NewJeans added “Cool With You” to the list of their songs played over 200 million times on Spotify, agency Ador said Friday. The single reached the milestone on Wednesday, according to the platform’s data, and became NewJeans' tenth song to do so. “Cool With You” is one of the three focus tracks from the group's second EP “Get Up” -- along with “Super Shy” and “ETA” -- that came out in July last year. All three songs ent

Global pop star Dua Lipa is launching special merchandise pop-up stores for fans as part of promotions for her ongoing world tour "Radical Optimism" -- including one in Seoul. The pop-up store will offer exclusive tour merchandise that won't be available at the concert venues, and American Express cardholders will receive exclusive entry and perks. Additionally, limited-edition Puma Speedcat shoes will be available for purchase at the stores in Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. The Seo

NewJeans will be the first K-pop girl group to perform at one of Japan’s largest year-end festivals, "Countdown Japan 24/25," the group's agency announced Thursday. Countdown Japan 24/25 will take place from Dec. 28-31 at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo, and NewJeans will perform on the final day, adorning the last day of 2024. Countdown Japan is Japan's largest indoor year-end festival, established in 2003, featuring Japan’s top artists every year. Following their appear

“Venom: The Last Dance” (US) Opened Oct. 23 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Kelly Marcel Former journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his gooey, alien symbiote Venom, conclude their journey as Venom tries to stop the creator of the symbiotes Knull (Andy Serkis) from escaping his celestial prison. “Amazon Bullseye” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 30 Drama/Adventure Directed by Kim Chang-joo Former archer Jin-bong (Ryoo Seung-ryong) crash-lands in Boledor where he meets members of

Singer-rapper Jessi has been cleared of charges in a case involving the assault of a fan by someone accompanying her, Seoul police said Thursday. The Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul said it decided not to send Jessi's case to the prosecution, concluding that it is difficult to acknowledge the charges of concealing and aiding the escape of a criminal against her. The incident occurred on the night of Sept. 29 in southern Seoul, where an 18-year-old fan approached Jessi for a photo

NCT Dream will unveil a music video for a track from its upcoming fourth LP on Friday, announced label SM Entertainment Thursday. As hinted through a teaser trailer, the music video for “Flying Kiss” will show the seven members visualize “dream” and “love,” key themes of the pop tune. Haechan wrote the lyrics for the love song. The pre-release will be one of the 11 tracks from “Dreamscape” which will be fronted by “When I’m With You.&rd

Acclaimed French playwright and director Joel Pommerat, celebrated with nine Moliere Awards, has brought one of his original productions to Korea for the first time. His 2020 production “Tales and Legends,” set in a near future that features androids, is onstage at the LG Arts Center from Thursday to Sunday. While several of Pommerat’s works, such as “This Child” and “The Reunification of the Two Koreas,” have been translated and performed in Korea by lo

Folk singer Song So-hee will hold her first solo concert as a singer-songwriter. Song So-hee’s solo concert, "Aesthetic Flow," will be held on Dec. 1 at Gurumare Theater. Seodo Band, known as the pioneer of "Joseon Pop," a genre influenced by Korean traditional music, will appear as a special guest. This concert marks Song's first solo performance under her name as a singer-songwriter. Active as a "Gyeonggi Minyo" -- a traditional Korean folk music genre

BTS’ V on Dec. 6 is set to release a new version in collaboration with the late legendary pop artist Bing Crosby (1903-1977) of his “White Christmas.” According to BigHit Music, V has reinterpreted a part of Crosby’s iconic 1942 hit that remains a beloved seasonal classic worldwide. The posthumous collaboration is to be Crosby's first in 47 years, since "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" in 1977 with David Bowie. The song will be released in partnership wi

Rose of Blackpink is spending her second week on Billboard’s Hot 100 as a solo act, as her global hit “APT.” ranked No. 13 on the main singles chart. The Bruno Mars collaboration slid down five rungs on the chart but stayed atop Billboard's Global Excl. the US and Global 200 charts. “‘APT.’ becomes the first song since the Billboard Global 200 began in September 2020 to have tallied at least 200 million streams worldwide in multiple weeks,” tweeted

Singer-songwriter Heize is set to release her eighth EP “Fallin” on Nov. 6, featuring seven tracks that delve into themes of longing. The album touches on various subjects of yearning, including family, friends, a past love and her younger self. Known for her deep introspective style, Heize calls herself “a person who holds a lot of longing,” and the theme naturally came to the forefront of this new project. “In this album, I found myself reflecting on different peo

The first lineup of the year-end band festival Countdown Fantasy, to be held at Kintex in Ilsan on Dec. 30 and 31, has been revealed. The event will feature 14 leading bands from Korea and abroad, including groups new on the scene and some familiar favorites. On Dec. 30, the lineup includes the retro-inspired band 87dance, the trio Band Nah, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary; newcomers Dragon Pony, who debuted in September with label Antenna, and festival veterans like Owalloil and Onewe

Boy band Epex returned with its second full-length album, “Youth Chapter 2: Youth Deficiency,” on Tuesday, offering support and comfort to young people. The album is the second in the “Youth Trilogy” from the eight-member group that debuted in 2021. While its previous album, "Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days," explored pure love and the struggles of youth, “Youth Chapter 2: Youth Deficiency” delves into the various forms of deprivation that young people e

Fifty Fifty will be embarking on its first US tour, “Love Sprinkle Tour in USA,” on Nov. 27. According to agency Attrakt, the group is currently preparing for its upcoming shows in the US. “We are nervous because it is our first-ever US tour but we are practicing hard to showcase our best performances. We want to present new facets of our group during the tour,” said Fifty Fifty in a press release on Wednesday. Prior to the US tour, Fifty Fifty will be taking to the stage

Jiae of the now-disbanded girl group Wassup made headlines Tuesday by posting a photo with her girlfriend on social media, captioning it, “My sweet girlfriend.” Jiae had revealed her bisexuality in 2021, declaring, “I love both men and women. I have a girlfriend that I love and am very happy with.” Given the conservative nature of the Korean entertainment industry, her openness about her identity was groundbreaking. Historically limited in their freedom of speech, K-pop i