Stray Kids set album preorder record with 3rd LP

JYP Entertainment boy band Stray Kids have written themselves into K-pop history, logging the highest number of preorders for its upcoming album. Stray Kids' third full-length album “5-Star,” to release Friday, hit 4.93 million preorders on Tuesday, according to JYP Entertainment. Stray Kids became a million-selling act just three years since debuting with its second full-length album, “Noeasy,” in August 2021 selling more than 1.67 million copies. That success was f

K-popMay 31, 2023

BTS' RM tapped as ambassador for military's war remains recovery body

RM of K-pop superband BTS will be named as the ambassador of the South Korean military's war remains recovery agency. Big Hit Music, the label behind the K-pop band, told The Korea Herald Wednesday that the BTS leader is set to be officially appointed as an ambassador for the Ministry of National Defense's Agency for the Recovery and Identification of those Killed in Action. A ceremony for the appointment is scheduled for Thursday, the label said, confirming earlier local media outlet

K-popMay 31, 2023

Produced by Zico, Boynextdoor debuts under Hybe

The first idol group produced by rapper Zico, Boynextdoor debuted Tuesday with the single "Who!" The six-piece band is the latest group from Hybe, the multilabel company that houses big-name artists the likes of BTS, Seventeen and NewJeans. Boynextdoor is the first group launched under Hybe's KOZ Entertainment label. Boynextdoor, consisting of Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan and Woonhak, held a press conference Tuesday at Blue Square in Yongsan, central Seoul. "It'

K-popMay 30, 2023

Aespa reaches new career high with 3rd EP

The fourth-generation K-pop girl group aespa is rewriting K-pop history for female bands with its latest album “My World.” The four-member group’s latest album sold more than 1.69 million units just within the first week of its release breaking records for a K-pop girl group, according to label SM Entertainment. This dethrones Blackpink, whose second full-length album “Born Pink” logged 1.54 million copies in September last year. Despite it being a mini album, the E

K-popMay 30, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen logs record streak on Oricon chart with 4th EP

Enhypen’s fourth EP, “Dark Blood,” headed straight to the top of Oricon’s weekly album ranking, according to the latest chart published on Tuesday. The mini album did so with only three day’s sales at 165,000 copies. The band placed six consecutive albums atop the chart, the second-best record for an international artist, said Oricon in an article online. The band ties with BTS and is only topped by Tomorrow X Together, which has seven. “Dark Blood” lan

K-popMay 30, 2023

CIX closes a chapter of pain for youth, opens another with 6th EP

Five-piece boy band CIX on Monday released its sixth EP "'OK' Episode 2: I'm OK," marking the release with a media showcase event a few hours before the album's release. The new album marked the end of the group's "OK" series and opens up to the next chapter of their story, said the band members -- BX, Seunghun, Yonghee, Baejinyoung and Hyunsuk -- during the event held on Monday. "We've improved and grown in many parts through various activi

K-popMay 30, 2023

BTS' Suga kicks off Asian leg of solo tour in Jakarta

BTS' Suga, who also goes by the name Agust D, began the Asian leg of his solo tour "D-Day" in Jakarta, Indonesia, last week. A total of 30,000 people came to the three sold-out shows in Jakarta's ICE BSD convention center, which began Friday and continued into the weekend, Big Hit Music, the septet's agency said Monday. On each of the three days, Suga took the audience on a walk through his musical trilogy, starting with "Haegeum" from his latest album "D-

K-popMay 29, 2023

More than 31,000 K-pop fans flock to Busan for 29th Dream Concert

The 29th Dream Concert enlightened Busan, the marine city of South Korea, on Saturday, starring major players of K-pop. The event was held at the Asiad Main Stadium with more than 31,000 K-pop fans in attendance. Nineteen acts, including Nmixx, Itzy, Oh My Girl and BTOB adorned the stage. Dream Concert, whose history dates to 1995, marked the finale of the 2023 World Climate Industry Expo. According to the event’s hosts, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association and Korea Tourism Organ

K-popMay 29, 2023

SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary with fans

SHINee celebrated its 15th anniversary with its fans during the weekend in Seoul. The K-pop legends held a fan meeting “Piece of SHINE” at Jamsil Indoor Stadium for the first time as a full unit in four years and eight months. With all seats to the fan meeting sold out, SM Entertainment live-streamed the event via Beyond LIVE for the group’s global fans in 102 different regions including the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia, Singapor

K-popMay 29, 2023

Seventeen to drop new Japanese best album, hold Japan tour

K-pop boy band Seventeen is set to continue its odyssey in Japan with its first best-of album and a new concert tour. The 13-piece band announced the plans during its "Love" fan meeting at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday. Sunday's event marked the last of the group's four-day fan meetings taking place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on May 17-18 and at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Saturday and Sunday. In a statement released Monday, the band's agency Pledis Entertainment said 180,00

