A pop-up store opened in Seoul Wednesday for characters inspired by the members of Ateez, according to agency KQ Entertainment. As hinted by teaser content, including a video that contained animated characters who are chosen to be the mascots of a college ice hockey team. The cute characters, named Aniteez, were first introduced in February and a new range of merchandise will be available for purchase at the temporary store. Meanwhile, the band is spending its fourth-straight week on the Billboa

K-pop July 3, 2024

Jin of BTS was named as one of the torchbearers for the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to local media on Tuesday. The artist will join a list of over 11,000 people carrying the flame across the country over 11 weeks until the opening ceremony on July 26. The torch arrived in France last week and Jin is expected to fly over soon, although no specifics have been announced yet. Jin was discharged on June 12 and instantly resumed activities, starting with a fan meeting the next day that fell on the

K-pop July 2, 2024

Zion.T decided not to renew his contract with The Black Label, which expired recently, according to a local media report on Monday. The label confirmed the news following the report. The singer had signed with the YG Entertainment affiliate headed by producer Teddy in 2016 after he left Amoeba Culture. His future activities will be overseen by Standard Friends, a company he established two years ago, joining the likes of rappers Wonstein and Giriboy. Zion.T debuted in 2011 with single “C

K-pop July 1, 2024

Le Sserafim is poised to return in late August with a new album, local media reported Friday. Agency Source Music confirmed that the group was preparing to return, but said the date and type of release had not been set. It will be about six months since its third EP “Easy,” the main track from which entered Billboard’s Hot 100, at No. 99, for the first time for the quintet. "Easy" debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 8 and became its third straight million-selling album.

K-pop June 28, 2024

Stray Kids uploaded group photographs for their ninth EP “Ate” on Thursday. Donned in black and denim, the eight members gazed at the camera exuding charisma further raising expectations for the upcoming mini album. The group shots follow a teaser trailer and individual photographs which hinted that they are going for hip and chic. The album will consist of eight tracks including the main track “Chk Chk Boom” and will be rolled out July 19. Before the album's relea

K-pop June 27, 2024

The second solo album from BTS' leader RM made multiple semiannual best albums charts listed by international music magazines. Billboard magazine touted the album “Right Place, Wrong Person” as “one of the richest albums released in 2024.” The artist “simply refuses to acknowledge the existence of any (boundaries of K-pop]) ... while all still sounding like a coherent and natural artistic extension of one man’s creative vision,” it added. Rolling

K-pop June 26, 2024

All four members of 2NE1 will get together with the founder of YG Entertainment Yang Hyunsuk within days, according to a local media report Tuesday. Label YG Entertainment confirmed they are set to meet following the report but did not offer any specifics. Last month, CL met with the producer, and the members each uploaded a picture of them together in time for their 15th debut anniversary, raising expectations for their reunion. The quartet debuted in 2009 and established itself as one of the m

K-pop June 25, 2024

NCT 127 set the release date of its sixth studio album as July 15, according to label SM Entertainment on Monday. The LP “Walk” will consist of 11 tracks, including the main track of the same title, that will fully demonstrate the band’s ever-expanding musical spectrum. The title of the album suggests that it will look back at the journey the group has made so far and at the same time look ahead at the path it is paving. The LP comes about nine months after the fifth LP &ldqu

K-pop June 24, 2024

Blackpink’s world tour that ended last year was made into a movie and will come to movie theaters on July 31, in time for the group’s eighth debut anniversary, label YG Entertainment said Friday. Dubbed “Blackpink World Tour Born Pink in Cinemas,” the film will chronicle the quintet’s international tour held in 34 cities from 2022 to 2023. It consisted of 66 concerts and drew about 1.8 million fans, the largest for a K-pop girl group ever. The movie will be shown on

K-pop June 21, 2024

Stray Kids uploaded a teaser trailer for ninth EP “Ate” Wednesday via label JYP Entertainment. The eight members look around everywhere for a new fortune cookie that breaks the series of unfortunate events apparently brought on by one they opened that said: “Your luck no longer lasts from now on.” The mini album will be rolled out on July 19 about eight months since its previous EP, “Rock-Star.” The album made a hot-shot debut on the Billboard 200 as did its t

K-pop June 19, 2024

Jungkook of BTS placed his solo digital single on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated June 22, according to the publication’s chart preview released Monday in the US. The track “Never Let Go” entered the Main Songs chart at No. 97 and became his seventh song to do so, cementing his record of having the most on the chart as a K-pop solo artist. The American publication commented “It’s his seventh career solo song to debut on the chart, and first since ‘Standing Nex

K-pop June 18, 2024

Rose of Blackpink will sign with The Black Label, according to a local media report on Monday. The hip-hop label and management company is an affiliate of YG Entertainment and is headed by producer Teddy, the mastermind behind the success of Blackpink who had his hands on many of the group’s hit songs including “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” “Boombayah,” “Kill This Love” and “How You Like That.” He also produced both songs from Rose’s first solo sing

K-pop June 17, 2024

Lisa of Blackpink uploaded a clip Thursday signaling her return as a solo artist. Along with the video that fully demonstrated her status as a leading fashionista, she also posted a notice on her individual website that included “Coming Soon” and how to “pre-save” her upcoming new music on Spotify and Apple Music. She cinched a partnership with American record label RCA Records in April via her own agency, Lloud Company, which was established in February. Her namesake sol

K-pop June 14, 2024

Nayeon of Twice held a media showcase in Seoul Thursday to bring out her second solo EP, “NA.” She confided that she felt pressure from the success of her first solo album that far exceeded her expectations. Her previous EP from 2022 “Im Nayeon,” hit Billboard 200 at No. 7 and set a record for a K-pop solo musician at the time while main track “Pop!” swept all music charts at home. “I tried to enjoy as much as I can putting together the album,” s

K-pop June 13, 2024

Riize will unveil its first EP, “Riizing,” in Seoul on June 17 at a “premiere” showcase, according to label SM Entertainment on Wednesday. The six-piece band will perform “Boom Boom Bass,” its main track from the eight-track album, for the first time at the event, which will be broadcast live as well. The pop dance tune is mainly based on bass guitar, as the title suggests, and continues the theme of musical instruments that weaves through debut single “

K-pop June 12, 2024