While big cities bustle with energy and ambition during the day, at night, behind all the glitz and buzz, a tinge of uncertainty lingers. The city is where the singer-songwriter Lee Jin-ah explored the depths of her imagination over the past five years, delving into the different feelings a city harbors as its inhabitants try to endure and live their lives. Lee's new album, "Hearts of the City," taps straight into the hearts of the people. Through her new album, an extensive packa

K-pop Sept. 13, 2023

Pow, a new multinational boy band, is setting forth on its journey with "Favorite." The quintet dropped the single, which comes ahead of the band's upcoming official debut set for Oct. 11. Set to debut under novice local label Grid, the quintet on Wednesday marked the start of its start with pre-debut single "Favorite." Members Jungbin, Yorch, Hong, Dongyeon and Hyunbin held a press conference in Seoul, introducing themselves to the world. "We're excited and ne

K-pop Sept. 13, 2023

Hur Young-ji of Kara launched her solo career on Tuesday with single "Toi Toi Toi." Hur's solo debut comes nine years after she started her singing career as a member of popular girl group Kara in 2014. "Toi Toi Toi," a German expression wishing luck to performing artists, was suggested by her sister, Hur said. "It's like 'fighting!' (in Korean). My sister recommended it after hearing all three songs and it sounded like a perfect match. With the singl

K-pop Sept. 12, 2023

Ear-splitting screams burst out the instant the iconic opening beats of "Again and Again" raised the curtains on boy band 2PM's concert in Seoul on Sunday. Blue laser beams flashed to the beat of the song that turned into a heart-pounding medley of the band's greatest hits. Even those who are not fervent fans of 2PM would recognize every part of the medley, as it thread through songs that had reigned the local music charts in the late 2000s to early 2010s. Sunday's gig a

K-pop Sept. 11, 2023

Through its new album, "Sun Seeker," boy band Cravity tells its fans to follow their sun and go toward where their hearts gravitate. Ahead of the new album release on Monday, the nine-piece group on Thursday held a joint press interview with local media in Seoul and introduced the new album. According to the members, it continues the story they had rolled out through its previous album, "Master: Piece," released in March. "With the last album, we asked our listeners, �

K-pop Sept. 11, 2023

Jaechan from K-pop group DKZ officially made his solo debut Wednesday with "JCFactory," an album packed with self-written songs. "I'm debuting solo after 4 1/2 years. I feel both nervous and excited right now. I hope I can show a new side of myself," the singer-songwriter said Wednesday, during a media event held in Seoul a few hours ahead of the album's release at 6 p.m. that day. Jaechan's first solo EP, "JCFactory" is a collection of five songs mai

K-pop Sept. 6, 2023

K-pop band Seventeen is set to meet over 500,000 fans in Japan with its new concert tour, "Follow," which will kick off at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, the country's biggest dome venue. "Follow" is Seventeen's second dome venue tour in Japan, which will start with a two-day run at the Tokyo Dome. With its latest concert series, the 13-piece band is set to hold a total of 12 shows in five Japanese cities. Following Tokyo, the band will head to Saitama where it will c

K-pop Sept. 6, 2023

FNC, the agency behind popular K-pop groups SF9 and P1Harmony, will launch a new boy group next year. The agency made the announcement Tuesday, heralding of a new idol group for the first time in almost four years since the 2020 debut of P1Harmony. "We're launching a new boy group to lead the next generation of K-pop. The band will be a seven-piece group consisting of members each boasting outstanding talents and unique charms," FNC said in its statement on Tuesday. FNC Entertainm

K-pop Sept. 5, 2023

Rookie group Boynextdoor hopes to flourish and grow with its fans, upon the release of its first EP "Why.." on Monday. "Whatever music we do, we hope to sing to empathize. That's why we aspire to attempt all possible genres through which we could voice different emotions. We hope to become a group that matures with our fans," Jaehyun said at a press conference on Monday. The next step of Boynextdoor's odyssey of growth began with the new album, "Why..," wh

K-pop Sept. 5, 2023

Attrakt, the company behind the beleaguered girl group Fifty Fifty, is gearing up to debut a new female team next year through an audition show. "Attrakt is kicking into a new project to nurture a new girl group. All the members of the group will be selected through an audition show, and the whole process will be made public," the company said in a statement, adding it aims to debut the group next year. While not much has been unveiled so far, Attrakt said the main point of its new aud

K-pop Sept. 4, 2023

K-pop boy band Stray Kids has ranked second in the US in terms of album sales so far this year, the band's company, JYP Entertainment said Monday, citing Chart Data, one of the most credible music data sites online. Taylor Swift ranked in the number one position. Stray Kids' latest release, its third full-length album "5-Star," was the most-sold K-pop album this year, JYP Entertainment added. The group's EP, "Maxident," from last year also landed at the tenth s

K-pop Sept. 4, 2023

BTS' rapper and leader RM addressed the issue of Islamophobia building up around him, denying any intention to insult the religion and stating he has no reasons to apologize. The controversy was sparked in August, when RM shared American singer Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" on his Instagram story. The 2012 song talks about loving without the restraint of religion, but some parts were interpreted by listeners as Islamophobic. Online anger mounted over the next days, with many t

K-pop Sept. 1, 2023

Exo member D.O. is dropping a new solo album, "Anticipation," on Sept. 18. His agency SM Entertainment on Friday made the announcement, heralding D.O.'s comeback as a solo musician after over two years. D.O., whose real name is Do Kyung-soo, debuted solo in July 2021 with his first solo album, "Empathy." With the eight-track EP, D.O. was a smash success, landing atop the iTunes top album chart in 60 countries. According to SM, "Anticipation" will be a seven-tra

K-pop Sept. 1, 2023

SM Entertainment's upcoming rookie boy band Riize's member Seunghan released an apology after photos of him with a presumed former dating partner went viral online. The apology comes a few days after the release online of several pictures showing Seunghan kissing a woman -- including one where they are on a bed. The pictures spread fast, shocking fans, especially as Riize is about to make its long awaited debut on Sept. 4. Riize is the first boy band to debut with SM Entertainment in s

K-pop Aug. 31, 2023

Baekho on Thursday unveiled a new single, "Elevator," marking the start to a new musical journey. “Elevator” is a remake of the eponymous 1995 hit by singer-producer J.Y. Park. With its risque lyrics singing about making love in the elevator and spicy performances with female dancers onstage, the song became an instant sensation back in its day. In opening up a new chapter of his career, Baekho picked this song same in age with him. "The feeling I had when I first hear

K-pop Aug. 31, 2023