The Boyz broadcast a live media showcase Monday as they rolled out their sixth EP, “Thrill-ing.” 　 The bandmates acknowledged that they couldn’t believe it had been almost a year since their previous EP, saying they were even happier and more excited after all this time. It is also the first album from the band since it came in second in “Kingdom: Legendary War,” a contest for boy bands that ended in June. 　 “We’ve put on strong and narrative-heavy perf

Twice is dropping its first single sung entirely in English, announced label JYP Entertainment on Friday. 　 The company uploaded an image that showed an envelope stamped with the band’s logo. When it opened, out came an invitation to a prom party. “Where are we going tonight?” the message read. 　 The nonet already has a strong presence around the world, having hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in June with its 10th EP, “Taste of Love.” It is the best showing so far f

Xiumin of EXO tested positive for COVID-19, his label SM Entertainment said Thursday. 　 He took a preemptive PCR test last week before starting work for a musical and the results had come back negative. He took another test Wednesday after feeling unwell and was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus. 　 All the other EXO bandmates as well as staffers in charge of them have taken tests and are in self-quarantine awaiting results, the company added.  He has immediately stoppe

Blackpink hit No. 1 on Oricon’s daily album chart with its first studio album in Japanese, YG Entertainment announced Wednesday. 　 The band’s “The Album” also topped Japan’s iTunes’ top albums chart. 　 This is the Japanese version of Blackpink’s first LP that came out in October last year in Korea, which sold over 1.3 million copies and became the first million-selling album from a K-pop female group. It also ranked No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and

Astro landed atop the iTunes top songs chart in five regions with “After Midnight,” the title track from its eighth EP “Switch On” that came out on Monday. 　 It is the first time the six-member band hit No. 1 on the chart. 　 The song also was No. 1 on the iTunes K-pop songs chart in seven regions while the EP hit No. 1 on top albums chart in five and K-pop albums chart in 20 regions. 　 Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo shared pictures taken between shooting the music video for th

Astro dropped its eighth EP “Switch On” Monday and hosted an online media conference to introduce its latest release to fans and local media. 　 It has been only four months since the release of the group’s second studio album “All Yours” and the bandmates said that they came back with new music quickly in response to the popularity of the album. 　 The new EP contains the past, present and future of the band who has been together for six years. 　 “We’

Girl group Dreamcatcher held an online media showcase Friday to promote its latest EP, “Summer Holiday.”  　 It has been six months since the band wrapped up its “Dystopia” series with “Dystopia: Road to Utopia,” and the musicians are enjoying a breather before they embark on a new narrative. 　 “We’ve prepared special new songs to let InSomnias all over the world feel cool just by listening to them,” said Gahyun, referring to the band&

All bandmates of Girls’ Generation will appear in a variety show in time for the group’s 14th anniversary, according to media reports Wednesday. 　 It has been four years since they were seen on an entertainment program although they have been seen together on each other’s social media and YouTube channels. 　 Producers of “You Quiz on the Block,” a show hosted by veteran comedian/emcee Yoo Jae-seok, confirmed their appearance saying that they are discussing the ti

The first solo album of EXO’s D.O. hit No. 1 on iTunes top albums chart in 59 regions.   　 The album came out Monday and swept all major music charts in Korea as well.   　 The eight-track album marks the debut of the veteran idol as a solo vocalist after almost 10 years of providing the main vocals of EXO.   　 It also is the first release since he returned after completing his mandatory military service in January, besides the band’s special album that came out in

D.O. of EXO discussed his first solo album, “Empathy,” which came out Monday. 　 “This is quite a new frame of mind,” he confided through a Q&A statement through his label SM Entertainment. Singing alone was difficult in a way but was a different and fun experience, said the performer, wondering how listeners would find the eight tracks from the album. 　 As for naming the album “Empathy,” he explained that he realized the sheer energy of the word, after

