Ateez opens new chapter with ‘Inception’

Having reached a new career high, Ateez on Wednesday returned with the new single “Inception” to open a new chapter in its discography. “We had the longest hiatus since our debut, but we tried to fill in the gap with better preparation and a good new song,” said Seonghwa in a written statement released by the group’s agency, KQ Entertainment.  Leading off the group’s new “Zero: Fever Part.1” album, the electronic dance music cut marks a sh

K-popJuly 30, 2020

K-pop stocks bounce back strong from pandemic blow

K-pop stocks are rapidly bouncing back from pandemic lows as investors are increasingly buying the stocks on the rosy outlook for further expansion of K-pop fandoms and new business models. The nation’s top three labels -- S.M. Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment -- are leading the upbeat mood, while excitement is also building up for Big Hit Entertainment’s planned stock debut possibly later this year. Their stocks suffered their worst fall in March when concert

K-popJuly 29, 2020

BLACKPINK to drop first full-length album on Oct. 2

K-pop quartet BLACKPINK will drop its first full studio album in October, the group's management agency said Tuesday. On its official blog, YG Entertainment posted an album teaser poster titled "The Album," with a pink tiara in the middle and the date "2020.10.02" at the bottom. It is expected to be the first full-length album produced by the foursome, which debuted in 2016. "In 2020, BLACKPINK will target the global music market on the back of systemic and thorough

K-popJuly 28, 2020

Bimonthly magazine on K-pop band BTS launched in Italy

ROME -- A bimonthly magazine dedicated to all things related to K-pop giant BTS has been launched in Italy, in a reflection of the band's growing popularity, according to the publisher Monday. Italian publishing house Sprea S.p.A launched the magazine, BTS, last month, with the full-color launch edition consisting of some 80 pages featuring photos and articles on their past activities. Found in 1993, Sprea publishes some 50 magazines on a wide range of topics from music, science, animals and

K-popJuly 28, 2020

Former ILUV member Minah hospitalized as dispute with agency, band spirals out of control

The mother of Minah, formerly of K-pop group ILUV, posted to Minah’s Instagram in the early hours of Friday that the singer had collapsed and was sent to the emergency room. It was the latest development in an ongoing exchange of accusations online between Minah and her former ILUV bandmates, as well as with ILUV agency WKS ENE. “Mina collapsed today and was sent to the emergency room. She will be hospitalized soon and I hope negative comments and predictions about Mina’s s

K-popJuly 24, 2020

[Herald Interview] E’last delves into Korean snacks, swears eternal love for fans

While its name may sound new to K-pop listeners, E’last proved its potential to become a rookie this year by showcasing its various charms and talents. Having debuted in early June, the eight-piece group dropped its first EP “Day Dream,” featuring lead single “Swear,” backed by a chivalrous knight concept that is rare in the industry. Previously known as Eboyz, E’last stands for “everlasting” and consists of Choi In, Rano, Seungyeop, Baekgyeul,

K-popJuly 24, 2020

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Demian hopes to sing complexity of emotions with not-so-loud voice

Some might say that life is a succession of pain and joy, but for Demian, it was one tight ball of ambiguity. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter believed that even the most miniscule moments of life, despite their fleeting nature, overflowed with complex, undefined, contradicting emotions. “I try to seize those unfamiliar moments in our daily lives, when all kinds of conflicting emotions crash with each other, such as love, hatred, guilt and understanding,” said the rising singer-son

K-popJuly 23, 2020

BTS sets new Guinness record for most-watched online concert

K-pop superstars BTS' latest online concert has set a new Guinness world record for most viewers. "BTS have achieved a new Guinness World Records title for most viewers for a music concert livestream," the Guinness World Records website said Thursday. "756,000 fans from over 100 countries tuned in to the online performance on June 14." "Bang Bang Con: The Live" was streamed live for around 100 minutes remotely from a studio in Seoul last month. The septet cancele

K-popJuly 23, 2020

K-pop singer Zico to begin alternative military service this month

K-pop artist and producer Zico will begin his alternative military service later this month, his management agency said Tuesday. He will enter a boot camp on July 30 for four weeks of basic military training and will then serve as a social worker, according to KOZ Entertainment. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military, but those judged unfit for active-duty service are allowed to serve an alternative one. Zico reportedly has health issues. Since his debut with

K-popJuly 21, 2020

K-pop album sales remain robust despite pandemic

The K-pop industry boasts record album sales this year in spite of canceled tours and stage performances. According to Gaon Chart, the nation’s top 400 albums sold 18.08 million copies in the first half of this year -- a 40 percent jump from last year’s 12.33 million and the highest figure since the chart started tallying album sales in 2010. Of the 400 albums tracked, the top 100 -- all from K-pop bands or soloists -- sold 16.89 million copies, making up more than 90 percent of

