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Jisoo of Blackpink moves quietly, but makes it count
While fellow Blackpink members have frequently made headlines with high-profile solo ventures, Jisoo has been steadily building her own empire behind the scenes. Concerns were raised earlier this year following reviews critical of her performance in the TV series "Newtopia" and the lukewarm global response to her solo debut EP "Amortage" in February. Her limited public appearances outside of official engagements have also fueled perceptions that she is less active than Jennie, Lisa and Rose. Ben
April 8, 2025 -
Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk surprises with dramatic transformation
Bang, the 52-year-old chief producer behind BTS, is K-pop's richest man Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Hybe and chief producer behind the K-pop juggernaut BTS, is in the media spotlight for this apparent weight loss. The producer on Tuesday shared a photo of himself posing with staff members, looking noticeably thinner than in his public appearances several months ago. His followers noticed Bang's transformation, writing in the comment section things like, “Can you please share your diet plan?” and “
April 8, 2025 -
Jannabi to return with new album
New album to celebrate band's 11th debut anniversary Jannabi, a beloved band known for poetic, relatable music, is set to release its fourth studio album April 28. A teaser video shared via the band’s official social media channels shows the duo dressed in crisp white shirts. The two are seen shaking hands formally and signing a document marked with the album’s release date. An accompanying teaser image features lightning-inspired graphics alongside passport-style ID photos of the members. The n
April 8, 2025 -
BTS’ J-Hope says last North American concert of solo tour 'means a lot'
J-Hope of BTS concluded the North American leg of his solo tour at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday. Titled Hope on the Stage, the tour traveled from Korea to host 12 shows in six North American cities, drawing over 178,000 attendees. Forbes magazine touted it as a “masterpiece.” In Los Angeles, J-Hope took to the stage as the first K-pop solo act to perform at BMO Stadium. He was joined by Miguel, the artist featured on “Sweet Dreams,” his sixth solo entry on Billboard’s Hot 100. “(My) firs
April 8, 2025 -
Blackpink shares ticket dates for first leg of world tour
Blackpink announced the first ticket details for its upcoming international tour via label YG Entertainment on Tuesday. The group will be kicking off the tour with concerts at Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on July 5-6 and ticket sales open on May 8. The initial tour schedule listed concert dates for nine other destinations — four cities in North America and Europe each as well as Tokyo. It also revealed that additional shows had been added for Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Paris and London. The p
April 8, 2025 -
NCT’s Mark tops iTunes Chart in 14 regions with 1st solo LP
Mark of NCT debuted atop the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 14 regions with his first solo album, "The Firstfruit." The 13-track LP was released Monday and swept major local music charts, while the main track "1999" debuted atop Bugs' real-time single chart. On the day of the album's release, Mark hosted a showcase in Seoul and performed songs from the LP and his first solo single “Child,” which was dropped in 2022 through label SM Entertainment’s archiving project. “Child” topped the iTunes Top Son
April 8, 2025 -
Blackpink’s Rose gains again on Billboard’s Hot 100
Rose of Blackpink rose back up to No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with her smash hit “APT.,” according to the chart preview uploaded Tuesday. The single climbed up three rungs from the previous week and extended its stay on the main songs chart to 24 weeks. Expectations are high for it to tie the record set by Fifty Fifty, which enjoyed the longest stay for a K-pop female singer on the chart, at 25 weeks with its debut single “Cupid” in 2023. Rose has been making history for K-pop female artists, h
April 8, 2025 -
Kiss of Life’s troubles with 'cultural insensitivity' nothing new in K-pop
Kiss of Life, a K-pop girl group managed by S2 Entertainment, has come under fire for a livestreamed birthday party for one of its members that many viewers found culturally and racially insensitive. The agency issued an official apology the following day and the group later shared a handwritten letter on social media addressing the criticisms. While K-pop agencies have increasingly made efforts to educate their artists on cultural sensitivities, historical context and even regional taboos, such
April 7, 2025 -
Overseas, image most associated with Korea is still K-pop: survey
Favorable perception of Korean culture and products rises, but excessive commercialization, North Korea concerns have negative impact, according to survey For the eighth consecutive year, K-pop has been named the most prominent image associated with South Korea according to a global survey. The 2025 Global Hallyu Survey, released Monday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, showed 17.8 percent of respondents said K-pop was t
April 7, 2025 -
Coldplay adds Hanroro, Elyanna to Korea concert guest lineup
Hanroro, Elyanna join lineup with Twice, who will play all 6 concerts With Coldplay’s highly anticipated concerts in Korea just a week away, the band has announced two additional special guests. Singer-songwriter Hanroro and Palestinian Chilean artist Elyanna have been added to the guest lineup for Coldplay’s upcoming "Music of the Spheres" concerts in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Coldplay will perform six shows in Korea on April 16, 18, 19, 22, 24 and 25 at the Goyang Sports Complex Stadium. Hanr
April 7, 2025 -
NCT’s Mark reflects on self for 1st solo album
Mark of NCT discussed his first solo album “The Firstfruit,” which comes out Monday through SM Entertainment. “I am happy,” he began, saying it has given him more joy and happiness than he expected to share the album. “(The album) is based on my life and I truly poured everything into it,” underlined the musician. It is a wholly autobiographical work containing his creative energy and feelings, he said, which inevitably made him pay the utmost attention to lyrics. “The biggest reason for choosin
April 7, 2025 -
SHINee’s Onew confirms July return
Onew of SHINee will be dropping a second solo studio album in July, he announced via agency Griffin Entertainment on Monday. Though he did not provide details, the album will include his first English-language single, “MAD,” which is set for advanced release on April 21, according to the agency last month. Onew unveiled the song, which features warm acoustic guitar and rich vocals, at his solo concert in Taipei on Saturday. The Taipei performance was part of his The Live: Connection tour, which
April 7, 2025 -
Nmixx adds stops to fan concert tour
Nmixx will visit fans in Bangkok before heading over to Australia in Melbourne and Sydney, JYP Entertainment announced Sunday. The group of six is expanding its ongoing fan concert tour, “Nmixx Change Up: Mixx Lab,” which now will span across 12 cities for 20 shows. The tour kicked off in Seoul in October last year and took the group to Tokyo, Mexico City, Santiago in Chile and Sao Paulo. The next stop will be Taiwan capital Taipei, where tickets for the two-day event are sold out. Nmixx has bee
April 7, 2025 -
Han Seungwoo to drop digital single
Han Seungwoo will put out a digital single on April 20, said agency Aura Entertainment Monday. "Haengbok Hoero," or “Happiness Circuit” (translated), will be his first endeavor in about 10 months since releasing “Scene.” Han wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the melodies for all three tracks of the album: “Blooming,” “Lost” and “Stay.” It continued the narrative of his third EP, “Frame,” which made the top five of iTunes' Top Albums Chart in six regions. The upcoming digital single will be his first
April 7, 2025 -
K-pop guitar bands to hit the stage
OneWe, Xdinary Heroes and Day6 headed for international tours K-pop's guitar bands are thriving like never before, with concerts and tours being announced one after another. OneWe, a five-piece group known for its emotional melodies, kicked off its first North American tour on Sunday. Starting in Orlando, the band will perform in 20 cities across North America, including Washington, New York, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver. The Orlando and Boston shows have
April 6, 2025