RM, the leader and rapper of boy band BTS, is currently gearing up for his much-anticipated solo album, the band’s agency Big Hit Music said Tuesday. “RM is in the final stages of preparing for his solo musical project, and we kindly ask for your understanding that we can’t further elaborate on the exact release date,” an official at Big Hit told The Korea Herald. Citing reports from the US music industry, Rolling Stone reported on Tuesday (local time) that RM is also pre

K-pop Nov. 2, 2022

RM, the leader and rapper of boy band BTS, is currently gearing up for his much-anticipated solo album, the band’s agency Big Hit Music said Tuesday. “RM is in the final stages of preparing for his solo musical project, and we kindly ask for your understanding that we can’t further elaborate on the exact release date,” an official at Big Hit told The Korea Herald. Months after BTS dropped its anthology album “Proof” in July, the septet’s company announce

K-pop Nov. 1, 2022

TRADE L’s voice destined him for center stage from a young age. Born Lee Seung-hoon, the 18-year-old realized his passion for music in grade nine. His blossoming talent caught the attention of Jay Park, who at the time helmed hip-hop label H1ghr Music, and who now remains an adviser for the company. The artist rose to prominence through the fourth season of TV rap competition "High School Rapper" last year, where he beat out 17,000 other contestants to take the crown. Little by l

Performance Oct. 31, 2022

As the famous phrase goes, love is like two birds that can teach us about unconditional love. Boy band EPEX welcomed cuffing season with its fourth EP, “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. ‘Puppy Love’” released Wednesday evening. Though there are many words that can express falling head over heels in love, the rookie band opted for puppy love, a term that refers to an intense but shallow surge of feelings, and is also synonymous with having a crush. “I’m excited to sh

K-pop Oct. 27, 2022

In celebration of his 10th anniversary, singer-songwriter Roy Kim reveled in the autumn season with his fourth LP, “,and,” which was released on Tuesday evening. After a monthslong hiatus, the musician returned to the music charts for the first time in nearly three years since the release of his digital single “Linger On” in May 2020. It’s also the first time he has released an LP in seven years since the release of his third, “The Great Dipper,” in 2015

Performance Oct. 26, 2022

K-pop groups are vying to take home some of the biggest awards at the 2022 Mnet Asian Music Awards, which will take place at Osaka’s Kyocera Dome in Japan from Nov. 29-30. Ive, Kep1er, Le Sserafim, NewJeans, NMixx and Choi Yena, who made their debuts between December 2021 and July 2022, are battling it out for the best new female artist category, also known as the rookie of the year award. The nominees for the best new male artist are ATBO, Tempest, TNX, Xdinary Heroes and Younite, who all

K-pop Oct. 25, 2022

A super-sized stage, pyrotechnics and innocuous screaming from the jam-packed audience at Jangchung Arena in Seoul was befitting of a K-pop superstar concert. SHINee's Key brought unseen energy and enthusiasm to his live show, “G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) In The Keyland,” on Saturday for the first time in a little less than four years, having to make up for lost time due to the pandemic and his two-year military service. Saturday’s concert was a mixture of high product

K-pop Oct. 24, 2022

Global social media platform Twitter inked a content partnership deal for the 58th Daejong Film Awards, set to be held on Dec. 9, the tech giant said Wednesday. Under the new agreement, the two sides aim to bolster South Korea’s film industry and the help aficionados of Korea-based movie content and cinema around the globe access Korean films more easily. By clinching the deal, Twitter will be the only social media platform to exclusively stream the awards ceremony and other events durin

Film Oct. 24, 2022

People love to talk about the things they love. For some, it could be their friends and family, while for others its a pet or hobby. Girl group (G)I-dle approached the word “love” in a way that the five members have never experienced before. On its latest project, the group ponders a different way to approach love: How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you. And to do that, the band offers a look into pompous love. With So-yeon at the helm of producing the group’

K-pop Oct. 20, 2022

When you're young, developing a crush can happen in an instant. But in many ways, falling in love is quite difficult. With that knowledge, boy band WEi has made a return to show off a more mature approach to love with its fifth EP, "Love Pt.2: Passion," which dropped Wednesday evening. “We’re back with a whole new concept, and our band is excited to showcase this change to people,” the band’s leader Dae-hyeon said during Wednesday’s media press confer

K-pop Oct. 19, 2022

K-pop idols must be camera-ready at all times, and be able to sing, dance and show their charms and talents simultaneously on TV shows and in interviews. But there's one thing you wouldn't have spotted the multitalented artists doing on screens: drinking. Despite being a huge part of South Korean culture, the topic of drinking has been mostly kept off limits for K-pop celebrities. And if they do partake in a drink or two, it is often done in secret, away from the cameras. But in recent

K-pop Oct. 19, 2022

After enjoying immense love through its first-ever world tour, girl group (G)I-dle has made a return with its new album, “I love,” which dropped Monday evening. This marks a return for the band seven months after it last released “I never die,” the group’s first full-length album, in March. “Being on the world tour was a whole new experience, especially seeing how our foreign fans sang along to our songs. Actually, we finished producing the whole album before

K-pop Oct. 17, 2022

As the phrase goes, every end is the beginning of something new. For sing Lee Chan-hyuk, it took eight years as a part of sibling duo AKMU to finalize the pieces of his solo identity and put together his first solo album, “Error,” which dropped Monday evening. Though there are many terms that can signal a new start, the word that surrounds the whole album is “death." The Lee Chan-hyuk that people are aware of has disappeared, and a new Lee Chan-hyuk has arrived, said the s

K-pop Oct. 17, 2022

After months of clashing opinions about K-pop sensation BTS’ military exemption, the band’s agency Big Hit Music announced Monday evening that the seven bandmates would enlist in the military in order, starting from Jin, the oldest member. The band’s agency said via a press release that Jin will cancel postponing his enlistment at the end of this month and will adhere to the Military Manpower Administration’s enlistment procedures. It added that the other six bandmates

Defense Oct. 17, 2022

Over the course of nearly two decades, Kim Yong-jun of vocal group SG Wannabe has gone from a fresh rookie to an industry veteran who has scored multiple megahits. But he describes himself as a "no-hit wonder" because there’s nothing that he can present as a soloist. Now, Kim seems to be ready to branch out with his first-ever solo album, “Suddenly,” which released Friday evening. “I’m nervous but excited at the same time about dropping my first album, and

Performance Oct. 17, 2022