BTS' 'Butter' extends No. 1 streak on Billboard Hot 100 to 4 straight weeks

BTS' latest megahit dance-pop song "Butter" retained the No. 1 position on the Billboard's main albums chart for the fourth consecutive week in the group's best record on the chart since its debut. "Butter" is officially No. 1 on this week's Hot 100 chart for a fourth consecutive week. It becomes the group's longest-leading No. 1 hit, surpassing the three-week run of "Dynamite."" Billboard said Monday (U.S. time) on its Twitter account. "Butter" dre

K-popJune 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz to put out new EP in August

The Boyz are coming out with a sixth EP in August, said agency Cre.ker Entertainment on Monday. 　 More details will be announced soon, the company added, asking fans to keep their eyes open. 　 It has been 11 months since the band’s previous EP, “Chase.” That was the group’s bestselling EP so far, and all its tracks made it onto all the major local charts. 　 The 11-piece boy band recently participated in “Kingdom: Legendary War” and competed against five ot

K-popJune 21, 2021

TWICE's latest EP debuts at No. 6 on Billboard 200

K-pop star band TWICE's new EP album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard main albums chart this week, becoming the second K-pop girl group to make the chart's top 10. "K-pop girl group TWICE debuts at No. 6 with 'Taste of Love,' with 46,000 equivalent album units earned," Billboard reported Sunday (US time), one day before its chart will be updated. The Billboard 200 is one of the U.S. music publisher's main charts, ranking the most popular albums of the week in the United States based

K-popJune 21, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen is back, full of love, confidence

Seventeen held a media conference in Seoul on Friday to celebrate the release of its eighth EP “Your Choice.” 　 The band is returning eight months after its last release and leader S.Coups thanked fans for loving and waiting for them. 　 The main theme of the new music is the power of love, “a story of mature love seen from Seventeen’s perspective,” said Woozi. 　 “In addition to the addictive sounds and strong performances, we are focusing on showing new side

K-popJune 18, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Brave Girls are ready for summer

Brave Girls hosted a media showcase in southern Seoul on Thursday to introduce its fifth EP “Summer Queen.” 　 It has been 10 months since the release of the group‘s last EP “We Ride,” and during that time, the girl group has become a surprise sensation, climbing up to the top of music charts with songs from past albums. 　 “This is the first time we’ve prepared with so much fun and excitement,” said Minyoung. 　 “When the music video started

K-popJune 17, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink makes movie to mark 5th anniversary

  Blackpink is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its debut with a movie that will hit cinemas in over 100 countries, said label YG Entertainment on Wednesday. 　 Titled “Blackpink The Movie,” it will premiere Aug. 8, although release dates may differ in some countries. The film will show the quartet reminiscing over shared memories and include never-before-seen interviews with the bandmates. 　 There will also be performances from its January digital concert “The Show,&r

K-popJune 16, 2021

New BTS Japanese album ships 1.1m units on 1st day: agency

A Japanese-language compilation album of BTS songs has shipped 1.1 million units on its first day, the band's agency said Wednesday. Shipments of "BTS, The Best," the seven-piece band's new album, surpassed 1.1 million units on its first day of release in the Asian country, according to Big Hit Music. The 23-track album includes Japanese-language songs such as "Film Out," "Your Eyes Tell" and "Crystal Snow." It also includes Japanese versions of the band

K-popJune 16, 2021

BamBam kicks off solo career with debut Korean EP 'riBBon'

BamBam, the versatile Thai rapper-singer from disbanded K-pop boy band GOT7, has taken his first step as a solo artist with his new album "riBBon," which he wrote. The six-track album, released late Tuesday, is his first album as a solo musician after members of the septet left their label JYP Entertainment in January following a seven-year stint. BamBam has since signed with Abyss Company, which manages other Korean acts like Sunmi and Urban Zakapa. In an online media event late Tue

K-popJune 16, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] GOT7’s Bambam takes 1st step as solo artist

Bambam of GOT7 held an online media showcase for the release of his solo debut EP “riBBon” on Tuesday. 　 “I am all nerves,” he acknowledged, but he expressed hope that fans would love the music video, especially since so many were enthusiastic about the teaser clips and highlight medley that had been released earlier. He added that he shot the video snippet for the highlight medley himself. 　 “I really put a lot into this album -- I even tried mixing,” said

K-popJune 15, 2021

BTS smashes record as 'Butter' tops Billboard Hot 100 for 3rd week

Supergroup BTS once again outran its own track record as the summery single "Butter" ranked No. 1 on the latest Billboard's main singles chart for the third straight week. "Butter" holds at No. 1 with 15.4 million US streams and 138,400 downloads sold in the week ending June 10. It also attracted 24.6 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 10 percent) in the week ending June 13," Billboard said Monday (US time) on its Twitter account. The result beats the seven

