came in second in “Kingdom: Legendary War,” a contest for boy bands that ended in June. 　 “We’ve put on strong and narrative-heavy perf

K-popAug. 9, 2021

[Herald Interview] A.C.E keeps moving higher, step by step

Boy band A.C.E, whose name stands for “Adventure Calling Emotions,” splashed into the music scene with bold ambitions on May 23, 2017. Its five members have come a long way since then, establishing an energetic presence and delving into unique performance styles. But the group’s path to stardom was not an easy one. Online reality shows and popular audition programs on television often function as gateways for K-pop idol-hopefuls looking to make their debut. But in 2016, A.C.

K-popAug. 9, 2021

Blackpink holds pop-up exhibition in celebration of 5th debut anniversary

K-pop sensation Blackpink will hold a pop-up exhibition from Aug. 21-30 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the group’s debut, YG Entertainment said Thursday.　 　 The exhibition is part of what is called the “4+1 project” the agency announced in June on its social media with a mysterious teaser. Aside from the exhibition, the project consists of a new film in August, a special edition photobook and three others that have yet to be announced. The pop-up exhibition will be hel

K-popAug. 7, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice aims higher with 1st English-language single

Twice is dropping its first single sung entirely in English, announced label JYP Entertainment on Friday. 　 The company uploaded an image that showed an envelope stamped with the band’s logo. When it opened, out came an invitation to a prom party. “Where are we going tonight?” the message read. 　 The nonet already has a strong presence around the world, having hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in June with its 10th EP, “Taste of Love.” It is the best showing so far f

K-popAug. 6, 2021