K-pop singer Zico to begin alternative military service this month

K-pop artist and producer Zico will begin his alternative military service later this month, his management agency said Tuesday. He will enter a boot camp on July 30 for four weeks of basic military training and will then serve as a social worker, according to KOZ Entertainment. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military, but those judged unfit for active-duty service are allowed to serve an alternative one. Zico reportedly has health issues. Since his debut with

K-popJuly 21, 2020

K-pop album sales remain robust despite pandemic

The K-pop industry boasts record album sales this year in spite of canceled tours and stage performances. According to Gaon Chart, the nation’s top 400 albums sold 18.08 million copies in the first half of this year -- a 40 percent jump from last year’s 12.33 million and the highest figure since the chart started tallying album sales in 2010. Of the 400 albums tracked, the top 100 -- all from K-pop bands or soloists -- sold 16.89 million copies, making up more than 90 percent of

K-popJuly 21, 2020

[Herald Interview] Golden Child quenches fans’ thirst with fun-filled live chat

Having returned with “Lucid Dream,” Golden Child recently sat down with The Korea Herald to quench fans’ thirst for a lively chat filled with fun-filled details. The conversation took place at the Herald headquarters in Seoul, where the bandmates played “Who’s Who” game and answered Twitter questions, unleashing their most natural, fun selves. Although the broadcast took place on a rainy Monday morning, the studio was brightly lit by the boys’ unbridle

K-popJuly 21, 2020

TREASURE, YG's 1st new K-pop act after BLACKPINK, to debut next month

TREASURE, YG Entertainment's first new K-pop group in four years since BLACKPINK's debut, will officially launch next month, the company announced Monday. The 12-piece boy band, which includes four Japanese members, will make its debut on Aug. 7, according to YG. The company released a teaser video and a poster announcing the debut date. TREASURE is YG Entertainment's first K-pop act following the company's successful female quartet BLACKPINK which debuted in 2016. The group is composed of th

K-popJuly 20, 2020

TWICE to hold online concert next month via Beyond Live platform

K-pop act TWICE will hold an online concert for its global fans next month using the Beyond Live platform owned by SM Entertainment and Naver, the group's agency said Friday. The virtual concert, "Beyond Live - TWICE: World In A Day," will be held Aug. 9 on Beyond Live, a streaming concert platform created in partnership between SM Entertainment and Naver, South Korea's No. 1 web portal, according to JYP Entertainment. The nine-piece girl group will be the first non-SM act to hold a

K-popJuly 17, 2020

Combined sales of BTS' album 'Journey' top 500,000 units in Japan

The combined sales of "Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey," K-pop band BTS' latest Japanese album, surpassed 500,000 copies as of the second day of its release, claiming the top spot on Japan's main music sales chart for two days in a row, the band's agency said Friday. "Journey," BTS' fourth Japanese-language studio album released Wednesday, sold 54,975 units on the next day, according to Big Hit Entertainment. The album stayed at No. 1 on the daily album chart of Oricon, J

K-popJuly 17, 2020

BTS' album 'Journey' sells nearly 450,000 copies in Japan on release day

"Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey," the new Japanese album by K-pop band BTS, sold nearly 450,000 copies on its release day, becoming the fastest-moving record in Japan in terms of day-one sales, according to the group's agency Thursday. According to Big Hit Entertainment, "Journey," BTS' fourth Japanese-language studio album released on Wednesday, shipped 447,869 copies within 24 hours in the neighboring country. The album debuted at No. 1 on the daily album chart of Orico

K-popJuly 16, 2020

2 iKON members involved in drunk driving accident

YG Entertainment released an official statement on Tuesday apologizing for two members of K-pop group iKON being involved in a drunk driving accident. The accident occurred before dawn Monday when a car with the drunk driver and two iKON members -- Kim Jin-hwan and Koo Jun-hoe -- drove into a highway wall in South Gyeongsang Province. The driver, who is the manager of iKON, had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent according to police reports, which leads to termination of the driver’s l

K-popJuly 14, 2020

Monsta X announces new dates for North American tour

Monsta X on Tuesday announced the rescheduled dates of their North American tour, becoming one of the first K-pop acts to resume their postponed tour this year. According to the group’s label Starship Entertainment, the band will embark on their tour on April 20 next year beginning in the US capital of Washington, and wrap up on May 21 in Los Angeles. Minor changes have been made to the initial schedule. Three cities -- Minneapolis, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia -- were drop

K-popJuly 14, 2020

EXO members prove worth with solo, subunit gigs amid group hiatus

Despite nearly half of its full lineup currently absent, the presence of K-pop boy band EXO, a third-generation K-pop stalwart, still resonates loud and deep, as remaining members pursue solo and subunit projects during the group's hiatus due to the military duty requirements of its members. Currently three members -- Suho, Xiumin and D.O. -- of the highly popular nine-piece act are serving out their two-year military duties. Chinese member Lay has also been absent from the group's latest acti

