K-Pop Journalist. Online Editor.
VIXX’s Hongbin has decided to part ways from the group following his live stream controversy. His agency Jellyfish Entertainment made the announcement on August 7, revealing that the K-Pop star shared his intentions to withdraw from the group after discussing it with the VIXX members …
K-Pop’s Avengers are gearing up for their return to the global stage with first official album, ‘Super One’ on September 25. SM Entertainment confirmed that its supergroup SuperM will drop two empowering, anthemic pre-release singles ‘100’ and ‘Tiger Inside’ on August 14 and September 1, …
Koo Jun-hoe and Kim Jin-hwan of iKON have been involved in a drunk driving accident last Monday.
According to the Namhae Police Station, the incident happened when their van rode by a drunk driver, who is reportedly their manager, skidded on wet roads and slammed into a retaining wall on a highway in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
They were transferred to a nearby hospital, all sustaining minor injuries.
As per police reports, the driver — who reportedly drove around 10 kilometers before the accident — has been booked for DUI after his alcohol level was above 0.08 per cent, exceeding the legal limit.
On July 14, YG Entertainment issued a statement, apologising on behalf of its artists’ involvement in the van crash.
“The injury level of members in the car along with driver A wasn’t severe according to the doctors, and after emergency treatment, they are currently resting in their lodging,” YG Entertainment said according to Korean outlet The Korea Herald. “The company feels heavy concern and responsibility that such an accident occurred despite having strict company regulations.”
As per the police, the driver stated that the iKON members did not consume any alcohol.
However, local police are investigating further on whether the two K-Pop stars were aware that the driver was under the influence. If the iKON members are found guilty knowingly abetted drunk driving, they could face imprisonment or a fine.
The artists have been formally active in the K-Pop scene as members of iKON since 2015. Last year, leader and songwriter B.I quit the group after alleging he tried to purchase illegal drugs in 2016. He denied taking drugs although he admitted to being interested in purchasing them.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
SHINEE’s leader returned to public life on July 20 after serving almost one year and seven months of his mandatory service in South Korea’s military. Due to COVID-19 precautionary measures, Onew reportedly went on final leave on July 8 prior to his official discharge without …
YG Entertainment’s newest boy group Treasure is nearing its launch date to the K-Pop stage. The all-male group will make an expected grand debut on August 7, the Korean label announced on social media last Monday. In the lead up to their formal launch, YG …
SF9’s Ro Woon will temporarily take a break from the group’s comeback promotions due to back and knee pain.
FNC Entertainment released a statement on their website, revealing its artist felt pain during a group schedule on July 15.
“After visiting the hospital on the morning of July 16th, we received a detailed examination that he should avoid intense movements, including the current choreography, and that if he uses his body too much, the physical condition will get worse,” the South Korean label said.
“In addition, it was inevitably decided that Ro Woon’s activities should be adjusted according to the doctor’s recommendation that the rest period is needed along with treatment for the time being.”
FNC Entertainment further revealed that the group’s upcoming concert, ‘NOOB CON’, which is scheduled for August 8, will be pushed to a later date.
“The artist’s health recovery is our top priority, and we will do our best to ensure Ro Woon’s quick recovery and that his injury does not deteriorate,” the label said. “In order not to cause any concerns to the fans, we will inform you of Ro Woon’s progress in recovery and what will be decided regarding his future activities.”
It concluded that it is considering taking strong legal actions against “spreading malicious rumours and groundless slander” aimed at SF9.
Following the label’s announcement, Ro Woon wrote a letter to fans via the group’s official fan cafe, explaining about the pain and apologising to fans.
The announcement comes amid SF9 dropping it’s eighth mini album ‘9loryUS’, which charted high on the UAE iTunes albums chart, accompanied by title track ‘Summer Breez’ on July 6.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
EXO-SC reigned the UAE iTunes albums chart with ‘1 Billion Views’, fronted by a retro disco hip hop track of the same name. EXO’s sub-unit, featuring Chanyeol and Sehun, hyped up fans by dropping tracks and music videos for solos ‘Nothin’ and ‘On Me’, as …
K-Pop boy group Spectrum has parted ways after only two years for reasons including COVID-19 concerns as the result of their disbandment. WYNN Entertainment announced the news on its official website, stating the label’s worsening situation can no longer support Spectrum. Therefore, the band’s six …
BTS’s record-breaking streak shows no signs of stopping, claiming a new record within the region this time, for becoming the first K-Pop band to achieve 100 million streams on Anghami.
MENA’s largest music streaming service tweeted the news and confirmed with Gulf News via email, revealing that it took three years to achieve this feat by their fans, collectively known as ARMY.
Though haven’t disclosed the countries with the most listenership, Anghami, which has been expanding its K-Pop library, shared BTS’s fanbase predominately originates from the GCC, followed by North Africa and Levant.
Member Jimin has also achieved his own record on Anghami for being the first Korean act to have four songs each surpassing 500,000 plays.
Though having been largely quiet while working on a new album, BTS recently beat Adele’s iTunes record with ‘Black Swan’, off their latest chart-topping album ‘Map of the Soul: 7’, which recently revealed to be the top-selling album in the US in the first half of 2020, selling 552,000 units, according to global music sales measurement company Nielsen Music’s US Mid-Year Report for 2020.
BTS is undeniably one of the most popular K-Pop groups locally and regionally. Proving their star power and massive fanbase in the UAE, Big Hit Entertainment’s artist has not only secured a star on Dubai’s Walk of Fame but also is the most streamed K-Pop artist in the UAE on Spotify from Jan 2014 to Jan 2020, the streaming platform revealed earlier this year.
Some of their songs have been also reappearing on the UAE iTunes chart thanks to their fans’ efforts.
Their 2019 Riyadh concert was remarkably the biggest live music event in the region’s history, having the strongest demand in ticket sales, Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of Saudi General Authority for Entertainment, revealed via tweet.
The Korean Business Research Institute revealed that the record-breaking septet is still strongly leading the brand reputation rankings among male idol acts for the 26th consecutive month with an impressive brand reputation index of 9,596,339.
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Much to excitement of their fans, K-Pop rising rookie group Ateez is dropping new music July 29. KQ Entertainment’s act posted a teaser poster featuring a green background and members’ faces blurred out on their Twitter, confirming the comeback date and name of album, entitled …