K-Pop Journalist. Online Editor.
Powerhouse girl group Twice continue their winning streak with new EP ‘More & More’. Following the release of Korean EP ‘Feel Special’, JYP Entertainment’s popular act returned with a confident and mature look without losing their trademark bright demeanour in their newest seasonal seven-track EP …
Taemin is all set to make a summer comeback next month. On June 5, SM Entertainment reportedly confirmed this to various media outlets that were reporting on his pending return to the music scene, disclosing that the youngest member of SHINee will release a new …
Lim Young-min will not be part of his group AB6IX’s activities following his DUI.
On June 4, his agency Brand New Music revealed in a statement on its artists’ official fan site that Lim was caught drunk driving by local police on May 31 while on his way back to his dorm after meeting acquaintances.
As a result of his DUI incident, his driver’s license has been revoked and AB6IX’s comeback, which was initially set to take place on June 8, has been pushed to June 29 due to member reorganisation.
The rookie K-Pop group will promote their EP ‘VIVID’ with only four members: Jeon Woong, Lee Dae-hwi, Park Woo-jin and Kim Dong-hyun.
His agency has apologised and stated that its artist will fully cooperate with the police for further investigation if required.
Following the agency’s statement, the Lim posted a handwritten letter on the group’s fan community site, apologising to fans, Brand New Music staff and AB6IX for his actions.
Prior to joining AB6IX, Lim competed in reality K-Pop audition show ‘Produce 101 Season 2’ in 2017 and was part of duo MXM with fellow participant Kim Dong-hyun after he was eliminated.
AB6IX made their official launch as a five-member group with debut EP ‘B:Complete’ and title track ‘Breathe’ last year. According to the band’s tracklist, their upcoming EP will include six tracks: ‘Red Up’, ‘Vivid’, ‘The Answer’, ‘Surreal’, ‘Midnight Blue’ and ‘Hold Tight’.
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Baekhyun made a sweet solo return with second mini-album ‘Delight’ and the title track ‘Candy’ last Monday. “Got me feeling like pop rocks, strawberry, bubblegum,” the Exo vocalist sings as he compares himself to different candy flavours in the trendy R’n’B track before professing, “All …
Stray Kids is joining this month’s comeback with brand new music. JYP Entertainment’s boy group announced the exciting news with an intense trailer, revealing that the release of album ‘GO’ or ‘GO LIVE’ will drop on June 17. The group will be joining a number …
BlackPink and Lady Gaga continue to break new grounds and prove their local and global dominance with a new collaborative track.
Last Thursday, the Grammy-award winning singer treated fans to a sweet surprise by dropping the highly-anticipated track ‘Sour Candy’ on the eve of her new album’s international release.
BlackPink’s four members spread their vocal wings in the dance floor bop, alternating between sassy Korean and English lyrics as they warn their partners to accept their imperfections and flaws just like sour candy — as they are sweet and authentic on the inside.
“I called BlackPink and asked them if they would like to work with me, and they happily said yes then showed passion. I wanted to support powerful women such as BlackPink, and they felt the same,” she told Japanese outlet tvgroove, on May 27, YG Entertainment revealed on its website.
Gaga reportedly praised the talented girls, proclaiming to “become the 5th member of BlackPink [on this track]”.
Following its release, the track received explosive attention on Twitter and on the music charts. In addition to gaining attention in China, YG Entertainment revealed that the pre-release track dominated the iTunes songs chart in 57 countries, of which includes the UAE, in less than a day of its release.
Though no official music video has been released, it was still a popular choice among local fans as the video of the song became the top trending video on YouTube the following day.
Gaga’s album ‘Chromatica’ also features collaborations with Ariana Grande and Elton John, yet it’s her first time recruiting the K-Pop sensation.
However, it’s the second time BlackPink has worked with a Western artist, the first being with Dua Lipa on track ‘Kiss and Make Up’ in 2018. It’s also their first musical return following the quartet’s impending comeback and lengthy musical break since 2019’s EP ‘Kill This Love’.
After months of delays, YG Entertainment announced the female act have completed recording 10 tracks for their first full-length album and will drop a pre-release single in June and one in either July or August in the lead up to the album’s official release in September.
BlackPink is the first girl group in seven years to emerge out of YG Entertainment, home to K-Pop legends such as 2NE1 and Big Bang. Debuted in August 2016, the act has released hits like ‘Whistle’, ‘Kill This Love’ and ‘Boombayah’.