K-popJune 15, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] UP10TION introduces 2nd full album

UP10TION held an online media showcase event Monday to introduce its second full album, “Connection.” 　 “We are returning after a long while and I was so excited and nervous that I couldn’t sleep well,” confided Kuhn. The band members poured a lot into the new album, he added. 　 The new LP is a spinoff from last year’s ninth EP, “Light Up,” and comes in two versions -- “Silhouette” and “Illuminate.” The former focuses on th

K-popJune 14, 2021

EXO adds another million-seller with latest album

K-pop boy band EXO has added another album to its list of million-selling albums with the latest release "Don't Fight the Feeling," its management agency said Tuesday. The EP, released last week, has sold 1.09 million copies as of Sunday, becoming the nine-member group's sixth million-selling album, according to SM Entertainment. The group first earned a million-selling album record with its debut studio album "XOXO (Kiss & Hug)" in 2013. "Don't Fight the Feeling&

K-popJune 14, 2021

TXT soars to No. 5 on Billboard main albums chart

K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) saw its latest album land at fifth place on the Billboard main albums chart in its best record since debut. "South Korean pop quintet Tomorrow x Together notches its first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as 'The Chaos Chapter: Freeze' debuts at No. 5 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned," the Billboard reported Sunday (local time). Album sales accounted for a majority of the total with 39,000, while the remaining units came from digital

K-popJune 14, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice talks about “Taste of Love”

The bandmates of Twice discussed their 10th EP, “Taste of Love,” upon its release Friday. 　 It had been eight months since the band’s previous album, “Eyes Wide Open.” 　 “This is an album that took us a long time to make and consequently, expectations for the promotion are high,” said Jeongyeon. As many of their fans are looking forward to seeing something new, they would like to repay their fans with a range of fresh performances, she added. 　 The k

K-popJune 11, 2021

BTS to celebrate 8th debut anniversary with virtual fan meeting

BTS, the seven-piece act that has emerged as the world's biggest boy band, is set to hold a two-day fan event in line with its eighth debut anniversary, the group's agency said Friday. BTS 2021 Muster Sowoozoo, now in its fifth round, will take place through online streaming on Sunday and Monday, according to Hybe. It marks the first mass fan event of its kind since one held in 2019. To make up for the online streaming, Hybe said the event will take place at an outdoor stage so that fans can f

K-popJune 11, 2021

[Eye Interview] Baek Yerin forays into 90s rock with The Volunteers

It might have come as a surprise to most that soft-voiced R&B singer Baek Yerin deviated to rock, but her three bandmates in The Volunteers found the transition quite natural. “Nothing about this band was planned. We didn‘t set a goal before we started on anything. Of course, to us, Yerin’s voice sounded like rock material, but that was only one of the reasons why the four of us came together. The whole thing was just fun for us,” Koh Hyung-seok, the Volunteers&rsq

K-popJune 11, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice performs new song for 1st time on 'Ellen'

Twice performed the lead track from its 10th EP “Taste of Love” for the first time on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday in the US.   　 The nine-piece group celebrated summer with a choreography that mixed sultry wave and passionate Latin dance moves, while the stage set changed from a hot summer day into a romantic night perfect for a holiday destination.   　 The song, titled “Alcohol-Free,” headed straight to the top of major music charts i

K-popJune 10, 2021

Ex-BTOB member gets 2-year prison term for marijuana use

Jung Il-hoon, former member of K-pop boy band BTOB, was sentenced by a local court Thursday to two years in prison for habitually smoking marijuana, a banned substance in South Korea. The 27-year-old Jung was indicted without detention in April on charges of smoking marijuana worth 133 million won ($119,300) that he had bought from an acquaintance on 161 occasions between July 2016 and January 2019. The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Jung to forfeit 133 million won for violating the

K-popJune 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice drums up excitement for new album

Twice shared its excitement for their new EP “Taste of Love” in a livestream to mark its return on Wednesday. 　 “Taste of Love” reflects how much the band has matured, said Jeongyeon. 　 “This is the first time the members have had their names on all tracks,” chimed in Jihyo. 　 Title track “Alcohol-Free” blends together bossa nova and hip-hop, emphasizing the band’s vivid and refreshing image. 　 “We’ve never tried bossa nova,&

K-popJune 9, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EPEX makes confident debut

Boy band EPEX held an online showcase event to announce its debut on Tuesday. 　 The name of the band means “the gathering of eight youths reaches eight different zeniths,” explained leader Wish. He was under enormous pressure, he admitted, but felt confident that the band would live up to expectations because he and his seven bandmates had prepared with all their might. 　 Its first EP, “Bipolar Pt. 1 Prelude of Anxiety,” hails the beginning of its narrative and sings o

K-popJune 8, 2021