UNESCO HQ hit by largest-ever crowd ahead of Seventeen's Youth Forum speech

Paris was filled with K-pop fans ahead of boy band Seventeen's historical speech and performance at UNESCO headquarters on Tuesday. The 13-member group arrived in the city on Sunday, according to a statement from the group's agency, Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday, amid shouts and screams from fans who flocked to the airport to welcome them. Seventeen's attendance at UNESCO headquarters was highly anticipated as it marked the first time a K-pop group had been invited to speak at

K-popNov. 14, 2023

JYP to 'take K-pop worldwide' with Live Nation partnership

JYP Entertainment announced on Tuesday a global strategic partnership with Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, to cooperate on producing tours for its K-pop acts. “Through this partnership with Live Nation, we will be producing concerts of Twice, Stray Kids, Itzy, Xdinary Heroes, Nmixx and our up-and-coming talents,” said JYP Entertainment. Live Nation operates in over 45 countries worldwide. It has previously worked with JYP Entertainment on organizing

K-popNov. 14, 2023

G-Dragon denies drug use again in interview

K-pop artist G-Dragon, who is embroiled in a drug scandal, denied illegal drug use publicly once again in an exclusive interview with a local media on Monday. At the beginning of the interview, he explained that he agreed to the interview to deliver the right information to the public and to prove his innocence. “I did not use drugs. The results of the drug test (conducted by the drug crime investigation unit) have to be negative because let me tell you again, I have never used drugs, rece

K-popNov. 14, 2023

Jungkook scores another Billboard record with 6th Hot 100 song

Jungkook continues his historic run with his solo album, "Golden," with Tuesday seeing the BTS singer place his sixth song on Billboard's main singles Hot 100 chart. "Standing Next to You," the lead single of "Golden," arrived on Hot 100 at No. 5 this week, Billboard said Tuesday. The song tallied around 10.6 million online streams and 400,000 radio airplays, as well as 99,000 physical and digital singles sales, the music publication added. Jungkook broke the d

K-popNov. 14, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids sweep charts with EP No. 8

    Stray Kids dominated charts at home and abroad with their new EP “Rock-Star,” according to JYP Entertainment on Monday. The band’s eighth EP topped iTunes top albums charts in 32 regions, as did lead single “Lalalala” on top songs charts in 37 regions. The main track debuted on Spotify’s daily top songs global chart at No. 26. The mini album became a million-seller on the day of its release and sold over 2 million units in two days, becoming

K-popNov. 13, 2023

BTS company Hybe heading to Latin America

Hybe, the company behind K-pop phenomenon boy band BTS, has announced its foray into the Latin American music market. The company has established the local subsidiary, Hybe Latin America, in Mexico, the firm said Monday. “We aim to extend our reach into Latin America, one of the fastest-expanding music markets in the world,” Hybe said in a statement Monday, adding the regional division will serve as its local office for the artists of Hybe Labels, the management arm of the multilabel

K-popNov. 13, 2023

Red Velvet returns with conceptual, dramatized studio album

Red Velvet on Monday released "Chill Kill," the girl group's third full album. The group's full album comes six years after the release of the group's second LP, “Perfect Velvet.” “We tried our best to express the two key words of our album -- hope and tragedy. Not only did we focus on expressing those words in our songs and choreography but also in all of the content that will be released along with the album such as the music video and trailer clips

K-popNov. 13, 2023

Fifty Fifty’s Keena to attend 2023 BBMAs

Keena of the K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty is heading to Los Angeles on Thursday to attend the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, according to Attrakt. The Billboard Music Awards is an annual award ceremony to celebrate music’s greatest achievements and hottest names in music today. The event takes place in Las Vegas on Sunday. Fifty Fifty has been nominated for the event’s Top Duo/Group and Top Global K-Pop Song award categories. The group successfully debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100

K-popNov. 13, 2023

Jungkook's 'Golden' hits No. 2 on Billboard 200 with biggest-ever sales for a Korean soloist

Jungkook of BTS has made his solo arrival on the Billboard 200, with "Golden" reaching No. 2. On Sunday, US music publication Billboard previewed the album chart for this week, showing "Golden" behind only Taylor Swift's "1989 (Taylor's Version)." "Golden" recorded 212,000 equivalent album units, the chart's highest-ever weekly sales by a K-pop solo singer. Equivalent album units comprise physical and digital album sales, as well as streamin

K-popNov. 13, 2023

Jessica ends 6-year hiatus with new EP

K-pop singer Jessica is set to release a new mini album for the first time in six years on Nov. 22. The new album, “Beep Beep,” will carry a total of six tracks led by a titular track which shares the name of the album. Jessica also announced on her official social media that she is holding a tour in Asia, including stops in Singapore and Macao, after the release of her new album. It remains unclear whether the singer will be promoting her upcoming album in South Korea as she has

K-popNov. 13, 2023

Jungkook adopts guerilla tactics for 'Golden' promotion

Jungkook of BTS returned to Seoul on Saturday after holding a surprise concert on Friday at Times Square in New York. He performed his latest single “Standing Next to You” from his solo album “Golden,” and other solo singles including “Seven (feat. Latto)” and “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” on stage. Jungkook also performed tracks from his new album, “Yes or No” and “Please Don’t Change (feat. DJ Snake)” for the first time.

