https://www.scmp.com/rss/507564/feed Tamar covers K-pop and related content for outlets such as Billboard, Forbes, and NBC News. She released her first book, "BTS: Blood, Sweat & Tears," in August 2020, and can be seen in the K-pop episode of Vox’s Explained on Netflix. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com K-pop’s love affair with Web3 tech trends is still burning strong. Last year, NFTs and metaverses were the hottest tech buzz of the year, and K-pop companies, like many entertainment counterparts, began rapidly investing. Despite some popularity waning in early 2022, K-pop companies continue to invest. In recent weeks, major industry players have announced new ventures that emphasise how popular these tech endeavours are among K-pop acts and companies as a new potential revenue source, despite... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3195680/k-pops-dedication-nfts-and-metaverse-remains-strong-2022-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3195680/k-pops-dedication-nfts-and-metaverse-remains-strong-2022-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:15:10 +0000 One of the most popular Korean YouTube series is Dingo Music’s “Killing Voice”, which puts K-pop stars on a soundstage to just sing. It is so enjoyable to watch singers perform without the razzle dazzle that makes K-pop so exciting (“Killing Voice” also highlights non-idol and non-K-pop artists, having started out more as a series focused on ballads). By stripping things back, you can really see and hear how these stars found themselves, based on their skills and love of music. Other series by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3195655/youtubes-killing-voice-sometimes-you-just-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3195655/youtubes-killing-voice-sometimes-you-just-need?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:15:11 +0000 2022 is going to go down as a year that belongs to the women of K-pop. Blackpink have just made history by topping the US’ Billboard chart with their Born Pink album and Twice have had hit after hit. Both are embarking on stadium tours. Tomboy by (G)I-dle has become one of the year’s biggest hits in South Korea and IVE, Aespa, Le Sserafim and NewJeans – who form the core of a new generation of K-pop girl groups – are breaking album sales records. Older girl groups like Girls’ Generation, Kara,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3194637/blackpink-twice-women-rule-k-pop-2022-lets-not-go-back-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3194637/blackpink-twice-women-rule-k-pop-2022-lets-not-go-back-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 20:15:07 +0000 In September 2022, after over a decade of renovation, the Brooklyn Museum in New York finally reopened the entirety of its Asian art galleries to the public. “This was a project that was 12 years in the making, basically,” says Joan Cummins, the museum’s curator of Asian art. The 560,000 sq ft (52,000 square metre) museum, the second largest in New York City after the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has had a major overhaul. Its Asian galleries underwent major refurbishment, with exhibits being... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3194761/flavour-changes-you-walk-through-brooklyn-museums-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3194761/flavour-changes-you-walk-through-brooklyn-museums-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 08:15:08 +0000 Photos shared online allegedly showing moments from the private life of Jennie from K-pop girl group Blackpink have led the group’s South Korean music label YG Entertainment to announce it will be taking legal action. The action would target people who have shared photos of Jennie, and those who have spread malicious rumours about the star, YG Entertainment said. In August this year, images of Jennie began circulating that she had not shared on social media, including several that fuelled... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3194744/blackpink-label-take-legal-action-after-jennie-photos-leaked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3194744/blackpink-label-take-legal-action-after-jennie-photos-leaked?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 03:15:07 +0000 Imagine being a year old with the whole world ahead of you, and then being told to freeze in place for two years. That’s what K-pop group Verivery experienced when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, after their first year together in 2019. Now with a full-blown identity and sense of self, they’re aiming to cover the lost years and move forward. The seven members of Verivery – Dongheon, Hoyoung, Minchan, Gyehyeon, Yeonho, Yongseung and Kangmin – came together under South Korean entertainment... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3194632/k-pop-group-verivery-back-after-two-year-hiatus-are-excited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3194632/k-pop-group-verivery-back-after-two-year-hiatus-are-excited?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Oct 2022 11:45:08 +0000 This summer has been brilliant for fans of older K-pop girl groups, with Girls’ Generation releasing their first album for five years in August, Exid returning this month with new album X and Kara planning a return for November. With younger groups like BTS and Blackpink currently dominating, these more senior teams may be less familiar. Here’s what you need to know about them. Exid The history Exid are returning for their 10th anniversary after being on hiatus since 2019. Before this week,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3194264/girls-generation-kara-and-exid-your-guide-3-k-pop-girl-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3194264/girls-generation-kara-and-exid-your-guide-3-k-pop-girl-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Oct 2022 10:15:08 +0000 One of K-pop’s most popular female stars is currently battling ongoing harassment and invasions of privacy. It’s time for things to change. Last week, a German fan and long-term stalker of Twice’s Nayeon reportedly posted on his social media account that he would be heading to South Korea to try and meet the star. The man had previously attempted to meet her by flying on the same plane as Twice, and going to the building housing Twice’s company, JYP Entertainment, in Seoul in 2019. Despite... