SM reveals first British K-pop group 'Dear Alice'

K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment introduced their first British K-pop boy band “Dear Alice” on Thursday at the Soho Hotel in London, the agency said Friday. The group is a collaborative effort between SM Entertainment, the North American corporation of Kakao Entertainment, and the British entertainment company Moon & Back. The British company handled casting in the UK, while SM Entertainment provided K-pop expertise in music, vocals and choreography. "Training at SM has bee

PerformanceAug. 2, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ RM spotted at local festival

RM of BTS was spotted at a local festival in Gangwon Province Thursday. He is serving his mandatory military service as a member of the 15th Infantry Division’s marching band, which is set to perform at a tomato festival in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province where the division is based. The artist was seen preparing for the stage alongside fellow soldiers, according to local media reports. The fest will run until Sunday. Meanwhile, RM uploaded a photo of himself Thursday sharing the news that he m

K-popAug. 2, 2024

FT Island to launch Asia tour

FT Island is gearing up for a tour of Asia, FNC Entertainment announced Friday. The tour, under the banner of "Pulse in Asia," kicks off in the Philippines' capital Manila on Sept. 14, followed by performances in Hong Kong on Sept. 28, Kaohsiung in Taiwan on Oct. 26 and Macao on Nov. 10. As implied by the tour's name, FT Island plans to deliver live performances filled with intense musical energy, reminiscent of a beating heart. The band recently held a concert in Seoul, also

PerformanceAug. 2, 2024

G-Dragon secures trademark rights ahead of comeback

K-pop icon G-Dragon is preparing for a long-awaited comeback after securing the trademark rights to his stage name from his former agency, YG Entertainment. G-Dragon has taken a significant step towards his future activities by acquiring the trademark rights to his name. His former agency extended a favor by transferring the rights to “G-Dragon” and “GD” to his current agency, Galaxy Corporation, without any compensation. “Thanks to the generosity of Chief Executive

K-popAug. 2, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin to drop English-language version of solo song

Jimin of BTS will sing a B-side track from his second solo EP in English, according to label Big Hit Music on Thursday. He will release an English version of “Be Mine,” one of the seven tracks from EP “Muse,” on Friday. The mini album was rolled out on July 19 and hit Billboard 200 at No. 2 and topped iTunes Top Albums chart in 80 regions. Focus track “Who” claimed the No. 1 spot on its Top Songs chart in all 119 regions, as did the pre-release from EP “

K-popAug. 1, 2024

Le Sserafim's tearful documentary criticized for emotional displays

Le Sserafim’s latest YouTube documentary series, “Make It Look Easy,” which depicts the girl group's hardships over the past year, is facing criticism for playing on emotions related to the band’s recent controversies. Released on Hybe's official YouTube channel on Monday, the five-part series showcases the group’s intense preparations and emotional struggles. It captures the endless practice sessions, anxiety about public performances and the pressure to

K-popAug. 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] Min says her ‘prime time’ is not over

K-pop solo artist Min used to be swayed by how the public evaluated her. She used to react to criticism by dwelling on past glories. But not anymore. "At some point, I thought to myself, 'Why let these strangers influence the way I live my own life?'" she said during an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. This was when Min came up with her latest song “Prime Time,” the title track of her first EP that was released on June 21. “People defined my glo

K-popAug. 1, 2024

K-pop summer queens set to return in August

Female K-pop artists are returning to earn the title of summer queens. Hyolyn, known for her energetic and summer-ready image since her time as a member of the girl band Sistar and as a solo artist, is making a comeback. Her new single "Wait," set to be released on Aug. 12, is an Afrobeat track featuring addictive beats and lyrics celebrating freedom. Concept photos and teaser videos show Hyolyn with tanned skin, wandering through streets and lush forests. Hyolyn showcased the performa

K-popAug. 1, 2024

Ador’s Min denies ignoring sexual harassment at agency

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin has taken the bull by the horns, disclosing her KakaoTalk messages on her Instagram account on Tuesday to combat allegations that she disregarded a female employee who claimed to have been sexually harassed by a male executive. Min shared six conversations that involved the male executive, the female employee, an advertiser and herself. These conversations show the male executive and the female employee arranging a meeting over dinner with an advertiser during which the fema

K-popJuly 31, 2024

K-pop’s dilemma: ‘Super fans’ vs. ‘casual fans’

A significant dilemma has surfaced in the ever-evolving world of K-pop: Should the industry focus on nurturing casual fans or continue to cater to its dedicated superfans? This debate came to the forefront when Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of K-pop powerhouse Hybe, addressed the issue on a local TV show last November. Bang expressed concerns about K-pop being in crisis, partly due to the intense consumption patterns of its superfans. “The basis of my crisis theory lies in the intense consumption

