After former members Nicole and Ji-young departed the group, Kara has remained inactive. Gyu-ri, Seung-yeon and Young-ji have pursued solo careers in acting and entertainment programs. The five members expressed their hopes to enjoy the upcoming new album with fans via a press release, saying the long-prepared album will be brimming with energy for fans who’ve sent the group unconditional love f...

Apart from the lyrics and melody, Jisoo’s falsetto with her deep husky voice when she sings “you say no,” along with Rose, make the song feel more soothing, leaving a deep impression on listeners. The two rappers -- Lisa and Jennie -- put down their forte and canvassed the melody with their low tones. Not only do their raps tug at people's heartstrings, but so do their singing voices. The album ...

Main vocalist Rose went on to say that if the band’s first LP, “The Album,” focused on music, “Born Pink” goes beyond that as it aims to highlight the essence of Blackpink. “We endeavored to try new things while keeping our identity. Overall, many genres are hip-hop based, and we’ve wanted to show Blacpink’s musical color. I’m sure we made music with our imagination that nobody has ever done bef...

“The number of prosumers (someone who both produces and consumes) has risen on par with the number of Korea-based content. For example, 'Texas Style' is a tweaked version of Psy’s 'Gangnam Style,' which is part of Korea’s cultural gradient. The shift in social media paved the way for transmedia storytelling, which is why the K-pop crossover to the Western market was possible,” Yoo Seung-chul, an ...

Less than 50 days since its debut, NewJeans’ debut track also made it to Spotify’s “Weekly Top Song USA” chart, according to the latest charting release by the platform on Friday. “Attention” debuted at No. 200, once again becoming the first-ever K-pop debut track to rank on the chart with an accumulated 1.6 million streams. The group also logged its debut track on weekly Spotify charts in 17 di...

The new single enjoyed global popularity, nabbing No. 1 on iTunes Top Song charts in 69 regions across Asia, Oceania, South America and North America. "Pink Venom" also stayed atop the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts for two consecutive weeks, becoming the first K-pop female band to achieve the milestone. Last month, Blackpink became the first female K-pop act to perfor...

Right in time for the autumn breeze and the changing of seasons, boy band Oneus hopped on the September music craze lineup with its eighth EP, “Malus,” released Monday evening. This marks a return for the K-pop act for the first time in four months since its last musical project, “Trickster,” released in May. “I believe it’s the first time showing our slinky and seductive side since our debut. ...

“Mr. Hollywood is an album brimming with my musical style, but it’s also an album that listeners can enjoy. It has a texture of the ‘80s and ‘90s R&B and soul, disco, house music, funk and UK garage, blended with trendy tunes which people would like. I’ve also melded synthesizer sounds.” “The melody line is what lingers after listening to a song for me, so that’s why I adhered to making tunes th...

Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform, has rebranded its flagship Korean hip-hop playlist “K-Hip-Hop+82” to “KrOWN,” the company said Wednesday. K-Hip-Hop +82 was first launched in April 2017 as Spotify’s first-ever editorial playlist focusing on South Korea’s East-meets-West music. The playlist on the platform presents the latest and most famous Korean hip-hop tracks on the play...

“NCT 127 is an esoteric band. But since boy bands are fandom-based, NCT 127 was able to gain popularity among K-pop fans,” Lee Hye-jin, a communications professor at the University of Southern California, said. Taking a different path compared to other SM groups can be a unique approach, according to Lee. “SM is rebranding itself through SMCU, which aims to connect every artist under one cohere...

“Some people say I have a certain music style, but I don’t. I continuously study for the best with a little bit of my touch, and that’s retro, which is uniquely mine. If I brought something similar to ‘Bad Love,’ people would say I’m doing the same thing, but my next song could be a rock genre, ballad or urban dance. “My role as an artist is to pick a good song and deliver it as a well-made pack...

The name Kim Min-ji, aged 18, would ring a bell for many K-pop fans. Before throwing her glitzy hat into the ring, she was featured in BTS’ “Permission to Dance” music video and was “#The_Girl” for the Plus global audition in 2019. Big Hit Entertainment and Source Music – both now subsidiaries under Hybe -- jointly held a global audition to form a new girl group. Hanni, 17, is an Australian of V...

Like the track’s energy, the words to the song convey how the band tries to take a step forward to find the true essence that lies under the term “love.” The lyrics also show how one goes through times of trouble by following their thoughts or emotions. When asked what the number “458” means, BX said it’s the speed of love without hesitation. “While preparing for the album, we’ve wanted to show...

Lee further explained how musicals are a good opportunity for idols to demonstrate their other talents. “Idols are familiar with some of the skills needed for musicals, which are an extension of singing and dancing on stage. While acting might not come naturally to some, versatile idols will have the talent to portray characters as well,” Lee added, saying that their skills make K-pop singers a ...

“The namesake track is also my favorite song for the same reason. The lyrics say, ‘I don’t care about your rumors even if it’s a daft love.’ To love somebody through thick and thin; to love blindly and be in love foolishly even if you know how it’s going to end is what I wanted to say,” he added. Going back to easy listening, Boycold expressed hopes that his album can set a warm ambiance that’s ...