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Blackpink makes history as first K-pop group to top Spotify’s global weekly chart twice
Blackpink has made K-pop history once again, becoming the first K-pop group to top Spotify’s Global Weekly Top Songs chart twice, with their latest single "Jump" reinforcing the quartet’s status as a global pop powerhouse. According to YG Entertainment on Saturday, “Jump” reached No. 1 on the global weekly chart dated Thursday, following their previous chart-topper “Shut Down” from their 2022 studio album “Born Pink.” Blackpink now holds the record for both the first and the most No. 1 entries o
July 20, 2025 -
BTS surpasses 30 million Weverse subscribers ahead of 2026 comeback
K-pop phenomenon BTS has become the first artist to surpass 30 million subscribers on Weverse, setting a new benchmark for global fan engagement ahead of their highly anticipated comeback in spring 2026. Hybe announced Saturday that more than 30 million fans have now joined the boy band’s community on Weverse, a platform designed to facilitate direct interaction between artists and their followers. Through the service, fans can watch live broadcasts, chat with BTS members in real time and purcha
July 20, 2025 -
YG head Yang Hyun-suk gets 6-month suspended sentence for coercion
Yang Hyun-suk, executive producer of YG Entertainment, was sentenced by the Supreme Court on Friday to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for attempting to cover up singer B.I's drug case. Yang was convicted of coercing former K-pop trainee Han Seo-hee in August 2016, demanding she retract her statement regarding B.I's drug use. At the time, Han was under police investigation for drug use and had initially implicated B.I, then a member of the YG boy band iKON, in drug-related activiti
July 18, 2025 -
BTS drops first-ever live concert album
BTS released its first-ever live album, “Permission to Dance on Stage – Live,” on Friday at 1 p.m. The album captures vivid memories of the group’s performances during its “Permission to Dance on Stage” tour in 2021 to 2022. Performances from Seoul, Los Angeles and Las Vegas feature on the album. Marking the group’s first official concert album since debut, it includes 22 tracks, featuring megahits such as “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” Several tracks were newly arranged for the
July 18, 2025 -
Choi Yena to hold concerts in Japan
Choi Yena will be performing in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, this fall, her agency Yue Hua Entertainment announced on Friday. She will host “I Am Star!” in the two cities on Sept. 15 and 17, respectively, returning to her Japanese fans about seven months after her previous sold-out show. The singer will also be dropping her fourth EP, “Blooming Wings,” on July 29 — approximately ten months since “Nemonemo.” The upcoming mini album will consist of five tracks, including the main track whose title tran
July 18, 2025 -
Oh My Girl to drop special single next week
Oh My Girl will release a special single titled “Weather Forecast” on July 22, the group's agency WM Entertainment announced Friday. As hinted at by the poster for the single, featuring the enigmatic phrase “Tomorrow’s weather will definitely be … than yesterday’s," it's a song of hope and warmth that offers consolation to listeners. The group gave fans a first taste of the single at the concert “Milky Way,” held in Seoul in April to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its debut. Oh My Girl debut
July 18, 2025 -
Ive drops prerelease from Japan album
Ive has unveiled the focus single from its upcoming album in Japan with a music video, agency Starship Entertainment said Friday. The group of six uploaded the video for “Be Alright,” which fronts its third EP of the same title. Opening with Rei asleep at her desk, the other members appear one by one to pick out clothes for, and support her at an interview before dancing together at her house, savoring freedom. The single encourages listeners to keep on going instead of being afraid of changes t
July 18, 2025 -
1Verse debuts with diverse background, single vision
1Verse, another ambitious rookie group, embarked on a musical journey on Friday with its first album “The 1st Verse.” The five-member group consists of Hyuk and Seok -- both of whom were born in North Korea and later defected to South Korea -- along with Japanese member Aito; Kenny, who is Chinese American; and Nathan, a Laotian-Thai American. The group name, 1Verse, means each member brings their unique “verse” to form a unified “universe” of stories and identity. “It can be lonelier as a verse
July 18, 2025 -
Kang Daniel returns to US for tour after 2 years
Kang Daniel announced plans to visit the US in September for his upcoming tour “Act: New Episode” via agency Ara Entertainment on Thursday. He is set to perform in 12 cities around the country, starting in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 3. The tour stops include Washington, DC, New York and Dallas, as well as Chicago and Los Angeles. The monthlong series of performances in the US marks his return to the country two years after his first international tour. Kang will kick off the upcoming to
July 18, 2025 -
K-pop loses steam in global charts as CD sales keep genre afloat: Luminate Midyear Report
The first half of 2025 saw K-pop further consolidate its position as a global cultural and commercial force, according to the Luminate Midyear Music Report released Thursday. The biannual report offers a snapshot of global music trends, fan behavior and market performance. While the genre continues to generate strong physical sales and fan engagement worldwide, the latest figures also suggest a plateau in digital growth, particularly in key markets such as the US. South Korea ranked fourth globa
July 17, 2025 -
Riize stays atop Oricon chart with 1st LP
The first full album from Riize maintained the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s Weekly International Album Ranking, according to label SM Entertainment on Thursday. LP “Odyssey” has swept a series of major music charts in Japan since its release in May. The album sold over 1.79 million copies in the first week, the year's highest sales for a K-pop album at the time. The boy band performed all songs from the LP at its two concerts in Kobe, Japan last week, along with “Same Key,” which is part of its first
July 17, 2025 -
Seventeen’s Wonwoo marks birthday with self-written song
Wonwoo of Seventeen shared a self-written ballad on Thursday in time for his birthday, agency Pledis Entertainment announced. The single is titled “Gogae,” which translates as a hill, and over the sounds of piano and strings, he sings to his fans how he will cherish the memories of rising above hills together and will gladly tackle the next with hope. The message is even more clear in the accompanying music video of an animation of a cat journeying over a hill together with a butterfly it encoun
July 17, 2025 -
BTS producer becomes first tycoon referred to prosecution under new president's toughened financial oversight
South Korea’s financial regulators have referred Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk to the prosecution on charges of fraudulent trading, accusing him of misleading shareholders during the company’s initial public offering and profiting nearly 400 billion won ($287.6 million) in the process. This marks the first time under the Lee Jae Myung administration that authorities have taken such strong disciplinary action against the head of a major conglomerate. Regulators reportedly gave Bang an unusual opport
July 17, 2025 -
G-Dragon’s Peaceminusone Highball sells out in Hong Kong, Taiwan
The Peaceminusone Highball created by G-Dragon’s fashion brand Peaceminusone in collaboration with CU convenience stores will be hard to come by in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The singer's agency, Galaxy Corp., announced Thursday that the initial export batch of the wine-based, lemon-flavored drink — over 100,000 units — has sold out in the two regions, prompting the production of a second batch. In South Korea, two versions of the Peaceminusone Highball have been available at CU stores since April, w
July 17, 2025 -
BoA to celebrate 25th anniversary with 'Crazier'
BoA, often called "Asia's star," is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her debut with the release of her 11th album, “Crazier,” on Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. The album features 11 tracks, including the title track “Crazier,” and marks her first full-length album in nearly five years since “Better” in 2020. This anniversary album holds deep significance both for the artist and her fans. BoA debuted on Aug. 25, 2000, at the age of 14 with the album “ID; Peace B.” She later expanded into the Japanese market
July 17, 2025