Twice performed the lead track from its 10th EP “Taste of Love” for the first time on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday in the US.   　 The nine-piece group celebrated summer with a choreography that mixed sultry wave and passionate Latin dance moves, while the stage set changed from a hot summer day into a romantic night perfect for a holiday destination.   　 The song, titled “Alcohol-Free,” headed straight to the top of major music charts i

Jung Il-hoon, former member of K-pop boy band BTOB, was sentenced by a local court Thursday to two years in prison for habitually smoking marijuana, a banned substance in South Korea. The 27-year-old Jung was indicted without detention in April on charges of smoking marijuana worth 133 million won ($119,300) that he had bought from an acquaintance on 161 occasions between July 2016 and January 2019. The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Jung to forfeit 133 million won for violating the

Twice shared its excitement for their new EP “Taste of Love” in a livestream to mark its return on Wednesday. 　 “Taste of Love” reflects how much the band has matured, said Jeongyeon. 　 “This is the first time the members have had their names on all tracks,” chimed in Jihyo. 　 Title track “Alcohol-Free” blends together bossa nova and hip-hop, emphasizing the band’s vivid and refreshing image. 　 “We’ve never tried bossa nova,&

Boy band EPEX held an online showcase event to announce its debut on Tuesday. 　 The name of the band means “the gathering of eight youths reaches eight different zeniths,” explained leader Wish. He was under enormous pressure, he admitted, but felt confident that the band would live up to expectations because he and his seven bandmates had prepared with all their might. 　 Its first EP, “Bipolar Pt. 1 Prelude of Anxiety,” hails the beginning of its narrative and sings o

K-pop boy band EXO has topped the iTunes top album chart in 85 regions with its latest release "Don't Fight the Feeling," its management agency said Tuesday. The album, released Monday, ranked No. 1 in regional charts in countries such as the United States, Britain, France, Canada and Germany, according to SM Entertainment. The album also sat atop digital album charts compiled by Chinese music services, like QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kuwo Music, it added. On QQ Music, it earned a tri

K-pop act BLACKPINK has achieved another YouTube milestone, with the music video for its song "Boombayah" racking up 1.2 billion views on YouTube. The 2016 hit broke the milestone at 10:29 a.m. Tuesday, becoming the four-piece act's third music video to break the 1.2 billion mark, according to YG Entertainment. The record came nearly five years after the all-female band released its debut single album "Square One" with the two tracks "Boombayah" and "Whistle&

All-male K-pop act 2PM will release a new album this month, coming back from a near five-year hiatus after its members completed their military service, the group's management agency said Tuesday. The six-member group's seventh full album, titled "Must," will drop on June 28, JYP Entertainment announced on its official social media accounts. Its most recent album was its sixth studio album, "Gentlemen's Game," released in September 2016. With the exception of Thai-America

"Butter," the latest hit by boy band BTS, again ranked No. 1 on the Billboard's main singles chart in its second week after debuting. "BTS' 'Butter' adds a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, a week after it soared in at the summit, becoming the South Korean superstar group's fourth leader on the list," Billboard said Monday (US time), citing figures from MRC Data showing how the song drew 19.1 million US streams and logged 140,200 downloads in the wee

EXO’s special album “Don’t Fight the Feeling” went on sale Monday and sold over 1.22 million in preorders, posting another million-seller for the band.   　 This is the highest number for the veteran idol band that boasts a record of having five back-to-back million-selling albums. The new album marks the ninth anniversary of the band’s debut.   　 It has been 1 1/2 years since the group’s sixth studio album “Obsession.” There are five tr

Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment, will face a criminal trial for allegedly attempting to cover up a drug scandal involving a singer-rapper, judicial sources said Monday. According to the sources, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office indicted Yang on May 28 on charges of having threatened and coerced an informant who testified to police about drug suspicions surrounding B.I, the former songwriting leader of YG's boy band iKON, in August 2016. At the time,

K-pop act Tomorrow X Together (TXT) is set to appear on popular American TV shows to perform its first English-language song this month, the group's management agency said Monday. On Thursday, the five-member boy band will deliver its first performance of "Magic," along with an interview, on ABC's "Good Morning America," according to Big Hit Music. On June 15, the act will put on another performance of the song on the CBS program "The Late Late Show with James Corden.

RM, the leader of global dynamo BTS, has released a self-written solo song based on his experience of riding his bike across the South Korean capital. The 3 minute and 23 second song, uploaded on YouTube and SoundCloud, is a relaxed and comforting track in which RM raps and sings in Korean and English. RM, who has taken part in the songwriting for the seven-piece act's songs, including their latest hit "Butter," worked on his solo song with jazz singer-songwriter John Eun.  &n

Breaking away from her usual dainty, dreamy sound, South Korean singer-songwriter Minsu is attempting her first dance tune with “Healthy Food.” With her skin tanned and her hair tied back, the 25-year-old’s transformation was evident in her look too. “While preparing for this album, I thought the most about what I could do apart from singing,” Minsu said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 24. “I love dancing, so I thought why not try that? And

RM of supergroup BTS came in at No. 9 of Billboard’s Hot 100 Producers chart on Thursday, local time, highlighting his capabilities as not only a rapper, but a producer as well. 　 He was also ranked No. 3 in his first entry onto the Hot 100 Songwriters chart in December last year. 　 The leader of the band has been credited for all title tracks over the last eight years, from the debut song “No More Dream” to its most recent single “Butter.” He also co-wrote the l

In a sign of the growing importance of K-pop fans, major agencies and labels here are launching venues dedicated to them at their corporate sites. While companies have temporarily operated pop-up stores and exhibitions for K-pop fans, the recent openings of these permanent venues mark a shift in how they view fans for business growth. Hybe, the company behind BTS, Seventeen and Tomorrow X Together, in May opened Hybe Insight at its new company headquarters in central Seoul. The 4,700-square m