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3193845/return-nayeon-twices-stalker-its-time-k-pop-companies-take-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3193845/return-nayeon-twices-stalker-its-time-k-pop-companies-take-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:45:09 +0000 K-pop music labels and Middle Eastern countries may sound like unlikely partners, but recently there’s been a full-blown pivot of K-pop to the region. Over the past few decades, South Korean entertainment companies and artists have looked beyond the country’s borders for new audiences and markets. In its earliest days in the 1990s and early 2000s, Asia was the major region of interest, and more recently, K-pop acts have also regularly toured throughout the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Today... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3193820/k-pop-grows-its-middle-east-presence-festivals-and-blackpink-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3193820/k-pop-grows-its-middle-east-presence-festivals-and-blackpink-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 03:15:07 +0000 Blackpink made history over the weekend with their new album Born Pink, becoming the first all-female group since 2008 to top the US Billboard 200 album chart, one of the most influential music charts in the world. Released on September 16 and fronted by singles Pink Venom and Shut Down, the eight-track Born Pink is Blackpink’s first No 1 album in the US. Billboard revealed the news on September 25. Although K-pop acts have become mainstays on international music charts in recent years, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3193778/blackpink-top-us-billboard-chart-born-pink-album-first-k-pop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3193778/blackpink-top-us-billboard-chart-born-pink-album-first-k-pop?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Sep 2022 03:09:57 +0000 CIX, or “Complete in X”, was formed in 2019, and has five members: leader BX, Seunghun, Younghee, Bae Jinyoung and Hyunsuk. They may not be the biggest act in K-pop, but are growing a global audience of dedicated fans (known as FIX), with 2021’s single Cinema winning over critics and FIX. “Reliable” is a word that shows up a lot when fans are talking about CIX on social media. The band has been consistent in its musical development, with a taste for euphoric synth-pop and groovier, trap-fuelled... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3193510/k-pop-group-cix-are-proud-reliable-music-makers-and-want-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3193510/k-pop-group-cix-are-proud-reliable-music-makers-and-want-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Sep 2022 11:00:28 +0000 On September 16, two new K-pop albums were released by two of the biggest groups in the business: international superstars Blackpink and the excellently experimental NCT 127. Both albums – Born Pink, Blackpink’s second LP fronted by the singles “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down”, and 2 Baddies, NCT 127’s fourth Korean LP fronted by a single of the same name – were met with a wide range of reactions. Neither was free from criticism, but both were awash in love. Importantly, however, the various... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3193082/do-new-blackpink-and-nct-albums-show-dedication-k-pop-brands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3193082/do-new-blackpink-and-nct-albums-show-dedication-k-pop-brands?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:15:12 +0000 SM Entertainment announced on September 16 that it may sever official ties with its chief producer Lee Soo-man. Lee founded the South Korean media company in 1995, and has been integral to the forming of the modern K-pop industry, producing acts including Girls’ Generation, Exo and Aespa. SM Entertainment plans to terminate its contract with Like Planning, a music production company owned by Lee. SM Entertainment has spent the past few years being questioned by investors on its 20-year... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3193095/why-might-k-pops-sm-entertainment-sever-ties-founder-and-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3193095/why-might-k-pops-sm-entertainment-sever-ties-founder-and-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:00:09 +0000 Blackpink released their first full-length album, The Album on October 2, 2020. Two years later, on September 16, the girl group dropped their second album, Born Pink. The eight-track LP from the popular K-pop quartet is a celebration of themselves and all that being Blackpink represents. Born Pink’s release follows last month’s single Pink Venom, and arrives at the same time as their newest single, Shut Down, which samples classical piece La Campanella by composer Franz Liszt. In the music... