K-pop supergroup SuperM returned with its long-awaited first full-length album “Super One – The 1st Album” with a hopeful message to endure stressful times as one. “We wanted to show the significance of our existence. While we’ve gathered from distinct teams, we’d like to show you the unity, synergy, our message and hope through the album,” said Kai in the group’s online media conference Friday morning, a few hours before the album release. The

Twitter Korea on Tuesday released a new report, “#KpopTwitter 2020 World Map,” which looks back on K-pop’s rapid growth on the platform over the past decade. According to the report, K-pop-related content and conversations on Twitter increased monumentally from 2010 to 2020, spanning first-generation acts like Super Junior, Big Bang and Girls’ Generation as well as the latest acts like BTS, EXO, Blackpink, GOT7 and NCT 127.  The upward curve showed the most rapid

With the gigantic success of “Dynamite” under their belt, BTS took to KBS News 9, one of the most-watched news shows in Korea, on Thursday evening. Throughout the 20-minute interview, the seven bandmates shared their thoughts on the recent No. 1 debut on Billboard Hot 100, looked back on their seven-year career and talked about their Grammy ambitions. “We are still overwhelmed with the Billboard Hot 100 success, and feel wistful for not being able to share this joy with our

The moment it was announed that BTS’ stellar smash “Dynamite” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, during the wee hours in Korea, the bandmates were wide awake, pinching themselves to make sure that they weren’t dreaming. Tuesday marked a big day for both BTS and their fans worldwide, as the seven-piece group became the first Korean act to top the chart with its recently released single. It was the culmination of seven years of hard work and continual growth in the

One of the most high-profile music collaborations of this year, Blackpink has teamed up with US pop star Selena Gomez for the group’s long-awaited new single “Ice Cream.” The sugary song was dropped on Friday at 1 p.m. along with a pastel-tinged music video featuring Gomez herself. “When we first heard the song, we had a feeling of sweetness filling up our mouth. We thought ‘Ice Cream’ would offer some chilling time for those suffering from this late summer

One of the most distinct K-pop acts on the scene, Dreamcatcher has been solidifying its status more than ever despite the pandemic era. Having returned with its new moombahton-rock “Boca,” the seven-piece act appeared in a recent live broadcast with The Korea Herald held via Naver’s V Live. The hourlong session was also jointly hosted by Christian Burgos, a popular Mexican entertainer based in Seoul. Chinese member Handong, who’s been staying in China, couldn’t ta

Just like its new summery pop tune “Aloha Oe,” Cherry Bullet was full of shiny energy, brimming smiles and -- especially -- love for music. “When we first heard the new song, me and Yuju actually cried, saying, ‘This is the song we were waiting for!’” said Bora during the group’s recent interview held via V Live broadcast. The hourlong session was also jointly hosted by Christian Burgos, a popular Mexican TV personality based in Seoul. “There w

Having recently returned from a fierce competition show, Oneus had a bagful of rich stories to share. From enduring nerve-racking moments together to struggling with missions for each show, the group’s time on Mnet’s “Road to Kingdom” was definitely a big leap in the group’s nearly two-year career. “After the show, what changed the most was that we saw infinite potential in ourselves,” recalled Keonhee during a recent interview with The Korea Herald. &

By embracing top-notch technology backed by a well-knit plot, K-pop powerhouse Twice brought a whole new level of festivity to its first virtual concert Sunday afternoon. The group’s first official concert since its 2019 world tour, “Beyond LIVE - Twice: World in a Day” showed that the multibillion dollar industry has discovered impressive new capabilities during the pandemic era. The 90-minute pay-per-view set was streamed in 126 countries and marked the first collaborative

The treasure chest is finally wide open and YG Entertainment’s brand new rookie act, Treasure, is poised to make a splash both in and out of South Korea. Looking fairly nervous, the 12-piece boy band -- the label’s first debut since Blackpink four years ago -- attended its first-ever media interview in Seoul on Monday. After hustling for name tags and making jittery eye contact with each other, the singers broke the tense silence by saying how they felt about their long-awaited deb