SM Entertainment girl group aespa has signed with the largest agency in the US, Creative Artists Agency, as the team gears up for the global stage. 　 The group will be represented overseas by the talent agency, according to their label on Friday. SM Entertainment boy bands NCT 127 and SuperM are signed to the agency as well. 　 The quartet debuted in November and has set multiple records since. The music video for its debut single “Black Mamba” reached 100 million views in about 51

BTS’ label Big Hit Music said in a statement on Thursday that “Butter” does not breach any copyrights.   　 “It remains unchanged that the right to the music belongs to ‘Butter,’” said the company, acknowledging that it is aware of the claims that the intro of the song may be plagiarized.   　 “The song has been finalized and released after a process of confirming with all copyright holders that there is no issue surrounding the song,&rd

D.O. of EXO participated in writing lyrics for two songs from his upcoming solo debut album, label SM Entertainment said on Wednesday. 　 The musician is putting out his first solo album “Empathy” on July 26 and co-authored words for two out of eight tracks. Six of the songs are new and two are bonus tracks including an English version of title track “Rose.” 　 “Rose” is an acoustic folk number and he sings of how one’s heart goes aflutter having fallen

BTS invited fans to participate in a dance challenge exclusive to YouTube Shorts.  From July 23 through to Aug. 14, participants can send in 15-second-long videos that cover the choreography from the band’s newest hit “Permission to Dance” on YouTube’s mobile app. It is the first global dance challenge on YouTube’s short-form video feature that was recently introduced. The bandmates will select some of their favorite entries and create a compilation video as

Tomorrow X Together will release a repackage of its second studio album on Aug. 17, it announced Monday. 　 The band will drop “The Chaos Chapter: Fight of Escape,” a rearrangement of “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze.” The original LP has remained in Billboard’s top 200 for five consecutive weeks, having entered the chart at No. 5. 　 The LP sold over 630,000 copies within a week of its release, the best record ever for a K-pop band in its third year. In Japan, the album

Seventeen will not meet fans in person during its fifth fan meet “Seventeen in Carat Land,” agency Pledis Entertainment said Friday. 　 Through its official fandom channel Weverse, the company announced that it would cancel the in-person meet for the event after the social distancing guideline was strengthened as the country seeks to overcome another COVID-19 wave. 　 The 13-member group was originally planning to host the fan meet events in southern Seoul from Aug. 6-8, both off- a

Another bout of speculation on a collaboration between Coldplay and BTS emerged after lyrics from “My Universe,” thought to be the British band’s new song, was registered on lyrics database MatchLyrics on Thursday. 　 BTS’ label Bit Hit Music, however, said that it cannot confirm the news and asked fans for their understanding. 　 There have been talks about a potential collaboration since April when Chris Martin was reported to be in Korea. Earlier in June a tweet appear

Taeil of NCT set a world record with his Instagram account, Guinness World Records announced Tuesday in the UK. 　T he idol broke the record for the fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Instagram, as he reached the seven-digit milestone in just one hour and 45 minutes after his first post, it said. 　 He announced on a fandom application that he opened an account on Instagram on July 6. 　 “I never imagined myself becoming a Guinness World Records title holder,” he said after

The music video for “On the Ground,” the solo debut of Blackpink’s Rose, surpassed 200 million views on YouTube on Tuesday, announced label YG Entertainment on the same day.   　 It has been 123 days since the video’s release. It stormed past 100 million views in about a week, the shortest time for a video by a K-pop solo female artist. The song topped iTunes top songs chart in 51 regions and topped both of Billboard’s worldwide tallies, the Global 200 and Bil

Lisa of Blackpink will shoot a music video for her solo debut song this week, label YG Entertainment said Monday. 　 It confirmed an earlier media report that said she would start shooting the video and is set to drop her first solo music this summer. 　 The label announced last year that the members, except for Jennie who was the first to drop her solo album in 2018, will put out solo projects one by one after the release of the band’s full-length album in September. Rose rolled out hers