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3192694/blackpink-drop-album-born-pink-their-first-two-years-and-shut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3192694/blackpink-drop-album-born-pink-their-first-two-years-and-shut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 04:56:56 +0000 From leading catwalk shows to making waves with their street-fashion looks, K-pop stars made their presence known at New York Fashion Week (NYFW)’s spring/summer 2023 edition. The event, which took place in New York from September 9 to 14, saw the likes of NCT Dream’s Jeno, Twice’s Dahyun, Red Velvet’s Seulgi, iKon’s DK and others hit up the Big Apple’s fashion scene. The most significant moment took place on September 13, when 22-year-old Jeno (Lee Je-no) made history as the first K-pop star to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3192552/k-pop-stars-take-centre-stage-new-york-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3192552/k-pop-stars-take-centre-stage-new-york-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2022 11:15:15 +0000 Following Stray Kids’ recent interview with US music magazine Billboard that was published on September 8, fans of both the boy band and K-pop in general were irritated over a perceived dismissiveness towards the group’s audience at a recent sold-out US concert, who were referred to as “teens and tweens”. Though it was seemingly used to make a point about Stray Kids being a leader of the fourth generation of K-pop acts by attracting a new wave of fans, the terminology – one that has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3192320/k-pop-fans-arms-over-stray-kids-article-were-not-all-teens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3192320/k-pop-fans-arms-over-stray-kids-article-were-not-all-teens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:15:22 +0000 The four members of K-pop girl group Rocking Doll have had a busy few weeks. They’ve travelled between South Korea, Thailand, Italy and the United States, attending various events, filming content, doing photoshoots and appearing on television, all while releasing new music in the lead up to their first album, the English-language Survive. It might sound like Rocking Doll is one of the most in-demand K-pop acts around, but that’s not the case. The quartet only debuted in December 2021, under a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3192287/who-are-rocking-doll-new-k-pop-girl-group-who-want-take-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3192287/who-are-rocking-doll-new-k-pop-girl-group-who-want-take-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2022 09:15:17 +0000 K-pop boy band Seventeen are performing for fans for the first time in two years with their “Be the Sun” world tour, bringing their typical high-energy, precisely synchronised dances and stand-out vocals to stages across the globe. The thirteen members of Seventeen kicked off the tour in Seoul in June before heading to North America, where they received a warm welcome from their fans – known collectively as Carats – who had watched them from afar for two years. The final date of their North... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3191950/seventeen-world-tour-sees-k-pop-boy-group-reconnecting-carats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3191950/seventeen-world-tour-sees-k-pop-boy-group-reconnecting-carats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:45:20 +0000 As summer turns to autumn and K-pop’s year-end awards and festival season begins, many high-profile K-pop acts are releasing new music to end the year with a bang. September is already gearing up to be one of the biggest for K-pop releases this year, despite a slowdown this week ahead of the weekend’s Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Chuseok in South Korea. That means there is only one high-profile release this week: Jackson Wang of Got7’s Magic Man EP, which will drop on September 9. Almost there... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3191632/new-k-pop-releases-september-2022-blackpink-nct-127-jackson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3191632/new-k-pop-releases-september-2022-blackpink-nct-127-jackson?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:15:21 +0000 On September 4 in New York, Korean singer Sunmi was on stage talking about the effort she had put into her “Good Girl Gone Mad” tour when she paused to address an overzealous fan who kept interrupting her with shouts of love and support. “Shut up,” she said, later adding, “I love you, but shut up.” The fan had been shouting things like “I love you” and “slay” apparently because of his love for the star. But while he was cheered on at first by the crowd, support shifted when Sunmi spoke out, with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3191529/when-does-k-pop-fans-support-cross-line-sunmi-incident-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3191529/when-does-k-pop-fans-support-cross-line-sunmi-incident-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2022 20:15:11 +0000 A BTS concert planned to be held in the South Korean port city of Busan in October has announced a venue change after safety concerns over the original venue were raised. Part of Busan’s World Expo 2030 bid, the October 15 “BTS Yet to Come in Busan” free concert was set to be held at a temporary venue on the site of a former glass factory near Ilgwang Beach and supposedly accommodate 100,000 concertgoers. However, despite the interest in the concert, many people raised concerns over the plans,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3191494/bts-busan-concert-venue-changed-after-fans-raise-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3191494/bts-busan-concert-venue-changed-after-fans-raise-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2022 10:15:10 +0000 Last week brought star girl group power, but the week of August 28 to September 3 saw some more eclectic K-pop releases. Solos, collaborations and rookies all had big moments. Here are some must-listens to check out: Balming Tiger feat. RM of BTS – ‘Sexy Nukim’ The leader of BTS joins alternative group Balming Tiger on their latest single, and brings some sexy feels to this laid-back electro rap track. Paired with a music video that dissociates from reality in some wild ways, “Sexy Nukim” is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3191117/new-k-pop-releases-what-make-balming-tiger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3191117/new-k-pop-releases-what-make-balming-tiger?