Just a month into the new year, a handful of K-pop acts are vying to announce their latest comeback. Unlike the first two months of previous years, the comeback of some of K-pop's biggest idol groups is yet to come as the groups aim to expand their reach overseas and are out on world tours. “A lot of groups that have global fans are on tours because they haven’t been able to in the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said an industry insider. But we can still exp

South Korean actor Park Bo-gum has signed an exclusive contract with the Black Label, a YG Entertainment affiliate, according to the agency on Monday. "We are very happy to have Park Bo-gum who not only has influence in the country but also overseas," said the Black Label, calling Park a "representative actor" that is "loved and trusted by the public." "We will make use of our strengths and know-how as much as possible to help the actor deepen his talents as an

K-pop singer Dawn signed an exclusive contract with the label AT AREA after leaving P Nation, the management company headed by Psy. “We are glad to introduce Dawn as our first new member of the year 2023. We have always had our eyes on Dawn. We will actively support his potential artistry to the fullest to quench his musical thirst,” announced AT AREA on Monday. “I am happy to be with AT AREA. I feel reassured that we have a deep connection with the goal of going forward as an

Haechan of NCT will restart all activities when NCT 127 returns with repackaged version of its 4th studio album on Jan. 30, SM Entertainment announced Friday. He has been taking a break for about three weeks for health reasons. He had chest problems and has been resting and recovering in accordance with his doctor’s orders. The idol will join the nine-member subunit of NCT as it rolls out “Ay-Yo,” a reissue of its fourth LP “Two Baddies.” “Ay-Yo” will c

Boy band aspires for Billboard No. 1 with new album 'The Name Chapter: Temptation'

Lisa of Blackpink set three new world records last year, the Guinness World Records said Tuesday. “Guinness World Records can confirm that in 2022, Lisa achieved three more record titles to add to her collection,” it said. She already has two records for the music video for her first solo song “Lalisa” from 2021. She is the first K-pop solo act to win at the MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards for the Best K-pop prize. The third record is for her dominance

South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High is making a return with its new album “Strawberry” on Feb. 1. "Strawberry" comes one year after the release of Epik High’s 10th full-length album “Epik High Is Here Part 2” last February. The album comprises five tracks including the titular track “Strawberry” and side tracks “On My Way,” “Catch,” “Down Bad Freestyle,” and “God’s Latte.” This is the trio&#

Taeyang of Big Bang debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 as a solo musician with “Vibe,” ranking No. 76 on the chart. The collaboration with Jimin of BTS is Taeyang’s first entry on the chart on his own. It was No. 9 on Billboard’s Global Excl. the US chart. “Vibe” hit the UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100 at No. 96 and Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 at No. 35. The digital single came out on Jan. 13 and topped iTunes top songs charts in 100 regions a

Key of SHINee is making a comeback with his second repackaged album “Killer” on Feb. 13, according to SM Entertainment. The comeback comes six months after the release of Key’s second solo studio album “Gasoline” last August. The album is comprised of three new tracks including the titular track “Killer” and side tracks “Heartless” and “Easy.” It also includes 11 tracks from Key’s second full-length album including “Ga

The K-pop industry is strategically expanding its wings beyond the Asian continent to unexplored markets such as the Middle East and the American continent. Following the success of globalization that dates back to the early 2000s, when singer BoA and boy group TVXQ successfully broke into the Japanese market, K-pop entertainment agencies have now moved on to full-fledged “glocalization” strategies by accentuating the originality of Korean culture and localizing their idol groups. Gl

Do you know what "ah-shot-chu" means? Recently, Hoshi of the K-pop group Seventeen used the phrase in a Weverse message, and Zee, who provides English translations of the group's messages via Twitter, said she had a hard time deciphering the meaning. "I never heard of it until then, but could get the gist that it was a drink due to the word 'shot.' After researching, I found out it's 'shot added to iced tea,'" Zee, who runs the biggest translatio

Exo's Baekhyun, Shinee's Taemin, Monsta X's Shownu among many to complete duty

Around 80,000 fans flock to the two sold-out shows at Osaka's Kyocera Dome

Super rookie group aespa will hold its first standalone concerts on Feb. 25 and 26, SM Entertainment announced Friday. Under the title “Synk: Hyper Line,” the two-day gig will be held in Seoul and be a showcase of both its hit songs and never-before-seen performances. The second day’s live show will be broadcast online as well for fans across the world. Separately, the foursome is set to become the first K-pop group to perform at the Governors Ball Music Festival 2023 in New Y

BTS reclaimed a spot on Billboard 200 with its fifth EP from 2017, according to the chart dated Jan. 21. EP “LOVE YOURSELF ‘Her’” ranked No. 13 on the albums chart, reentering the chart for the first time in over four years. The EP debuted on the chart at No. 7, the highest spot for an Asian musician at the time, and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks. Main track “DNA” peaked at No. 67 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and “MIC Drop Remix” came in at No.