[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jennie, Rose set career-highs

Jennie of Blackpink hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 98 with the solo single “Mantra,” according to the chart preview published online on Monday in the US. It is the highest spot on the main singles chart she has acheived as a solo singer. The single ranked No. 2 and No. 3 on its Global excl. the US and Global 200, respectively. It was No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs Chart in 47 regions and sat at No. 37 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100. Rose also marked a career-

K-popOct. 22, 2024

[Behind the K-pop Scene] 'K-pop is all about money'

Behind the glitz and glamour of K-pop lies a business reality driven by fierce competition and substantial financial investment. While K-pop idols shine on stage, producers navigate challenges behind the scenes, especially when securing the funds to sustain their artists' careers. "K-pop is all about money," said Shin Jong-oh, 48, a director at the World K-pop Center and executive producer of the girl group project BlingOne, during an interview with The Korea Herald, on Oct. 10. &

K-popOct. 22, 2024

G-Dragon to perform at 2024 MAMA

K-pop icon G-Dragon will perform at the 2024 MAMA, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony, held this year in Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan. According to the event’s organizer CJ ENM, G-Dragon will take the stage on the event's last day in Osaka. As this is his first MAMA appearance in nine years, he is expected to unveil new releases during his performance. Other artists performing at this year's MAMA revealed on Tuesday include BoyNextDoor, (G)I-dle, Plave and Bibi. The

K-popOct. 22, 2024

Illit releases new EP amid accusations of plagiarizing NewJeans

K-pop girl group Illit has released their second EP, "I’ll Like You," while facing ongoing allegations of copying NewJeans' concept. The group maintained a non-confrontational stance, emphasizing their focus on their own creative path. “We’ve worked hard to show our fans our best, no matter the situation,” member Yunah said during a showcase in Seoul on Monday. “We reflect on all the people who have helped Illit grow and those who have supported and c

K-popOct. 21, 2024

[Behind the K-pop scene] Vocal trainer So Su-lyn reveals making of future K-pop idols

Vocal trainer So Su-lyn, 32, stands at the forefront of where K-pop begins -- preparing young aspiring stars at her music schools in Incheon and Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Her goal is to equip these hopefuls with the skills they need to become trainees at major K-pop agencies and, ultimately, debut as idols. “I’ve been working as a vocal trainer for nearly 10 years now. I teach students who want to become trainees at major companies like SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Ente

K-popOct. 21, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream to roll out LP No. 4 next month

NCT Dream will be back with its fourth studio album on Nov. 11, label SM Entertainment announced Monday. The LP “Dreamscape” will consist of 11 tracks including the main track “When I’m With You” as well as “Rains in Heaven,” an English-language single dropped in August. As the album title suggests, it will continue the narrative from its fifth EP “Dream()scape,” which came out in March. The mini album sold more than 2.46 million copies in th

K-popOct. 21, 2024

Kim Woo-sung of The Rose makes waves on Billboard charts

Singer Kim Woo-sung's second full-length album, "4444," released Oct, has ranked sixth on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, the highest-ever ranking for a Korean male artist. The album by the member of the band The Rose also ranked on multiple Billboard charts, including eighth on the Heatseekers Albums chart and 15th on the Current Album Sales chart. “4444” showcases Kim's musical evolution, featuring a diverse collection of eight tracks spanning vario

PerformanceOct. 21, 2024

Twice to drop new EP ‘Strategy’ in December

K-pop sensation Twice will release its new EP “Strategy” on Dec. 6. JYP Entertainment announced the news via the group’s official social media channels, sharing an image of a "coming soon" poster. The upcoming release is Twice’s 14th EP and comes approximately 10 months after the previous mini album, "With YOU-th," launched in February. The EP "With YOU-th" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Billboard’s main album chart, on March 9,

K-popOct. 21, 2024

[Behind the K-pop scene] Norwegian K-pop songwriter Eline Noelia Myreng

Norwegian singer-songwriter Eline Noelia Myreng was working part-time as a bartender in Oslo, Norway, when she co-wrote K-pop girl group Ive’s hit single, “I Am,” for their 2023 studio album, "I’ve Ive." That success transformed her dream of becoming a full-time music producer into reality -- at just 25 years old. “I co-produced this track (‘I Am’) with Audun (Agnar Guldbrandsen) and Kristin (Marie Skolem). We wrote it in a basement under an oy

K-popOct. 20, 2024

Super Junior's Yesung to return as solo artist with new album

Super Junior’s Yesung is set to return with a new solo album. According to his agency, SM Entertainment, Yesung will release his sixth EP, “It’s Complicated,” on Nov. 5. The album will feature a total of five tracks, including the title track. This EP marks Yesung’s first solo release in over a year, following his fifth EP, “Unfading Sense,” which dropped in October last year. His previous album highlighted the musician’s prowess as a solo artist,