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Sep 2022 11:15:21 +0000 A new investment fund targeting K-pop fans and those interested in investing in the South Korean entertainment industry launched on the New York Stock Exchange’s Arca exchange on September 1. The KPOP and Korean Entertainment ETF (exchange-traded fund) – ticker KPOP – launched by Seoul-based CT Investments, packages together a variety of K-pop and South Korean media companies. These include BTS’ label Hybe, Blackpink’s label YG Entertainment, NCT’s label SM Entertainment, Twice’s label JYP... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3191070/want-invest-k-pop-bts-blackpink-twice-and-ncts-labels-included?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3191070/want-invest-k-pop-bts-blackpink-twice-and-ncts-labels-included?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Sep 2022 05:45:19 +0000 Different people like to exercise in different ways, and for K-pop fans, there are many motivating, musical workout videos out there. From dance-based cardio to sessions inspired by the workout routines of – and even led by – your favourite K-pop stars, here are five YouTube videos of various durations, so you’re covered whether you want a quick exercise fix, or a full-on, sweat-inducing fitness class. Mamamoo dance routine For K-pop dance novices, Olivia Styleme leads several videos in which... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190914/5-k-pop-youtube-workout-routines-music-bts-blackpink-twice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190914/5-k-pop-youtube-workout-routines-music-bts-blackpink-twice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 11:15:20 +0000 News last week of the K-pop-focused MAMA Awards planning a two-day event in Japan in November reminds us that the K-pop year-end award season is well and truly upon us. Just about every single South Korean TV channel and media company holds a “year-end” event at some point between August and February, overwhelming the industry, talent and fans with show after show. But when there are weekly K-pop music shows that hand out awards, and chart and streaming numbers that constantly show the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3190678/k-pop-award-shows-do-we-need-so-many-its-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3190678/k-pop-award-shows-do-we-need-so-many-its-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Aug 2022 21:15:17 +0000 It was a big night for K-pop superstars Blackpink at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28. Held in Newark, in the US state of New Jersey, the 2022 VMAs witnessed not only a performance of Blackpink’s brand new song Pink Venom – their first ever performance on a US awards show – but also saw the quartet pick up one group and one individual award. Blackpink won the award for “Best Metaverse Performance” thanks to their recent virtual concert held in the video game PUBG, which also saw them... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190536/blackpink-bts-lisa-and-seventeen-k-pop-winners-2022-mtv-vmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190536/blackpink-bts-lisa-and-seventeen-k-pop-winners-2022-mtv-vmas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 08:15:13 +0000 As August nears its end, K-pop acts are still heating up the summer with new music. This week, several popular and up-and-coming K-pop stars and groups have dropped notable releases that are must-listens. IVE After Like IVE return this week with the disco-fuelled After Like, a follow-up to last year’s debut track Eleven and this year’s Love Dive, and another immediate hit. Featuring a sample of the Gloria Gaynor song I Will Survive, IVE’s latest release, like the rest of their songs, is an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3190311/new-k-pop-releases-what-make-tracks-twice-seventeen-ive-red?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3190311/new-k-pop-releases-what-make-tracks-twice-seventeen-ive-red?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 11:15:17 +0000 In 2019, at the KCON Los Angeles hybrid convention and concert, competitors from the Mnet idol show To Be World Klass were given the opportunity to perform. On August 21, 2022, during the final night of the first KCON LA to be held since the pandemic took hold, some of those competitors returned to perform, now known as the boy band TO1. “Three years ago, we were here as trainees in a survival programme, so I think it will be a really meaningful stage for us,” leader Jaeyun said ahead of their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190122/its-more-playful-to1-their-new-album-why-not-performing-kcon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3190122/its-more-playful-to1-their-new-album-why-not-performing-kcon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 01:45:07 +0000 The K-pop-focused MAMA Awards will return this November with a two-day event in Japan. The awards ceremony will be held at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on November 29 and 30. Previously called the Mnet Asian Music Awards, MAMA for short, the music awards show staged by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM