[Herald Interview] Rookie Ciipher hints of hidden charms to unlock

Rookies they may be, Ciipher’s name was already familiar to many K-pop fans thanks to their producer Jung Ji-hoon, also known as singer Rain, who has been earnestly promoting the group ahead of their debut last month. While Rain definitely has their back, the members promised of various hidden charms and talents for fans to decrypt. Comprising seven members -- Hyunbin, Tan, Hwi, Keita, Tag, Dohwan and Won -- Ciipher debuted on March 15 with their EP “I Like You (An Ggyulyeo)”

K-popApril 22, 2021

K-pop stars launch Kstars4Climate campaign to save Earth

Popular K-pop stars joined hands in a campaign to highlight the dangers of climate change and call for bolder action on the defining challenge of the age, marking the 41st Earth Day on Thursday. Some 31 members from seven K-pop groups including Oh My Girl, BTOB, Day6 and The Boyz shared their thoughts on climate change and encouraged their millions of fans around the globe to take part in climate action. In the first video, released Thursday on the campaign’s official website, the idol

K-popApril 22, 2021

Rose's first solo album 'R' sells over half a million copies

Rose, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, has sold more than 500,000 units of her first solo album "R," becoming the first South Korean female soloist to breach the half-million sales mark in about 19 years, her management agency said Thursday. As of Tuesday, "R" had sold a total of 502,447 copies since its release on March 12, YG Entertainment said, citing data from the Hanteo music chart that provides real-time album sales statistics. The singer's first EP features t

K-popApril 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Super Junior’s Yesung to release solo record in May

Yesung of Super Junior will come out with a fourth solo EP in May, said label S.M. Entertainment on Wednesday. 　 Three images of the veteran idol hailing the new album, titled “Phantom Pain,” were uploaded on the band’s social media channel, showing him sitting on a sofa. The EP will roll out May 3, but the video will be unveiled Friday. 　 Super Junior’s main vocalist put out his first solo EP, “Here I Am,” in April 2016. It has been almost two years since

K-popApril 21, 2021

BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' extends longest streak on Billboard 200 by K-pop group to 60 weeks

"Map of the Soul: 7," an album by global superstar BTS, has remained on the Billboard 200 chart for the 60th consecutive week this week, extending its longest-streak record by a K-pop group or singer on the chart. According to the latest Billboard chart results updated Tuesday (US time), the album released in February 2020 came in at 113th on the US music publisher's main albums chart. This marks the album's 60th consecutive week on the highly competitive chart since it debuted atop

K-popApril 21, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] 2PM poised for summer return

2PM is gearing up to come out with new album in summer, according to media reports on Tuesday.  The band is preparing for a new album although specific dates are yet to be set, confirmed label JYP Entertainment following the reports.  The bandmates are writing songs on their own while choosing some from songwriters that spans across genres. The six-piece act’s last album together was its sixth studio album “Gentlemen’s Game” that was released in September 201

K-popApril 20, 2021

Girl group TWICE to perform on Kelly Clarkson show next week

K-pop girl group TWICE is set to appear on the US TV series "The Kelly Clarkson Show" next week, its management agency said Tuesday. The K-pop act will perform "Cry For Me," its latest single released in December, on the popular American daytime show on April 27 (US time), according to JYP Entertainment. The up-tempo dance number has topped iTunes charts in 20 countries and regions, including Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand, and peaked at No. 2 on the worldwide iTunes song c

K-popApril 20, 2021

SHINee's Taemin to join military next month

Taemin, a member of K-pop boy band SHINee, will join the military next month to fulfill his mandatory service, his agency said Tuesday. The 27-year-old singer is set to enlist on May 31, according to SM Entertainment. The agency did not elaborate further on the venue and schedule of the enlistment, citing Taemin's wish to enlist in a quiet manner. The SHINee member applied for a position in the Army's military band and has recently been accepted, the agency added. Taemin separately made the

K-popApril 20, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] NU’EST proud to present new LP

NU’EST discussed the group’s second studio album “Romanticize” at a showcase held in Seoul on Monday.   　 It has been a year since the eighth EP “The Nocturne” and almost seven years since first LP “Re:Birth,” and the bandmates admitted that they are stirred up.   　 “My heart has been all pit-a-pat and wouldn’t stop trembling throughout the preparation,” confided JR. Since they put so much time and effort into making

K-popApril 19, 2021

[Exclusive] Blackpink Lisa‘s solo debut expected in June

Lisa of girl group Blackpink is likely to make her solo debut in June. Rumors have been circulating for months that Lisa will be dropping her first solo album this year, and according to industry sources on Monday, the date has been set for June. An official from the group’s label YG Entertainment told the Korea Herald by phone that “Lisa is still working hard (on the album)” but declined to confirm the release date, stating schedules will be announced through an official no

