SM Entertainment and Kakao Games Corp. signed a partnership at SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday to create a mobile game. The partnership follows South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp.'s acquisition of SM Entertainment in March last year. The K-pop label will use its artist IP to create a mobile game tentatively titled “SM Game Station” to be launched globally in the second half of this year, according to SM. Kakao Games Corp., the gaming unit of Kakao Corp.,

K-pop rookie group Illit made its first showing on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated April 20 with “Magnetic,” the lead track of its debut EP “Super Real Me,” landing at No. 91 on the chart. This makes Illit the first K-pop act to enter Billboard’s main songs chart with a debut single. Billboard’s Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular current songs across all genres by streaming activity from digital music sources, radio airplay and sales data compiled by

Billboard, an American media company known for its music charts and news, begins a new chapter in South Korea with the launch of Billboard Korea, a subsidiary that will extensively cover the Korean music industry, Billboard CEO Mike Vans announced Monday during a press conference. “At Billboard, we recognize the significance of K-pop and K-music as not just a musical genre, but as a cultural movement that continues to transcend borders and redefine the landscape of the global entertainment

Day6, a South Korean pop-rock band under the label JYP Entertainment, welcomed 34,000 fans to its concerts held at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, April 12-14. The band turned the arena's main stage into a circular stage surrounded 360 degrees by the audience. Dressed in black suits, the group's four members -- guitarists Sungjin and Young K, keyboardist Wonpil and drummer Dowoon -- kicked off the last day of their “Welcome to the Show” concert Sunday with the song of the same title

On Friday, Ateez performed on the Sahara stage of the Coachella Valley Music Festival, becoming the first-ever K-pop boy group to perform at the annual festival held in southern California. The performance was livestreamed on YouTube. “We are touched by how you are enjoying our stage and singing along to our music. Thank you for coming to see us,” Ateez said during the performance. Ateez performed a medley of hit singles, including “Say My Name,” “Hala Hala” a

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is releasing its third EP, “You Had Me at Hello,” on May 13, according to Wakeone, the group's agency. The nine-member group announced its comeback Sunday by dropping a teaser poster through its official social media accounts. The teaser poster shows a radiant sun which hints that the new album will carry songs that remind listeners of the coming summer season. The upcoming album will convey a story about destiny, says the agency. Before the official

Spring is in full bloom in South Korea. If you are beginning a lazy weekend, here are some songs that will motivate you to get out of bed and enjoy the warm breezy weather to the fullest. Sole - “Ride” Start your morning by playing this R&B number released in November 2017 by singer-songwriter Sole. Sole debuted in 2017 with this single and made a name for herself by becoming a member of WSG Wannabe, an all-female project group created on MBC reality show "Hangout With Yoo.&

Enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms with less crowding With the arrival of spring in earnest in the last week or so, popular cherry blossom destinations in Seoul like Yeouido and Seokchon Lake have been packed with people day and night. If you wish to enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms this weekend with fewer people around, try the Seongnae Stream section of the Songpa Trail -- widely known as Seongnaecheonduk-gil --before the delicate pink and white petals drop off. Seongnaecheonduk-gil is a cause

K-pop boy group Stray Kids nabbed the grand prize at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024, held at the K-Arena Yokohama in Japan on Wednesday. The Asia Star Entertainer Awards is a new awards ceremony launched by Newsen and @star1 magazine. “We enjoy singing and performing on stage these days. We are thankful for being able to positively influence our fans. We will never forget this feeling and continue to march forward," said member Lee Know after receiving the award onstage. Lee al

Lisa of Blackpink signed a partnership with RCA Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, according to Sony Music Entertainment Korea on Thursday. Together with RCA Records, Lisa is set to prepare a solo album to be promoted globally. “I’m super excited to be joining the RCA family and I am confident they are the best team to create a bigger movement in my solo career. Looking forward to showing the world everything we have been preparing,” said Lisa

