Multinational girl group Kepler, stylized as Kep1er, made a splash debut with EP “First Impression” on Monday. Comprising nine members from Korea, China and Japan, the group consists of the final winners of Mnet’s idol competition program “Girls Planet 999.” The show was aired between August-October 2021. A project group launched under Swing Entertainment, Kep1er is set to stay active for 2 1/2 years before disbanding. The group conducted an online media showcase

Boy band P1Harmony opened the door to a January music craze with their 3rd LP, “Disharmony: Find Out,” released Monday evening, returning in nearly eight months since their previous release. In a press conference on Monday, the band said “Find Out” is a follow-up to their previous album – “Disharmony: Stand Out” and “Disharmony: Break Out,” released in 2020 and last April, respectively, and is the last series of its “Disharmony”

Girl group Kep1er hosted an online showcase to signal its debut Monday.   　 The nine members of the band were chosen through a competition that started with 99 candidates from China, Japan and Korea. The program wrapped up in October and the band was originally set to debut last month, but that was postponed as two members tested positive for COVID-19 while preparing.   　 “I’m so excited and happy that I am making a debut that I’ve been only dreaming about,” gu

Suga of K-pop supergroup BTS has fully recovered from the new coronavirus and been released from isolation, his agency said Monday. "Suga was released from isolation at noon as he was confirmed to have fully recovered from COVID-19," Big Hit Music said on the agency's fan community platform Weverse. The rapper tested positive for the virus on Dec. 24 after returning home the previous day from Los Angeles, where the group had large-scale live concerts between late November and early D

K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment has launched the Music Nation SMTown Meta-passport, a digital passport membership for fans, the company said Monday. The digital passport membership is a new version of identification issued by the entertainment firm to the “citizens” of SMTown Virtual Nation in August 2012. The new digital passport membership can be used to identify as a virtual Music Nation citizen. Music Nation SMTown was established nearly a decade ago to integrate the agenc

Hybe’s year-end gig pays tribute to K-pop icon Seo Tai-ji, celebrates a ‘New Era’ of music

   New of The Boyz put out his first self-written song “0329 from.24,” said agency IST Entertainment Friday. 　 Through the song the idol singer expressed his gratitude for the love he has received from fans and wrote a letter before the release of the song to elaborate. 　 “There have been many times I was lonely and sad but thanks to you I could be a happy 24-year-old. I made this song hoping that The B could get what little consolation whenever you are overwhelmed b

K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment has launched Beyond Live, an online-only streaming platform for concerts, the company said Friday. The announcement came ahead of the entertainment firm’s “SMTOWN LIVE 2022 : SMCU EXPRESS@KWANGYA,” a free online concert slated for Saturday. The online streaming platform, operated under Beyond Live Corp., was jointly created last year by South Korea’s largest web portal operator, Naver, and S.M. Entertainment. It is currently a subsidi

Super group of seven ready to put their talent on full display through “Step Back”

J-hope, a member of K-pop superband BTS, donated 100 million won ($84,000) Friday for children suffering economic hardships amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, a charity group said. According to ChildFund Korea, J-hope expressed hope that his donation will be used to help children in need have a warm winter. "I was concerned for children who would be spending a cold and lonely holiday season due to economic hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic," J-hope said. The donation will be

Lisa of Blackpink generated 300 million streams on Spotify with her solo song, “Money,” in 112 days, the shortest time for a K-pop solo musician, according to label YG Entertainment.   　 The song, which ranked No. 93 on Billboard’s Hot 100 when it came out, is from her solo debut album, “Lalisa.” It also topped iTunes’ top songs chart in 72 regions.   　 Last month, the performance video for “Money” surpassed 300 million views on YouTube

Winner of ‘Show Me The Money 10’ talks about winning hip-hop audition program, career and musical values

SM Entertainment floated teaser photographs for its supergroup project Girls on Top, Wednesday.   　 The first unit -- GOT the beat -- focuses on dance and performance, and the photographs that came out on the day featured three from the seven leading female artists: Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon, Wendy of Red Velvet and Karina of aespa. Also on board are BoA, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon, Seulgi of Red Velvet and Winter of aespa.   　 On Tuesday, BoA shared photos

Entering ninth year in 2022, four-member act hopes to bask in belated music chart success

Suga of BTS assured fans that he is OK.   　 He wrote “I am very much all right! Don’t worry too much” on Weverse, a platform for artist-to-fan communications for Hybe musicians, Monday.   　 The artist returned to Korea from the US on Thursday and started a 10-day self-quarantine. The test result for COVID-19 came back positive the following day. Separately, RM and Jin were also found to have contracted the virus, Saturday.   　 All three bandmates came back to K