K-popNov. 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Oohyo keeps her distance

Singer-songwriter Oohyo hopes to maintain a “safe distance” between music and her personal life to make relatable songs for those who tune into her songs. “I want to tell a good story through music at a safe distance. By keeping a safe distance, I mean that I want to convey an abstract but easily relatable story instead of sharing my personal experiences. I want my music to remind one of a good story,” said Oohyo in her interview with The Korea Herald. Nine years into her

K-popNov. 11, 2023

Billboard-topping boy band Stray Kids returns to 'rock'

Three-time Billboard 200 chart-topper Stray Kids made a grand comeback Friday, this time as rock stars. Marking the eight-member group's return after five months is EP "Rock-Star," which continues from the past album, "Five-Star," a mega-hit album that had landmark successes, including its third-straight Billboard 200 No. 1 hit. It was a highly anticipated return, and the eight men were overflowing with renewed charisma as they went in front of the press on Friday mornin

K-popNov. 10, 2023

YG's new group Babymonster to debut on Nov. 27

Babymonster of YG Entertainment is set to debut on Nov. 27. The agency on Friday released a poster showing the message, "Babymonster 2023.11.27 0AM KST," on a black backdrop, with a red V-shaped mark pointing downward. Shooting for the group's music video, which began at the end of last month, has been completed, YG said. "Babymonster members will (unveil) not only their own talents, but the identity of the team (through the video). To do this, YG mustered all the company

K-popNov. 10, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook sets new record with solo album sales

The first solo album from Jungkook of BTS sold more than 2.43 million copies in the first week and set a new record for a K-pop solo artist, according to a local tally on Friday. EP “Golden” was unveiled on Nov. 3 and sold 1 million units in three hours and two in five hours. The album logged 2.14 million in sales on the day of release, another record for a K-pop solo act. It headed straight to the top of Oricon’s weekly combined album ranking after debuting at the top of its

K-popNov. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kiss of Life continues to describe different aspects of freedom through music

Kiss of Life say they were born to be artists. Not only do they love producing music, singing and dancing, but they are also good at it. “We also have a common interest in spreading positive energy with our musical talents. We love music and we are happiest when performing on stage,” said Belle, the main vocalist of Kiss of Life. Just five months into its debut, the band has already won public recognition for its unique music style, as well as dancing and vocal talents. “We wer

K-popNov. 10, 2023

Park Bom to return with new single ‘I’

Park Bom, formerly of disbanded 2NE1, is returning with a new single, “I,” for the first time in a year and eight months since her last single, “Flower.” A teaser for the song's music video has been uploaded on her agency’s official YouTube channel Wednesday. According to D-Nation Entertainment on Thursday, Park's upcoming single will be released at 6 p.m. on Nov. 22 via various streaming sites. The title “I” reportedly expresses Park’s o

K-popNov. 9, 2023

NewJeans to be first K-pop girl group to perform at BBMAs

NewJeans is set to make history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at one of the three major US music awards, the Billboard Music Awards. The official announcement came as the BBMAs revealed the performer lineup for this year's ceremony on their social media platforms. NewJeans will showcase "Super Shy" and "OMG," both of which entered the Billboard Hot 100 this year. Notably, BTS has been the only K-pop group to perform at the Grammy Awards, American Music Award

K-popNov. 9, 2023

'Omega X will not give up': Boy band returns to share message of hope

Overwhelming emotions must have hit Omega X members as they spoke to the local media in Seoul on Tuesday, taking the spotlight for the first time in a year since they announced the termination of their contracts with Spire Entertainment, under which they reportedly suffered abuse. Despite appearing in overly bright smiles, as if to assure the public that they were okay, their voices trembled several times as they responded to questions throughout the hour-long event, held in celebration of the

K-popNov. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ V logs record streak on Billboard 200 with solo album

The first solo album from V of BTS extended its stay on the Billboard 200 to a seventh consecutive week, a new record for a K-pop solo artist. EP “Layover” debuted on the main albums chart at No. 2 after being rolled out in September and ranked No. 160 on the chart dated Nov. 4, surpassing the six-week mark set by bandmate RM. The six-track mini album sold over 1.6 million copies on the day of its release and 2.1 million in the first week, both records for a K-pop solo musician at t

K-popNov. 8, 2023