K-pop is leading a new generation of music consumers for whom social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, have become the leading outlets for experiencing music, says Choi Jae-yoon, the founder and CEO of Hello82, a Los Angeles-based K-pop record label and distributor established in 2018. “K-pop artists are like social influencers with a fan community. That fan community consumes content related to the artist available online and shares such content. They are the main target consum

K-pop boy group Epex released its first studio album, “Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days,” on Tuesday. The group rolled out the first installment of its “youth” trilogy with this album containing songs about the concerns of youth, their dreams and stories related to love. “The keyword of this album is ‘secret.’ We wanted to describe how even though youths seem full of brightness and joy, each individual could be hiding a scar. The two upcoming albums of the tr

With Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, coming to an end, many are set for a new start in 2024. Even the weather is starting to warm up, confirming that spring is coming. Here are three songs that will prep you for a fresh start. TWS - “Plot Twist” Anyoneoff to a new start can relate to this song, which sings about the difficulty of encountering people you have never met before in a new environment. This single, by K-pop rookie TWS also conveys the message that not everything goes

K-pop boy group TXT is embarking on its first-ever dome tour in Japan, according to Big Hit Music. TXT announced the tour, “Act: Promise in Japan,” by posting a video clip on its official X account on Monday. The dome tour will kick off with a concert at the Tokyo Dome on July 10-11 followed by concerts at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 27-28, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Aug. 4-5 and the Fukuoka PayPay Dome on Sep. 14-15, for a total of eight shows. Previously, TXT had performed at t

J-Hope of BTS made history on the Billboard chart with his special album, “Hope on the Street Vol.1,” released last month. According to Billboard, J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street Vol.1” landed at No. 5 on Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, dated April 13. This is the second time J-Hope has made it to the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 following the success of his first solo LP, “Jack In The Box,” which landed at No. 6 on the same cha

Solar of the K-pop girl group Mamamoo is returning with a new solo album on April 30, according to her agency RBW. Solar announced her comeback by dropping a teaser clip in which she revealed the title of her upcoming second EP, “Colours.” This solo release is the first since her debut solo EP, “Face,” was released in March 2022. The upcoming album will cover diverse genres, showcasing Solar’s multifaceted musical talents, the agency said. Since making her solo debu

Chaeyoung of Twice and singer-songwriter Zion.T confirmed that they are in a relationship. JYP Entertainment, which houses Twice, and The Black Label, which represents Zion.T, announced on Friday that “the two are in a relationship after growing to like each other” and that “they are supporting each other.” Earlier on Friday, a local media outlet reported that Chaeyoung and Zion.T have been dating for six months after they were first introduced to each other by acquaintan

The co-CEOs of Kakao Entertainment, Kweon Ki-su and Joseph Chang, are planning organizational reform to create positive synergy between the company's music, media content and other intellectual property. This business plan was revealed during the first town hall meeting held after they took office on Thursday. Joseph Chang will establish and lead a team in charge of music IP and data-based music development, to help foster the team's role of producing and expanding music and artist IP.

It would be a lie for the bandmates of SM Entertainment rookie K-pop boy band NCT Wish to say they did not feel the pressure of their debut as a subunit of NCT. Yet, NCT Wish hopes to continue to do its best to live up to the group’s name. “Our seniors from the group NCT are outstanding live performers, so we try our best to live up to their name by practicing hard for our performance and monitoring our rehearsals meticulously for improvement. We still have a long way to go,” S

K-pop boy group Nowadays debuted Tuesday with its first single album, “Nowadays.” Consisting of five members -- Hyeon-bin, Yoon, Yeon-woo, Jin-hyuk and Si-yun -- Nowadays is Cube Entertainment's first new boy group in eight years. “We combined the words ‘Now’ and ‘Days’ for our name as we hope to make special memories with our fans now, at this present moment, and also in the days to come,” said Hyeon-bin during a press conference in Seoul on