Rising boy group Newkidd joined a global music project to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The seven-piece boy band under J-Flo Entertainment teamed up with a batch of global musicians to release “Me Me We,” a song that offers a message of comfort in the fight against COVID-19. This time, four members -- Jinkwon, Yunmin, Woochul and Hwi -- lent their voices for the hopeful-sounding song. “It’s a difficult time for all of us, so we wanted hope to resonate all o

Having reached a new career high, Ateez on Wednesday returned with the new single “Inception” to open a new chapter in its discography. “We had the longest hiatus since our debut, but we tried to fill in the gap with better preparation and a good new song,” said Seonghwa in a written statement released by the group’s agency, KQ Entertainment.  Leading off the group’s new “Zero: Fever Part.1” album, the electronic dance music cut marks a sh

While its name may sound new to K-pop listeners, E’last proved its potential to become a rookie this year by showcasing its various charms and talents. Having debuted in early June, the eight-piece group dropped its first EP “Day Dream,” featuring lead single “Swear,” backed by a chivalrous knight concept that is rare in the industry. Previously known as Eboyz, E’last stands for “everlasting” and consists of Choi In, Rano, Seungyeop, Baekgyeul,

Some might say that life is a succession of pain and joy, but for Demian, it was one tight ball of ambiguity. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter believed that even the most miniscule moments of life, despite their fleeting nature, overflowed with complex, undefined, contradicting emotions. “I try to seize those unfamiliar moments in our daily lives, when all kinds of conflicting emotions crash with each other, such as love, hatred, guilt and understanding,” said the rising singer-son

Having returned with “Lucid Dream,” Golden Child recently sat down with The Korea Herald to quench fans’ thirst for a lively chat filled with fun-filled details. The conversation took place at the Herald headquarters in Seoul, where the bandmates played “Who’s Who” game and answered Twitter questions, unleashing their most natural, fun selves. Although the broadcast took place on a rainy Monday morning, the studio was brightly lit by the boys’ unbridle

Many popular bands tell a story of how childhood friends from a same block or classmates who shared musical passion started out as an underground band. Onewe, a five-piece band under RBW Entertainment, also evolved from years of friendship, playing music together since middle school. After busking in streets and playing gigs on small stages countless times, the bandmates found a new musical nest at their current agency, which is also home to acts like Mamamoo and Oneus. “We always talk

Continuing to forge their own path, Stray Kids returned with “God’s Menu,” taking the group’s creative ethos to the next level. The new single was released Wednesday evening as the lead track of the band’s first full-length album “Go Live.” Produced by the band’s internal producing trio of Bang Chan, Han and Changbin, otherwise known as “3racha,” “God’s Menu” takes on a unique theme of cooking, likening the song to a

Even for BTS, long accustomed to sold-out stadium tours, an online streaming concert using its own platform was a whole new level of experience. “Today, it’s even harder to perform than usual maybe because there’s no eye-to-eye contact, energy and screaming from you guys,” addressed band leader RM during Sunday’s “Bang Bang Con: The Live” concert livestreamed from a luxury hotel in Incheon. The absence of ear-splitting screams from fervent concertgoe

1. Moonlight Suga chronicles his music career from working in a small music studio located in his hometown of Daegu, releasing his first mixtape album to yielding success as BTS in the self-reflective track. The only thing that hasn’t changed throughout the roller coaster of years is the bright moonlight up in the sky. 2. Daechwita Incorporating Korean military traditional instruments and hip-hop sounds, this swaggering song identifies the rapper as a domineering king who comes fr

Set to continue a winning streak, Twice returned with the new single “More & More” on Monday. Released as the lead track of the group’s new album of the same title, “More & More” talks about the longing a person in love goes through. Like most of Twice’s romantic songs, the nine bandmates in the popular K-pop girl group show a bold attitude in winning the heart of their love interests. “You are gonna be mine again/Cause you know me know me/You&