One of biggest records of the year came in septet’s seventh year with cover that captures group’s history and identity

K-pop band BTS will join ex-US President Barack Obama, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and American pop icon Lady Gaga in giving speeches during a virtual commencement event by YouTube next month, the band's agency said Wednesday. The streaming event, "Dear Class of 2020" set for June 6 (US time), is a virtual commencement celebration, bringing together inspirational leaders, celebrities and YouTube creators to celebrate graduates and their families online, according to

K-pop boy band Monsta X on Monday put off the release of a new album to late May due to member Shownu's back injury. "Ahead of the comeback, Shownu felt pain in his back while working on a choreography exercise, and the result of a medical test at a hospital prohibited him from fierce exercise or body movements, requiring him to receive treatment," the band's management agency, Starship Entertainment, said The release date of the upcoming album, "Fantasia X," will be moved

Suho, the leader of the globally-loved K-pop boy band EXO, will temporarily leave the group to fulfill his military duty, the artist said Monday. The 29-year-old, whose legal name is Kim Jun-myeon, will begin his military term on May 14, he said in a hand-written letter uploaded on the fan community application, Lysn. "During the time, I think I may dearly miss you, EXO-L," Suho said, referring to the name of the EXO fandom. SM did not provide further details on his enlistment, inc

G-Dragon became the first South Korean celebrity to sign a corporate endorsement deal with a Chinese company following Beijing's virtual ban on "hallyu," or South Korean pop culture, since 2016, the singer's agency said Monday. The singer-rapper of K-pop act BIGBANG recently signed a deal with Chinese bottled water giant Nongfu Spring Co. and will be featured in promotional material for the company's new tea drink brand, Chapai, YG Entertainment said. Online and social media marketi

Global band BTS has begun a new journey to produce an album, possibly the first self-produced album in the band's high-profile seven-year music career. Appearing on a live video log on YouTube last week, BTS member Jimin shared the news on the project, the band's new discographic journey that came as the coronavirus pandemic has put its globe-trotting concert tour on hold. "As our team's production of a new album has been assigned independently to ourselves, we named the project managers

Chen, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, became the father of a daughter Wednesday following his surprise marriage announcement in January. "Chen had a daughter born today as (reported)," EXO's management agency, SM Entertainment, said, confirming some media reports on the birth. The news came about three months after the 28-year-old, whose legal name is Kim Jong-dae, made a surprise marriage announcement in January in a handwritten letter. He said at that time that his fiancee was pr

In one of the highest-profile music collaboration projects to date in South Korea, female singer-songwriter IU and Suga of BTS are on course to hit the music scene with their collaboration song next week. "Eight," set for release next Wednesday, was jointly created by the K-pop queen and actress and the rapper from BTS, and comes with a rap part by the latter. The collaboration brings together the musical power of IU, arguably the country's most sought-after artist for music collabo

BTS will release next month a documentary series, "Break the Silence," which follows the band's globe-trotting 351-day concert journey last year, its management agency said Wednesday. According to Big Hit Entertainment, the seven-episode series will be unveiled exclusively on Weverse, a mobile application for the BTS fan community, at 9 p.m. on May 12. After the first two episodes are released on the day, each of the remaining five episodes will be available every Tuesday and Thursd

BTS, a South Korean boy band, has decided to reschedule its upcoming world tour due to the coronavirus pandemic, its agency said Tuesday. Big Hit Entertainment announced the decision to indefinitely put off the BTS Map of the Soul Tour, saying it was made in "foremost consideration" of the health and safety of the artists and fans. In a notice posted on the fan community Weverse, the agency said it "will completely reschedule the tour and provide a new tour schedule to our fans

An upcoming YouTube original series documenting K-pop girl group TWICE's struggles before its debut up till its record-setting global ascent could give a message of hope, the band said Tuesday. The eight-episode documentary series, "TWICE: Seize the Light," will hit YouTube on Wednesday as the global video streaming service's first original program featuring a K-pop girl group. It will be available in 81 countries and territories. The series is a tribute to the nine-member multinati

Boy band Tomorrow X Together will drop a new album, "The Dream Chapter: Eternity," next month, returning to dazzle the K-pop scene, its management agency said Tuesday. "The Dream Chapter: Eternity," the band's second EP set for release on May 18, is the third album under the "The Dream Chapter" series following the second, "The Dream Chapter: Magic," a full-length album dropped in October. Continuing from the previous albums, "Eternity" will d

With an unbridled spirit, exceptional sound and dedication to music, Stella Jang is the kind of a musician who immediately attracts attention.  Reflecting her down-to-earth personality, her music used to revolve around ordinary topics people could easily relate to. Her lyrics were remarkably outspoken, creative and witty, so they almost felt like a diary written by the singer-songwriter herself. Having turned 30 this year in Korean age, Jang said that her music, however, inevitably had t

Katie has released her new single “Echo,” 11 months after her first EP “Log.” On the bass-heavy up-tempo track, she sings about “having a crush, sending a signal and hoping for the same response back,” the singer explained. Born out of a songwriting session in LA with the producers behind her hit single “Remember,” the new single is future R&B made out of sad minor chords juxtaposed against rhythmic verse, complete with bouncing distorted gui

Three high-profile female soloists will dazzle the K-pop scene this spring as it tries to recover from the coronavirus fallout, dropping powerfully charged music albums. Solar from roaring girl band Mamamoo and Ha:tfelt, better known as Park Ye-eun, from Wonder Girls raised the curtain Thursday to unveil new albums. The two-track release, "Spit it Out," is Solar's first solo release in her six-year K-pop career with Mamamoo. Solar is the last of the four Mamamoo members to official