KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

TNX (an acronym for The New Six) is a five-member boy group under P NATION. Originally debuting as six members, the group was formed through the SBS survival program LOUD, a collaboration project between J.Y. Park and PSY. They officially debuted on May 17, 2022 with their first mini album Way Up. The group’s lineup was finalized during the finale of LOUD in 2021, where Kyung Jun, Tae Hun, Hyun Soo, Jun Hyeok, Hwi, Sung Jun, and Tanaka Koki were selected for P NATION’s upcoming boy group. However, in January 2022, P NATION announced that Tanaka Koki would not debut with the team in order to continue training, leading the group to debut as six members under the name TNX. On their debut day, they also introduced their fandom name THX, meaning “Together with TNX.” Following their debut, TNX continued building their discography with releases such as Love Never Dies, Boyhood, and the digital single &quot;Fuego&quot;, while also participating in the survival competition Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace in 2024. During this period, member Jun Hyeok temporarily paused activities due to anxiety before later returning to the group. In October 2024, it was announced that member Kyung Jun would enlist in the military and depart from the group following the completion of his service, reducing TNX to five members. The group continued activities with releases including the mini album For Real? in 2025 and the digital single &quot;Call Me Back&quot; in 2026, maintaining their growth under P NATION.

TNX have spent four years building a reputation on performance. With "Die Another Day," they went looking for it somewhere new

TNX Talk Rock, Live Vocals, and Refusing to Hold Back

Beyond K-pop, Southeast Asian genres like P-pop are gaining international attention. Leading the charge is boy band SB19, who are coming to San Antonio to show exactly why

KPOPWORLD Festival Spotlight: SB19

XLOV is a South Korean boy group formed by 257 Entertainment and currently managed by [WM Entertainment]. The group consists of four members: Wumuti, Rui, Hyun, and Haru. They debuted on January 7, 2025, with the single album I&#x27;mma Be. XLOV gained attention for promoting a genderless concept, incorporating androgynous styling and performances that challenge traditional gender norms in Kpop. The group&#x27;s name combines &quot;X,&quot; representing the unknown and negation, with &quot;LOV,&quot; symbolizing incomplete love, while their fandom name, EVOL, represents the completion of that concept. Several members were previously known through survival programs before debut. Wumuti, Rui, and Haru participated in Boys Planet, while Wumuti was also active in the project group WATERFIRE before helping form XLOV. The group is particularly noted for Wumuti&#x27;s involvement in songwriting and production, including contributions to their debut release. Since debuting, XLOV has released music including I&#x27;mma Be and I ONE, earning recognition for their distinctive concept, performance style, and growing international fanbase. In 2026, the group&#x27;s management structure changed following the acquisition of 257 Entertainment by WM Entertainment through RBW. Their music primarily incorporates elements of hip-hop, R&amp;B, and pop, while their visual identity and performances have distinguished them as one of the more unconventional rookie acts of the fifth generation of Kpop.

XLOV

Since debuting in January 2025, XLOV have made genderless styling the foundation of their entire identity, not just a look one member occasionally reaches for

How XLOV’s Genderless Styling Is Breaking the K-Pop Mould

WHIB is a seven-member boy group under C-JeS Entertainment, consisting of members Kim Junmin, Haseung, Jinbeom, UGeon, Leejeong, Jaeha, and Wonjun. Originally an octet, they debuted on November 8, 2023, with the single album Cut-Out. The group was first teased in November 2021 as the trainee group M.I.C, which stood for “Made in C-JeS.” On September 7, 2023, it was revealed that the group would debut as an eight-member group under the name WHIB, along with introductions to the new members. In 2025, members LeeJeong, Junmin and Wonjun competed on the Mnet survival show Boys II Planet, ranking 12th, 13th, and 62nd, respectively. On October 16, it was announced that member Inhong had departed from the group. WHIB released their first mini album, ROCK THE NATION, on January 29, 2026.

WHIB

A songwriter and composer within the group, JUNMIN approaches music from the melody up, while embracing WHIB’s ability to move between different sounds and styles

An Interview with WHIB’s KIM JUNMIN – The Melody-Minded Music Maker

Jay Park headlines the first-ever KPOPWORLD Festival, and if you know his story, that booking makes perfect sense

KPOPWORLD Festival Spotlight: Jay Park

Stray Kids, the record-breaking South Korean boy group, is set to once again dominate the music scene with their latest mini album ATE.

Stray Kids : ATE is fate

14 (forteen) makes a shimmery debut

The caliber of music coming out of South Korea on a consistent basis is actually insane.

SUDI’s new single is criminally underrated

Recently, XG announced their new single “Something Ain’t Right” will be releasing on July 26. This ties into announcements that the group is working on their second mini-album, which is expected to release late this year. So far there have been minimal hints towards the upcoming track other than that it will be “inspired by 90s garage rhythms.”

Photo of the Day: “Something Ain’t Right” with XG

ONCE is going crazy today over the new TWICE comeback.

TWICE “dives” into their new comeback

RIIZE has been busy since their debut last September under SM Entertainment.

RIIZE drops “Same Key” for “Makeup With Mud”

2Z are back! Or at least they will be soon! The group recently announced their newest comeback single “Playground.”

Photo of the Day: 2Z Hang Out at the Playground

Lee Jin-ki, best known by his artist mononym ONEW, dropped a special video performance of his new single “MonTuesWedThursFriSatSun” over the weekend.

ONEW gave fans a special pre-release treat

WayV Set to DUEL in New Concept Photos

Following their acclaimed work with releases like BORDER, DIMENSION, MANIFESTO, BLOOD

Keeping the “hype” in ENHYPEN: Their new comeback goes hard

Get elemental with BOYNEXTDOOR’s latest comeback

2024 has been filled with plenty of great rookie concepts. From BABYMONSTER’s absolute dominance to ILLIT’s viral success, there’s been no shortage of great K-pop newbies. However, one group that might have gone under the radar for you is WAKER. The group debuted at the very start of the year, and despite a mild amount of attention, didn’t really shake things up too much for K-pop as a whole.

Comeback