Earlier in June, BTS announced a temporary break from group activities to focus on their individual lives and solo careers. In doing so, the members spoke about their mental and physical fatigue from the K-pop system, which “gives no room for people’s growth, and constantly forces us to make music,” as said by the band’s leader RM. While commerciality is an essence of all popular music genres, c...

According to Babylon, the process of producing “Ego 90’s” has not only been a lesson-filled journey, but also a turning point for him as an artist. “As they are musicians who have already reached the peak of their careers, regardless of how famous they are, I learned a lot about their lives, their philosophies and the know-hows,” he said. “They make music not from the mind but from the heart, an...

Following the release of “Pink Venom,“ the band is set to drop a full-length album in September and begin a world tour in October, according to a schedule unveiled last week. A long-awaited comeback for both fans and the group, Blackpink‘s forthcoming LP will come with two blockbuster music videos, which have been with a ”record-high budget,” according to the company. The first video for “Pink V...

Starting their careers together as K-pop musicians in their early teenage years, the girls are now all women in their thirties with established careers of their own. During their hiatus from group activities, the eight bandmates have strived to set down their own roots as musicians and actors -- and have now returned together on a stable ground. Not only did they feel happy to be together, they a...

“Ways We Change” is a song that she wrote following a period of confusion as she tried to define herself and her music. During this phase, Lee says she wasn’t completely happy with her work. “Even though I was proud and satisfied with my music right after it was released, after a while, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Is this the right fit for me?’” she said. “Then I realized I was changing day by ...

Meanwhile, other members of BTS have all kicked off their individual schedules as well. On June 24, Jungkook made his first solo venture outside of BTS with his collaborative single “Left and Right” with American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. On Friday, Jungkook, along with other vocalist members -- Jin, V and Jimin -- will drop “Bad Decisions,” a new song the four collaborated with US produce...

The album’s title also sends the message that UKiss will always stay together to the group’s fans. “’Count On Me,” I say this to my fans often. I can say this with confidence that I will always be UKiss’ Soohyun, so count on me. Although we haven’t kicked off our group projects yet, I feel I’ve achieved a big part of my goal as I am with Hoon and Kiseop, and I’m hopeful that there will come a da...

K-pop boy band TO1 on Thursday dropped its 3rd EP “Why Not??,” marking its return to the music scene after eight months. TO1 is a nine-piece multinational K-pop group consisting of Dong-geon, Chan, Ji-su, Jae-yun, J.You, Kyung-ho, Daigo, Renta and Yeo-jeong. This is its first album with three new members -- Daigo, Renta and Yeo-jeong -- who joined the group last year. After dropping the new al...

Refreshed with new energy, the group is revamping itself through the “U.L.S” project. Dropping the first of the series, “Session. 1 [U],” on June 15, the group said they are set to drop two more singles, each themed around “love (L)” and “sexy (S)” in the coming months, words that represent Ulala Session’s new identity, Kim explained. While they are starting off afresh, the fundamental value of...

IST Entertainment’s new boy band ATBO has embarked on their journey with debut album “The Beginning.” Formed through the TV survival show “The Origin - A, B, Or What?,” the seven-member group finally entered the K-pop scene and conducted a debut showcase a few hours ahead of the album drop on Wednesday. Making their first appearance in front of the media, the band’s leader Oh Junseok said, “Our...

She said she didn’t realize that so much time had passed since her last solo stage as she had been so immersed in the preparations. Having devoted her everything into it, HyunA said she was so overwhelmed with emotions listening to the full album for the first time. “I listened to the album in the car alone, and I cried. I was so surprised at myself that I listened to it again, and I realized th...

Earlier this year, Blitzers held their first stand-alone concert tour in the US, “Blitzers 2022 US Tour ‘Check-In,’” during which they visited Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago, finally meeting with fans. “Between January and February this year, we had our first solo concert outside Korea. Debuting amid the coronavirus pandemic, we haven‘t been able to have fun p...

Officially embarking on her next musical journey as a singer, Saay said she plans to focus on producing her own music after the LP release. If the situation allows, she hopes to proceed with a concert next year, which has been indefinitely postponed since 2020 due to the pandemic. The musician hoped her sounds could carry a life of its own, continuing to exist even beyond her time on Earth. “I ...

Members of K-pop phenomenon BTS have officially embarked on their roles as honorary ambassadors for South Korea‘s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. The bidding committee on Tuesday afternoon held an appointment ceremony at the band’s label Hybe‘s headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, officially naming the seven members as public relations ambassadors for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. BTS ...

Returning to the music scene after eight months, boy band SF9 embarked on a new journey as a sextet with the group’s 11th EP, “The Wave Of9,” Wednesday. Ahead of dropping the new album that evening, six members of the originally nine-member group -- Jaeyoon, Zuho, Dawon, Yoo Taeyang, Hwiyoung and Chani -- conducted a media showcase in Seoul. Inseong and Youngbin were absent due to their mandato...