K-popJuly 21, 2020

[Herald Interview] Golden Child quenches fans’ thirst with fun-filled live chat

Having returned with “Lucid Dream,” Golden Child recently sat down with The Korea Herald to quench fans’ thirst for a lively chat filled with fun-filled details. The conversation took place at the Herald headquarters in Seoul, where the bandmates played “Who’s Who” game and answered Twitter questions, unleashing their most natural, fun selves. Although the broadcast took place on a rainy Monday morning, the studio was brightly lit by the boys’ unbridle

K-popJuly 21, 2020

TREASURE, YG's 1st new K-pop act after BLACKPINK, to debut next month

TREASURE, YG Entertainment's first new K-pop group in four years since BLACKPINK's debut, will officially launch next month, the company announced Monday. The 12-piece boy band, which includes four Japanese members, will make its debut on Aug. 7, according to YG. The company released a teaser video and a poster announcing the debut date. TREASURE is YG Entertainment's first K-pop act following the company's successful female quartet BLACKPINK which debuted in 2016. The group is composed of th

K-popJuly 20, 2020

TWICE to hold online concert next month via Beyond Live platform

K-pop act TWICE will hold an online concert for its global fans next month using the Beyond Live platform owned by SM Entertainment and Naver, the group's agency said Friday. The virtual concert, "Beyond Live - TWICE: World In A Day," will be held Aug. 9 on Beyond Live, a streaming concert platform created in partnership between SM Entertainment and Naver, South Korea's No. 1 web portal, according to JYP Entertainment. The nine-piece girl group will be the first non-SM act to hold a

K-popJuly 17, 2020

Combined sales of BTS' album 'Journey' top 500,000 units in Japan

The combined sales of "Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey," K-pop band BTS' latest Japanese album, surpassed 500,000 copies as of the second day of its release, claiming the top spot on Japan's main music sales chart for two days in a row, the band's agency said Friday. "Journey," BTS' fourth Japanese-language studio album released Wednesday, sold 54,975 units on the next day, according to Big Hit Entertainment. The album stayed at No. 1 on the daily album chart of Oricon, J

K-popJuly 17, 2020

BTS' album 'Journey' sells nearly 450,000 copies in Japan on release day

"Map of the Soul: 7 - The Journey," the new Japanese album by K-pop band BTS, sold nearly 450,000 copies on its release day, becoming the fastest-moving record in Japan in terms of day-one sales, according to the group's agency Thursday. According to Big Hit Entertainment, "Journey," BTS' fourth Japanese-language studio album released on Wednesday, shipped 447,869 copies within 24 hours in the neighboring country. The album debuted at No. 1 on the daily album chart of Orico

K-popJuly 16, 2020

2 iKON members involved in drunk driving accident

YG Entertainment released an official statement on Tuesday apologizing for two members of K-pop group iKON being involved in a drunk driving accident. The accident occurred before dawn Monday when a car with the drunk driver and two iKON members -- Kim Jin-hwan and Koo Jun-hoe -- drove into a highway wall in South Gyeongsang Province. The driver, who is the manager of iKON, had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent according to police reports, which leads to termination of the driver’s l

K-popJuly 14, 2020

Monsta X announces new dates for North American tour

Monsta X on Tuesday announced the rescheduled dates of their North American tour, becoming one of the first K-pop acts to resume their postponed tour this year. According to the group’s label Starship Entertainment, the band will embark on their tour on April 20 next year beginning in the US capital of Washington, and wrap up on May 21 in Los Angeles. Minor changes have been made to the initial schedule. Three cities -- Minneapolis, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia -- were drop

K-popJuly 14, 2020

EXO members prove worth with solo, subunit gigs amid group hiatus

Despite nearly half of its full lineup currently absent, the presence of K-pop boy band EXO, a third-generation K-pop stalwart, still resonates loud and deep, as remaining members pursue solo and subunit projects during the group's hiatus due to the military duty requirements of its members. Currently three members -- Suho, Xiumin and D.O. -- of the highly popular nine-piece act are serving out their two-year military duties. Chinese member Lay has also been absent from the group's latest acti

K-popJuly 14, 2020

Exporting the template: K-pop agencies' overseas idol projects yield solid results

Touted as one of South Korea's biggest export products, K-pop and its industry have always had a strong impulse to go beyond the borders of South Korea to capture the imaginations of audiences across borders and cultures -- as well documented in the BTS phenomenon and global hype surrounding acts such as BLACKPINK and Monsta X. Major companies and creative forces behind today's K-pop are now stepping up their game of overseas expansions in 2020, this time by trying out their time-tested templa

K-popJuly 13, 2020

Plunging YouTube subscriptions reflect public disdain for Jimin: data

Over the past week, 5,000 people, equivalent to 12.8 percent of former AOA leader Jimin’s YouTube channel subscribers, had unsubscribed, the highest percentage of users unsubscribing among any such channel in Korea, according to data analysis platform Influencer. Viewers have been unsubscribing from Jimin’s YouTube channel, “Boss Baby Jiminem,” since July 3, when former AOA bandmate Mina posted on social media regarding Jimin’s bullying. Mina posted a series of p

K-popJuly 10, 2020