[Herald Review] Xdinary Heroes showcase 5-month project, teases new album

The six-piece-band Xdinary Heroes kicked off a five-month-long project with the solo concert “Closed beta ver. 6” on Sunday, which continued from Friday for three days. The concert, which took place at Yes24 Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, comes after successfully wrapping up the sextets’ first world tour last month. Xdinary Heroes, a rock band that debuted in 2021 under JYP Entertainment's sub-label Studio J, will showcase a five-month-long “2024 Xperiment Project&rdquo

PerformanceApril 22, 2024

Ateez to drop 10th EP ‘Golden Hour: Part.1’ on May 31

Ateez is returning to the K-pop scene with their 10th EP, “Golden Hour: Part.1,” which will be released on May 31. KQ Entertainment dropped a poster and announced the promotion schedule for the new album on Monday. From this week, more concept photos, a track list poster, an album preview and a music video teaser will be revealed, the agency said. The K-pop group teased their comeback on stage during their performance at the Coachella Valley Music Festival performance on April 19. Th

K-popApril 22, 2024

Aespa to release 1st LP ‘Armageddon’ on May 27

K-pop girl group aespa is releasing its first studio album, “Armageddon,” on May 27. SM Entertainment said the LP will be led by two title tracks: “Supernova” and “Armageddon.” “Supernova” will be released on May 13 before the official album release. The album carries a total of 10 tracks with diverse genres including hip-hop, dance and ballad music. The agency hinted that the studio album will serve as an introduction to the second chapter of the

K-popApril 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] Doyoung of NCT to share his story of ‘youth’ in 1st solo album

Over the past nine years, Doyoung has built a career as the vocalist of the popular K-pop boy group NCT. But it was just a year ago, as NCT embarked on a world tour and released various albums, when Doyoung realized he was ready to debut as a soloist. “Last year, I released three albums as a member of NCT when one of our vocalists Taeil took a break due to health concerns. I felt pressure in having to fill in his void. But after having overcome such challenges, I thought I had improved my

K-popApril 22, 2024

Ateez member Yunho throws first pitch at MLB match between Dodgers, Mets

Yunho, a member of K-pop boy band Ateez, threw the first pitch at a Major League Baseball match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets, his agency, KQ Entertainment, said Sunday. Yunho, a vehement baseball fan since his childhood, mounted the ground and pitched the first ball to open the match held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday (U.S. time). He and three other Ateez members, Yeosang, Wooyoung and Jongho, were invited to the event. "It was an honor to step onto t

K-popApril 21, 2024

NCT Dream's Renjun to take hiatus due to anxiety

Renjun from NCT Dream is suspending his activities. The agency, SM Entertainment, announced through the global fandom live platform Weverse on Saturday that Renjun will take a hiatus due to health issues. "Renjun recently visited the hospital due to poor physical condition and symptoms of anxiety, and received medical advice that sufficient stability and rest are necessary," said the agency. Renjun was absent from the scheduled fan signing event on Saturday. Only six members -- Mark, J

K-popApril 21, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Illit drops debut single remix

Illit set fans abuzz Thursday with remixes of debut single “Magnetic.” There are three different remixes -- a soft and dreamy R&B version, a fresh and upbeat “starlight” version and a slower “city night” take on the tune. The original song is a dance song that combines house and trap and fronted the rookie girl group’s first EP “Super Real Me” that came out last month. It hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 91, a first for a debut single

K-popApril 19, 2024

Seventeen unveils track list for upcoming album

K-pop boy group Seventeen unveiled the track list for their upcoming album, “17 Is Right Here,” to be released on April 29. The album will not only carry the group's most loved songs, but also four new singles -- “Maestro,” “Lalali,” “Spell” and “Cheers to Youth,” according to Pledis Entertainment. Woozi of Seventeen and K-pop producer Bumzu, who is behind several Seventeen hits, took part in producing "Maestro." The othe

K-popApril 19, 2024

Jay Park to release new single album ‘Jay Park Season 1’

Singer Jay Park is set to release a new single, “Jay Park Season 1,” on April 25, according to More Vision. He announced his comeback by posting a teaser image of the upcoming album on his social media Thursday. The single will be led by the track “Your/My” and carry one B-side, “Like I do.” This is the first among several releases Jay Park plans for this year. “In the past few years, I’ve been occupied with exploring my entrepreneurial side and fo

K-popApril 19, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Zico drops snippet of collaboration with Jennie

Zico has raised expectations for his upcoming digital single with a picture showing him with Jennie of Blackpink. In the photo uploaded Wednesday on his Instagram account, the two artists are looking at Polaroid pictures of themselves between working on his 11th single, “Stop!,” which marks the 10th anniversary of the singer and songwriter’s debut. “Come vibe with us,” he wrote in the caption, also sharing a video that captured Jennie perched on a table singing and

