Blackpink, a four-piece girl group consisting of Rose, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo, each with her own charm, is undisputedly one of the biggest girl groups in the world -- if not the biggest.It is the highest-charting female K-pop act in the US, with its self-titled single and EP having peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 24 on the Billboard 200.With a huge international following, the group’s music videos are also some of the most watched to date, with four of them among the a

K-pop Nov. 26, 2019

CIX is striking a political tone with the boy band’s second EP, “Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place,” set for release Tuesday.Having debuted in July, the five-piece act appears to be fairly comfortable in highlighting social issues facing teenagers in South Korea in their music, such as studying too hard, school violence and neglect on the part of adults.Speaking at a press showcase, Yonghee said, “The album talks about many of the issues affecting our generation with

K-pop Nov. 19, 2019

In a rare move for K-pop, power couple HyunA and Dawn are releasing new singles simultaneously.HyunA is returning to the music scene Tuesday nearly after two years with “Flower Shower” crossing between Moombahton, pop and dance. Dawn, a former Pentagon member who recently changed his name from E’Dawn, is releasing his self-penned track “Money.”The two made headlines for going public with their relationship last year, defying the industry norm in which idols’ l

K-pop Nov. 5, 2019

K-pop supergroup SuperM broke a record after appearing at the Twitter Blueroom in Los Angeles earlier this month, drawing over a whopping 2 million viewers -- the highest figure to date.The septet consists of members from various acts -- SHINee, EXO, NCT127 and WayV. It managed to attract the record-breaking global viewership on Oct. 7 as it directly engaged fans and showcased dance moves for nearly 1 1/2 hours. In another sign of the group’s popularity, over 30 million tweets using the #S

K-pop Oct. 31, 2019

Monsta X has had a busy year, entering uncharted territory for a K-pop act by appearing on a number of high-profile TV shows as well as collaborating with pop heavy hitters like French Montana and Steve Aoki.And the seven-piece group is back again with its new album “Follow: Find You.”The septet became the first K-pop act to perform at the iHeart Radio Music Festival this year and performed on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in September. Behind its growing popularity is its u

K-pop Oct. 29, 2019

Winner is showcasing growth both artistically and personally in its third EP “Cross.”The album, released Wednesday, comes only five months after EP “WE,” as the group delivers on the promise to fans that they would release two records within this year.As the title subtly suggests, the group sings together but also separately on the album packed with crossover tracks. “The album mostly consists of crossover tracks with multiple meanings. We wanted to move away from o

K-pop Oct. 23, 2019

Emails between a South Korean record importer and a US record dealer reveal that SuperM’s debut record, released only in the US, was sold here with an assurance that the sales will be reflected in the US charts.In the conversation, obtained by The Korea Herald, record importer Hani Music secured a supply of records from a dealer that reports sales to Nielsen SoundScan, which powers the Billboard music charts. The company previously said they sold at least “thousands of copies”

K-pop Oct. 21, 2019

Despite dominating this week’s headlines with their No. 1 debut in the US, K-pop supergroup SuperM has come under scrutiny over album sales in their home market that industry sources say have helped them secure the top spot. The group, consisting of stars from multiple acts under S.M. Entertainment -- SHINee, EXO, NCT127 and WayV -- topped the Billboard album chart in the first week of October with 164,000 album sales and 4.9 million streams, which means nearly 95 percent of the hot debut

K-pop Oct. 16, 2019

After pulling off a successful world tour in their first year, ATEEZ is on full steam with their very first full studio album “TREASURE EP.FIN: All to Action” which was released on Oct. 8.Known for their strong stage presence and powerful dance moves, the full-length album is the latest addition to the group’s short but growing discography, which naturally has plenty of intense dance tracks, accompanied by high-energy choreography.As the title suggests, the album is the end of

K-pop Oct. 8, 2019

Mnet’s new survival audition show “World Klass” premieres Friday, with a score of contestants competing over the next few weeks to become the next K-pop star.Viewers will see 20 trainees from countries all over the world including South Korea, Japan, China, the US and Australia put on display a set of multiple entertainment skills such as singing, dancing, acting and even banter.And only 10 people will get to debut as Too – an acronym of Ten Oriented Orchestra -- a group

K-pop Oct. 4, 2019

After weeks of teasing fans with numerous clips, photos and announcements, SuperM is finally stepping into the music scene later this week.The group’s ultimate goal, according to its producer, S.M. Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man, is for the West and the East to become one and create what he calls a “culture universe.”Naturally, the group is focusing on the US market, with their debut record release due Friday, swiftly followed by a performance outside the Capitol Records Tow

K-pop Oct. 2, 2019

With just days to go before SuperM’s debut on Friday, a creative director at Capitol Music Group, S.M. Entertainment’s US partner, says the K-pop supergroup’s first performance will be special and historic."At the launch, we have a very special and historic debut performance on Saturday at the Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles. And we are building on an incredible stage and (it) will be livestreamed around the world,” Nicole Frantz, Capitol’s creative chi

K-pop Oct. 1, 2019

It’s been weeks since S.M. Entertainment unveiled plans to launch new supergroup SuperM in the US at Capitol Congress 2019. Since then more information has been revealed, including multiple teasers and images.With their much-anticipated debut album slated for release on Oct. 4, we have profiled the bandmates and recap their history.Taemin from SHINeeAge: 26 / Debut year: 2008 Taemin stepped into the limelight first as a member of SHINee, which debuted in 2008 with first single “Repla

K-pop Sept. 27, 2019

Singer Kassy is back with her second EP, “Rewind,” nearly six months after the single “True Song.”The album, which consists of four songs and one instrumental track, keeps in line with the title as the main theme throughout the record is love.The lead single, “Story of Night Fall,” is a fitting track for the autumn season as the song captures the loneliness that many experience after a relationship comes to an end.“You know when it’s late at night

K-pop Sept. 19, 2019

 With over 5 million Instagram followers and 200 million views on YouTube, Sunmi has built a brand of her own since a time when a solo female artist was considered something of a novelty in the K-pop world.Having debuted in 2007 as part of the four-piece Wonder Girls, the 27-year-old has been in the game for over a decade now. And since departing from JYP Entertainment in 2017 and going solo with a new label, she has churned out a number of quality pop bangers.With a consistency in style an

K-pop Sept. 19, 2019