30. “Firework” (2020) Songs on Twice’s latest album “More & More” have a more mature sound and “Firework” is no exception. With Latin guitar melodies sprinkled all over, the rhythmic tune conjures up images of fireworks on a summer night. 29. “Chillax” (2018) As bright and cheerful beats open the song, the group’s warm vocals sing in harmony, “Chill and chill and relax-lax” as the song talks of wanting to go on a holi

K-pop June 25, 2020

After fans of South Korean pop music enjoyed weeks of media attention as an emerging political force, the conversation is now turning partisan in the US. On Monday’s episode of Fox News’ weekly “Fox & Friends,” one host explained the low turnout at US President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday, then added, “And there were these reports that teenagers on TikTok and fans of the group K-pop took credit because they reserved a bunch of tickets never intending

K-pop June 24, 2020

When the sudden death of singer Yohan from boyband TST came to light this week, the group’s agency KJ Music Entertainment put out a statement pleading with the media to refrain from speculation over the cause of his death at his family’s request, which has yet to be revealed. As the local media at large reported on the sad news as a standalone incident, the news soon reached the other side of the world. The Daily Mail covered the story with a list titled “A year of tragedy a

K-pop June 18, 2020

Who are K-pop fans? It’s a question that not a lot of people bothered to ask until lately. But that seems to be changing in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests across the world: K pop fans flooded the Dallas Police Department’s iWatch Dallas app with fancams and took over the hashtag #WhiteLivesMatter on Twitter with anti-racist messages. BTS fans raised $1 million in just over a day for organizations that help black people. American actor and writer Jordan Peele said he &ldqu

K-pop June 12, 2020

Suga’s solo track “Daechwita” under the alias Agust D in late May begins with a powerful burst from a taepyeongso -- a Korean wind instrument -- as the BTS member sits up from a throne in a period thriller-themed video reminiscent of Netflix’s zombie series Kingdom. “I sampled ‘Daechiwta,’ which is the music played for when a king was on the move,” the rapper said on the group’s YouTube channel. In a swirling pre-chorus, he sings, “Wh

K-pop June 8, 2020

As protests continue following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of police in the US, multiple K-pop stars and fandoms have joined in solidarity to speak up against police brutality. In a tweet on Sunday, Mark Tuan from GOT7 told his followers to stay strong and safe as he announced his donation of $7,000 to George Floyd Memorial Fund. Jae from rock band DAY6 donated to Minnesota Freedom Fund as he linked a page that shows ways to help the Black Lives Matter movemen

K-pop June 1, 2020

Monsta X released their new EP “Fantasia X” on Tuesday. The record featuring seven tracks comes seven months after their seventh EP “Follow: Find You,” with all the bandmates taking part in its making. Speaking to the press during a livestreamed press showcase, Kihyun said Fantasia is a “liberating” and “energetic” track that speaks to the signature Monsta X sound. The high energy track featuring ethnic melodies and dynamic synths competed with

K-pop May 26, 2020

Big Hit Entertainment has become the biggest shareholder of its smaller rival Pledis Entertainment, the company said Monday. The acquisition is the latest in a series of moves to expand Big Hit’s presence in the burgeoning K-pop industry. Last year alone, the firm acquired Source Music, the music label for girl band GFriend, and game music company Superb. With the addition of Pledis, the firm now boasts an extensive roster of artists under its roof in a multi-label system, bringing som

K-pop May 25, 2020

Despite K-pop artists landing endorsement deals in China as of late, pop culture and China experts are cautioning against being too optimistic. Earlier this month, G-Dragon from Big Bang made headlines after signing a contract with Chinese bottled water giant Nongfu Spring to promote the company’s tea brand Chapai. The news marks the first promising sign since China effectively banned K-pop in 2016, after South Korea decided to deploy the US anti-missile defense system THAAD. Soon after

K-pop May 21, 2020

Overseas sales of BTS’ 2019 record “Map of the Soul: Persona” are believed to have been massively underreported to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for its prestigious annual global top albums chart. Earlier this year, the septet’s sixth EP was named the third bestselling record of the year in 2019 with 2.5 million unit sales by the London-based IFPI’s Global Top Album Chart. But what would have been a celebratory occasion was soon met wi

K-pop May 20, 2020

Blackpink will release their much-anticipated first full-length album in September, YG Entertainment confirmed Monday. The announcement comes just days after fans dispatched a truck outside the agency’s building in Seoul last week to protest the group’s lack of activities. The lead single from the upcoming album is slated for release in June, followed by another track in the following months before the album’s release later this year, with the full album arriving in three ph

K-pop May 18, 2020

Twitter was abuzz on Thursday as Blackpink fans also known as “Blinks” stormed the platform with the hashtag “NO_More_Lies_YG.” In Seoul, a truck hired by fans was dispatched outside YG Entertainment’s building in the city’s Mapo District, for the second time within six months, as YG staff members coming out of the building looked dumbfounded. “Let’s kills this love,” the group’s 2019 hit single “Kills This Love” was bein

K-pop May 15, 2020

50. Underwater Monsta X uses sea metaphors to convey the feeling of being lost, singing “I’m falling for you,” in this love song from its second studio album. 49. Lost in the Dream As the title suggests, this mid-tempo track creates a dreamlike atmosphere as the group sings the dramatic melodies against strong beats and piano riffs. 48. By My Side Despite normally opting for a powerful synth-dance sound, the group adopts a soft-rock arrangement for &l

K-pop May 14, 2020

Chung Ha’s latest single, “Stay Tonight,” came as somewhat of a surprise. To begin with, it was a pre-single before the upcoming release of her very first full-length studio album, which meant the singer wouldn’t promote the track the way she would a lead single. Despite the lack of media exposure, the song’s multilayered structure, stomping beats and voguing-inspired video propelled it into the top 10 on streaming service Melon’s weekly chart for the week

K-pop May 12, 2020

Big Hit Entertainment, home to the likes of BTS and TXT, announced Monday that founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk added the title of chairman of the company in a recent shareholders meeting. Bang, who also maintains the CEO title as chief producer, will be “leading the company from the forefront,” making decisions on core business projects and key issues as well as creative aspects including music production, the company said in a statement. The decision to elevate Bang&

K-pop May 11, 2020