K-popApril 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul

A pop-up event for fans of BTS will run in Seoul from April 26 to May 12, according to an announcement by Big Hit Music on Tuesday. The news for the event “Monochrome” came with posters, one of which used a never-seen-before black-and-white photograph of the seven members, shot before they enlisted. Another showed boxes moving along a conveyor belt hinting that the temporary occasion will be theme after “memory clouds” which was the main concept from its fan meetup held

K-popApril 17, 2024

Highlight to tour Asia

K-pop boy group Highlight will perform in five cities across Asia starting in May, marking the group's 15th debut anniversary, according to an announcement by Around Us. The “Lights Go On, Again” tour will kick off in Seoul with three days of concerts on May 10-12 at the KSPO Dome. All tickets to the group’s Seoul concert have been sold out, the agency said. Highlight is then set to perform in Hong Kong on June 22, Bangkok on June 30, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on July 6 and Tokyo

K-popApril 17, 2024

K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show

A member of the South Korean girl group Ichillin’ was briefly rendered unconscious after being struck by a foul ball while waiting for a performance during a pro baseball game in Seoul on Tuesday. The singer soon recovered consciousness, but her performance was canceled. “Chowon is currently in good health. There were no abnormalities found during a detailed (medical) examination, and she will undergo additional tests later today,'" her agency Kmet said in a statement

K-popApril 17, 2024

Stray Kids to release digital single featuring Charlie Puth

Stray Kids are set to release a digital single, “Lose My Breath,” featuring global pop star Charlie Puth on May 10. JYP Entertainment, the label housing Stray Kids, announced the release on the group's official social media accounts on Wednesday. Charlie Puth rose to stardom with “See You Again,” the original soundtrack of the film “Furious 7,” released in 2015. He has worked with other K-pop artists in the past. Jungkook of BTS featured on Charlie Puth&r

K-popApril 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to return soon: report

Stray Kids is gearing up for a new release in the summer, according to a local media report on Monday citing industry sources. Considering that it is slated to headline a series of music festivals abroad -- “I-Days” in Milan, “British Summertime Hyde Park” in London and “Lollapalooza Chicago” in Chicago -- from mid-July, an album is likely to be released in June, it speculated. Its last album was the November's “Rock-Star” tEP, which topped

K-popApril 16, 2024

Busan One Asia Festival moves up to June

The Busan One Asia Festival, celebrating its eighth edition this year, will take place over two days on June 8 and 9. BOF is hosted by the Busan city government and organized by the Busan Tourism Organization. On the first day of the festival, the BOF Big Concert, featuring various K-pop artists, will be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, while on June 9, the Park Concert will take place at Hwamyeong Eco Park. The lineup for the Park Concert has not yet been announced yet. The BOF Big Concert

PerformanceApril 16, 2024

SM-Kakao Games to launch mobile game in H2

SM Entertainment and Kakao Games Corp. signed a partnership at SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday to create a mobile game. The partnership follows South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp.'s acquisition of SM Entertainment in March last year. The K-pop label will use its artist IP to create a mobile game tentatively titled “SM Game Station” to be launched globally in the second half of this year, according to SM. Kakao Games Corp., the gaming unit of Kakao Corp.,

K-popApril 16, 2024

Illit debuts on Billboard’s Hot 100

K-pop rookie group Illit made its first showing on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated April 20 with “Magnetic,” the lead track of its debut EP “Super Real Me,” landing at No. 91 on the chart. This makes Illit the first K-pop act to enter Billboard’s main songs chart with a debut single. Billboard’s Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular current songs across all genres by streaming activity from digital music sources, radio airplay and sales data compiled by

K-popApril 16, 2024

Billboard Korea aims to become K-culture ambassador

Billboard, an American media company known for its music charts and news, begins a new chapter in South Korea with the launch of Billboard Korea, a subsidiary that will extensively cover the Korean music industry, Billboard CEO Mike Vans announced Monday during a press conference. “At Billboard, we recognize the significance of K-pop and K-music as not just a musical genre, but as a cultural movement that continues to transcend borders and redefine the landscape of the global entertainment

K-popApril 15, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT hits Billboard 200 at No. 3 with 6th EP

The sixth EP from Tomorrow X Together ranked No. 3 on the Billboard 200, label Big Hit Music said Monday, citing the chart preview published on its website. The group's EP “Minisode 3: Tomorrow” became its 10th entry on the Main Albums chart, on which the band is the only K-pop act besides BTS to have ten albums. The mini album is TXT's fifth to sit among the top five following the fifth EP “The Name Chapter: Temptation” (No. 1), the third LP “The Name C

K-popApril 15, 2024