BTS' Jungkook creates Instagram account for his dog

K-pop megastar Jungkook has launched an Instagram account exclusively for his dog Bam, which reached over three million followers as of Monday. The 26-year-old member of the boy band BTS introduced the account through the global fan communication platform Weverse, saying that he is going to "brag about his baby." The account currently has seven posts, all of the singer's Doberman who he first revealed to the public in 2021. The account name is "bowwow_bam" -- not to be c

K-popApril 15, 2024

[Herald Review] Day6 dazzles 34,000 audience members with impressive live band performance

Day6, a South Korean pop-rock band under the label JYP Entertainment, welcomed 34,000 fans to its concerts held at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, April 12-14. The band turned the arena's main stage into a circular stage surrounded 360 degrees by the audience. Dressed in black suits, the group's four members -- guitarists Sungjin and Young K, keyboardist Wonpil and drummer Dowoon -- kicked off the last day of their “Welcome to the Show” concert Sunday with the song of the same title

K-popApril 15, 2024

Ateez incorporates traditional Korean elements into Coachella performance

On Friday, Ateez performed on the Sahara stage of the Coachella Valley Music Festival, becoming the first-ever K-pop boy group to perform at the annual festival held in southern California. The performance was livestreamed on YouTube. “We are touched by how you are enjoying our stage and singing along to our music. Thank you for coming to see us,” Ateez said during the performance. Ateez performed a medley of hit singles, including “Say My Name,” “Hala Hala” a

K-popApril 14, 2024

Zerobaseone to release new album next month

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is releasing its third EP, “You Had Me at Hello,” on May 13, according to Wakeone, the group's agency. The nine-member group announced its comeback Sunday by dropping a teaser poster through its official social media accounts. The teaser poster shows a radiant sun which hints that the new album will carry songs that remind listeners of the coming summer season. The upcoming album will convey a story about destiny, says the agency. Before the official

K-popApril 14, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS sets record in Japan with ‘Butter’

BTS notched the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s five-year single ranking with its 2021 hit single, “Butter,” according to Big Hit Music on Friday. The single claimed the top spot on the chart that spanned over five years of the country’s Reiwa era. In 2020, the group's “Dynamite” ranked No. 4 on the chart. It is the first time ever for an international artist to top the periodic era ranking, the label added. “Butter” made a hot-shot debut on Billboar

K-popApril 12, 2024

Mnet presents new audition program ‘I-Land2: N/a’

Mnet, a Television music channel known for several successful audition programs, presents another girl group audition program with advanced technology and the ambition to launch an iconic next-generation K-pop group. "I-Land2: N/a," scheduled to premiere on April 18, is a sequel to "I-Land," which produced the seven-member boy group Enhypen. CJ ENM, Wakeone, and The Black Label came together to launch the second season, and the final debut group will be under the management o

TelevisionApril 12, 2024

Singer Park Bo-ram dies, age 30

Singer Park Bo-ram has died at the age of 30. The singer's agency, Xanadu Entertainment, said that Park Bo-ram died unexpectedly Thursday afternoon. According to the police, Park was with two other women at her acquaintance's house when she was found collapsed and in cardiac arrest. She was moved to the hospital but died at 11:17 p.m., about an hour later. Police are investigating the exact cause of her death. Park Bo-ram drew attention by appearing on Mnet's audition program &quo

K-popApril 12, 2024

Stray Kids wins grand prize at ASEA 2024

K-pop boy group Stray Kids nabbed the grand prize at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024, held at the K-Arena Yokohama in Japan on Wednesday. The Asia Star Entertainer Awards is a new awards ceremony launched by Newsen and @star1 magazine. “We enjoy singing and performing on stage these days. We are thankful for being able to positively influence our fans. We will never forget this feeling and continue to march forward," said member Lee Know after receiving the award onstage. Lee al

K-popApril 11, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans’ Hyein suspends activities due to injury

Hyein of NewJeans will take time off due to a foot injury, said agency Ador on Thursday. She suffered an injury while practicing and was found to have a hairline fracture on the top of her foot that requires her to focus on treatment and recovery, explained the firm. The group is set to drop the single album “How Sweet” on May 24 and another in Japan on June 21. The pre-release “Bubble Gum” is due out on April 27. Meanwhile, NewJeans logged 100 million streams on Spotify

K-popApril 11, 2024

Lisa of Blackpink signs with Sony Music’s RCA Records for solo album

Lisa of Blackpink signed a partnership with RCA Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, according to Sony Music Entertainment Korea on Thursday. Together with RCA Records, Lisa is set to prepare a solo album to be promoted globally. “I’m super excited to be joining the RCA family and I am confident they are the best team to create a bigger movement in my solo career. Looking forward to showing the world everything we have been preparing,” said Lisa