K-popMay 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink hits 1.8b views for ‘Kill This Love’ music video

Blackpink has amassed 1.8 billion views on YouTube with the music video for “Kill This Love,” according to YG Entertainment on Friday. It is the group’s second video to reach the milestone, following “Ddu-du Ddu-du.” The foursome is the first K-pop act to have two videos achieve the feat. “Kill This Love” is the titular track from its 2019 EP that hit the Billboard 200 at No. 24. The single also ranked No. 41 on its Hot 100 chart. Both were records for

K-popMay 26, 2023

Aespa the first K-pop group at Cannes

Seemingly an unlikely place to see K-pop stars, Cannes film festival has witnessed the debut of so many this year, with aespa leaving an exceptional note among all. Aespa, the four-piece girl band housed under SM Entertainment, made its first appearance at the prestigious French film festival's red carpet on Wednesday, local time. The quartet's Cannes debut came with the screening of the festival's competition title "The Pot-Au-Feu" at Palais des Festivals on Wednesday.

K-popMay 26, 2023

SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary

K-pop boy band SHINee on Thursday celebrated its 15th anniversary. The bandmates shared their feelings and plans for their comeback through a press release the same day. "It feels strange that 15 years have flown by so fast, and I'm proud that I could have experienced so many things and challenges as SHINee," Onew said in the statement. Minho added, "Although it might sound cliche, it's really unbelievable. I'm so happy that my dream which started in high school sti

K-popMay 25, 2023

Live music is finally back, but K-pop fans feel let down

Live music has returned as the pandemic peters out, but its return has been accompanied by higher ticket prices and with a slew of unexpected problems the fans did not pay for. Just this month, the internet was abuzz following news that a Malaysian lawyer was suing the organizer of K-pop band Blackpink's concerts in his county. Lawyer Nas Rahman bought two tickets for the band's Kuala Lumpur show from its "Born Pink" world tour. However, on the day of the concert, he discover

K-popMay 25, 2023

Rapper Swings offers free tickets to his label's concert due to flat ticket sales

Rapper Swings is hosting a free concert on June 3 with the artists that he houses in his hip-hop label AP Alchemy. “It was our CEO Swings’ decision to transition from the paid concert into a free one. He invested his personal money into it,” announced AP Alchemy on Thursday. The concert slated to be held at the Tiger Dome at Korea University on June 3 was initially planned as a paid concert with 5,000 tickets on sale. But as only 800 seats were sold, Swings decided to fill up t

K-popMay 25, 2023

BTS 'is everywhere' for 10th anniversary

K-pop superstar group BTS is throwing a city-wide festival for its 10th anniversary next month in collaboration with the Seoul city government, Big Hit Music announced Thursday. Under the title "BTS Festa," the seven-member group has held a festival every year to mark its June 13 debut anniversary, but this is the first time the agency has teamed up with a city government for the annual festival. "In celebration of the band's 10th anniversary, we're rolling out a special

K-popMay 25, 2023

Taeyong of NCT to hold fan showcase to celebrate solo debut

Taeyong of NCT is holding a fan showcase to celebrate his solo debut. According to SM Entertainment, Taeyong will present his solo debut album “Shalala” to his fans during the showcase to be held in Seoul on June 5 at 8 p.m. The showcase, titled “Code: Stage,” will consist of Taeyong’s introduction of singles from his mini album, and performance of some of the tracks including the title track for the first time onstage. He is also expected to share with fans his rem

K-popMay 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] Formerly unknown K-pop boy band Vanner proves hard work pays off

It took more than four years, but K-pop group Vanner is finally making a name for themselves. Over the last few years, the group struggled. The members had to work part-time jobs just to make ends meet, as becoming a K-pop artists only left them with debt. However, those days appear to have reached their end. “Once, I met a fan when working at a store. I was really worried about what the fan would think of me after seeing me off stage. But the fan told me that she likes me for who I am, w

K-popMay 25, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids logs 400m views with ‘God’s menu’ music video

Stray Kids reached 400 million views with the music video for “God’s Menu,” said label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. It is the band’s first video to reach the milestone and has been setting records in YouTube viewings for the band. It is also the first music video from the so-called fourth-generation K-pop boy bands. The eight-member act has nine music videos with over 100 million total views on the platform. “God’s Menu” fronted the group's first ful

K-popMay 24, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to greet fans in Seoul in July

Stray Kids will hold its third fan meet event in Seoul on July 1-2, announced label JYP Entertainment on Tuesday. Titled “Pilot: For Five-Star,” the eight bandmates will meet fans in person over two days, and the second day’s live performance will be broadcast online as well. Its last fan meeting was held around 1 1/2 years ago. The event was named after its third studio album, “Five-Star,” which is due out on June 2. The album consists of 12 tracks including main

K-popMay 23, 2023