K-popApril 19, 2021

Baekhyun's latest solo album 'Bambi' sells over 1m copies

Baekhyun, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, now has two million-selling solo titles under his belt, his agency said Monday. The singer's third EP, titled "Bambi," sold a total of 1 million copies as of Sunday, 20 days after its release on March 30, according to SM Entertainment. It is his second million-seller album following the previous solo track "Delight" in 2020. Baekhyun has already become the first Korean singer to earn the "million seller" title through bot

K-popApril 19, 2021

Number of peak concurrent viewers on BTS online event surpasses 2.7m: agency

The number of peak simultaneous viewers of the latest online concert streaming event by K-pop group BTS surpassed 2.7 million, the boy band's agency said Sunday. The milestone figure was announced by Big Hit Music one day after "Bang Bang Con 21" -- comprised of some eight hours of back-to-back streaming of past BTS concerts and fan events -- was made available for free on the band's official YouTube channel on Saturday. According to Big Hit, the event also generated enormous buzz on

K-popApril 18, 2021

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Cheeze finds herself with ‘LOSER’

Singer-songwriter Cheeze dropped her latest single “LOSER” on Friday, through which she sings of facing her true self. Since releasing her EP “I can‘t tell you everything” nearly a year ago, Cheeze has found herself walking a path that’s different than any she had before, and with “LOSER” she shares that story. “I have a very whimsical personality, so I often have big mood swings. I sometimes feel like I’m a loser, and at other time

K-popApril 16, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Enhyphen reveals song list

Enhypen will release its second EP, “Border: Carnival,” April 26, said agency Belief Lab on Friday. 　 It has been five months since the boy band came out with debut album “Border: Day One,” and the new EP has already sold over 400,000 units in the five days since preorders started. 　 The EP consists of six tracks that deal with the bandmates’ feelings about the unfamiliar and dazzling world they faced after their debut. “Drunk-Dazed” is a pop rock numb

K-popApril 16, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Former Wanna One leader Yoon Jisung set to sing, act

Yoon Jisung talked about how happy he was to be back with his fans at an online media showcase for his second EP, “Temperature of Love,” Thursday. 　 “My heart was aflutter working on the music,” he confided. “I wanted to come out with good songs for my fans, especially since it has been 2 1/2 years.” Throughout it all, he was eager to share his music. 　 “Recording was harder than I thought. It had been a while since I’d sung and it felt awkward ge

K-popApril 15, 2021

BTS hit 'Boy With Luv' breaks 1.2b YouTube views

The music video for the 2019 BTS hit "Boy With Luv (Feat. Halsey)" has earned more than 1.2 billion views on YouTube in another milestone for the K-pop dynamo. "Boy With Luv," the main track for the seven-piece act's sixth EP "Map of the Soul: Persona," hit 1.2 billion views at 9:48 a.m. on Thursday, according to Big Hit Music, the group's agency. The upbeat track, featuring American singer-songwriter Halsey, debuted at No. 8 on Billboard's main singles chart and

K-popApril 15, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS sets record with 10m streams on Oricon

  BTS ranked the highest on Oricon’s weekly streaming chart with “Film Out,” according to the latest tally that came out on Wednesday.  The band’s newest Japanese single amassed over 11.67 million streams last week, becoming its second song with more than 10 million weekly streaming on the chart after last year’s “Dynamite.” This is the first time ever a male artist had two songs with over 10 million weekly streams, according to the Japanese t

K-popApril 14, 2021

BTS member Jimin's 'hanbok' suit up for auction

A traditional Korean outfit that Jimin of BTS wore in a performance will be up for auction, with the bidding price beginning at 5 million won ($4,476), a local auction house said Wednesday. Jimin appeared in the "hanbok," traditional Korean attire, designed by Kim Rieul in the K-pop act's opening stage for "BTS Week" special on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" that aired in September. Clad in dark hues of hanbok, the seven-piece act wowed fans with a

K-popApril 14, 2021

Jung Yong-hwa to release Chinese EP in collaboration with JJ Lin, R3hab

South Korean singer-actor Jung Yong-hwa will release a Chinese EP, which includes songs he worked on with Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin and Moroccan-Dutch DJ R3hab, his agency said Wednesday. Titled "Stay in Touch," the four-track album is set for release on June 22, the 31-year-old singer's birthday, according to FNC Entertainment. Ahead of the release, Jung will first drop the single "Checkmake" (R3hab Remix) on Friday. FNC explained R3hab worked on an EDM version

K-popApril 14, 2021

K-pop girl group ITZY set to release EP 'Guess Who' this month

K-pop girl group ITZY is ready to come back with its fourth EP, "Guess Who," later this month, its agency said Wednesday. The album, due out on April 30, includes main track "In the Morning" produced by their label founder and K-pop guru Park Jin-young, according to JYP Entertainment. The six-track EP also includes songs by songwriters who have collaborated with top-notch K-pop acts BTS, TWICE and IU like KASS, danke and earattack, it added. ITZY, consisting of Yeji, Ryuji

K-popApril 14, 2021