K-popApril 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-pop at forefront of changing music consumption: Hello82 founder

K-pop is leading a new generation of music consumers for whom social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, have become the leading outlets for experiencing music, says Choi Jae-yoon, the founder and CEO of Hello82, a Los Angeles-based K-pop record label and distributor established in 2018. “K-pop artists are like social influencers with a fan community. That fan community consumes content related to the artist available online and shares such content. They are the main target consum

K-popApril 10, 2024

Epex rolls out 'youth' trilogy with 1st LP 'Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days'

K-pop boy group Epex released its first studio album, “Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days,” on Tuesday. The group rolled out the first installment of its “youth” trilogy with this album containing songs about the concerns of youth, their dreams and stories related to love. “The keyword of this album is ‘secret.’ We wanted to describe how even though youths seem full of brightness and joy, each individual could be hiding a scar. The two upcoming albums of the tr

K-popApril 10, 2024

Young Korean stars vote for first time

For this month's legislative election that selects the members of the National Assembly, several young celebrities have gained their right to vote for the first time. The election law of South Korea was amended in 2020, allowing all Koreans aged 18 and above to vote. That means any Korean born before April 11, 2006, can participate in the nation's 22nd legislative election. For those born between June 3, 2004, and April 11, 2006, this year’s election is the first election in thei

K-popApril 10, 2024

[What to Play] Songs to get you ready for fresh new beginning

With Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, coming to an end, many are set for a new start in 2024. Even the weather is starting to warm up, confirming that spring is coming. Here are three songs that will prep you for a fresh start. TWS - “Plot Twist” Anyoneoff to a new start can relate to this song, which sings about the difficulty of encountering people you have never met before in a new environment. This single, by K-pop rookie TWS also conveys the message that not everything goes

K-popApril 10, 2024

‘Lasting idols pivotal to sustainable Hallyu’

K-pop stars and idols are now going through a phase of transition where versatility is required -- both to stand strong as individual artists and to project a collective appeal when called to perform as teams. How K-pop stars make it through this period of transition will largely determine whether South Korea will continue to command its global cultural reach and impact in years or decades to come in the name of Hallyu, or the Korean wave, said Kim Heon-sik, a culture critic who has written a bo

K-popApril 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS tops 600m views with ‘On’ film

BTS garnered 600 million YouTube views with the performance music video for “On," according to label Big Hit Music on Tuesday. The kinetic manifesto film for the focus track off the group's fourth studio album “Map of the Soul: 7,” featuring a throng of dancers and a marching band, became the group's 13th music video to reach the view count milestone. The film received 100 million views in a week. The lead single entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 4 after i

K-popApril 9, 2024

TXT to embark on dome tour in Japan

K-pop boy group TXT is embarking on its first-ever dome tour in Japan, according to Big Hit Music. TXT announced the tour, “Act: Promise in Japan,” by posting a video clip on its official X account on Monday. The dome tour will kick off with a concert at the Tokyo Dome on July 10-11 followed by concerts at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 27-28, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Aug. 4-5 and the Fukuoka PayPay Dome on Sep. 14-15, for a total of eight shows. Previously, TXT had performed at t

K-popApril 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to host 1st fan meet tour in Japan

Le Sserafim will meet and greet fans in Japan through its first fan meet tour in the country from late June, agency Source Music said Monday. The group of six will visit four cities – Hyogo, Aichi, Kanagawa and Fukuoka – for nine meetups from June 29 to July 31. It will be an expansion of the group's fan meet event, “Fearnada 2024 S/S,” which will be held in Seoul on May 11-12. The group officially debuted in Japan with the single “Fearless” in January

K-popApril 8, 2024

[Herald Review] ONF mark new start with concert, new album

ONF returned to the stage after a hiatus brought on by military service, presenting an energetic performance. The six-member group performed a stand-alone concert, dubbed “Spotlight,” at the KBS Arena, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday. Dressed in sparkling white suits, the group kicked off the concert with a series of charismatic songs including "New World," "Ugly Dance," and "Gucci," setting the tone for the concert. "I've been waitin

PerformanceApril 8, 2024

J-Hope of BTS lands at No. 5 on Billboard 200

J-Hope of BTS made history on the Billboard chart with his special album, “Hope on the Street Vol.1,” released last month. According to Billboard, J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street Vol.1” landed at No. 5 on Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, dated April 13. This is the second time J-Hope has made it to the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 following the success of his first solo LP, “Jack In The Box,” which landed at No. 6 on the same cha

K-popApril 8, 2024