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TikTok is holding an online K-Pop concert live from Seoul this week. ‘TikTok Stage Live From Seoul’ concert features a star-studded line-up that includes Apink, Monsta X, iKON, Kard, AKMU, Kang Daniel, Oh My Girl, CIX and Cravity. Not only will it be the first …
K-Pop bands continue to drop new high-quality music to keep fans entertained during this time when it’s needed the most. Yet, only a couple of albums and songs charted high on the UAE iTunes charts from last week’s comebacks. Here are some top releases in …
The global pandemic continues to take a financial blow on the K-Pop industry and put a temporary end to live performances.
Artists have taken alternative routes, from holding their own virtual live concerts to releasing new music for global fans stuck at home.
Much to the delight of their fandom worldwide, a number of artists have been dropping exciting comeback announcements and new music. From last week’s star-studded line-up, here are the top picks recommended to add to your K-Pop playlist.
Last Monday, NU’EST took over the K-Pop music scene with EP ‘The Nocturne’ and title track ‘I’m in Trouble’, seven months after dropping ‘The Table’. The quintet showcased a more mature style change from their previous uplifting sound, offering a new perspective on love.
“The album focuses on “nightfall,” a moment that everyone encounters daily, when more honest emotions arise. The album unravels various aspects of the night, by realistically expressing emotions that many can relate to,” read a YouTube post under the group’s ‘I’m in Trouble’ music video. “Instead of portraying ‘nocturne’ through the usual sentimental and gloomy mood, NU’EST uses various colours to express their emotions, illustrating “nocturne” as a song of the night”.”
Containing six tracks, their eighth EP was a success in Korea and seemed to be a local fan favourite as it climbed to the top of the iTunes albums chart in the UAE and in 12 other countries.
The rock band continued their ‘The Book of Us’ album series with their latest musical offering. Fronted by title track ‘Zombie’, the eight-track EP ‘The Book of Us: The Demon’ was slightly darker than its predecessors, exploring the story of sentimental imbalance a demon can cause in one’s life.
Before its release last Monday, Day6 decided to temporarily halt all team activities and album promotions to focus on their mental well-being after some members were showing symptoms of psychological anxiety, JYP Entertainment confirmed.
The group — consisting of leader and guitarist Sungjin, guitarist Jae, keyboardist Wonpil. bassist Young K and drummer Dowoon — are focusing on getting sufficient rest after medical examination.
Last Wednesday, Chanyeol from boy group sensation EXO and rising DJ/producer Raiden collaborated on genre-crossing single ‘Yours’ with the help of soloist Lee Hi and rapper Changmo.
Featuring funky guitar and retro synth-pop sounds, the disco-style R’n’B collaborative number captivated fans with the synergy of the quartet coming from various sonic styles, leading to becoming a hit in Korea and globally.
The feel-good song about the lingering feeling after a break-up topped the iTunes songs chart in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, the Philippines, Oman and Malaysia and was a success in Korea.
It’s Raiden’s third collaboration with K-Pop artists, having previously collaborated with Red Velvet’s Irene and Girls’ Generation’s Yuri.
BVNDIT, an acronym for ‘Be Ambitious and Do It’, returned confident as ever with their EP ‘Carnival’ fronted by title track ‘Jungle’, declaring they are the queens in the jungle.
Their tropical-themed comeback was also a fan favourite, seen from some of their tracks’ ranking on the UAE songs iTunes chart. On Wednesday, the rookie girl group’s powerful tracks ‘Come and Get It’, ‘Jungle’ and ‘Carnival’ ranked in the top 10 on the UAE iTunes all-genre songs chart, proving to be the next K-Pop group to look out for.
Just in time for springtime, BOL4’s Ahn Ji Young dropped her five-track EP and title track ‘Hug’ co-composed and written by the singer-songstress herself. Just ahead of its release, she dropped a pre-release single ‘Leo’ featuring EXO’s Baekhyun.
Part of BOL4’s ‘Puberty Book’ that delves into the various emotions of the youth especially that of love, the newest instalment is the first release as a soloist following the departure of her former bandmate and guitarist Woo Ji Yoon last month.
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Big Bang member Taeyang is all set to release a documentary on YouTube on Monday. Taeyang’s eight-episode docu-series titled ‘White Night’ will be available on Big Bang’s and his agency’s official YouTube account starting this Monday, in the lead up to the group’s new music …