K-popOct. 20, 2024

NCT’s Jaehyun to drop new single ‘Unconditional’ on Oct. 24

NCT’s Jaehyun is releasing a new single “Unconditional” on Oct. 24 before beginning his mandatory military service. According to SM Entertainment, the single “Unconditional” will be available on various music platforms, including Melon, Flo, Genie, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kowo Music. Jaehyun's first solo album, "J," released in August, showcased a diverse range of R&B tracks that highlighted his artistic sensibility

K-popOct. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to release 3rd Japanese single in December

Le Sserafim will put out the single “Crazy” in Japan on Dec. 11, agency Source Music said Friday. It is the group’s third physical single to be released in the country and will consist of three songs: the Japanese-language versions of “Crazy” and “Easy,” focus tracks from its fourth and third mini albums, as well as a new song. The original song “Crazy” hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 88 and climbed to No. 76, the highest rung for the

K-popOct. 18, 2024

Rose collaborates with Bruno Mars on ‘APT.’

Blackpink’s Rose has collaborated with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars on a single for her upcoming solo album. According to The Black Label, Rose released the single, “APT. (Rose & Bruno Mars),” on Friday ahead of the release of her first solo LP, “Rosie,” scheduled for Dec. 6. The single is a duet that Rose took part in composing and writing the lyrics to. Rose’s upcoming solo LP will have 12 songs through which she will deliver a more honest and i

K-popOct. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Day6's Sungjin to drop solo album

Sungjin of Day6 will release his first solo album on Nov. 5, label JYP Entertainment announced Thursday. The company shared the news of the LP “30” with an image fashioned after a subway sign, giving details for the studio album as well as his first solo stand-alone concert, slated to be held in Seoul on Nov. 8-10. The leader of Day6 will continue the band’s international tour "Forever Young" which will take it to Jakarta, Indonesia, this weekend before resuming in Si

K-popOct. 17, 2024

BTS' J-Hope completes military service, returns to fans

J-Hope of K-pop sensation BTS returned Thursday as the second member of the group to complete his military service. J-Hope enlisted in April last year and served as an assistant instructor at the 36th Recruit Training Battalion in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Around 10 a.m., he left his battalion, where fellow member Jin greeted him with a large bouquet. The two shared a warm hug to celebrate J-Hope’s discharge. J-Hope smiled and expressed his gratitude to fans. "I completed my service in

K-popOct. 17, 2024

Fifty Fifty to embark on first US tour next month

K-pop group Fifty Fifty is embarking on its first US tour, “Love Sprinkle Tour in USA,” in November. According to Attrakt, the rebranded group -- now consisting of Athena, Chanelle Moon, Hana, Keena and Yewon -- is going to perform its debut album, “Love Tune,” in eight US cities. “As we prepare for our first US tour, we are fully dedicated to showcasing a variety of performances and delivering a high-quality stage experience. We hope you look forward to it,”

K-popOct. 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Wish to tour Japan from next month

NCT Wish will host a tour around Asia starting in Japan next month, announced label SM Entertainment Wednesday. Tour LOG In will begin Japan where the band will visit six cities -- in Ishikawa, Kyoto, Kanagawa, Hyogo, Fukuoka and Aichi -- for two concerts each, from Nov. 3 to Dec. 13. The six members will then hold a concert early next year and tour more cities in the region per an itinerary that will be announced soon. Last week, the youngest NCT subunit came in first place in a television musi

K-popOct. 16, 2024

Zico to hold first solo shows in six years

Zico, a rapper and music producer, will be holding a pair of solo concerts for the first time in six years. On Wednesday, Zico announced through the global fan platform Weverse and his official social media channels "Zico Live: Join the Parade." The concerts are to take place on Nov. 23 and 24 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. "Zico Live: Join the Parade" will be the first such concerts since "King of the Zungle" in 2018. The concert poster, rel

PerformanceOct. 16, 2024

Kim Jae-joong’s girl group Say My Name debuts

Say My Name, the first K-pop girl group produced by K-pop singer Kim Jae-joong, debuted Wednesday with its first EP, “Say My Name.” “The motivation for Say My Name is hearing fans call out their names. The team name represents their ambition to run toward their dreams. We aimed to showcase fresh and diverse music genres as well as the unique colors of each member in their debut album. This mini-album is something we put a lot of effort into, from song selection to all aspects o

K-popOct. 16, 2024

[Exclusive] Weverse accused of exploiting labels, fans with new mandatory paid-membership service

Weverse Company, a global fan platform run by Hybe, is facing backlash for alledgely forcing its partner labels into a mandatory paid membership service, sparking accusations of monopolistic practices. The new "digital membership" service, set to launch on Dec. 1, compels over 130 music labels to participate, raising concerns about coercion, unfair revenue-sharing and exploiting fan loyalty for profit. According to Rep. Lee Jung-mun of the Democratic Party of Korea, Weverse emailed 130

K-popOct. 16, 2024