The four members of 1VERSE – Hyuk, Seok, Aito and Kenny – are about to achieve the first milestone that countless K-pop trainees dream of: an official debut with an album and showcases. This group, tirelessly honing their skills with the goal of debuting by the end of this year, has one special distinction. It is the first K-pop group featuring North Korean defectors. When 24-year-old Hyuk and Seok, who escaped North Korea and arrived in South Korea 10 years and 5 years ago, respectively, make t

The emergence of K-pop powerhouses’ “localized” groups such as VCHA, Katseye, and Dear Alice has sparked debates over whether they can be called K-pop acts. Despite their association with prominent K-pop agencies, industry experts largely agree that they fall outside the traditional definition of K-pop. Major players in the K-pop industry, including Hybe, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment, have identified localization as the next step in the genre’s evolution. This s

Kyuhyun, known for his multifaceted persona as a member of veteran boy band Super Junior, a beloved ballad soloist, a musical actor and an entertainer, has embraced all these identities in his first studio album, "Colors," marking the 10th anniversary of his solo debut. The album features 10 tracks spanning various genres, from featured track “Unending Days,” in the singer's signature sentimental ballad style, to dance-pop track “Bring It On,” Kyuhyun&rsquo

NewJeans' agency Ador, on Wednesday, called on its sister company Belift Lab to demonstrate a sincere and respectful approach to the recent workplace harassment allegations involving member Hanni. The demand came just one day before the deadline for NewJeans’ ultimatum that Ador “rectify all major contract violations within 14 days” or they will terminate their exclusive contracts with the agency. Among the conditions listed in NewJeans’ certification of contents sen

Stray Kids confirmed that it will perform two more times in the US for its ongoing international tour dominATE, label JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The decision comes after tickets for its concerts, in Los Angeles and New York, sold out as soon as they became available last week. The tour now will be held across 32 regions and will be made up of 44 live shows in total. The eight members will carry on with their tour in Macao on Friday and visit four more cities in Asia until January next yea

Hybe appears to be reinforcing Bang Si-hyuk’s authority with a series of leadership reshuffles following this year’s high-profile fallout with former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. Big Hit Music, Hybe’s subsidiary label home to global sensation BTS, appointed Shin Seon-jeong as its new CEO on Tuesday. Shin, a pivotal team member at Hybe, joined its predecessor Big Hit Entertainment in 2010 and contributed significantly to the creation and early success of BTS. The label stated its goal

K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment’s first UK-based boy group, Dear Alice, has signed with Gamma, a US media and record company, finalizing its debut preparations. On Wednesday, SM and Kakao Entertainment’s North American joint venture announced a strategic partnership with Gamma for Dear Alice’s debut and promotion. As the first step in this partnership, Dear Alice is set to release its official debut single later this year. SM’s Chief Global Officer Choi Jung-min, Kakao

Jin of BTS entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 53 with his solo single “Running Wild,” according to the chart preview published Tuesday. It is his second solo entry on the main songs chart, following “The Astronauts,” a Coldplay collaboration released in 2022. “Running Wild” is the focus track from his first solo album “Happy” and is expected to claim the No. 4 spot on Billboard 200. The pop rock tune, which is based on British rock, hit the U

K-pop fans have transitioned from enthusiastic supporters to influential stakeholders in the industry, shaping not only the success of idols but also the decisions of major entertainment companies. Through social media, fans have amplified their collective power, helping their favorite artists promote albums and top global music charts by purchasing multiple copies and streaming songs on platforms like Spotify. This increasing influence has compelled entertainment agencies to adapt their strateg

Girl group Izna set off on an ambitious journey exuding confidence and pride with the release of its debut mini album "N/a." Izna is a seven-member group formed through the Mnet audition program "I-Land 2: N/a," which concluded in July. Even before its official debut, the group impressed audiences with polished performances at KCON Germany 2024 in Frankfurt in September and at the 2024 Mnet Asian Music Awards on Friday. The group's debut album "N/a" comprises f

CJ ENM is launching the global boy group project “Boys II Planet,” the world’s first-ever K-pop global audition program produced in two countries simultaneously. The production team behind Mnet's renowned audition programs “I-Land,” “Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga” and “Boys Planet” will work on this new project. CJ ENM announced Tuesday that it is accepting applications worldwide for the program. “Boys II Planet” will be p

Irene of Red Velvet makes her official debut as a solo artist with her first solo album, “Like A Flower,” at 6 p.m., Tuesday. Her solo debut comes 10 years after her debut as a member of the K-pop girl group Red Velvet. "This album is the result of deeply thinking about what I wanted to express through my music, so I’m eager for it to be released into the world. I do feel like I could have done a better job with it, but I’ve put my best effort into preparing it,&rdqu

BTS members Jimin and Jungkook received nominations for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, which will take place on Dec. 12. The two artists are competing in the categories of Top Global K-Pop Artist and Top Global K-Pop Song, according to the BBMAs on Monday. Jimin’s track "Who" from his second solo album "Muse" earned him the Top Global K-Pop Song nomination. "Who" debuted at No. 14 on Billboard's main Hot 100 chart, becoming his sixth solo song to enter

Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of K-pop label ADOR, has filed a criminal complaint against its parent company's public relations executives, alleging misconduct related to their duties in promoting the label's girl group NewJeans, Min's representatives said Tuesday. Min filed the complaint with Seoul's Yongsan Police Station on Monday, accusing Hybe's Chief Communication Officer Park Tae-hee and a PR director identified only as Cho of breach of duty. The two executives belo

With the deadline for NewJeans's ultimatum to Ador fast approaching, industry experts predict three potential contract termination scenarios, none of which seem likely to result in a peaceful resolution. The five-member K-pop group sent a certification of contents to their agency on Nov. 13, demanding that it address “major contract violations” within 14 days, or by Wednesday, of receiving the letter. The girl group warned that if their demands were not met, they would terminate

JYP Entertainment has announced the launch of its new seven-member boy group, KickFlip, set to debut in 2025. The agency unveiled the group's official social media accounts and shared an image there, marking the start of its debut album project. According to the announcement, KickFlip will officially begin debut preparations at midnight on Jan. 1, 2025. The name KickFlip comes from the skateboarding term used for a high-level trick, where one flips the board 360 degrees with a flick of the

K-pop artist and producer Zico marked the 10th anniversary of his debut as a solo artist with concerts at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, the venue was filled with Zico’s fans. While some carried his group Block B’s fan lights, most did not, demonstrating that the audience largely comprised fans of his solo career. Zico kicked off the concert with his hit single, “New Thing,” which was an original soundtrack for Mnet’s dance s

K-pop boy group Ateez has topped Billboard's main albums chart for the second time in its career. Billboard announced Sunday that Ateez's 11th EP, Golden Hour: Part. 2, debuted atop the Billboard 200 by earning 184,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Nov. 21. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA

This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards presented new and exclusive performances while exploring the tastes of K-pop fans worldwide Thursday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and at Osaka's Kyocera Dome on Friday and Saturday. The Korean music awards ceremony, broadcast live in around 200 countries, held part of its three-day event in the US for the first time, attracting an audience of around 93,000. 2024 MAMA was held under the theme of "Big Blur," which the festival host sai

Rose of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has maintained her third position on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 for the third consecutive week with "APT.," her collaboration with global pop icon Bruno Mars. It marks the fifth consecutive week that the song has stayed in the top 10. The single's position remained unchanged from last week at No. 3, behind U.S. singer-songwriters Gracie Abrams' "That's So True" and Gigi Perez's "Sailor Song," acc