Jennie, Lisa, Rose and Jisoo will remain as Blackpink, defying K-pop's infamous “seven-year curse.” The seven-year curse in K-pop refers to the disbanding of most K-pop groups seven years after their debut as the exclusive contracts with their agencies come to an end. “Based on our strong trust in one another, Blackpink renewed its exclusive contract with the agency for group activities,” YG Entertainment announced Wednesday. YG said it plans to actively support Blac

K-pop Dec. 6, 2023

K-pop boy group Seventeen is adorning five different cities in Japan through The City, a project which hosts diverse events across a specific region for its fans to enjoy. The project is being carried out at 70 different places across Tokyo, Saitama, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka along with 30 companies in time for the group’s visits to these cities as part of its dome tour in Japan, according to Hybe. “The project also took place last year in three different cities in Japan with 25 loca

K-pop Dec. 6, 2023

RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook of BTS communicated with their fans through a livestream on Weverse on Tuesday night ahead of starting their mandatory military service next week. “We are looking forward to the day that we resume working as a full unit. We know that together we will generate significant synergy. With this in mind, we will spend the coming year and a half in the military,” said the members. RM and V are enlisting on Dec. 11, and Jimin and Jungkook on Dec. 12, according to in

K-pop Dec. 6, 2023

Singer-songwriter Zion.T contemplated how to reach new listeners when working on his third studio album, “Zip,” which is his first album release in five years. “I (wanted) to present a good album that rebrands my identity as a musician to attract new listeners. I want this album to open a new chapter of my career,” Zion.T said during an interview with a group of reporters on Monday. Zion.T has made his mark on the music industry over the last 12 years as a creative si

K-pop Dec. 6, 2023

진행자: 홍유, Naomi Ng ‘Gorpcore’ a global validation of Korean ajeossi’s fashion instincts? 기사 요약: “고프코어룩” 아저씨 패션이 세계 패션계에서 주목받다 [1] Long before the seemingly inscrutable neologism "gorpcore” entered the global fashion lexicon, middle-aged men in South Korea were trailblazing the look, seamlessly incorporating Gore-Tex jackets and hiking boots into their daily attire for work, dining and socializing. *inscrutable: 불가해한 *neologism: 신조어, 새로운 표현 *lexicon:

Podcast Dec. 4, 2023

P1Harmony has expanded its presence in the US, performing in front of some 30,000 people during the annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, performing in front of some 30,000 local fans. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, a holiday concert presented by Capital One, featuring the year’s top artists performing their No. 1 hits, kicked off Nov. 26 in Tampa, Florida. The multicity tour's lineup is one of the most anticipated, particularly of the Christmas holiday season. It stops at 11 cities

K-pop Dec. 4, 2023

JYP Entertainment’s girl group Itzy is set to release a new album, "Born to Be," on Jan. 8. The agency announced the five-member group's comeback scheduled for next year, including the album promotion schedule and the album tracklist, on its official social media accounts, Monday. The upcoming release is a 10-track studio album led by the title track, “Untouchable.” The lead track was produced by renowned K-pop lyricists and producers Lee Seuran, Jam Factory and

K-pop Dec. 4, 2023

K-pop boy group Ateez dropped its second full-length album “The World Ep. Fin: Will” on Friday. “It took us four years to release our second studio album. This album wraps up our five years as Ateez and previews what is to come in the following years. Also, we included some unit and solo singles in this album for the first time ever,” said the group’s leader Hong Joong during a press conference in Seoul. The new album carries a total of 12 tracks led by the title tr

K-pop Dec. 1, 2023

BM from the co-ed quartet Kard is set to make a solo comeback this month for the first time in more than a year. According to RBW, BM is releasing his third single, “Lowkey,” on Dec. 7. This is his first solo comeback after releasing his second single, “Strangers,” in August 2022. BM has been expanding his career spectrum as a solo artist by releasing various singles he composed and wrote the lyrics to. The artist announced his comeback by releasing a teaser poster on his

K-pop Dec. 1, 2023

NewJeans, the fourth-generation K-pop girl group, notched Artist of the Year on Wednesday, the last day of the two–day 2023 MAMA Awards. The MAMA Awards, the world’s biggest K-pop festival organized by CJ ENM, took place at the Tokyo Dome, Japan’s top concert venue, Nov. 28-29. Artist of the Year was one of the four top awards presented this year. Three other main awards were the Worldwide Icon of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. This is the first time in 12 ye

K-pop Nov. 30, 2023

진행자: 홍유, Naomi Ng Athletes, teachers, doctors chosen as dream jobs for Korean students: survey 기사 요약: 장래 희망 직업으로 초등학생은 운동선수를, 중학생과 고등학생은 교사를 가장 많이 선호하는 것으로 조사됐다. [1] Athletes topped the list of most desired jobs for elementary school students, while teaching was picked as the most coveted job among middle and high school students, a survey showed Sunday. *desired: 바랐던, 희망했던 *coveted: 탐내는 [2] Teaching and becoming a doctor were picked by elementary school children as the most desirable jo

Podcast Nov. 30, 2023

RM, Jimin, Jungkook and V of the K-pop sensation BTS are to join the Army next month to fulfill their mandatory military duty. This makes all seven members of the group serve their national defense obligation as Jin, the eldest of the group, began his service in December last year followed by J-Hope in April and Suga in September this year. Jin and J-Hope are currently serving as assistant instructors at a military recruit training center as part of their national service. Suga is fulfilling his

K-pop Nov. 29, 2023

K-pop sensation BTS notched the title of Worldwide Icon of the Year on Tuesday, the first day of the two-day 2023 MAMA Awards. The MAMA Awards, the world’s biggest K-pop festival organized by CJ ENM, is taking place at the Tokyo Dome, Japan’s top concert venue, this year. Worldwide Icon of the Year is one of the four top honors to be presented this year. Winners of the three other main awards-- artist of the year, song of the year and album of the year -- are to be announced Wednesda

K-pop Nov. 29, 2023

The Record Label Industry Association of Korea’s petition to revise the ticket scalping law submitted to the government on Nov. 19 has turned into a public petition, according to the association on Tuesday. The move requires the government to gather public opinion for 30 days to deal with the petition and announce the result within 90 days. In the petition, Record Label Industry Association of Korea Chairman Yoon Dong-hwan, argues that “ticket scalping is cancerous to society,”

K-pop Nov. 28, 2023

It's been quite a year for Nam Woo-hyun of the K-pop boy group Infinite. He was diagnosed with a rare cancer for which he underwent hourslong surgery, and then joined the band for comeback concerts and the release of a mini-album. On Tuesday, he dropped his first solo LP and is due to hold concerts next month. “I was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor for which I underwent surgery at a university hospital in April. I was expecting a small surgery at first. But when the su

K-pop Nov. 28, 2023