formally rebranded this year as the MAMA Awards. Hosted by South Korean TV channel Mnet, the MAMA Awards originated in 1999 as the Mnet KM Music Festival. Boy band BTS are the most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3190095/k-pops-mnet-asian-music-awards-rebrand-mama-awards-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3190095/k-pops-mnet-asian-music-awards-rebrand-mama-awards-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Aug 2022 05:45:23 +0000 How do you know when you’ve made it as a music festival? Religious zealots standing outside protesting that anyone attending will go to hell. A video by reporter Kate Halliwell, of the sports and pop culture website The Ringer, went viral after she caught the scorn of someone doing just that outside KCON in Los Angeles last week. KCON, you’ve truly made it in your 10th year. Jokes aside, K-pop music festivals in general have made it in 2022, giving us the biggest year ever for events outside... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189883/k-pop-festivals-2022-kcon-mik-and-kpopflex-their-huge-crowds-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189883/k-pop-festivals-2022-kcon-mik-and-kpopflex-their-huge-crowds-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Aug 2022 12:15:21 +0000 In summer 2019, it seemed unfathomable that KCON, the world’s largest Korean pop culture convention and concert, would not be back the following year. But thanks to the coronavirus it only returned to Los Angeles this year, from August 19-21, celebrating its 10th anniversary since the first KCON back in 2012. Its return brought a sense of normalcy for K-pop fans who had grown to rely on its regular appearance, and for the chance to see the growth of its performers. A journey of music The two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189747/kcon-la-2022-round-stray-kids-itzy-enhypen-ateez-and-kep1er-share?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189747/kcon-la-2022-round-stray-kids-itzy-enhypen-ateez-and-kep1er-share?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:19:53 +0000 Part of the human experience is about what we fight for, whether it’s our own happiness or communal betterment. Music often helps motivate us through these struggles, providing solace and inspiration. These impassioned and hopeful K-pop songs are certain to rouse you, stirring the soul with inspiration and energy. 1. Ateez – Guerrilla The music of this popular boy band is generally powerful and rebellious. Their July single Guerrilla rallies against the status quo and urges listeners to call... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189562/bts-girls-generation-ateez-5-k-pop-songs-those-fighting-something?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189562/bts-girls-generation-ateez-5-k-pop-songs-those-fighting-something?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Aug 2022 09:15:24 +0000 Back with a bite, K-pop superstars Blackpink have released their first song in over a year, Pink Venom. Pink Venom is the first song off their forthcoming album Born Pink, which they will launch on September 16. Born Pink is their second LP, following October 2020’s The Album, and follows a period in which Blackpink members Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé focused on solo projects. “It was our sixth anniversary recently, time flies,” Jisoo said at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, where the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3189448/its-lovely-poison-k-pops-blackpink-return-pink-venom-single?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3189448/its-lovely-poison-k-pops-blackpink-return-pink-venom-single?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 05:15:22 +0000 KCON is back in Los Angeles, three years since the world’s largest Korean pop culture convention was last held in person in 2019. For 2020 and 2021, the convention moved online because of social distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. When the event was held in person previously, more than 150,000 attendees enjoyed days of Korean films, music and other cultural phenomena, followed by nights of concerts featuring major K-pop stars. This year’s convention will run until August 21. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189305/kcon-2022-back-los-angeles-after-2-year-break-pandemic-k-pop-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189305/kcon-2022-back-los-angeles-after-2-year-break-pandemic-k-pop-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Aug 2022 22:15:22 +0000 Blackpink are about to release their first new music together in almost two years, with single Pink Venom dropping on August 19. Their first release since 2020’s The Album, Pink Venom is a precursor to the launch of the girl group’s Born Pink album on September 16. With the group embarking on their first group promotional cycle in two years, they have rapidly announced promotional tie-ins and shared details about what’s to come for the quartet. Here’s what we know so far. Pink Venom comes from... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3189078/new-blackpink-song-album-tour-performances-what-we-know-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3189078/new-blackpink-song-album-tour-performances-what-we-know-so?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Aug 2022 21:45:16 +0000 Some South Korean entertainment companies are reconsidering merchandising in the face of climate change. They should be applauded for it. Earlier in August, K-pop company JYP Entertainment shared in an environmental, social and governance (ESG) report that it was looking to move away from producing plastic CDs, which are seen as a high-waste, low-use product, and come up with more eco-friendly alternatives for their K-pop merchandise. JYP’s plan is one of many being touted in the K-pop space to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189045/k-pop-merch-j-hope-bts-new-album-thats-more-environmentally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3189045/k-pop-merch-j-hope-bts-new-album-thats-more-environmentally?