EXO-CBX and SM clash over contract issues again

SM Entertainment has denied a claim made by Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin of boy band EXO that it is making an "unfair" demand regarding revenue from their individual activities. Shortly after the trio, also known as EXO-CBX, held a press conference in Seoul on Monday to issue the claim, SM released a press statement saying that the trio was able to get a good distribution deal and suffered no damage from their contract signed with the K-pop powerhouse in June last year. Last year, EXO-CBX

K-popJune 11, 2024

Seventeen named UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassadors, in first as K-pop act

The bandmates of K-pop sensation Seventeen were appointed as Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Tuesday. It is the first time for a K-pop act to assume the role. According to Seventeen's agency Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday, the 13-member boy band was named for continuously sharing their growth narratives through music and their international influence on young people dating to their debut in 2015. "Seventeen and

K-popJune 11, 2024

Everglow returns as eerie and enchanting “Zombie”

Everglow dropped an intense new single, presenting themselves as hauntingly beautiful zombies. The new single comes in 10 months, during which they held tour concerts in the US, Europe and Japan. The group released a new single called “Zombie” on Monday. Besides the title track, two B-sides -- “Colourz” and “Back 2 Luv” -- are included. The title song “Zombie” already garnered attention for working with The Stereotypes -- a producer behind projects

K-popJune 11, 2024

3 EXO members accuse SM of 'unfair' revenue demands, renewing dispute

Three members of the popular K-pop group EXO -- Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin -- claimed Monday their agency SM Entertainment is making an "unfair" demand over revenue from their individual activities, reigniting their conflict with the K-pop powerhouse after a year. They alleged that the agency is unjustly demanding a 10 percent royalty from revenue of their individual activities without fulfilling its end of a behind-the-scenes deal made to resolve the conflict in June last year. During

CultureJune 10, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans to drop pre-release from Japan debut single

NewJeans will drop a B-side track from its debut single in Japan in advance of the full release, agency Ador said Monday. With the second teaser trailer for “Right Now” came the announcement that music video for the song will be unveiled June 17, four days before the single “Supernatural” is rolled out. It will feature characters from the American animation series The Powerpuff Girls stylized for each of the five members, as were those for “Get Up,” second EP

K-popJune 10, 2024

Game changer? K-pop industry leverages AI

The K-pop industry has begun using artificial intelligence in making music videos and songs for K-pop artists in line with technological advancements. Seventeen, a world-renowned K-pop boy group, for instance, introduced the music video for their latest song, “Maestro,” last month with a scene created by AI. The music video makes its viewers question who is the real maestro, when the subject responsible for creation is unclear, in a world where virtually everything can be made with A

K-popJune 10, 2024

Ateez lands at No. 2 on Billboard 200

K-pop boy group Ateez landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated June 15) with its 10th EP “Golden Hour: Part 1.” This is the group’s fourth consecutive album to chart in the top 3 on the Billboard 200 following its eighth EP “The World EP. 1: Movement,” ninth EP “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw” and second LP “The World Ep. Fin: Will.” The eight-member group’s latest EP carries six tracks led by the lead track “Work,”

K-popJune 10, 2024

Red Velvet to return with new album ‘Cosmic’

Red Velvet is releasing a new album in time for its 10th debut anniversary. The K-pop girl group is dropping its seventh EP, “Cosmic,” on June 24 at 6 p.m., according to SM Entertainment. The new album will carry six tracks that accentuate Red Velvet’s unique musical identity and are perfect for listening during summer, said the agency. This album marks the first release in seven months after the group put out its third full-length album “Chill Kill” in November 202

K-popJune 10, 2024

Jeonghan and Wonwoo of Seventeen unveil track list of their 1st single album

Jeonghan and Wonwoo of the popular K-pop boy group Seventeen’s first single album will be led by the title track “Last Night (Guitar by Park Ju-won).” “Last Night (Guitar by Park Joo-won)” was composed by Woozi and singer-songwriter Bumzu. Woozi, another Seventeen member, has produced various hit singles for his group. The single album “This Man,” which will be released on June 17, will carry a total of three tracks. The other two tracks are “Beaut

K-popJune 9, 2024

BTS' Jungkook tops iTunes charts in 96 countries with 'Never Let Go'

Jungkook of K-pop supergroup BTS has topped iTunes Top Song charts of 96 countries with "Never Let Go," a digital single dedicated to the band's fans, his agency said Saturday. BigHit Music said the song, released the previous day, ranked No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs charts in the United States, Italy and 94 other countries as of 9 a.m. The song expresses Jungkook's gratitude toward the boundless love he receives from ARMY, the name of the BTS fandom. It was released as part of

K-popJune 8, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT’s Doyoung adds dates to solo tour