K-popJuly 14, 2020

Exporting the template: K-pop agencies' overseas idol projects yield solid results

Touted as one of South Korea's biggest export products, K-pop and its industry have always had a strong impulse to go beyond the borders of South Korea to capture the imaginations of audiences across borders and cultures -- as well documented in the BTS phenomenon and global hype surrounding acts such as BLACKPINK and Monsta X. Major companies and creative forces behind today's K-pop are now stepping up their game of overseas expansions in 2020, this time by trying out their time-tested templa

K-popJuly 13, 2020

Plunging YouTube subscriptions reflect public disdain for Jimin: data

Over the past week, 5,000 people, equivalent to 12.8 percent of former AOA leader Jimin’s YouTube channel subscribers, had unsubscribed, the highest percentage of users unsubscribing among any such channel in Korea, according to data analysis platform Influencer. Viewers have been unsubscribing from Jimin’s YouTube channel, “Boss Baby Jiminem,” since July 3, when former AOA bandmate Mina posted on social media regarding Jimin’s bullying. Mina posted a series of p

K-popJuly 10, 2020

Seventeen’s top 30 tracks, ranked

Since their debut in 2015, boy band Seventeen has shown strong and steady growth. And with their latest seventh EP “Heng:garae,” the act again set a new record -- the release sold over one million copies in its first week. This figure, while impressive on its own, is even more oustanding considering the unfavorable market conditions due to the ongoing pandemic. Let us celebrate the group’s remarkable feat with these top 30 tracks from the band over the past five years. 30

K-popJuly 9, 2020

BLACKPINK's new song debuts at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart

BLACKPINK landed at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with its latest single "How You Like That," according to the American music trade publication Tuesday, setting a new record for K-pop girl groups. Billboard's official Twitter account announced that "How You Like That" will debut at No. 33 on this week's Hot 100 chart, and at No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. BLACKPINK beat its previous record as the highest-charting K-pop girl group with "Kill

K-popJuly 7, 2020

Bang shares his formula behind BTS’ success

In a recent paper published by Harvard Business School, Big Hit Entertainment Chairman Bang Si-hyuk shared how global sensation BTS deviates from the typical K-pop idol system and has more autonomy than other K-pop bands. During his interview with the authors of “Big Hit Entertainment and Blockbuster Band BTS: K-Pop Goes Global,” Bang said the band’s contract renegotiations -- a period when many stories of conflict arise among K-pop artists -- took place without the interventi

K-popJuly 7, 2020

With 'Heng:garae,' Seventeen earns astounding feat after Big Hit integration

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to hamper the global music and entertainment industry-at-large, the K-pop scene has proven time and time again its resilience and nimbleness in audience outreach and commercial viability. BTS is estimated to have earned nearly $20 million through its one-off virtual concert, "Bang Bang Con: The Live," in mid-June, drawing a global audience of some 756,000. BLACKPINK has also proven that demand for K-pop's girl power remains high, with its new sin

K-popJuly 6, 2020

K-pop stars expose personal conflict in social media

More and more previous and current members of K-pop groups are revealing conflict with other members on social media. FNC Entertainment announced late Saturday night that Jimin, leader of AOA, will be leaving the group and will quit all activity following former bandmate Mina’s exposure of Jimin’s harsh actions. “The company also feels responsible for the entire situation and will do everything possible to take care of its artists. We are once again sorry for causing worry f

K-popJuly 5, 2020

K-pop labels call for fair profit-sharing rules for TV show clips

Entertainment labels are no longer willing to tolerate broadcasters that release and sell unaired behind-the-scene clips or “fancams” of their artists without permission. The Korea Music Content Association, Korea Management Federation and Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association on Wednesday filed a petition to the nation’s Fair Trade Commission calling for a revision to the current unfair contract practices with TV stations. In Korea, pop artists appear in music sh

K-popJuly 2, 2020

Blackpink’s winning formula: from ‘Boombayah’ to ‘How You Like That’

For this piece, we spoke to Azodi, a music producer who specializes in K-pop and J-pop and has a YouTube channel where he analyzes the production of K-pop songs. In recent years, Blackpink has become one of the biggest girl groups in the world, dominating the music scene with their signature powerful trap anthems. The group debuted in the summer of 2016 with the double-sided single “Square One” featuring “Boombayah” and “Whistle.” Through their journey to g

K-popJuly 2, 2020

BLACKPINK wins 5 Guinness World Record titles with 'How You Like That'

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has set five new Guinness World Record titles with the music video for its latest song "How You Like That." The video won three titles from the Guinness World Records by racking up 86.3 million views within 24 hours of its release at 6 p.m. last Friday, according to the Guinness World Records website Thursday. It was certified as the most viewed video, music video and K-pop video on YouTube in 24 hours. A separate live premiere video for "How You Li

K-popJuly 2, 2020