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:15:20 +0000 As K-pop’s presence grows around the world, entertainment companies elsewhere in Asia are taking notes and trying to create their own Korea-based, K-pop-inspired groups with the aim of going global. Now, non-Korean entertainment companies launching K-pop acts in Korea is nothing new, such as in the case of popular girl group Everglow, managed by Chinese label Yuehua. But while those acts target the local South Korean music scene, new acts are focusing on appealing to worldwide audiences, using... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3189020/how-new-k-pop-groups-xg-are-being-created-non-korean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3189020/how-new-k-pop-groups-xg-are-being-created-non-korean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 04:45:21 +0000 K-pop may bring to mind a certain type of music, but there’s a wide array of styles in the genre. Korean idol pop-rock bands have been making their mark on the world for years, with the likes of FTIsland, CNBlue, Day6 and NFlying turning out multiple hits and attracting numerous fans. Nowadays, there’s a growing number of rock-influenced K-pop groups – bands and more traditional dance-focused groups. Here, in alphabetical order, are some rockier bands, ranging from major-label acts to indie... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3188613/8-k-pop-groups-rock-fans-tomorrow-x-together-dreamcatcher-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3188613/8-k-pop-groups-rock-fans-tomorrow-x-together-dreamcatcher-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 08:15:11 +0000 K-pop girl group Blackpink will release their second full-length album, Born Pink, on September 16. The announcement comes as the quartet celebrate their sixth anniversary this week. The group will release their first song from the album, Pink Venom, on August 19. Born Pink comes almost two years after their debut album, The Album, which was released in October 2020. #BLACKPINK 2nd Album 'BORN PINK' Teaser Poster#BLACKPINK #블랙핑크 #2ndAlbum #BORNPINK #TeaserPoster #20220916 #ComingSoon #YG... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188359/blackpink-new-album-release-date-announced-born-pink-drop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188359/blackpink-new-album-release-date-announced-born-pink-drop?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 04:00:25 +0000 Monsta X’s music label Starship Entertainment has revealed, after months of rumours, future plans for the K-pop boy band. Monsta X were formed as a seven-member group through a televised competition show in 2014. They will continue to make music in their current six-member line-up – one member left in 2019. The label announced this week on the group’s official website: “Starship Entertainment recently renewed contracts with five of our agency artist Monsta X’s members Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188267/monsta-x-begin-work-new-music-after-contract-talks-im-quitting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188267/monsta-x-begin-work-new-music-after-contract-talks-im-quitting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 01:45:11 +0000 January 31, 2012. Queens, New York City. I was sitting in my college flat living room, watching the entirety of David Letterman’s late night show probably for the first time in my life, eagerly waiting to see Girls’ Generation perform their 2011 hit The Boys. As a fan of the act since high school (they debuted in 2007, and I first encountered them in 2008), seeing them make their US television debut was one of those moments that I had been anticipating for years. August 5, 2022. Still New York,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3188153/why-it-matters-girls-generation-are-still-making-music-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3188153/why-it-matters-girls-generation-are-still-making-music-15?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:15:22 +0000 Blackpink will be coming to Hong Kong in January as part of a world tour, the K-pop girl group announced on the sixth anniversary of their first release, Square One, in 2016. On August 8, the quartet revealed dates for their Born Pink world tour. It will begin in October in Seoul, South Korea, and continue into 2023 with concerts in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. The hit makers will perform in Hong Kong on January 13 and 14. The act last held a solo concert in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188227/blackpink-announce-born-pink-world-tour-dates-including-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3188227/blackpink-announce-born-pink-world-tour-dates-including-two?