Doyoung of NCT expanded his solo Asia tour as per the requests of his fans, announced label SM Entertainment on Friday. The news came with a poster for tour “Dear Youth,” which showed that he will visit Taipei on Aug. 16 and will hit the stage once more in Bangkok on Aug. 25. He kicked off the tour in Seoul with a three-day concert, his first solo live show May 25-27 to a sold-out crowd. The second day’s gig was broadcast live for fans across the world. The solo tour will resum

K-popJune 7, 2024

Stray Kids win award at short film festival

Stray Kids won the prestigious Global Spotlight Award with their self-produced "SKZFLIX" at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 in Japan. The prestigious international short film festival is one of Asia's largest such festivals and is officially recognized by the Academy Awards. The festival, which began in 1999, held its awards ceremony Tuesday in Shibuya, Japan. From over 4,936 entries submitted from 114 regions worldwide, 270 works were selected based on this year�

FilmJune 7, 2024

Dream Concert World in Japan to take place in August

Dream Concert, which has been held annually for 30 years, will meet with K-pop fans in Japan this August. Since its inception in South Korea in 1995, Dream Concert has been a significant event in the K-pop calendar, showcasing countless musical artists over the years. Under the theme “With Music We Got a Friend,” concerts will be held over two days, Aug. 10-11, at the Belluna Dome in Saitama, Japan. This will be the second overseas edition of the Dream Concert, with the first taking

PerformanceJune 7, 2024

NewJeans’ new album 'How Sweet' underperforms

NewJeans, a highly sought-after K-pop girl group in the current music scene, may be affected by the recent dispute between their label CEO Min Hee-jin of Ador and Hybe, the parent company of Ador. According to the Hanteo Chart, a local market tracker, NewJeans’ latest two-lead single album “How Sweet” released on May 24, sold 884,717 copies in the first week and 1.03 million in total as of June 5. The figures are nearly half that of the girl band’s second mini-album &ld

K-popJune 6, 2024

SM Founder Lee Soo-man might be returning to K-pop

K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man, the SM Entertainment founder who left the company last year, may be returning to the K-pop scene. Lee’s environmental, social and corporate governance management consulting company, Blooming Grace, filed a trademark application for A20 Entertainment on May 3, according to Korean Intellectual Property Office records. The trademark for A20 Entertainment falls under the category including businesses for entertainment, video game devices, advertising and more. The trad

CultureJune 6, 2024

[Herald Interview] Big Ocean out to make big splash in K-pop scene

At first glance, K-pop trio Big Ocean might seem like just another new idol group. But, the trio is anything but ordinary. It has broken through a barrier in the K-pop industry with its debut alone. All three bandmates in Big Ocean — Chanyeon, Hyunjin, and Jiseok — are deaf, and their debut date, April 20, coincides with the Day of Persons with Disabilities in Korea. Wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants, they introduced themselves as Big Ocean in sign language as they sat dow

K-popJune 6, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] aespa expands world tour

After tickets for aespa’s upcoming international tour sold out, the group added five concert dates, according to label SM Entertainment on Wednesday. Tour “Synk: Parallel Line” will now have 16 concerts in total. It will begin in Seoul where the group will go live twice on June 29-30 and the second day’s concert will be livestreamed as well. The four members will visit four cities in Japan and Singapore next month before heading to Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Jakarta and Sy

K-popJune 5, 2024

SM denies rumors about artists buying sex, drug use in Japan

SM Entertainment denied rumors that its artists bought sex and used drugs at an adult entertainment establishment in Japan. “Currently, groundless rumors about Johnny and Haechan of NCT regarding prostitution, drugs and other disturbing content are being spread and reproduced indiscriminately online. These rumors are completely false and spreading these rumors are criminal acts that severely defame our artists,” wrote SM Entertainment on Kwangya 119, its website established for repor

K-popJune 5, 2024

G-Dragon appointed professor at KAIST

K-pop singer G-Dragon of Big Bang was named a visiting professor of the department of mechanical engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), on Wednesday. The singer‘s appointment is aimed at expanding the global competitiveness of Korean culture by incorporating the latest science and technology developed at KAIST into K-content, according to KAIST. “I am honored to be a visiting professor at KAIST, a school that produces many scientific geniuses

CultureJune 5, 2024

J-Hope of BTS wins first prize in military presentation contest

BTS member J-Hope, who is currently serving in the military, won the top prize in an Army presentation contest with his honest speech about his experience as a soldier. J-Hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, participated in the competition held under the theme “2024 Strong Warrior, Army” at the War Memorial of Korea, Wednesday. About 170 soldiers and civilian workers attended the event that commemorates the month of patriots and veterans in Korea. J-Hope delivered a speech about

CultureJune 5, 2024