K-popJuly 31, 2024

TXT premieres VR concert

K-pop boy group TXT has announced its first virtual reality concert. From July 31 to Aug. 27, TXT is presenting its first VR concert, “Hyperfocus: Tomorrow X Together VR Concert,” at Megabox Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This VR concert will feature prefilmed performances of hit songs such as “Sugar Rush Ride” and “Deja Vu,” and run for approximately 60 minutes. For the virtual concert experience, the audience will wear VR headsets, immersing themselves in perfor

PerformanceJuly 31, 2024

Internet drives K-pop stars to overwork

The punishing schedule and little rest that K-pop stars endure are not new. Big-name K-pop agencies have been consistently criticized for operating like factories in producing and managing artists. Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of K-pop powerhouse Hybe, acknowledged this issue in a CNN interview in March 2023. “It’s not a total urban legend. Of course, there was some element of it in the past,” he said. Bang suggested that the issue was a thing of the past and argued that today, K-pop

K-popJuly 30, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin hits Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 14

Jimin of BTS claimed the No. 14 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Who,” according to the chart preview published Tuesday. “Who” is the main track from his second solo EP “Muse” which notched the second-highest rung on the Billboard 200 as did his previous EP “Face.” Suga and V also tied with their solo albums on the main albums chart with “D-Day” and “Layover,” respectively. “Who” would be Jimin’s fif

K-popJuly 30, 2024

Zerobaseone to drop 4th EP ‘Cinema Paradise’ next month

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is returning with its fourth EP “Cinema Paradise” next month. The group's third EP "You Had Me at Hello" was released just three months ago. The group dropped a teaser poster for its upcoming album on its X account on Monday. It also shared a spoiler film for the new album on YouTube which shows the nine-member group watching a film in a theater with a silhouette of someone walking through a door. The subtitle reads "with special appear

K-popJuly 30, 2024

Blackswan is back with 'Roll Up'

Blackswan, the first K-pop girl group consisting of all members who are not from South Korea, is set to make a comeback. The group will return with new album "Roll Up" on July 31 at 6 p.m. This EP is the group's first release since single album "That Karma" released in May last year, and includes a total of four tracks, with title song "Roll Up." The title track boasts an impressive lineup of producers, including: Rob Grimaldi, Alina Smith, Lauren Dyson, A Wrig

K-popJuly 29, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice logs 800m views with ‘What is Love?’ music video

Twice garnered 800 million views on YouTube with the music video for “What is Love?,” label JYP Entertainment said Monday. It is the group’s first to reach the milestone. “What is Love?” is the title track from Twice's fifth EP which came out in 2018. Written by the label’s head producer Park Jin-young, the music video for the upbeat tune turned each member into a movie character. Twice holds the record as the girl group with the most music videos with ov

K-popJuly 29, 2024

Le Sserafim unveils ‘Le Sserafim -- Make It Look Easy’ doc series

K-pop girl group Le Sserafim is to release its documentary series, "Le Sserafim -- Make It Look Easy,” starting from 8 p.m. on Monday. The new release follows “The World Is My Oyster,” the group's first documentary series released in September 2022. The quintet dropped a trailer for the upcoming documentary series on Monday in which the bandmates shared their thoughts about their performances and music. The group also dropped five teasers, each focusing on an individu

K-popJuly 29, 2024

K-pop stars take top spots at Billboard 200

K-pop acts took over Billboard’s main album chart with Stray Kids nabbing its fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and BTS’ Jimin landing at No. 2. This marks the first time that K-pop albums have claimed the No.1 and No. 2 spots on Billboard 200. Stray Kids topped the Billboard 200 dated Aug. 3 with its ninth EP “Ate” earning 232,000 equivalent album units in the US, according to Billboard. The Billboard 200 chart, compiled by Luminate, ranks the best-performing albums in th

K-popJuly 29, 2024

Hybe's efforts to win fans’ hearts appear unproductive

Hybe continues to attempt to take control of the narrative in its ongoing dispute with Ador CEO Min Hee-jin as subsidiary Source Music, already entangled in a defamation lawsuit filed against Min on July 15, plans to release a documentary series depicting Le Sserafim's hardships over the past year. This move seems aimed at disproving Min's April press conference claims of Hybe's preferential treatment toward Le Sserafim by highlighting their success through hard work. Yet, it unde

K-popJuly 28, 2024

[Herald Review] Noel Gallagher rocks Korean music fans across generations

British rock legend Noel Gallagher, a key member of the rock band Oasis, thrilled fans in Korea last week with his second gig in the country in eight months. On Friday evening, around 18,000 fans gathered at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds concert. The audience included long-time fans who enjoyed Oasis's music during their youth in the 90s, as well as younger fans in their teens and twenties. South Korean band Silica Gel opened the concert a

K-popJuly 28, 2024