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Aug 2022 02:28:49 +0000 The careers of many K-pop groups contain highs and lows, and things aren’t always straightforward. From returning after hiatus to a complete rebranding, here are some K-pop groups who are famous for re-forming or adding members. Dreamcatcher Formed in 2017, seven-member Dreamcatcher won over hearts as a rockish K-pop girl group. With dedicated followers around the world, Dreamcatcher have carved out their own sizeable niche. Their success came after an earlier start for five of the members as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3187878/6-k-pop-groups-who-have-re-formed-or-returned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3187878/6-k-pop-groups-who-have-re-formed-or-returned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Aug 2022 10:15:09 +0000 When he started listening to BTS’s music during the Covid-19 pandemic, Henry Cheng didn’t expect to end up writing a 15-minute-long suite of classical music based on it. But the composer-conductor fell in love with the K-pop boy band while attempting to discover why so many people love their music. The result is Suite for Army, which infuses classical greats with BTS hits and B-sides. The work premiered at an exhibition titled “Beyond the Scene” at the Total Museum in Seoul, South Korea, on July... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187801/bts-songs-and-classical-music-merge-suite-army-composers-ode-k-pop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187801/bts-songs-and-classical-music-merge-suite-army-composers-ode-k-pop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 08:15:23 +0000 When #LookAtMe was written in 2015, it felt like a work of satire, according to Ken Kwek, the film’s writer and director. “Since then, global events, including the rise of authoritarianism and the devolution of online culture wars, have informed its mutation into a tragicomedy,” the Singaporean wrote in his statement that accompanied the film’s premiere at July’s New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). “Though inspired by Singapore, it’s a film which I know will resonate in any society where the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3187578/singapores-lgbtq-attitudes-and-religious-dogma-fuel-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3187578/singapores-lgbtq-attitudes-and-religious-dogma-fuel-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 04:45:19 +0000 American producer Benny Blanco’s new song Bad Decisions arrived on August 5 featuring Snoop Dogg and four members of BTS. Jimin, V, Jin and Jung Kook, the vocalists of the K-pop boy band, collaborated on the song under the group’s name, making it the first official BTS release since the superstar septet announced in June that they would be changing things up and focusing more on individual projects rather than group ones for a period of time. Bad Decisions, performed predominantly by the BTS... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187799/bts-return-benny-blanco-song-bad-decisions-snoop-dogg-also-featured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187799/bts-return-benny-blanco-song-bad-decisions-snoop-dogg-also-featured?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 04:33:56 +0000 K-pop girl group NewJeans surprised everyone when they arrived on the scene in July, releasing several music videos without any prior warning under a new music label, Ador. That was followed by the release of their first EP, also called NewJeans, on August 1 which, with over 444,000 pre-orders, became the highest pre-ordered debut album from a K-pop girl group of all time. But the arrival of NewJeans also led to heated conversation online among K-pop fans about the treatment of young stars by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187319/after-newjeans-controversy-should-k-pop-groups-stop-debuting-minors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3187319/after-newjeans-controversy-should-k-pop-groups-stop-debuting-minors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 20:15:23 +0000 Blackpink are set to release a new album in September, the K-pop group have announced. Born Pink, their follow-up to 2020’s The Album, is set to arrive in September and will be followed by a tour in October. Prior to that, a single is set to drop in August. Sunday’s announcement marks the long-awaited return of the hitmaking quartet, and coincided with the release of Blackpink’s first new group song in some time. A promotional tie-in to popular video game PUBG, Ready For Love dropped on July 29,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3187391/blackpink-drop-new-song-announce-upcoming-album-born-pink-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3187391/blackpink-drop-new-song-announce-upcoming-album-born-pink-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 05:06:13 +0000 He’s not a yellow sponge, or a square, nor does he live in a pineapple under the sea, but South Korean singer Kang Daniel thinks there’s a surprising amount of commonalities between himself and SpongeBob SquarePants. “SpongeBob is so optimistic and very chill,” says Kang. “In most other cartoons, if there any kind of problem, the characters will usually try to fix the problems. But in the case of SpongeBob, there are a lot of episodes where he doesn’t even try to fix things. “I think that is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3187056/k-pop-star-kang-daniel-his-spongebob?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3187056/k-pop-star-kang-daniel-his-spongebob?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Aug 2022 23:15:08 +0000 On July 22, a new K-pop girl group called NewJeans arrived on the scene. In a surprise debut, the five-member team dropped a music video for their song Attention, and attention was what they got. Since then they’ve released a series of other promotional videos teasing upcoming songs and showing footage of the members ahead of their self-titled debut EP’s launch on August 1. Having launched suddenly, and with little warning but a whole lot of content, NewJeans rapidly gained a lot of attention,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3186598/newjeans-new-k-pop-group-have-youtube-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3186598/newjeans-new-k-pop-group-have-youtube-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 04:45:09 +0000